ALVA, Okla. – Head Baseball Coach Sam Carel and Northwestern Oklahoma State are proud to announce the hiring of nine-year Major League pitcher, Shaun Marcum, as the Ranger's new pitching coach. Currently in the Cleveland Indians organization, Marcum will be joining Carel's staff following his retirement from professional baseball at the conclusion of the 2015 season.
Marcum is very excited about joining the Ranger baseball program.
"I played long enough and now I feel like it's time for me to see if I can help these kids reach their goals of playing professionally and winning a National Championship," Marcum said. "Getting to be on Coach Carel's staff was something I couldn't pass up. I'm really excited and looking forward to being a part of the NWOSU baseball program."
A third-round selection by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 2003 Major League Baseball Amateur Draft, out of Missouri State University, Marcum has spent nine of his thirteen professional years playing at the Major League level. He made his big league debut on September 6, 2005, in Toronto against the Baltimore Orioles. Since that time, Marcum has started 167 games, made 28 relief appearances, and has logged in over 1,000 innings on the mound at the Major League level.
Over his nine-year big league career, Marcum has spent time with the Blue Jays, Milwaukee Brewers, New York Mets, and now the Cleveland Indians while compiling a career record of 61-48. From 2007-2012, he compiled the seventh highest win percentage (.628) of all major-league pitchers with over 800 innings pitched.
After posting a 37-25 record in five years with Toronto, Marcum was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers prior to the 2011 season where he played for two years. He compiled a 20-11 record over his two seasons in Milwaukee. Arguably in the most prolific year of his career, Marcum pitched over 200 innings and posted a 13-7 record for the Brewers in 2011. That year, the Brewers won the National League's Central Division and came within two wins of playing in the World Series. That postseason, Marcum was the starting pitcher in Game Three of the National League Division Series against the Arizona Diamondbacks, as well as, the Game Two and Game Six starter in the National League Championship Series versus the St. Louis Cardinals.
"Obviously, we are excited to have a person of Shaun's knowledge and experience join the baseball staff," said Director of Athletics Andy Carter. "Shaun continues the process of legitimizing our baseball program, building on the strides Coach Carel has made in the past year."
Before being drafted, Marcum attended school at Missouri State University where he led the Bears to unprecedented success as a two-year closer and starting shortstop for the Bears. In 2002, he was an integral part of a Bears team that finished as the runner-up in the NCAA Division-1 Regional tournament at the University of Nebraska. A year later, Marcum was a part of arguably the most successful team ever to come out of Missouri State University. In 2003, MSU won their second Missouri Valley Conference regular season title in three years and made history a few weeks later when they defeated the Big 12 Champions, Nebraska Cornhuskers to claim their first ever NCAA Regional Championship. The following week MSU swept a best two out of three series against the Ohio State Buckeyes to win a Super Regional Championship and propel the Bears to their first ever NCAA Division 1 College World Series appearance.
A native of Excelsior Springs, Missouri, Marcum and his wife, Stephanie, have three sons, Ryne, Landon, and Calan.
"It's always exciting whenever an individual like Shaun Marcum is able to come aboard and join the coaching staff," said Head Coach Sam Carel. "Shaun's playing experience at the Major League level speaks for itself, and his knowledge will help this program continue to advance the process forward. Personally, I am just as excited to have an individual who I shared a dugout with at Missouri State University, and who I would consider to be one of the best collegiate competitors I had ever seen come out of a Keith Guttin program. Shaun's tenacity has always been non-negotiable, and that tenacity will perpetuate itself throughout our club immediately. This program got better today."
