Wittenberg Assistant Baseball Coach Rick Gold Inducted Into Coaches Association Hall Of Fame
Before Rick Gold joined the Wittenberg University baseball coaching staff in 2004, he was a tremendously successful high school coach.
Rick Gold
Springfield, Ohio — Before Rick Gold joined the Wittenberg University baseball coaching staff in 2004, he was a tremendously successful high school coach. On Friday, Jan. 18, Gold will be recognized by his peers when he is one of four coaches inducted into the Ohio High School Baseball Coaches Association (OHSBCA) Hall of Fame.
Established in 1972, the OHSBCA Hall of Fame will expand to 113 individuals in 2008 as Phil Callaghan, Curt Karpinski, Mike Ryan and Gold are inducted. The induction ceremony will take place at the organization's annual clinic and banquet at The Hyatt Regency in Columbus.
Gold earned his bachelor's degree in mathematics in 1973 from Ohio Northern University, where he was a three-year baseball letterwinner and the 1973 recipient of the university's Outstanding Senior Athlete award. He also earned a master's of education from Wright State University in 1988.
Gold's coaching career began at Miami East High School in Casstown, Ohio, where he served as head baseball coach and assistant football coach for 11 years. He moved to Piqua High School and served as head baseball coach for 18 years before accepting the assistant coach position at Wittenberg in 2004. He has been an assistant football coach at Piqua High School for 23 years, and he was a member of the staff that led the Indians to the 2006 Division II state championship.
In 29 years of high school baseball, Gold's teams compiled a 505-244 record, winning 10 league championships, nine sectional championships and four district championships, and his teams finished second in the region twice. Gold also coached ACME baseball for 10 summers and Schnell-Westfall American Legion Post 184 for 14 summers, winning nine district championships. His teams also were state American Legion runner-up in 1992 and state Connie Mack champions in 1990.
He was selected Miami Valley Baseball Coaches Association (MVBCA) Coach of the Year in 1976 and 1987, and Gold was inducted into the organization's Hall of Fame in 1992. He was also chosen to coach in the All-Ohio Series three times, and he was elected southwest district representative to the OHSBCA, before becoming an officer and serving as president in 1994.
At Wittenberg, Gold is primarily responsible for the team's pitching staff. He has coached four pitchers to All-North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) honors, including Kurt Hartfelder, class of 2005, and Steve Less, class of 2006, both of whom went on to play professional baseball in the Frontier League. The Tigers have enjoyed three winning seasons in Gold's four years on staff, compiling a record of 83-66.
In 2008, the Tigers welcome the return of 18 letterwinners off last year's 18-19 squad, including eight of the team's top nine hitters (by batting average) and three of their top four starting pitchers.
Written By: Ryan Maurer
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