JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (August 27, 2015) – ETSU head baseball coach Tony Skole announced the addition of Aaron Gershenfeld to the coaching staff. Gershenfeld will serve as the team’s hitting coach, work with the catchers as well as assist in recruiting and other administrative duties.
“Coach Gershenfeld is one of the top young minds in college baseball,” said Skole. “Aaron has an advanced knowledge of hitting and the catching position, but what makes him so special is the energy and passion he comes to work with every day. Coach Gershenfeld will bring great momentum and expertise to our offense, which I know will translate to great success for our players on and off the field.”
Gershenfeld comes to ETSU from Southern Conference rival, The Citadel. In Gershenfeld’s lone season a part of the Bulldogs’ coaching staff he led the team to improvements in several offensive categories as well as aiding in the development of a pair of Major League Baseball draftees (Bo Thompson and Mason Davis).
“I am thrilled to join the ETSU baseball program. I am grateful to Coach Skole for the opportunity,” said Gershenfeld. “Coaching at The Citadel against ETSU in the Southern Conference last year, I have earned a great deal of respect for Coach Skole and the way he built this program around a standard of excellence in having relentless toughness, character, accountability, positive energy, attention to detail, and player development, all areas in which I am passionate about continuing. I am excited to work with a talented group of players, help further develop them into champions on and off the field, and help ETSU win on a national level.”
In 2015, under Gershenfeld’s guidance, The Citadel’s team offense saw an increase from 2014 in home runs (45th to 37th nationally), doubles (106th to 48th), triples, runs scored, RBIs, total bases and slugging percentage. In addition, the Bulldogs had 10 players post career highs in batting average, while eight players recorded career marks in home runs and nine registered career bests in doubles.
Individually, senior utility player Connor Walsh earned First Team All-Southern Conference honors as well as being named Louisville Slugger National Player of the Week, and first baseman Drew Ellis received SoCon All-Freshman Team accolades. In 2015, Walsh hit .341 with 16 doubles, nine home runs, as well as ranking Top 25 in all of Division I Baseball with 60 RBI and a slugging percentage of .569. Meanwhile, Ellis hit 12 home runs – which ranked in the top 70 nationally – posted 11 doubles, and 41 RBIs. Ellis became the first Citadel freshman to hit double-digit homeruns since 2007 when Richard Jones accomplished the feat.
Prior to coming to The Citadel, Gershenfeld spent three seasons as a catcher at the University of Louisville playing for Dan McDonnell. Gershenfeld was a member of two Cardinal teams that reached the College World Series after beginning his career at Butler.
Gershenfeld graduated from Louisville with cum laude honors in sports administration. He was a member of the All-American Athletic Conference Academic Team his senior season and the All-Big East Academic Team the previous two years before the Cardinals moved to the AAC.
BY ETSU
