Jacksonville University

Jerry Edwards enters his fourth year on the baseball staff in 2023.

He has helped JU develop one of the top pitching staffs in the ASUN Conference, setting school records, winning the 2021 ASUN Baseball Championship and advancing to the Columbia Regional. Additionally, three pitchers have been selected in the MLB Draft, with four others signing professional contracts.

2022

• Led a pitching staff that broke the program record for K/9 in a season set just one year prior, with 9.70 over 492.0 innings pitched
• Broke 32 year-old program record for lowest batting average against in a season, allowing opponents to bat just .247
• Third fewest hits allowed in a season
• Mason Adams became second Dolphin in two seasons to hit the century mark in strikeouts, registering 108, good for sixth-most in a season in JU history and led the ASUN
• Tyler Vogel recorded the first double-digit save season since 2018, with his 10 saves good for T7 all-time in JU history
• Vogel (12th Round - Giants) and Adams (13th Round - White Sox) were drafted in 2022 MLB Draft and Michael Darrell-Hicks signed a professional deal with the Angels

2021

• Set a new program record in K/9 in a season with 8.92 over 346.2 innings pitched
• Eighth fewest hits allowed in a season
• Tyler Santana recorded the first 100 strikeout season since 2013, registering 102
• Santana and Mason Adams were named to the ASUN All-Tournament Team for their performances, with Santana taking home MVP honors in the championship run
• Santana earned ASUN Pitcher of the week after a complete game seven-hit, 10-strikeout effort against UF, in which he did not allow an earned run
• Santana signed a professional contract with the Cubs

2020

• JU led the ASUN in strikeouts and K/9 in the shortened 2020 season
• Trent Palmer led the league in strikeouts, tied a single-game school record with 13 in one game, and finished 13th nationally in WHIP
• Austin Temple was the league-leader in ERA, and finished the year with 19.1 consecutive scoreless innings
• Palmer and Temple combined to win ASUN Pitcher of the Week three times
• Palmer was drafted in the 3rd Round of the 2020 MLB Draft by the Blue Jays
• Chris Mauloni, who left school as the all-time leader in career saves, signed a professional contract with the Tigers

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

• Edwards has tutored 16 MLB Draft picks during stops at UNCG, Eastern Kentucky, North Carolina Wesleyan, Louisburg (N.C.) College, Hiwassee College and JU

CAREER PRIOR TO JACKSONVILLE

• Spent seven years on Link Jarrett's staff at UNCG prior to joining the JU staff
• Eleven of his pitchers went on to be drafted, including a school-record four in 2018. Two Spartans went on to win SoCon Pitcher of the Year, and UNCG captured the 2017 SoCon Championship, advancing to the Clemson Regional and picking up a win over St. John’s
• Served as the head coach at Hiwassee, where two of his players were taken in the First Year Player Draft
• Guided nine of his pitchers at Louisburg to sign with Division I schools and groomed two more in top-12 round MLB Draft selections
• Spent two years at NC Wesleyan under former North Carolina head coach Mike Fox
• Won the 1999 Division III National Championship at NC Wesleyan with Head Coach Charlie Long
• Groomed the 2012 Ohio Valley Conference Pitcher of the Year while at Eastern Kentucky, capping off a four-year run with the Colonels in which he facilitated a pitching renaissance
• EKU won its first OVC Tournament game in three seasons in 2010, thanks to a near-record setting eight-inning, 10-strikeout performance vs. Murray State
• Was an Associate Scout for three years with the Atlanta Braves under the guidance of Area Scouting Supervisor Billy Best

 
PERSONAL

Edwards and his wife Amy have two children. His son, Jacob, in a pitcher in the Twins organization. He is a certified meat smoker, slow-cooking the finest meats south of North Carolina.