Brent Kemnitz

For 38 years, Brent Kemnitz coached and developed pitchers at Wichita State.  He is the winningest pitching coach in NCAA Division I history and helped the Shockers to seven College World Series appearances and the 1989 CWS championship.

Kemnitz helped produce 21 All-Americans and 20 Freshman All-Americans and more than 50 All-Missouri Valley Conference pitchers.  

Seventeen WSU pitchers played in the major leagues.  Nine were selected in the first round of MLB draft: Kris Johnson by Boston Red Sox in 2006, Mike Pelfrey by the New York Mets in 2005, Ben Christensen by the Chicago Cubs in 1999, Braden Looper by Florida in 1996, Mike Drumright by Detroit in 1995, Darren Dreifort by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1993, Tyler Green by Philadelphia Phillies in 1991, Bryan Oelkers by Minnesota in 1982, and Erik Sonberg by the Dodgers in 1983.  

Kemnitz became a full-time assistant coach at WSU in the fall of 1980 after serving the previous two years as a graduate assistant.

He also helped coach Anchorage, Alaska, to four top 10 finishes in the NBC World Series, including a championship in 1986.

A native of Perry, Okla., he had an 8-0 record as his Phillips University team put together a 29-game winning streak and a No. 1 ranking in the NAIA in his junior season.