Stephen F Austin State University Baseball

Matt Vanderburg begins his first season at the helm of the Lumberjacks baseball program. Vanderburg comes to SFA from West Texas A&M where he built the Buffaloes into a national contender at the NCAA Division II level. During his 16 years at WTAMU, Vanderburg accumulated an overall record of 516-293 (.638) and led the Buffaloes to three Lone Star Conference Championships (2015, 2018, 2021) along with 10 trips to the NCAA Postseason. The 2024 season marked his fourth consecutive 30+ win season and his 14th overall season with 30 or more wins. Vanderburg and the Buffs were ranked as high as third in the nation during the 2024 campaign and advanced to the South-Central Regional Finals in Grand Junction, Colorado. Nine players claimed all-conference honors with Kyle Micklus being named the Lone Star Conference (LSC) Newcomer of the Year, as well as Dylan Fesperman earning All-American honors by the NCBWA and D2CCA. In 2023 the Buffaloes finished with a 30-22 record overall and were 28-20 in LSC play. They also advanced to their ninth LSC Tournament. Adam Becker earned NCBWA and D2CCA South Central Region Player of the Year while also picking up All-American honors. The 2022 season saw WTAMU advance to their eighth straight NCAA Division II Postseason and finished their campaign with a 39-19 overall record. Vanderburg and the Buffs recorded one of the best offensive performances in program history as they hit .333 as a team with 137 doubles, 13 triples and a school-record 75 homer

Caleb Clowers has been a member of SFA’s coaching staff since the 2016 season, and is entering his second season on head coach Matt Vanderburg's staff in 2026. This season will mark Clowers’ second season serving as assistant head coach under Vanderburg where he oversees overseeing infield and hitting specifically after previously serving as a full-time assistant coach and assistant recruiting coordinator for five years with the Lumberjack Baseball Program. The Clowers File Hometown: West Monroe, Louisiana High School: West Monroe High School Colleges: LSU-Eunice, ULM Playing Experience: LSU-Eunice, ULM (Infielder) Family: Erika (wife), Ripken (son) Coaching Experience 2023-Present: Associate Head Coach Infield and Hitting 2021-2023: SFA I Assistant Head Coach 2016-2020: SFA | Assistant Coach & Assistant Recruiting 2014-15: McNeese University | Volunteer Assistant 2013: ULM | Student Assistant

Philip Middleton is entering his first season as the Associate Head Coach and Pitching Coach on Matt Vanderburg's staff. Middleton comes to SFA after four seasons (2020-2024) as the head baseball coach at Texas A&M International in Laredo, Texas. Middleton has over a decade of coaching experience at NCAA Division I, II, and III levels. His impressive history of recruiting and developing talent includes numerous All-Conference honorees, All-Region selections, and conference Players of the Year. At Texas A&M International, Middleton's team maintained a 3.0 GPA or better each year, culminating in a 3.28 GPA in the spring 2023 semester. For their efforts, the team was awarded the ABCA Team Academic Excellence award in 2021 and 2022. Collectively, his student-athletes were placed on the LSC Commissioner’s Honor Roll more than 75 times. The Dustdevils made their presence known on the field, picking up wins over multiple top-25 and NCAA postseason opponents. Most notably, they defeated #5 West Texas A&M on April 15, 2022, by a score of 10-8, and #1 Angelo State on April 7, 2023 with a final of 2-1. Both of those top 5 victories came on the road. Middleton went to TAMIU after seven successful years at fellow Lone Star Conference (LSC) member Texas A&M-Kingsville (TAMUK), where he served as an assistant coach, recruiting coordinator, and pitching coach. At TAMUK, he helped lead the Javelinas to over 200 wins, two LSC Championships, and three NCAA Regional Tournament appearances. In 20