COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Baseball has added veteran coach Fred Corral to its coaching staff, announced Tuesday by head coach Steve Bieser. One of the nation’s most experienced and sought-after pitching coaches in the country, Corral brings with him nearly a quarter century of coaching experience after a successful career in both college and professional baseball. Corral brings a ‘no-limits’ approach to coaching with a tireless work ethic, and stood out to Coach Bieser due to his incredible ability to develop young men, both on and off the baseball diamond.
“Fred is not only a great pitching coach who has a wealth of knowledge and passion, Fred is a developer of men,” Bieser said. “Going through the process and talking to former players and coaches, the one thing that kept standing out to me was his commitment to developing the entire person. Fred personifies the Mizzou baseball motto “commit to excellence. His commitment to academic excellence, athletic excellence, and social development was very evident through the interviewing process. I am excited to welcome the Corral’s to the Mizzou baseball family.”
With 24 years of coaching experience across all levels of baseball, 11 of those years have come in the Southeastern Conference with three coming in professional baseball. He spent the last five seasons at fellow SEC East foe Georgia, coaching 12 pitchers to MLB Draft selections, including 2016 first-round pick Robert Tyler (38th overall to Colorado). He coached Tyler to a 2.68 ERA as a freshman in 2014, the lowest ERA by a UGA pitcher in 10 years. The highlight of his coaching tenure at Georgia came last season when the Bulldog staff limited batters to a .241 average, resetting the program record.
“First, I want to take the time and say how excited I am to be working with Coach Bieser and a guy like Evan Pratte, who I have known for a long time,” Corral said. “I am excited to get to know Lance Rhodes and Dillon Lawson as they are two incredible young coaches and I can’t wait to get after it with those guys. I am so fortunate to be surrounded by such a talented group of guys.”
Before his time at Georgia, Corral helped Memphis to arguably its best four-year stretch on the mound in program history. His 2013 team posted a 3.05 staff ERA, the lowest by a Memphis team since 1976, while striking out more than 400 batters in three of four seasons, including a school-record 462 in 2010. He also mentored a pair of first-time draftees while at Memphis, including 2013 Conference USA Pitcher of the Year Dan Schoenrock.
Corral’s SEC roots run much deeper than his most recent time at Georgia. He coached at Tennessee in two different stints from 2002-04 and 2007-09. During Corral’s first run at Tennessee, the Volunteers’ pitching staff ranked among the best in the SEC. His staffs posted consecutive sub-3.90 ERAs, and UT’s 3.51 ERA in 2004 was the nation’s 13th-best. The 2004 Volunteer staff recorded the fifth-most strikeouts in school history and held opponents to a .243 batting average, which was UT’s lowest mark in nine seasons. Tennessee also had three pitchers in 2004 with ERAs that ranked among the top-12 in the SEC. Four of Corral’s pitchers at Tennessee were selected in the MLB Draft. He signed James Adkins and coached Luke Hochevar, hurlers who rank first and third on UT’s all-time strikeouts list. Hochevar was the No. 1 overall pick by the Kansas City Royals in 2006. Corral’s former pupils who have reached the Major Leagues include Matt Riley, Adam Bernero, Mike Neu, Joe Horgan, Daniel McCutchen, Garrett Richards, Charlie Zink and Hochevar.
Corral is no stranger to professional baseball either, having served as a pitching instructor in both the Los Angeles Dodgers (2000-01) and Montreal Expos (1999) organizations.
As a player, Corral was a first-team All-Pac-10 selection as a LHP at Cal in 1987. The Golden Bears’ eighth 10-game winner, Corral set a school record for single-season win-loss percentage with a perfect 10-0 record as a junior in 1987. The southpaw added five saves and a 3.75 ERA in en route to earning the team’s Most Valuable Pitcher honor. Corral helped lead the Golden Bears to their fourth College World Series appearance in 1988. He finished his two-year Bear career with a 13-5 mark, a 4.50 ERA and six saves. Corral starred at San Joaquin Delta Junior Colleg,e where he garnered All-Camino Notre Conference honors in 1985 and 1986, before transferring to Cal.
— Mizzou Athletics —