The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Baseball
- Title:
- Baseball Assistant Coach
- Email:
- jahopper@uab.edu
- Phone:
- 934-5182
Josh Hopper enters his 10th season with the Blazers in 2018. He joined the UAB baseball staff as a pitching coach in July 2009 after spending the previous five seasons as an assistant coach at his alma mater, Berry College in Rome, Ga.
Hopper coached Garrett Whitlock from 2016-17 who was picked up by the New York Yankees in the 18th round of the 2017 MLB Draft.
In 2015, Hopper guided a pitching staff that carried the Blazers into the 2015 C-USA Championship. His staff totaled 22 quality starts, allowed three runs or less in half of team’s 59 games, gave up two runs or less on 22 occasions, surrendered just one run in 12 games and posted five shutouts.
The Blazers set the program record for the lowest single-season opposing batting average holding opponents to a .237 average in 2015. The staff tallied the fourth most strikeouts ever in a single season with 403 and posted a team ERA of 3.60, the fourth lowest ERA in program history.
Three of UAB’s four all-conference selections in 2015 were pitchers under Hopper’s guidance as James Naile was an All C-USA First Team selection. Adam Lau landed a spot on the second team while southpaw Ryan Ruggles earned a spot on the All-Freshman team.
UAB also tied its most draft selections in program history as three players, all previously undrafted, were taken. Alex Luna became the highest pitcher ever drafted from UAB going in the 10th round to the Kansas City Royals, James Naile was selected by the Oakland A’s in the 20th round and reliever Adam Lau was taken in the 37th round by the Boston Red Sox.
In 2014 Hooper was recognized as the inaugural Conference USA Assistant Coach of the Year. Hopper mentored one of the best pitching staffs in the conference and the country. UAB’s staff owned a 2.87 ERA, which ranked fourth in C-USA and 24th in the nation. In addition, its team ERA and opposing batting average (.240) both ranked first in school history for a single season. The squad struck out 409 batters on the year, the fourth most in school history.
The 2014 squad won 35 games and recorded a program record nine shutouts. Right-handed pitcher Chase Mallard became the first Second Team All-American in school history. Mallard held a 9-3 record, 1.55 ERA and struck out 94 batters. He was the only pitcher in the nation to record a quality start in each of his 14 starts during the regular season.
In 2012, Hopper guided the UAB pitching staff to its first ever Conference USA Tournament Title and a spot in the NCAA Tournament, the school’s first since 1991. Hopper saw three pitchers earned All Conference USA Tournament honors in Michael Busby (MVP) and Chase Mallard. In the three C-USA Tournament wins the staff registered 1.08 RA and help opponents to a .189 batting average in 25.0 total innings with a 5-0 shutout of Memphis in the title game.
In addition to the most successful run in school history, Hopper’s staff pitched the most innings in program history (554.1) and recorded the most victories (32) since the 1996 campaign. The Blazers recorded four shutouts, the most since 1994, and issues the fewest walks (207) since 2003.
The 2011 staff featured two right-handed pitchers that were recognized by the league in Ryan Woolley and Dillon Napoleon. Both earned second-team All-Conference honors while Napoleon became the first UAB player to earn the league’s Newcomer of the Year Award. Following the season Wooley was draft in the 13th round of the MLB Draft by the Detroit Tigers.
Prior to UAB
In 2009, Hopper’s final season at Berry, he helped the Vikings to the program’s first NAIA World Series appearance and a ranking of No. 4 in the final NAIA Baseball Coaches Poll. Berry finished the year 46-16 record and Hopper’s pitching staff ranked in the top-25 nationally in ERA (4.22) and opponent batting average (.263).
The 2009 Berry staff featured NAIA All-American Matt McCalley who finished the season with a 10-1 record and a 1.26 ERA. Also the program’s career saves leader, McCalley is the second All-American coached by Hopper at Berry joining Tim Borders (2001). In 2008 Hopper coached Collin McHugh who was selected by the New York Mets in the 18th round of the 2008 MLB Draft.
Hopper’s pitchers are known for their command of the strike zone with his 2006 Berry staff leading the nation in fewest walks per game with the 2008 squad ranking 13th nationally in that category. In five years at Berry, Hopper’s pitchers averaged 290 strikeouts to just 141 walks.
As a player at Berry in the late 1990s, Hopper pitched his way to All-Conference honors three times and finished his career ranked in the top-five on the school’s all-time wins and strikeouts list. He helped the Vikings to three NAIA regional tournament appearances.
Following his collegiate career, Hopper spent two years with the New York Mets’ minor league organization. He was a member of the 1999 Mets’ Gulf Coast League Championship team and then split the 2000 season between the Capital City Bombers of the South Atlantic League and the Pittsfield Mets of the New York-Penn League.
Hopper graduated from Berry in 1999 with a bachelor’s degree in health and physical education. He earned a master’s degree in exercise science from Georgia State in 2004. Hopper married the former Kylie Bivens in July of 2006. The couple has two sons, Kase and Baylor and one daughter, Kameron.
