Shane Gierke | Assistant Head Coach
Shane Gierke begins his ninth season as an assistant coach with the West Florida baseball team in 2012. For the past six years Gierke has served as the recruiting coordinator for the Argonauts and oversees catcher development and hitting instruction. Gierke worked two seasons as an assistant under former head coach Jim Spooner starting in 2004, and he will start his seventh year as assistant head coach under Mike Jeffcoat in 2012.
Since Gierke took over as hitting coach, the team has enjoyed some of its best offensive seasons in school history. In 2011, the Argonauts won the NCAA Division II national championship and set school records in runs (449), hits (638) and walks (267). As a team, UWF batted .326 and averaged 7.4 runs per game, led by All-Americans Greg Pron and Brandon Brewer.
The Argonauts also hit .306 in 2009 and .315 in 2010, two of the top offensive seasons in school history. In six seasons with Gierke as hitting coach, the team has batted over .290 every year and produced 20 All-GSC position players over that span.
Gierke has also been instrumental in UWF’s recruiting efforts, highlighted by several major league prospects. Eight Argonauts have been drafted by major league teams with Gierke on the coaching staff, including five players in 2011 after the team’s national championship season. In his eight years with the coaching staff, UWF has produced a total of 48 All-GSC players.
Gierke played two seasons for the Argonauts from 2002-03. He played in 70 games with 63 starts while seeing time at catcher, third base and designated hitter. Prior to his time at UWF he was a first team all-state and all-conference selection in 2001 at Lake Sumter Community College. Gierke was also on the first ever state championship team at Dr. Phillips High School in Orlando while playing for his father, Chip.
Shane is a native of Apopka, Fla., and he is the son of Carolyn and Chip Gierke. His father has been a high school baseball and football coach in the Central Florida area for over 30 years. His brother Casey, a former player and assistant coach at UWF, is currently coaching high school baseball in Central Florida. Shane’s brother Brad was drafted by the San Francisco Giants in 1996 and later went on to play football at Appalachian State.
Gierke is married to the former Veronica Slover and has a newborn baby boy, Jackson.
Photo by John Corwin
Gierke’s All-American Players (5)
2009 - John Church (NCBWA third team)
2011 - Branson Brewer (Daktronics second team, NCBWA second team)
2011 - Greg Pron (ABCA second team, Daktronics first team, NCBWA first team)
2011 - Daniel Vargas-Vila (ABCA first team, Daktronics second team, NCBWA second team)
2011 - Shane Waller (ABCA second team, Daktronics third team, NCBWA second team)
Gierke’s All-Region Players (15)
2004 - Pat Cottrell (ABCA second team)
2005 - Peter Antoske (ABCA second team)
2005 - Fred Fosson (ABCA first team)
2005 - Kyle Ramsey (ABCA second team)
2007 - Phil Lawhorn (Daktronics second team)
2007 - Brett McCullough (Daktronics second team)
2009 - Brandon Brewer (ABCA gold glove team)
2009 - John Church (ABCA first team, Daktronics second team, NCBWA first team)
2010 - Kyle Brown (ABCA first team, ABCA gold glove team)
2010 - Kevin Johnson (ABCA first team, Daktronics second team, NCBWA first team)
2011 - Brandon Brewer (ABCA second team, Daktronics first team, NCBWA first team, ABCA gold glove team)
2011 - Jason Postill (ABCA second team, Daktronics second team, NCBWA second team)
2011 - Greg Pron (ABCA first team, Daktronics first team*, NCBWA first team, ABCA gold glove team)
2011 - Daniel Vargas-Vila (ABCA first team*, Daktronics first team, NCBWA first team)
2011 - Shane Waller (ABCA first team, Daktronics first team, NCBWA first team)
* Regional Player/Pitcher of the Year
Gierke’s All-GSC Players (48)
2004 - Todd Androsko (first team)
2004 - Peter Antoske (first team)
2004 - Aaron Archambeau (second team)
2004 - Patrick Cottrell (first team)
2004 - Ryan Fillingim (second team)
2004 - Bryan Lee (second team)
2005 - Todd Androsko (second team)
2005 - Peter Antoske (first team)
2005 - Fred Fosson (first team)
2005 - Bryan Lee (first team)
2005 - Kyle Ramsey (first team)
2005 - Brian Rodgers (second team)
2005 - Jacob Whisenhunt (second team)
2006 - Todd Androsko (first team)
2006 - Peter Antoske (second team)
2006 - Chris Gormley (second team)
2006 - Josh Loosier (first team)
2006 - Kyle Ramsey (second team)
2006 - Bo Williams (first team)
2007 - Peter Antoske (first team)
2007 - Phil Lawhorn (first team)
2007 - Brett McCullough (first team)
2007 - Bo Williams (second team)
2008 - Kyle Andrews (second team)
2009 - Brandon Brewer (second team)
2009 - John Church (second team)
2009 - Tyler Hastings (second team)
2009 - Kevin Johnson (second team)
2009 - Greg Pron (second team)
2009 - Kyle Ramsey (second team)
2010 - Kyle Brown (first team)
2010 - Zach Cates (second team)
2010 - Tyler Hastings (first team)
2010 - Kevin Johnson (first team)
2010 - Dustin Lawley (first team)
2010 - Zach North (first team)
2010 - Jason Postill (second team)
2010 - Greg Pron (second team)
2010 - Daniel Vargas-Vila (first team)
2011 - Brandon Brewer (first team)
2011 - Tyler Hastings (second team)
2011 - Ben Hawkins (first team)
2011 - Josh Huggins (second team)
2011 - Dustin Lawley (first team)
2011 - Jason Postill (first team)
2011 - Greg Pron (first team)*
2011 - Daniel Vargas-Vila (first team)
2011 - Shane Waller (first team)
* GSC East Division Player of the Year
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