But the 37-year-old from Phoenix, Ariz., had an epiphany last offseason. When the team ERA ballooned to 8.20 in 2024, he realized a new approach was needed.
“I ran the pitching stuff, but because I was the head coach, I didn’t give as much attention to them as they needed. I was trying to wear two hats,” he said.
“That’s why, this summer, we made changes. We brought in coach (Travis) Ferrick, and he’s been awesome with our guys. He’s big into the mental mindset and competitiveness, and you’ve really seen guys blossom throughout the year.”
The team ERA dropped to 6.60 this year, which is 1.6 fewer runs per game. That adds up over a 52-game season and was a major factor in the Raiders going 25-5 in the Horizon League and earning the 1 seed in the conference tourney this week.
“This is the very first year I totally let go of it, which was hard because that’s my passion. But that’s one of the best coaching decisions I’ve made. It allows me to focus on being the head coach, and it allows him to run the pitching staff,” Sogard said.
A 6.60 ERA may not sound like much of an achievement, but in college baseball, that puts the Raiders near the middle of the pack — which is more than adequate when paired with their always robust offense.
The median ERA among 299 Division-I teams is Wagner’s 6.06. Though the Raiders are 188th, they won the league by seven games over second-seeded Northern Kentucky (18-12), which is the largest gap between first and second in 11 years.
But it’s clear the sport is going through an era of dominant offense. There are 20 players hitting.400 or better in D-I, and the Raiders are batting .304 — as a TEAM!
To put that in perspective, Pete Rose’s career average was .303.
They blasted a school-record 112 homers last year. Though that number has dropped to 81 so far, senior Boston Smith has set program records for career (46) and single-season homers (21).
Sophomore JP Peltier, who smashed 18 this season, isn’t far behind.
“In college, the game has changed the last few years. As coaches, we think it’s the ball, that it’s got a little more juice to it.” Sogard said.
“It’s different than it was six to eight years ago. You look at pitching staffs then, and a lot of them were 2.00 ERAs. Now, if you have a 4.00 or a 5.00, it’s good.”
He may have a point. In Wright State’s history, seven of top 10 career homer totals all started in 2015 or later.
Eleven of the top 13 single-season HR marks also began in 2015 or later
And nine of the 10 best ERA marks were recorded in 2011 or earlier.
“You look across the country, and there’s a lot more .400 hitters now than there’s ever been. Eight to 10 years ago, to hit .400 was incredible. It’s still an accomplishment, but I think the ball may be the reason,” Sogard said.
“I just know it flies more than it ever has. You see all these home runs records get broken — not just here but everywhere else. I think that plays a factor.”
The HL tourney starts Wednesday with fourth-seeded Youngstown State playing fifth-seeded Oakland at 11 a.m. at Nischwitz Stadium, and No. 3 Milwaukee facing No. 6 Purdue Fort Wayne at 3 p.m.
The Raiders, who have claimed a league-high 10 tourney titles, play the lower remaining seed among the first-round winners at 11 a.m. Thursday.
“This is the most confident I’ve been in a group at Wright State since I’ve been here. Just one through nine, we have dudes,” said Smith, who is the lead dude with 12 homers and 29 RBIs in his last 10 games.
“We’re finally coming together as a team. We’re there for each other. Being a team vs. guys who are just trying to put up numbers for themselves — that’s what separates the good ones from the great ones.”
The Raiders, who have hosted the tourney since 2018, didn’t make the title game last season or in 2019.
That gives them a healthy respect for the opposition, but they also know they don’t have any glaring weaknesses.
“Obviously, we have a lot of talented guys. I wouldn’t say we have, quote-unquote, superstars. But I think this is the best put-together team we’ve had,” Sogard said.
“We can win in a lot of different ways. We can easily go to the bullpen early and still win a game, and our defense is solid. We preached that back in the fall: ‘This is going to be our identity. We’re going to pitch really well, and we’re going to play really good defense.’ And it’s been great to see.”
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