11-Time Coach-of-the-Year, Sam Carel enters his fourth year at the helm of Northwestern's baseball program. This past season, the program continued to develop the younger members of the program and saw the rise of Steven Deckard, who hit over .400 throughout the year despite missing the heart of the conference season, and emerged as a leader for the young core of Rangers that Carel began to develop. Arturo Castro also produced a stellar season under Carel's guidance, leading to a Honorable Mention All-GAC Conference.
Carel’s 2016 Rangers set a team record for most wins in the Great American Conference. His squad also produced three Great American Conference All-Conference selections, and one Capital One CoSida third team Academic All-American (Thomas Bess). The 2016 team as a whole earned the Northwestern Award of Excellence for their dealings with the surrounding communities in regards to community engagement and service.
In his first year in 2015, Carel’s impressive track record of developing talent was evident throughout the 2015 campaign. During the inaugural season, Carel and his staff produced three Great American Conference Players-of-the-Weeks, two second team All-Conference selections, and one Capital One CoSida third team Academic All-American (Jeff Martin). For the program’s success, Carel was awarded the 2015 Northwespy, given to Northwestern Oklahoma State’s Coach-of-the-Year.
At Jefferson, Carel posted an impressive 296-149 (.665) overall record. His teams captured eight-consecutive conference titles and made back-to-back JUCO World Series trips in 2011 and 2012. Carel also has earned 10 total Coach of the Year awards throughout his career.
Under Carel’s command, Jefferson became a hotbed for talent, sending 108 players to four-year schools (61 of them to NCAA Division I schools). In addition, 15 players were selected in the Major League Baseball Draft.
Over eight seasons, Carel coached 44 all-conference players, including six conference players of the year, 41 all-region selections and six NJCAA All-Americans. He was named Region XVI Coach of the Year in 2007, 11 and 12 and earned Midwest Community College Athletic Conference Coach of the Year status five times between 2008 and 2012. He is also a two-time Diamond Sports ABCA (American Baseball Coaches Association) Regional Coach of the Year in 2011 and 2012.
In addition to his duties at Jefferson, Carel has also spent two summers coaching in the prestigious Coastal Plain League with the Morehead City (N.C.) Marlins. He served as hitting instructor and third base coach during the 2013 season and head coach in 2014.
Carel began his career as a student assistant at NCAA Division I, Missouri State – then Southwest Missouri State. He rejoined the staff in 2002 and, for four years, worked as infield and hitting coach.
During Carel’s time at MSU, the Bears reached unprecedented heights, earning the school’s first-ever College World Series trip in 2003. The program produced first round draft picks in back-to-back seasons in 2006 and 2007 with the selections of Brett Sinkbeil and Ross Detwiler. Both pitchers reached the Major Leagues, as did Ryan Howard, a fourth-round pick by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 2001 draft. Howard went on to become the 2005 National League Rookie of the Year and captured National League MVP honors a year later.
Carel moved on the Jefferson in 2006, where he worked as assistant coach under NJCAA Hall of Famer Dave Oster for a year. Following Oster's retirement, Carel was promoted to head coach.
After taking over, in his first year at the helm, Carel led the Vikings to a 37-25 finish en route to winning the program’s 11th all-time MCCAC regular season championship, and their fourth ever Regional championship.
The 2011 season was another record breaking year that saw Jefferson earn a berth to its first NJCAA JUCO World Series appearance in Grand Junction, Colorado, since the school participated in the event in 2002.
In Carel’s fifth year at the helm, Jeffco finished 43-22, earned a top ten national finish, and claimed the program’s 15th Conference championship, its fifth Regional championship, and second District championship which earned them a birth JUCO World Series for the second time in the program’s history. In recognition of the team’s success, Carel was named conference, region and American Baseball Coaches’ Association Diamond Sports Regional Coach of the Year.
In Carel’s sixth season, his club finished 53-12, earned a number two ranking in the final NJCAA National Poll, completed a sixth consecutive MCCAC regular season title, a second consecutive Region XVI championship (’82, ’93, ’02, ’07, ’11, ’12), and a second consecutive District championship en route to a second consecutive appearance in the NJCAA JUCO World Series in Grand Junction Colorado (’02, '11, '12). The 2012 season completed with the Vikings setting all-time records in wins (53), postseason victories (9), World Series victories (2), highest ranking in the final NJCAA poll (2nd), and the most guys selected in the top 13 rounds of the Major League Draft (3), including the highest draft pick ever selected and signed from Jefferson College (Fred Ford, 7th round, Kansas City Royals). In recognition of the team’s success, Carel was named for the second consecutive year as the conference, region, and American Baseball Coaches’ Association Diamond Sports Regional Coach of the Year.
Carel owns a pair of degrees from Missouri State. He earned his Bachelor’s in Physical Education in 1999 and added a Masters in Secondary Education in 2005.
Carel and his wife Cailin have six children, Ethan, Aiden, Noah, Max, Charlie and Jennifer.
