Illinois State vs. Illinois held on March 27, 2012.
The 2013 season will mark pitching coach Bill Mohl's fourth campaign with Illinois State, where his duties include guiding the Redbird pitchers and assisting in recruiting efforts. After a successful college pitching career at Tulane, Mohl enters his sixth season as a NCAA assistant coach.
Despite suffering several key injuries in 2012, the Illinois State pitching staff played an instrumental role fora team that finished 33-19. Under Mohl's guidance, senior closer Kenny Long emerged as one of the best relief pitchers in program history, culminating with being drafted by the Houston Astros in the 22nd round of the 2012 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft. Mohl's coaching helped Long leave Illinois State as the all-time leader in career saves, single-season saves, appearances, batting average against and games finished. Freshman Dylan Craig led all pitchers with eight victories, while senior Justin Hauer handled set-up duties admirably, with an ERA of 2.88 over 40 2/3 innings of work.
During his second season at ISU, Mohl guided the 2011 Redbird pitching staff to a 3.30 ERA, which was the second-best mark in the Missouri Valley Conference and the lowest ISU team-ERA since 1983. The Redbird staff also gave up the least amount of hits and runs in the league, as Illinois State broke the program's single-season wins record, with 36 victories.
No starter finished with an ERA above 4.27 in 2011, and eight pitchers finished with ERA's below four in a minimum of 19 innings pitched. ISU also improved in nearly every pitching category, as hits decreased from 528 in 2010 to 437 in 2011, earned runs fell from 295 to 174 and walks dropped from 219 to 190. Meanwhile, strikeouts increased from 383 to 416.
Under Mohl's direction, ISU starter Corey Maines broke the career-wins record with 24 total victories in 2011, while closer Kenny Long set a new career-saves mark with 15 through the 2011 season. Long earned 2011 All-MVC First Team honors, while Maines was drafted by the New York Yankees. For his efforts, Mohl was named 2011 College Baseball Daily MVC Assistant Coach of the Year.
In his first year at Illinois State, Mohl helped the 2010 Redbirds win their first-ever share of the MVC regular-season championship and their first MVC Tournament title since 1994. Redbird pitchers contributed in 32 ISU victories. Mohl helped Redbird pitchers Ryan Copeland and Long earn spots on the 2010 All-MVC First Team, and Long went on to earn All-MVC Tournament honors, while Copeland was later drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals.
In three years assisting at his alma mater, the Green Wave averaged 454 strikeouts and 187 walks per season and won more than 35 games per year. During the last two seasons before coming to ISU, Mohl was responsible for working with the Green Wave outfielders, assisting with the pitchers and hitters, coaching first base and serving as the camp director for the Rick Jones Tulane Baseball Camp.
The 2009 Green Wave staff issued 2.62 walks per nine innings, the eighth-stingiest mark in the nation, while Tulane starter Conrad Flynn posted the third-lowest mark with 0.72 walks per nine innings.
A four-year letterman for Tulane from 2003-06, Mohl was the team's student assistant during the 2007 season after turning down a professional contract with the Philadelphia Phillies, who drafted him in the 25th round of the 2006 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft.
As the student-assistant, Mohl assisted in all facets of practice plans, game-day management and travel coordination, in addition to working with the pitching staff. Under his tutelage, pitchers Shooter Hunt, Sean Morgan and Preston Claiborne earned All Conference USA First-Team, Second-Team and All-Freshman Team honors, respectively. At the conclusion of the 2008 season, Hunt was selected by the Minnesota Twins in the first round of the draft, while fellow pitcher Nick Pepitone earned a spot on the All-Freshman Team.
A starter for most of his four seasons in a Green Wave uniform, Mohl set the Tulane single-season and career record for fewest walks-per-nine-inning average with marks of 1.27 (in 2003) and 1.67, respectively. He is the only Green Wave hurler to hold four of the Top 10 spots on the single-season walks-per-game list, and completed his career ranked tied for fourth in school history in games started (44), fifth in winning percentage (.781), sixth in innings pitched (308.0), eighth in appearances (71) and tied for eighth in wins (25). Mohl finished his four-year college career, 25-7, with 224 strike outs and only 57 walks.
Mohl saved his best year for last when he posted career-bests in nearly every statistical category during his senior campaign. A second-team All-Louisiana selection, he paced the team in wins (9) while ranking second in ERA (4.03) and innings pitched (105.0), and third in opponent batting average (.275) and strikeouts (67). With a 9-0 record, Mohl became just the second regular starter in school history to go undefeated, tying Jason Navarro's (11-0 in 1996) single-season winning percentage.
Mohl earned C-USA All-Freshman Team honors in 2003 for his accomplishments as a rookie, and claimed conference and national Pitcher of the Week honors in 2005 after tossing 6.0 innings of a combined 3-0 no-hit victory over Nicholls State. Mohl was part of Tulane's 2005 College World Series team that was ranked as the No. 1 national seed. Also a star in summer ball, Mohl earned a spot on the Cape Cod League All-Star team and was named the league's top prospect.
As a senior in college, he was named to the Houston College Classic All-Tournament squad after not allowing an earned run while fanning five in a 7.0 inning start in a 4-2 win over Texas, and participated in the Team USA trials.
Mohl was a member of one of current Illinois State head coach Mark Kingston's first recruiting classes at Tulane, following a stellar prep career at Dulles High where he earned all-District 20-5A honors all four years. He tallied a 27-13 record as a prepster and helped lead the Vikings to the playoffs twice. As a senior, he earned all-state and All-Greater Houston All-Star honors after going 10-2 with a 1.42 ERA, 109 strikeouts and 16 walks.
A native of Sugar Land, Tex., Mohl completed his bachelor's degree in English in May 2007. He is married to the former Sarah Elizabeth of Madison, Conn., and they have one son, Hunter.
