Mike Kinkade was hired as an assistant coach for the CSU Bakersfield baseball team on Oct. 16, 2019. He'll serve primarily as the team's hitting coach with additional responsibilities in recruiting and defensive coaching.Â
With 14 seasons as a professional ball player and seven seasons as a coach, Kinkade brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to Bakersfield.
"Landing Mike is a tremendous acquisition for our program, the University, and the Kern County baseball community," said Beard. "He is a tremendous competitor, has a passion for the game, and is truly one of the top-tier hitting coaches in the country. When he agreed to take this job, we took one big step in the right direction."
After retiring from his playing career, Kinkade was a member of the Seattle Mariners' minor league coaching staff from 2011-14. During the 2012 season, he was the Manager of the Peoria Mariners while his other years with the organization were as a hitting coach. In 2016, Kinkade decided to give back to the community and coached the Whitman County American Legion Program while adding the Pullman High School Varsity Baseball team to his duties last year.
A 1995, ninth-round draft pick by the Milwaukee Brewers, Kinkade made his major league debut in 1998 with the New York Mets. After tearing his way through the minor leagues, Kinkade was selected to be a member of the United States National Baseball Team that defeated Cuba, 4-0, to win the Gold Medal at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
Over his six MLB seasons, Kinkade played a total of 222 games including 88 games with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2003. The former outfielder spent the final five seasons of his professional career in the minors as well as one year with the Hanshin Tigers in the Japanese Major League.
"I'm very excited to be joining Coach Beard and the Roadrunners," Kinkade said. "I want to pass along my knowledge and experience that I have gained over my years in baseball and coaching to continue the development of a great baseball program at CSU Bakersfield. My philosophies center on fundamentals, toughness, dedication, and attention to the small baseball intricacies that help players reach their maximum potential."
Kinkade was a standout ball player at Washington State University, where he earned All-American honors in 1994 and still holds WSU career records for runs (230), total bases (478), and doubles (75). In 2017, the Cougars elected Kinkade to the Washington State Athletics Hall of Fame for his storied career. While competing at Tigard High School in Tigard, Ore., he earned the 1991 Gatorade Oregon Player of the Year. Kinkade and Beard have ties going way back as the pair were teammates on the THS baseball and football teams during their prep careers.
