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Baseball
Jim Foster enters his fourth season as head coach of the Rhode Island baseball program in 2008-09. In his first year at the helm of the program, Foster led the team to a 34-16 record, including a 19-6 finish in the Atlantic 10. The Rams claimed their fourth-consecutive regular-season title and had six different individuals named to the All-Conference teams, including 2006 Atlantic 10 Pitcher of the Year Steve Holmes, who led the nation with a 1.30 ERA. A native of Warwick, R.I. Foster served as Rhode Island's pitching coach and also worked with the team's catchers prior to his appointment as head coach. The Rams' earned run average ranked them in the top-35 nationally in both 2005 and 2006 as three of Foster's pitchers went on to sign professional contracts in the two-year span (Zack Zuercher/St. Louis Cardinals/2005, Mick Lefort/Chicago Cubs/2005 and Steve Holmes/New York Mets/2006). For his efforts, Foster was nominated for the 2005 NCAA Pitching Coach of the Year award. Also in 2005, Foster helped lead Rhode Island to the Atlantic 10 Championship title as well as the program's first trip to the NCAA Regionals, finishing the season with a 34-21 record (18-6 in the Atlantic 10). Foster was an All-Big East and two-time All-New England selection at Providence. He was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles and spent seven years with the organization. He also played in the Arizona Diamondbacks, Anaheim Angels and Chicago White Sox farm systems. He was named Baseball Weekly's Minor League Catcher of the Year in 1997 and was named to the Topps All-Rookie Team in 1993. Foster retired after spending 10 years in the minor leagues. He then spent two years as an assistant coach at Brown where he served as hitting coach and worked with the team's catchers. updated: 6/18/08 |
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