Kyle Hallock, who came to Malone University in August of 2014, enters his fourth year as Pitching Coach for the Malone Pioneers. Since Hallock’s arrival, the Pioneers are averaging 30 wins per season, have qualified three consecutive years to the conference tournament and earned a conference championship game appearance in 2017.
On the mound, the Malone pitching staff has been a force across two difference conferences within the Midwest region and garnered national attention. The 2017 staff finished the season 14th in the country with a 3.32 Earned Run Average, which was tops in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference. In 2015, Malone hurlers produced a 3.43 ERA, which was good for 22nd overall in the nation and #1 in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. During Hallock’s tenure, the Pioneers are 74-6 when leading after the 6th inning, including a 29-0 mark in 2017. Strikeouts have been a major part of Malone’s success as the staff has seen their output increase each season (2015: 315, 2016: 341, 2017: 358) while averaging only 163 base on balls per season.
Numerous Pioneer arms have earned accolades during Hallock’s time in Stark County. Roscoe Blackburn was named GMAC Pitcher of the Year, All Midwest Region and an All-American just last spring. Josh Hurford and Gunnar Smeyres dominated across both the GMAC and GLIAC after being named to the all-conference teams in each league and also received All-Midwest Region honors. Additionally, Hurford threw a no-hitter against Kentucky Wesleyan on April 1, 2017 and teamed with Blackburn, as both finished the 2017 season inside the Top 10 in the country for ERA individually. The 2015 season saw Tyler Whitlatch named to the GLIAC All-Tournament Team. Freshmen have a track record of achievement with Hallock as Braun Miller was named the 2016 GLIAC Freshman Pitcher of the Year while the duo of Kyle Kovach and Eric Mullet obtained GMAC All-Freshman Team nods in 2017.
In the summer of 2014, Coach Hallock managed a championship pitching staff for the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox of the prestigious Cape Cod Baseball League. Baseball America ranked four Red Sox pitchers in its Top 30 Cape Cod League Baseball Prospect List, including Walker Buehler at #1 overall. Perfect Game Baseball named another member of the group, Phil Bickford, Summer Collegiate Player of the Year. A total of 12 members of the 2014 Yarmouth Dennis pitching staff heard their names called less than a year later in the 2015 Major League Baseball Amateur Draft. Three of those pitchers were selected in the First Round.
Coach Hallock assists in the evaluation and recruitment of pitchers. Current Malone right handed pitcher Alex Widmer was selected in the 36th Round of the 2017 MLB Draft by the Chicago White Sox out of high school. Hallock is responsible for the off-season individual throwing, strength and conditioning program.
As a player, Hallock was selected in the Major League Baseball Amateur Draft twice, named Mid-American Conference Pitcher of the Year, a Second Team All-American and four-time MAC champion for the Golden Flashes of Kent State. After signing with Houston Astros in the 10th Round in 2011, Hallock was named an Organizational All-Star by Milb.com, New York Penn League All-Star and climbed through the minor league ranks reaching the AAA level while throwing a no hitter on Mother’s Day for Houston’s High A affiliate Lancaster Jethawks of the California League.
Coach Hallock graduated with a Sport Administration degree from Kent State University (2011) and a Masters of Business Administration from Malone University (2016). He resides in Louisville, Ohio with his wife Morgan and their son Keegan.
