Mike Zandler - Baseball Coach - Davidson College Athletics

Mike Zandler

Title:
Assistant Coach
Email:
mizandler@davidson.edu
Phone:
2772

Bridgewater '91
6th Season

Mike Zandler joined the Davidson baseball staff in the summer of 2006 and quickly acclimated to the department, tirelessly recruiting talent from the high school ranks.

In Zandler's tenure at Davidson, the Wildcat pitching staff has shown consistent improvement, posting a declining team ERA and opponent's batting average over the past five seasons.

During the 2011 season, the Wildcat pitching staff ranked among league leaders in ERA, finishing with a team ERA of 4.64 — Davidson's best since 1977. Additionally, Zandler coached a pair of Wildcats selected in the 2011 Major League Baseball draft in left-hander pitcher Chris Lamb (11th round, 346th overall) and right-handed pitcher Andy Bass (18th round, 570th overall). Lamb, who earned national and SoCon Pitcher of the Week honors with an 11-strikeout, 1-0 complete-game shutout of Furman, became the highest pitcher drafted in Davidson history, while Zandler also coached Mike Frongello to the all-time SoCon appearance record (136) in 2011.

In 2009, Zandler's young staff reduced its team ERA by more than 1.25 from a season ago and struck out 106 more hitters while giving up 23 fewer walks. The staff continued that trend through the 2010 season, again posting improvements in ERA, strikeouts, walks and opponent's batting average.

Individually, several Wildcat pitchers have prospered under Zandler's tutelage. Matt Webb, named to the All-Southern Conference Second Team in 2007, finished his Wildcat career with a 3.49 career ERA, ranking seventh on Davidson's all-time list and tied for third on the career saves list with 13. His eight saves in 2007 ranked the third most by a Davidson pitcher in a single season. Mike Frongello led the Southern Conference in appearances with 34 in 2009, setting the new standard for single-season appearances at Davidson as well. Frongello earned Southern Conference Pitcher of the Week honors in 2009, the first Wildcat pitcher to earn the honor since Jay Haefner in 2006, and in 2010, he became the Wildcat's all-time appearance leader as a junior.

Zandler has been coaching for 17 years, and prior to arriving at Davidson, he spent four years as the pitching coach at Guilford College in Greensboro, N.C.

His Quaker staff in 2006 year posted its lowest ERA (4.32) in the previous 13 seasons. One of his pitchers, Logan Collier, was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 37th round, becoming Guilford’s first pick in the MLB First-Year Draft since 2000. During his four years with Guilford, the team posted a record of 95-68.

Zandler spent nine seasons coaching and teaching at the high school level before joining the Quakers, serving as the head coach at Page High School in Greensboro.

“Having coached in high school and college, Mike brings experience and maturity, plus gives us the ability to have someone with the pitchers in a full-time capacity,” said Davidson coach Dick Cooke. “His excellent organizational skills will make a difference in our recruiting efforts as well.”

A 1991 graduate of Bridgewater College in Virginia with a degree in political science, Zandler went on to earn a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction at Virginia Tech.

Zandler and his wife Kimberley, a 1995 Davidson graduate and former all-conference doubles tennis player, reside in Cornelius with their daughter, Caroline and son, Matthew.