Mike McGuire

Head Coach

Mike McGuire was hired as the head baseball coach on June 14, 2024, becoming the program's 4th head coach.

McGuire spent the last five seasons at USC Upstate where he guided the Spartans to 159 victories. Over the last four seasons the Spartans posted an average of 36.5 wins per season, winning 35 or more games each year. The first season for McGuire was 2020 as Upstate posted a 13-5 mark before the remainder of the spring season was canceled for the COVID-19 Pandemic.

This past season the Spartans posted 36 victories and advanced to the Big South Tournament Championship game for a second straight season. Upstate finished 16-8 in the conference, just two games behind league-leading Presbyterian College.

In his four seasons of conference play the Spartans posted a record of 72-32-1. Upstate finished second in the league standings in 2021, 2022, 2023 and third in 2024. In 2021 the Spartans tied Campbell for the most league wins (28). His 72 league wins rank 15th in Big South history and is ranked 17th all-time in total wins (159).

Under McGuire’s direction, Upstate advanced to the program's first-ever Big South Tournament Championship Game—the first conference championship game appearance for the program—in 2023. The Spartans also captured a program-record 38 victories in 2023 and followed that with 36 in 2024. The 2023-24 seasons are the winningest two-year stretch in program history with 74 wins. The 38 wins in 2023 also set a program record for winningest three-year stretch with 110 victories.

During his 12 seasons as a Division I head coach, McGuire’s teams have captured 19 Power-Six victories and 13 victories over ranked opponents. At Upstate the list of Power-Six victories included Michigan State, Northwestern (twice), Clemson (three times), Georgia Tech, Boston College, Cincinnati (twice), South Carolina, and Ohio State). Four of the victories over nationally-ranked opponents came during his stint at Upstate (No. 12 Georgia Tech, No. 9 Campbell (twice) and No. 2 Clemson).

In his five seasons at USC Upstate, McGuire coached 26 Big South All-Conference honorees, including 2021 Big South Pitcher and Scholar-Athlete of the Year Jordan Marks, 2022 Big South Freshman of the Year Noah Sullivan and 2024 Freshman of the Year Vance Sheahan. The Spartans also earned 37 Big South weekly awards during McGuire’s tenure with three Spartans earning major postseason recognition (Third Team All-American; Freshman All-American; and ABCA/Rawlings Second Team All-Region [twice]).

Upstate under McGuire has also had two players selected in the Major League Baseball draft as Jordan Marks (Round 8; Pick 225) and Alex Garbrick (Round 17; Pick 505) were selected by the Detroit Tigers and Philadelphia Phillies, respectively, during the 2021 Draft. Five additional Spartans have signed professional contracts from McGuire’s Upstate program with two (Jason Matthews and Noah Myers) earning contracts with MLB organizations.

Earning a reputation as a program builder, McGuire has guided four different institutions to program win totals during his career, doing so at USC Upstate (38 wins in 2023), Morehead State (40 wins in 2019), Louisburg College (52 wins in 2012), and Lander (33 wins in 2004). His teams have captured 35 or more wins in each of the past seven seasons (excluding the shortened 2020 season) and have won 35 or more games nine times.

McGuire took over the USC Upstate program following a seven-year stint as the head coach at Morehead State University in Kentucky, leading the program to a 228-187 record and two NCAA Regional appearances (2015 Louisville and 2018 Clemson Regionals). During his time with the Eagles, he coached three Freshman All-Americans, two First Team All-Americans, and Four Preseason All-Americans while having nine players selected in the MLB Draft with 13 more players signing professional contracts.

In 2019, the Eagles' pitching staff led the OVC in ERA, opponents’ batting average, and saves. The 2018 pitching staff set a program and OVC record with 570 strikeouts in a season.  On the offensive side of the ball, the Eagles ranked top-five nationally in seven different categories in 2018: batting average, slugging percentage, doubles, runs, scoring, on-base percentage, and sacrifice flies. Defensively, the 2018 team ranked fourth nationally in double plays. In 2016, the Eagles' pitching staff held the program and OVC records for strikeouts in a single season with 554. They finished fourth nationally in strikeouts per nine innings. McGuire's 2015 squad ranked top-five nationally in five different offensive categories: batting average, slugging percentage, doubles, double per game, and scoring.

Before joining Morehead State, McGuire was head coach at Louisburg College for one season (2012). He led Louisburg to a 52-9 record and a No. 1 national ranking in the NJCAA. The squad also had the longest winning streak at any level of college baseball with a 27-game win streak.

McGuire was an assistant coach at Winthrop University from 1997-2002 and again in 2006-2011. In 2001, Winthrop's baseball program set a school record with 48 wins. During his tenure, Winthrop averaged 35 wins per season.

As the head coach at Lander University from 2003-2005, the Bearcats ranked in the Top-25 all three seasons and the 2004 squad set a program record with 33 wins in a season. The 2005 team achieved the school's highest-ever national ranking (No. 7), and McGuire had a player selected in the MLB Draft which was a program first.

Overall, he has coached more than 60 players who have joined the professional ranks and 26 All-Americans.

McGuire played professionally for the Zanesville Greys, a Class A Frontier League affiliate, from 1993 to 1994. He helped the Greys win the Frontier League Championship in 1993. McGuire played collegiately at the University of South Carolina from 1992-1994 and participated in two NCAA Regionals and the University of Akron from 1990-1991.

McGuire is a graduate of both the University of South Carolina (1994) and Morehead State University (1996). He is married to the former Angela Kearns of Heyworth, Ill., and together the couple has three daughters, Courtney, Sydney, and Sarah.

COACHING STAFF

Eddie Hill Director of Baseball Operations Bill Nash Special Assistant to the Head Coach Griffin Seigel Bullpen Catcher Davis Woods Team Manager