grothpage

Jon Groth was hired in 1992 to restart the baseball program at Tyler Junior
College. Since that time, the program has become one in which four year
programs and professional scouts in the nation's hotbed for baseball talent
have come to respect and look to for quality players.   In the time since the
program was restarted, there have been over 100 players from the Apache
program move into four year baseball.    Former Apaches have transitioned
well into the Big 12, Southeastern Conference, Southland, WAC,
Conference USA, Lone Star Conference and other top programs in this
region of the country. More than 20 former players have signed
professional contracts as well.
Coach Groth helped lead the Apache program to back to back conference
Championships in 2007 and 2008 and its first National Championship in
2007 and earned 2007 NJCAA National Coach of the Year honors. The
Apaches earned the 2007 regular season Metro Athletic Conference
Championship, the NJCAA District C Championship and posted a 46-12
season record. Tyler had three players selected as All-Americans,
including NJCAA Division III Player of the Year, Brock Lemire.
Coach Groth has served as an officer in the Texas-New Mexico Junior
College Baseball Coaches Association for several years, most recently as
President from 2002-2004. He also has served as NJCAA Region 14 East
Conference Chairman when the Apaches were a part of that conference
from 1993-2003.
The Apache Baseball Program transitioned from NJCAA Division I status
to NJCAA Division III status in 2003. TJC has hosted an NJCAA Regional
tournament three times and despite the transition to Div III, the Apaches
have been a consistent participant in the NJCAA playoffs. TJC will host the
2007-2008-2009 NJCAA Division III World Series.
One of the fruits of the Apache program under Coach Groth has been the
success of his former assistant coaches. More than 30 former Apache
coaches and players are coaching at the college and high school levels, all
over the US. His first assistant, Eddie Uschold, is now the skipper of the
Missouri Baptist University program in St. Louis. Robert Riggs, was
recently head coach at East Texas Baptist University, is also a former
assistant for the Apaches.   Steven Purl, another former Apache assistant,
after serving the baseball program at the University of Texas is now an
assistant coach in the Frisco High School area in Frisco, Texas. Vince
Veazey, a former Apache player and assistant coach is currently the head
coach at Bullard's elite Brook Hill Academy. Daniel Washburn, head coach
at Maryville College in East Tennessee, is another former Tyler assistant
that is doing great things in baseball after time in the Apache program.
Many other former Apache coaches and players are among the Apache
Nation in the coaching ranks, making a difference in the lives of young men.
Before coming to Tyler, coach Groth was an assistant coach at Texas
A&M University under ABCA Hall of Fame coach Mark Johnson. While in
College Station, he earned his PhD in Kinesiology. Before his time at A&M,
he was a Graduate Assistant at Georgia Southern under ABCA Hall of
Fame coach Jack Stallings and earned his M.Ed in Health and Physical
Education. His coaching career began at the University of New Orleans
where he played for ABCA Hall of Fame coach Ron Maestri and coached
under longtime UNO coach Tom Schwaner.
His playing career included two years of professional baseball and being
selected an All-Star his rookie season in the Cincinnati Reds organization.
In college, he was an NCAA All-Regional player at the University of New
Orleans, played in the 1984 College World Series in Omaha, and was
among the final 44 on the 1984 USA Olympic Baseball team. He was
selected as an NJCAA All-Regional player while in Junior College at
Cuyahoga Community College. Groth also played two seasons with the
USA Athletes in Action team in Europe and the Orient.   A three sport
athlete in high school, he was elected into the Chagrin Falls High School
Athletic Hall of Fame in October of 2003.
Coach Groth is also the Faculty Sponsor for the Fellowship of Christian
Athletes at Tyler Junior College and is a Deacon at Tyler's Green Acres
Baptist Church.Coach Groth is married to wife Kitty and they have six
children. The Groth Family resides in Tyler.

Apaches under Groth:
422 Wins

NJCAA National Champions:
2007
NJCAA District Champions:
2007
Metro Conference Champions:
2008, 2007

Host
NJCAA Div III World Series
2007-2008-2009

NJCAA Regional Playoffs
1998-2000-2002

TX-NM All-Star Games
1998

NJCAA Playoffs:
2008, 2007, 2004, 2002,
2001, 1999, 1997

8 All-Americans
10 AcademicAll-American
2 Conference MVPs
50 All-Conference
22 Academic All-Conf
24 former Apaches in
Professional Baseball
120 + to four year
programs that include:

Texas A&M, Rice, Texas,
Baylor, Houston, Texas
Tech, Nebraska, Arkansas,
Louisiana-Monroe,
Louisiana Tech, NW
State-LA, LA-Lafayette,
Sam Houston State, Texas
State, McNeese St.
UT- Arlington, Lamar,
UTSA, UT-Pan American,
Abilene Christian, Dallas
Baptist, Houston Baptist,
Tarleton St, A&M
Kingsville, Henderson St,
Arkansas-Monticello,
Incarnate Word, SE OK St,
Arkansas Tech, Louisiana
College, East Texas Baptist
Univ, UT-Tyler

among others.....