Greyhounds Tab Jason Middleton to Begin Baseball Program

ASU Mid-South Athletics Director Chris Parker has announced that Jason Middleton has been hired as the first baseball coach in ASU Mid-South history.

"We are very pleased to announce Coach Middleton as the first baseball coach in school history," said Parker. "The committee really liked his combination of experience, personality, and desire to begin a program from scratch."

Coach Middleton graduated from the University of Science & Arts of Oklahoma after playing at Longview Community College where his career was cut short due to injury. Among his coaching stops include 5 seasons at NJCAA schools, 11 seasons in the NCAA Division II ranks, and 3 seasons in NCAA Division I.

Middleton comes to the Greyhounds from Kansas City Kansas Community College where he served as Assistant Coach and recruiting coordinator after one season at Fort Scott Community College. Both schools compete at the NJCAA Division I level in Region 6. Prior to his arrival at Fort Scott, Middleton was the Associate Head Coach & Recruiting Coordinator at William Jewel College in Liberty, Missouri, for 10 seasons. While at Jewel, Coach Middleton coached over 20 All-GLVC picks and helped guide the program to its first-ever NCAA Division II Top 25 ranking & regional tournament appearance.

Before William Jewel, Coach Middleton spent 3 seasons at NCAA Division I James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia, where the Dukes had five players selected in the Major League Baseball Draft. JMU also finished as runner-up in the NCAA Tournament Chapel Hill regional in 2011 while leading D-I baseball in most offensive categories. The 2011 team also had the Johnny Bench Award winner in Jake Lowery for being voted the best catcher in college baseball.

Prior to JMU, Middleton was an assistant coach at Redlands Community College in El Reno, Oklahoma, for 2 seasons. During his tenure the Cougars set many school records, were conference regular season champions both years, and won the conference tournament in 2008. Before Redlands he was a part of a 38-20 team at the University of North Alabama after starting his coaching career the year before at KCKCC.

Middleton is married to the former Ami Shelley and the couple has two children, daughter Abigail (12) and son Maxwell (10).

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

• Coming from Kansas City Kansas Community College where he began his coaching career
• Spent 10 seasons as Associate Head Coach and Recruiting Coordinator at NCAA Division II William Jewel College in Liberty, Missouri
• Helped William Jewel to first-ever NCAA Division II Top 25 National Ranking and first-ever Regional Tournament appearance
• Spent 3 years at NCAA Division I James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia
• Helped James Madison University to an NCAA Tournament appearance
• Spent 2 seasons at Redlands Community College in El Reno, Oklahoma
• Helped Redlands to two conference championships and a conference tournament championship
• Also had coaching stints at the University of North Alabama in Florence, Alabama, and Fort Scott Community College in Fort Scott, Kansas