Hendrix Baseball Camps
Coaching Staff
RJ Thomas
Head Coach
In 2022, R.J. Thomas, a Conway native and Conway High School alumnus who ranks second in wins in program history by any head coach, enters his seventh season as Hendrix head baseball coach, ninth overall on the program's staff and 12th overall as a head coach. He is in his second stint with the Warriors after spending eight seasons as a coach at Hendrix, serving as an assistant for two years (2005-06) before being elevated to the helm of the program for six (2007-12).
Thomas also serves as coordinator of athletic fundraising since returning to Hendrix.
Thomas spent four seasons (2018-21) as the Richmond pitching coach on Tracy Woodson's staff. In 2020, Thomas was promoted to associate head coach.
The Spiders were off to one of the hottest starts in the Woodson era in 2021 before a pause in the season due to COVID-19. Thomas's 2021 pitching staff finished the season fifth in the Atlantic 10 with a team 5.21 ERA in 293.2 innings of work. The Spider staff was second in the league by holding opponents to a .248 average against, and was third in the league averaging 9.1 strikeouts per nine innings pitched. Colby Wyatt became the first three-time A-10 Pitcher of the Week recipient for the Spiders since Tim Stauffer in 2003. Wyatt finished the 2021 season holding opponents to a .204 average against. He threw four complete games, as Richmond was 3-1 in A-10 competition in his starts. Jacob Marcus ended the season with a team-best 10.9 Ks per nine innings. Alden Mathes, who was named to the Atlantic 10 All-Freshman Team, held opponents to a .205 average against.
In 2020, Thomas' pitching staff recorded 152 strikeouts in just 17 games as the season was canceled due to COVID-19. He utilized four starters through the early stages of the season.
The Richmond pitching staff continued to make strides in 2019, earning a 4.54 team ERA in 487.2 innings of work, which included a 7-1 win at No. 17 Georgia Tech in the second game of the season. Fifteen pitchers made at least 10 appearances during the season, as the depth of the Spider staff was a key element. The weekend duo of Tim Miller and Brendan McGuigan started every weekend. Miller led the team pitching 75.2 innings and holding opponents to a .221 batting average. Miller led the team with five wins. McGuigan led the team with 84 strikeouts in 70.0 innings of work, ranking 74th nationally with 10.8 strikeouts per nine innings pitched. Layne Looney returned for another season at Richmond after being drafted in 2018. Looney led the Spiders with five saves during the season, appearing in 22 games. Antonio Balducci led the team with 23 appearances out of the bullpen for the second-straight season. Thomas helped McGuigan earn the A-10 Pitcher of the Week award. Marcus ranked as the seventh-best freshman nationally in strikeouts per nine innings.
In his first full season with the Spider pitchers, Thomas' staff compiled a 3.70 ERA, had two players receive professional contract offers and helped lead the Spiders to the most wins in a single season in the Woodson era. Looney led the Spiders with a 0.60 ERA and was selected in the 19th round of the MLB Draft by the Chicago Cubs before deciding to come back and pitch his senior season with Richmond. Robbie Baker signed a free agent deal with the Boston Red Sox and competed with the Gulf Coast League Red Sox (now Florida Complex League Red Sox) during the summer of 2018. The 3.70 staff ERA ranked fourth in the A-10, while the Spiders struck out an average of 8.51 hitters per game, fourth best in the conference. The Spiders struck out a school-record 471 hitters, led by Baker's 78. Under Thomas' guidance, Looney and Baker each earned All-Atlantic 10 first team honors, and Miller was named to the league's All-Freshman Team. The Spiders were among the top staffs in the nation, ranking 48th nationally in WHIP, 38th in team ERA and 21st in hits allowed per nine innings.
Thomas came to Richmond following a five-year stint (2013-17) as head coach at Southwestern (Texas). During his time at the helm, the Pirates played in five-straight Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) Tournaments and advanced to the title game in 2016. Thomas coached 23 All-SCAC honorees, including 2015 SCAC Player of the Year Will Cates.
Off the field, Thomas helped develop donor and restored alumni relationships that helped with several improvements around Rockwell Family Baseball Field. During Thomas's tenure, the Pirates made upgrades to the dugouts, home plate area, laser graded the infield, installed a new irrigation system for the field and assisted with bullpen improvements. His teams also excelled in the classroom, earning the highest team GPA (3.20) in program history in 2017.
Prior to his time at Southwestern, Thomas spent eight seasons as a coach at Hendrix, serving as an assistant for two years (2005-06) before being elevated to the helm of the program for six (2007-12). He led the Warriors to three SCAC tournaments, including two appearances in the SCAC Tournament championship game and the 2009 title. Following the 2009 conference tournament championship, Hendrix advanced to the West Regional of the NCAA tournament, and Thomas was named the SCAC Coach of the Year. In 2011, he led the Warriors back to the SCAC Tournament championship game after guiding Hendrix to a second place finish in the SCAC West Division. In six seasons at the helm, Thomas coached 32 All-SCAC selections and outfielder Collin Radack, the eventual SAA Player of the Year and consensus All-American who became a 20th round selection in the 2014 MLB Draft by the Saint Louis Cardinals.
Thomas and Radack worked on the same Richmond staff for four seasons, with Radack serving as hitting coach.
Thomas also was a warrior as a fundraiser, securing more than $250,000 to build Warrior Baseball Field prior to first pitch of the 2008 campaign.
Off the field, Hendrix excelled in the classroom, earning a 3.16 GPA over the eight seasons Thomas spent with the program.
While at Hendrix, Thomas also served as assistant director of compliance for two years (2011-12) and athletic facilities construction coordinator in 2007.
Thomas pitched for the Warriors in 2000 before transferring to Central Arkansas, where he did not play.
Thomas earned a Bachelor of Science in business administration from Central Arkansas in 2004. R.J. and his wife, Stephanie, have two daughters, Sophie and Isabel.
What they're saying about R.J. Thomas
"I've known R.J. since I was 15 years old, and in that time, he has never failed to support or push me both on and off the field. Win or lose, in good times or bad, he consistently brings a great attitude that can be seen by everyone around him. R.J. embodies the leadership qualities that we strive to obtain as athletes and human beings, and I'm grateful to call him a coach, mentor and friend while I pursue my professional career."
Kyle Schmidt
Minnesota Twins minor league catcher
"I played for R.J. for only two seasons (at Richmond), but his impact goes far beyond that. Coach Thomas is not only a great coach but also a great mentor and friend. He genuinely cares about each of his players as people first, not just because of their baseball abilities. As a result, it was easy for us to trust him and buy in to his philosophies as a pitching staff. Coach Thomas played a pivotal role in shifting the culture of our program. Individually, he also helped me to smooth over some mechanical inefficiencies, fine-tune my arsenal and improve my mindset on the mound. R.J. is a big reason why I am in the position I am today, living out my dream in the Seattle Mariners organization, and I owe a lot to him. Any program would be lucky to have R.J. the coach, and the person."
Brendan McGuigan
Seattle Mariners minor league pitcher
"R.J came in as the pitching coach my last year at Richmond, and I couldn't have been more fortunate to have had that year with him. From day one, he had a huge impact on my baseball career and has continued to be a part of it long after my time at Richmond finished. During my time with R.J., he would regularly set aside time to work with each player, even if that meant staying late or coming out early, and during that time, you could tell he genuinely cared about helping and making you better. Hendrix is lucky to have a coach that cares as much as he does on and off of the field."
Robbie Baker
Former Boston Red Sox minor league pitcher
"As a Hendrix baseball alumnus, but most importantly a friend and former colleague of R.J., I could not be happier to hear that he is returning to Conway. R.J. is one of the best leaders and coaches that I've been around, and I could not be more excited to see what the future holds for Warrior baseball!"
Collin Radack '14
Richmond hitting coach and former Saint Louis Cardinals minor league and Hendrix outfielder
Brandon Schmidt
Assistant Coach/Recruiting Coordinator
Brandon Schmidt enters his fifth season as the Hendrix pitching coach and strength and conditioning coach and first as recruiting coordinator in 2022.
He has coached four All-Southern Athletic Association (SAA) pitchers - one Newcomer of the Year, one first team, one second team and one honorable mention.
In 2021, Schmidt's pitching staff averaged 6.83 strikeouts per nine innings, fourth best in program history. It registered the second most number of strikeouts looking and allowed the fourth fewest number of hits and fifth fewest number of walks.
Under Schmidt's tutelage, 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. Hodgins also tied for fifth in the same category.
In 2020, Warriors pitchers allowed the fewest hits, runs, earned runs and walks in program history, third lowest opponent batting average and averaged the second most strikeouts per nine innings.
Hodgins set the Hendrix record for lowest opponent batting average, ranked second in the SAA and school history in earned run average (ERA) and sixth in the SAA and 48th nationally in strikeouts. Evan Ingram allowed the third fewest walks per nine innings in program history.
In 2019, Schmidt helped guide the Warriors to a share of its first SAA title.
Schmidt's pitchers led the SAA and ranked third nationally in shutouts. It ranked third in the league in strikeout-to-walk ratio and fewest walks allowed per nine innings.
The Hendrix staff posted the most wins, shutouts, saves and innings pitched in school history, posted the second most strikeouts and allowed the second fewest runs and losses and lowest ERA, third fewest earned runs and lowest opponent batting average and fourth fewest walks per nine innings.
Stoyanow was voted the league's Newcomer of the Year. Hodgins was named to the All-SAA first team, while Taylor Barker was a second-team selection.
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. Stoyanow was also second in the SAA and 35th 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. Hodgins tied for third in starts and strikeouts. Hodgins also posted the fourth best ERA, while Stoyanow was fifth.
In 2018, Schmidt's pitching staff recorded the most strikeouts looking and third most shutouts in Hendrix history.
Ingram was named All-SAA honorable mention.
Barker tied for the most strikeouts looking in a single season in program history, while Ingram and Evan Orren tied for fourth most.
Barker threw the most innings ever in a Hendrix game. Ingram threw the fourth most, and Seth Tucker tied for fifth.
The top 17 spots on most innings pitched in a single game in program history have all occurred during Schmidt's tenure.
In 2020, Schmidt was the skipper for the Texarkana Twins of the Texas Collegiate League and 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.
Prior to Hendrix, Schmidt served as pitching coach for his alma mater, Little Rock Central (Ark.) High School, for three seasons (2015-17). He coached Aaron Mann, a 2021 second team and 2019 first team All-Great Lakes Valley Conference infielder who also pitches for the Panthers. With Schmidt's help, Mann became a two-time all-state selection for the Tigers.
Schmidt pitched the 2015 campaign at Crowder (Mo.) after transferring from Central Arkansas, where he spent two seasons (2013-14). As a redshirt sophomore with the Roughriders, he appeared in 11 games, with seven starts, and went 4-2. Schmidt pitched 47.2 innings, including two complete games, and averaged 10.95 strikeouts per game.
As a redshirt freshman with the Bears, Schmidt appeared in three games, with two starts, and posted a 1-1 record.
In 2013, Schmidt and Central Arkansas won their first Southland Conference Tournament title and in the school's first appearance in the Division I Baseball Championship advanced to the if necessary game of the Starkville Regional against College World Series runner-up Mississippi State.
Schmidt, a Little Rock, Ark. native, earned a Bachelor of Science in computer science from Central Arkansas in 2016.