(Courtesy Southern Illinois Miners, Photo Credit: Mick Lite)
The Southern Illinois Miners are proud to announce Preston Vancil as their new pitching coach for the 2014 season.
Vancil finished his professional playing career with an All-Star season with the Miners in 2013. He ended the season with a 9-6 record with a 3.97 ERA.
Before joining the Miners, Preston saw action with the Florence Freedom, River City Rascals and also with the Seattle Mariners organization. One of Preston’s career highlights came on July 26, 2009 when he threw the first no-hitter in the history of the Florence Freedom in a 5-0 victory over the Traverse City Beach Bums.
He had a 6-4 record with a 3.26 ERA in his rookie season in Florence before joining the Mariners. Over 12 games with the Pulaski Mariners in the Appalachian League in 2010, he carried a 1.98 ERA, striking out 29 in 27 1/3 innings while walking only three.
Vancil played his college baseball at Division-II Abilene Christian University, where he led the Lone Star Conference with 108 strikeouts and finished fourth in ERA as a senior while owning a 3.4:1 strikeout to walk ratio.
Not new to coaching, for the last three years Vancil has been the pitching coach for American River College in Sacramento, Calif. He has also been teaching pitching for many years and has given pitching lessons at MVP Athletic in California for the last three years.
“Preston is a student of pitching,” Miners manager Mike Pinto said. “He was a very hard worker as a player and I know we will see that work ethic as a coach as he helps our pitchers work to be their best. He understands what it means to be a Miner, he knows our throwing and arm care program and was a beneficiary of that last season in his own career.
“Preston always pitched with a plan and I am confident that he will be helpful to our pitching staff with their game planning as well,” Pinto added. “I am very excited for Preston to move into this role, and seeing the energy and care I know he will put into this important position.”
