STEPHENVILLE, Texas – Tarleton State baseball head coach Fuller Smith has made the first addition to his staff, announcing today the hiring of R.D. Spiehs as assistant coach, overseeing the pitching. Spiehs comes to Stephenville after serving as an assistant coach at Illinois State the past two seasons.
"I am extremely happy to add someone of R.D.'s caliber to this coaching staff," said Smith. "R.D. has extensive experience guiding and teaching young men at this level of college baseball and has been nothing short of successful everywhere he has been. I cannot wait to get to work with him."
"My wife and I are honored that Fuller Smith and the Tarleton State administration extended this opportunity to us," said Spiehs. "We are excited to get back to the Western Athletic Conference and to Texas where my coaching career began. I look forward to working with this coaching staff and the student-athletes at Tarleton State."
Spiehs has an extensive resume as a collegiate baseball coach. He spent the previous two seasons with the Redbirds and prior to that has had stints as an assistant coach at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, Northern Colorado and Grayson College.
Spiehs enjoyed a seven-year professional playing stint as a pitcher, throwing in the San Francisco Giants, San Diego Padres and Seattle Mariners organizations. He also enjoyed a three-year stint as a starting pitcher for the Nebraska Cornhuskers where he made a start in the College World Series in 2001, Nebraska's first ever appearance.
Spiehs spent the 2022 and 2023 seasons at Illinois State as an assistant coach. He guided starting pitcher Jared Hart to an MVC best 2.45 ERA this past season. He also coached starting pitcher Derek Salata as he held an 88 strikeout to 27 walks ratio and a 4.08 ERA in 2023. Two different pitchers were named honorable mention All-MVC in 2022.
From 2019-2021 Spiehs spent time at Little Rock as the Trojans pitching coach.
2021 saw the Trojans finish with a 4.79 ERA and hold opponents to a .256 batting average. Spiehs coached Hayden Arnold to the 2021 Sun Belt Pitcher of the Year award as he held a league-best 1.54 ERA while Aaron Barkley, a reliever, picked up first team All-SBC honors.
2020 was shaping up to be an impressive season for the Trojans on the mound as they were on pace to break a number of program records before the season was canceled due to covid-19.
In Spiehs' first season in Little Rock, the pitching staff finished with a 4.92 ERA, good for third in the Sun Belt. The Trojans held the lowest in conference ERA in the Sun Belt. Two Little Rock pitchers won SBC pitcher of the week honors that season.
Under Spiehs' tutelage, Chandler Fidel earned first team All-Sun Belt Conference honors, ranking fifth in the SBC in ERA (3.65) and third in strikeouts (101), leading the league in innings pitched (101.0). He was one of two Trojan pitchers selected in the 2019 MLB Draft, being selected in the 23rd round by the Cleveland Indians and being joined by McKinley Moore (14th round - Chicago White Sox).
Spiehs spent seven seasons at Northern Colorado. He joined the staff in 2011 as an assistant coach and was promoted to associate head coach in 2015. Spiehs helped the Bears to the 2013 Great West Conference title before helping UNC transition to Division 1 and the WAC.
The Bears team ERA was lowered by nearly two runs a game from 2011 to 2013 and was improved every season from 2014 to 2018.
Spiehs coached the WAC Pitcher of the Year in 2015 as Jensen Park took home the award. Nick Tanner in 2016 and Troy Watson, a 15th-round MLB draft pick in 2018 both earned first team All-WAC honors. Northern Colorado's pitching staff routinely ranked among the top half in the WAC during Spiehs' tenure.
Spiehs has some Texas experience to his name as he spent 2009-2011 at Grayson College in Denison, Texas. While at Denison, he helped four players to MLB Draft selections and improved the team ERA from 7.77 in 2009 to 3.85 in 2011. The Vikings advanced to the NJCAA World Series in 2022.
Spiehs began his coaching career at his alma mater, the University of Nebraska in 2008.
Spiehs was a three-year starter for Nebraska and held a 21-6 career record, which at the time ranked eighth all time for wins. He held a 3.14 ERA in 2000 on a staff that had the lowest ERA in the nation. Spiehs was Nebraska's starting pitcher for the team's first appearance in the College World Series in 2001.
He spent seven seasons pitching professionally in the San Francisco Giants, San Diego Padres and Seattle Mariners organizations. Spiehs pitched for both the Portland Beavers and Fresno Grizzlies of the Triple A Pacific Coast League in 2005, as well as spending time at both the Double A and Independent levels.
He is married to the former Jennifer Benson, who was a first team All-American in soccer at Nebraska and was a member of the U.S. National Team. The couple welcomed their first son, Sam, in May of 2019.
