Jerry Oakes begins his fourth season as Elon’s pitching coach in 2024, having joined the Phoenix in September 2020 after serving in the same role at Pittsburgh (2013-20) and Coastal Carolina (2009-12).
In his career, Oakes has coached in four NCAA Regionals – including in 2010, when the No. 4 national seed Coastal Carolina won an NCAA Division I-best 55 games and advanced to the Super Regionals – and helped the Chanticleers win four Big South championships. He has worked with 63 MLB Draft selections, including 21 top-10 round picks; 10 MLB players; 10 All-Americans, 60 all-conference honorees; and three conference players of the year.
During the 2023 season, Elon proved to be one of the most potent pitching staffs in the CAA as well as D1. Phoenix pitching led the CAA in three separate categories. strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.06), strikeouts per nine innings (8.7), and walks allowed per nine innings (2.86). The Phoenix also finished in the top-40 nationally in four categories including walks per nine (3rd), strikeout-to-walk ratio (6th), ERA (36th) and WHIP (38th). Four Elon pitchers were awarded CAA all-conference honors including Shea Sprague (First-Team), Joe Savino (Honorable Mention), Justin Mitrovich (All-Rookie) and Ryan Sprock (All-Rookie).
Under his tutelage, Elon surrendered the second-fewest walks per nine innings (2.54) and recorded the seventh-best strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.20) in DI in 2022. The Phoenix also ranked 18th nationally in ERA (4.09) and 28th in WHIP (1.36). Three Elon pitchers earned All-CAA honors, led by Shea Sprague – who, in posting a 1.89 ERA and 1.02 WHIP, was named the league’s Co-Rookie of the Year and received first- and All-Rookie team honors. Sprague was also dubbed a Collegiate Baseball Freshman All-American. Brian Edgington and Ben Simon joined Sprague in collecting all-conference honors, making the second team.
In his first season at Elon, Oakes helped the Phoenix land an All-CAA first-team selection in pitcher Joe Sprake, who went 6-1 with seven saves and a 3.18 ERA in 23 appearances for the maroon and gold. Spencer Bauer and Edgington held No. 8 East Carolina to one run in a 2-1 upset of the Pirates on March 27. The outing helped Edgington earn CAA Co-Pitcher of the Week honors on March 30. The Hatboro, Pa. native then earned Pitcher of the Week outright on April 13 after tossing a complete-game shutout to complete the CAA series sweep of William & Mary on April 11. Elon also earned a 5-2 win at Wake Forest on May 5, with Kyle Greenler receiving the win after holding the Demon Deacons scoreless in 3 1/3 innings of relief. As a team, Elon finished third in the CAA with a 4.73 ERA. Sprake led the league in saves and was tied for fourth in wins.
Before joining the Phoenix, Oakes spent eight seasons at Pittsburgh, where he had unprecedented success, helping to recruit and develop 17 pitchers who were selected in the MLB Draft, including nine in the top 20 rounds.
Oakes had two pitchers selected in the 2019 Draft in Dan Hammer (Baltimore) and Derek West (Houston). West was the Panthers’ ace during the season, earning All-ACC second-team honors with a 3-2 record, 3.82 ERA and 82 strikeouts. Chase Smith also emerged as one of the league’s top relievers, ranking third in the conference in ERA (2.72) while posting five saves and 55 strikeouts compared to 17 walks.
The 2018 season saw the Panthers set a school record for strikeouts with 493, besting the previous mark of 444 set in 2005. RJ Freure led the nation in strikeouts per nine innings (14.57), becoming the second pitcher in school history to lead the NCAA in a statistical category. Freure went on to be selected by the Houston Astros in the sixth round of the MLB Draft. Matt Pidich (Cincinnati), West (Atlanta) and Yasin Chentouf (Detroit) also heard their names called, giving Oakes the most Draft picks of his Pitt tenure.
In 2017, the Panthers’ staff put together its best performance in three seasons, finishing the year with a 4.36 ERA. Josh Falk (Oakland), Isaac Mattson (Los Angeles Angels) and Josh Mitchell (Kansas City) were all selected in the MLB Draft.
In 2016, Oakes helped T.J. Zeuch become the highest-drafted player in Pitt history when the right-hander was taken by the Toronto Blue Jays with the 21st overall pick of the MLB Draft. Zeuch became just the second Pitt player selected in the first round and the first since 1985.
In his second season with the Panthers in 2014, Oakes guided the staff to a second straight season with a sub-4.00 ERA. The team ERA of 3.91 stood as the second lowest by a Pitt team since at least 1993. Three pitchers – Luke Curtis, Joseph Harvey and Matt Wotherspoon – who helped achieve the feat were selected in the MLB Draft.
Oakes’ debut season with Pitt in 2013 proved to be a memorable one, as his staff posted the program’s lowest ERA (3.59) since 1981 and the Panthers won a school-record 42 games. All three of the team’s weekend starters earned All-Big East honors, including Ethan Mildren, who earned All-Region honors, as well. The weekend rotation combined for a 27-7 record and a 2.93 ERA. Additionally, Mildren and Wotherspoon were selected in the MLB Draft.
Oakes joined the Panthers’ staff after spending four seasons at Coastal Carolina, where he worked with the pitchers and outfielders. During Oakes’ tenure, the Chanticleers dominated the Big South, winning both the regular-season and conference tournament titles each season. Fueled in large part by their pitching staff, Coastal won 40-plus games all four years, including a DI-best 55 games during the 2010 campaign.
Under Oakes, 16 Coastal Carolina players were selected in the MLB Draft, including seven in the first 10 rounds. Anthony Meo became the highest-drafted pitcher in program history when he was selected in the second round (63rd overall) by the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2011. Prior to Oakes’ arrival, the Chanticleers had only had two pitchers picked in the first 10 rounds. During his tenure, four pitchers were selected before the 10th round.
While with Coastal Carolina, Oakes coached nine All-Americans, 21 first-team All-Big South selections, three Big South Players of the Year and the 2010 Big South Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Additionally, a Chanticleer was named Big South Pitcher of the Year each season. Coastal’s pitching staff ranked no worse than 18th in DI in ERA over Oakes’ four years. The Chanticleers also ranked in the top 12 in hits allowed per nine innings all four seasons.
The 2012 season saw Coastal Carolina record a 2.65 ERA, the third-best mark in the country and the school’s lowest since moving to the DI ranks. The staff was led by Aaron Burke – a Louisville Slugger, Collegiate Baseball and College Baseball Insider All-American and the 2012 Big South Pitcher of the Year. Burke finished the season with a 1.58 ERA, the fifth best in the nation. In addition to Burke’s success, Josh Conway was selected in the fourth round of the MLB Draft.
In 2011, Meo and Matt Rein highlighted a staff that saw five pitchers rank among the top 12 in school history in opponent batting average and four post some of the best ERAs in the school’s DI era. The Chanticleers set a Coastal Carolina and Big South record by recording four straight shutouts. They also led the Big South in ERA, opponent batting average, strikeouts, fewest hits allowed and fewest runs allowed. Meo capped his impressive career by throwing a no-hitter in the Big South Tournament and getting a dominant performance in a win over Connecticut in the NCAA Clemson Regional. Rein was named the 2011 Big South Pitcher of the Year and an All-American.
Coastal won an NCAA Regional and hosted a Super Regional thanks to an impressive pitching staff in 2010. Meo – the Big South Pitcher of the Year who finished second in NCAA DI with 13 wins – and Wheeler – who ranked fifth nationally with 12 victories – each earned All-America honors. The two were joined on the Big South first team by Rein, while freshman Ryan Connolly was tabbed second team All-Big South. Meo – the American Baseball Coaches Association District IV Player of the Year – went on to be a semifinalist for the Dick Howser and Golden Spikes National Player of the Year awards, and Wheeler was picked in the fifth round of the MLB Draft. Connolly capped the laundry list of honors by being named a freshman All-American after he set a Coastal record with 40 pitching appearances.
The Coastal Carolina pitching staff had a tremendous season in 2009. Wheeler was named the Big South Pitcher of the Year and was a Louisville Slugger second-team All-American. He went 10-1 on the year and had a no-hitter against Hawai’i (March 26). Nick McCully went 8-1 with a 2.10 ERA and eight saves in being named to the All-Big South first team and the All-Big South Tournament team. McCully was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the ninth round of the 2009 MLB Draft.
A highly recruited prospect out of Archbishop Carroll High School in Radnor, Pa., Oakes originally committed to play at Coastal Carolina but was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in the seventh round of the 2000 MLB Draft. He wasted little time making his mark in the pros, leading the Brewers’ short-season affiliate in strikeouts in 2001 and rising to No. 3 in the organization’s prospect rankings. In addition to the Brewers, Oakes pitched in the Twins, Braves, Rangers and Giants organizations over eight professional seasons.
Following his final season of professional baseball, Oakes enrolled at Coastal Carolina, where he earned a bachelor's degree in sports management in 2012.
Oakes and his wife, Sasha, have three sons – Brody, Roman and Reed – and two daughters – Chloe and Nora.
