Bio

Brandon Schmidt is entering his first season as the head baseball coach at Baton Rouge Community College. Previously, he spent seven seasons as the pitching coach and strength and conditioning coach at Hendrix College, where he also served as the baseball recruiting coordinator for the last three years.

During his time at Hendrix, Schmidt coached seven All-Southern Athletic Association (SAA) pitchers. In 2021, his pitching staff averaged 6.83 strikeouts per nine innings, which was the fourth-best in program history. The staff recorded the second-highest number of strikeouts looking and allowed the fourth-fewest hits and fifth-fewest walks.

Under Schmidt's guidance, Jack Hodgins tied for the most strikeouts looking in program history and allowed the second-fewest walks per nine innings. Andrei Stoyanow set the single-game record for strikeouts, averaged the second-most strikeouts per nine innings, and recorded the third-most strikeouts looking.

Hodgins and Kyle Wellman each pitched the second-most innings in a game in Hendrix history, while Hodgins also tied for fifth in that category.

In 2020, the Warriors' pitchers achieved program-best numbers by allowing the fewest hits, runs, earned runs, and walks in history. They also had the third-lowest opponent batting average and averaged the second-most strikeouts per nine innings.

Hodgins set the Hendrix record for the lowest opponent batting average and ranked second in both earned run average (ERA) in SAA and school history. He also placed sixth in SAA and 48th nationally in strikeouts. Evan Ingram allowed the third-fewest walks per nine innings in program history.

In 2019, Schmidt helped lead the Warriors to a share of their first SAA title. His pitchers led the SAA and ranked third nationally in shutouts, while also placing third in the league for strikeout-to-walk ratio and fewest walks allowed per nine innings.

The Hendrix pitching staff posted the most wins, shutouts, saves, and innings pitched in school history, recorded the second-most strikeouts, and allowed the second-fewest runs, losses, and earned runs. They also had the lowest ERA, the third-fewest earned runs, and the fourth-fewest walks allowed per nine innings.

Stoyanow was voted the league's Newcomer of the Year, and Hodgins was named to the All-SAA first team, while Taylor Barker earned second-team honors. Under Schmidt's guidance, Barker led the conference and ranked ninth nationally in saves. Hodgins ranked first in the SAA and 45th in the country in ERA, while Stoyanow was second in the league and 76th nationally in wins.

Barker set the program record for saves in a season, while Hodgins recorded the most innings pitched. Stoyanow tied for second in wins, and Hodgins tied for third in both starts and strikeouts. Additionally, Hodgins posted the fourth-best ERA, while Stoyanow ranked fifth.

In 2018, Schmidt's pitching staff achieved the most strikeouts looking and the third most shutouts in Hendrix history. Ingram earned All-SAA honorable mention, and Barker tied for the most strikeouts looking in a single season in program history. Ingram and Evan Orren also tied for the fourth most.

Barker threw the most innings ever in a Hendrix game, while Ingram threw the fourth most, and Seth Tucker tied for fifth. Notably, the top 17 spots for most innings pitched in a single game in program history occurred during Schmidt's tenure.

In 2020, Schmidt served as the head coach for the Texarkana Twins in the Texas Collegiate League, where he coached five Division I signees, including catcher Charlie Welch, a 19th-round pick of the Seattle Mariners out of Arkansas in the 2021 MLB First-Year Player Draft.

Before joining Hendrix, Schmidt was the pitching coach at his alma mater, Little Rock Central High School in Arkansas, for three seasons (2015-17). He coached Aaron Mann, a two-time all-state selection who earned second-team All-Great Lakes Valley Conference honors in 2021 and first-team honors in 2019.

Schmidt pitched the 2015 season at Crowder College after transferring from the University of Central Arkansas, where he played for two seasons (2013-14). As a redshirt sophomore with Crowder, he appeared in 11 games with seven starts, achieving a 4-2 record. He pitched 47.2 innings, including two complete games, while averaging 10.95 strikeouts per game.

As a redshirt freshman at Central Arkansas, Schmidt appeared in three games, with two starts, and posted a 1-1 record. In 2013, he helped Central Arkansas win its first Southland Conference Tournament title and reach the 'if necessary' game of the Starkville Regional against College World Series runner-up Mississippi State.

A native of Little Rock, Arkansas, Schmidt earned a Bachelor of Science degree in computer science from Central Arkansas in 2016.