Tarleton State University Athletics

R.D. Spiehs is entering his third season on the Tarleton State Baseball staff in 2026. He was announced to join the Texans as an assistant coach leading the pitching on July 10, 2023.
 
Tarleton State thrived with Spiehs on staff in 2024, as the Texans became the first baseball program to win a conference tournament title by a reclassifying D1 institution. The Texans won the WAC Tournament in Mesa, Arizona, as 5-seed Tarleton State knocked off 4-seed California Baptist in dominant fashion 9-1 in a winner-take-all nightcap at Hohokam Stadium. This marked the third conference tournament championship by the Texans in their NCAA era (2018, 2014), and they became the first team to win the WAC Tournament in a team's inaugural appearance since UTSA did so in 2013.
 
In 2024, Tarleton State posted their most postseason wins since 1992, going 5-1 throughout the WAC Tournament, all of this with Spiehs and a first-year head coach, Fuller Smith. In 2024, Tarleton State was one of just two programs nationwide to win their final game of the season in the postseason, along with Tennessee, who won the College World Series. The Texans finished 32-29 after their WAC Tournament championship, their most wins in a season since 2018 (35).
 
In 2025, Tarleton State went .500 in WAC play (12-12), 24-32 overall with a 19-14 home record. Tarleton State made consecutive WAC Tournament appearances for the first time, buoyed by a final home series sweep of Grand Canyon. Tarleton State’s 2025 schedule was a daunting challenge, with several games against Power Four conference opponents, including a three-game series against Kansas, a home game against Kansas State and road games at No. 25 TCU, Baylor and Texas Tech. The Texans made national waves during the first week of the season in just their second game, in which Tarleton State scored 31 runs in seven innings against Butler, winning 31-5 in run-rule fashion.
 
"I am extremely happy to add someone of R.D.'s caliber to this coaching staff," said Smith at the time of Spiehs’ hiring. "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 at the time of his hiring. "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 two seasons with the Redbirds (2022-23) and prior to that had stints as an assistant coach at the Arkansas-Little Rock (2019-21), Northern Colorado (2011-17) and Grayson College (2009-11).
 
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 holds a career 3.76 ERA with 281 strikeouts to 137 walks and pitched four seasons at the AA level, one each at the AAA and A+ levels and two in independent league baseball. 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 appearance.
 
R.D. 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 in 2023. 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 2019-21 Spiehs spent time at Little Rock as the Trojans pitching coach. In 2021, the Trojans finished with a 4.79 ERA and held 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. 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 D1 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 2009-11 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.