Slippery Rock University Athletics

John Kovalik will begin his third season as an assistant coach for the Slippery Rock University baseball team under head coach Jeff Messer in 2019. Kovalik will continue to work with The Rock’s pitchers while also assisting Messer and the rest of the SRU coaching staff with all other facets of the program.
 
The Rock’s pitching staff showed remarkable improvement in Kovalik’s first season in 2017 compared to 2016.
 
Despite throwing four more innings in 2017 than they did in 2016, Rock pitchers gave up 13 fewer home runs (32-45) and 19 fewer walks (195-214) while shaving nearly a full point and a half off their team ERA (5.81 – 7.08) and 22 points off the team’s batting average against (.297 - .319). Additionally, SRU’s 350 strikeouts in 2017 were the second most in a single-season in program history.
 
Three Rock pitchers, Alex Pantuso, Preston Falascino and Wyatt Daugherty, earned All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference honors under Kovalik’s guidance.
 
Kovalik’s impact on Rock pitchers was once again evident a season ago as SRU’s staff progress continued to show remarkable improvement by lowering its collective team ERA, batting average against, walks allowed and home runs surrendered for a second consecutive season.
 
Pantuso, Daugherty and Matt Gordon each earned All-PSAC honors with Pantuso and Daugherty going on to earn all-region accolades. Pantuso was also selected by the Oakland A’s in the MLB first-year player draft.
 
Kovalik was a standout pitcher at Slippery Rock for four seasons from 2011-14. Primarily a reliever throughout his tenure at SRU, Kovalik appeared in 73 games over his four-year career, going 11-11 with 16 saves, 98 strikeouts and a 4.12 ERA in 137.2 innings pitched. A two-time All-PSAC honoree, Kovalik was also named to the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association of America’s All-Atlantic Region team as a junior in 2013.
 
The Aurora, Ohio native is The Rock’s career leader in saves, appearances and games finished. His 1.43 ERA as a senior in 2014 is the second lowest single-season ERA in Rock history while his six saves in 2013 and 2014 are tied for the second most in a season in program history. 
 
After graduating with his bachelor’s degree in communication from SRU in 2014, Kovalik went on to pitch professionally for the Gary SouthShore RailCats of the American Association.