Craig Antush
Assistant Coach
Ninth Year
(Alabama, 1983)

    Veteran coach Craig Antush is entering his ninth season as an assistant coach at Youngstown State.
     During his eight seasons at YSU, Antush has helped develop four pitchers who were taken in the Major League Baseball Amateur Draft and three others who signed professional contracts.
     In 2005, Justin Thomas was selected as the third pick in the fourth round by the Seattle Mariners after being named the Horizon League Pitcher of the Year. Prior to Thomas, Brad Hennessey became the first Penguin to be drafted in the first round when San Francisco selected him with the 21st overall pick in 2001. Mike Abdalla was chosen by Kansas City in the 40th round, and Matt Brumit was taken in the 44th round by the New York Yankees in 2002.
     At the end of last season, Kevin Libeg signed an undrafted free agent contract with the Cleveland Indians, and Eric Shaffer signed with the Evansville Otters of the Frontier League. Corey Ohalek also signed with the Florida Marlins at the end of the 2003 season.
     Antush has also been active in non-collegiate instruction in his career. He served as pitching coach for the Staunton Braves of the Shenandoah Valley Baseball League during the summers of 1999, 2000, 2002, and he coached the Wyomissing American Legion squad and the freshman team at Muhlenberg High School in his hometown of Reading, Pa. In the summer of 1993, Antush coached a team of Athletes In Action in a four-week tour of Alphen, Holland; Czech Republic and Montpellier.
     Prior to his arrival at YSU, Antush was the head coach at Marshall University from 1996-98 and served as pitching coach for the Thundering Herd for five seasons from 1991-1995.
     Antush had a notable career as a player at the collegiate level as a relief pitcher for the University of Alabama. He compiled a career record of 9-3 and recorded seven saves for the Crimson Tide. His senior season, the Crimson Tide reached the College World Series title game but fell to Texas.
     He earned his Bachelors Degree from the University of Alabama in 1983 and his Master’s Degree in health and physical education at Marshall in 1995.
     Antush is a teacher at Hickory High School in Hermitage, Pa.