2007 Baseball
| Pct. | Overall | Pct | Home | Away | Neutral |
| .889 | 46-12 | .793 | 29-6 | 14-6 | 3-0 |
2007 Baseball Coaches
Jon Groth - Head Coach
Jon Groth was hired in 1992 to restart the baseball program at Tyler Junior College. Since that time, the program has become one in which four year programs and professional scouts in the nation's hotbed for baseball talent have come to respect and look to for quality players. In the time since the program was restarted, there have been over 100 players from the Apache program move into four year baseball.
Former Apaches have transitioned well into the Big 12, Southeastern Conference, Southland, WAC, Conference USA, Lone Star Conference and other top programs in this region of the country.
Coach Groth served as an officer in the Texas-New Mexico Junior College Baseball Coaches Association for several years, most recently as President from 2002-2004. He also has served as NJCAA Region 14 East Conference Chairman when the Apaches were a part of that conference from 1993-2003.
The Apache Baseball Program transitioned from NJCAA Division I status to NJCAA Division III status in 2003. TJC has hosted an NJCAA Regional tournament three times and despite the transition to Div III, the Apaches have been in the NJCAA playoffs in five of the last seven years. One of the fruits of the Apache program under Coach Groth has been the success of his former assistant coaches. His first assistant, Eddie Uschold, is now the skipper of the Missouri Baptist University program in St. Louis. Robert Riggs, current head coach at East Texas Baptist University, is also a former assistant for the Apaches. Steven Purl, another former Apache assistant, after serving the baseball program at the University of Texas is now an assistant coach at Horn High School in Mesquite, Texas. Daniel Washburn, pitching coach at LaGrange College in East Georgia is another former Tyler assistant that is doing great things in baseball after time in the Apache program.
Before coming to Tyler, coach Groth was an assistant coach at Texas A&M University under ABCA Hall of Fame coach Mark Johnson. While in College Station, he earned his PhD in Kinesiology. Before his time at A&M, he was a Graduate Assistant at Georgia Southern under ABCA Hall of Fame coach Jack Stallings and earned his M.Ed in Health and Physical
Education. His coaching career began at the University of New Orleans where he played for ABCA Hall of Fame coach Ron Maestri and coached under longtime UNO coach Tom Schwaner.
His playing career included two years of professional baseball and being selected an All-Star his rookie season in the Cincinnati Reds organization. In college, he was an NCAA All-Regional player at the University of New Orleans, played in the 1984 College World Series in Omaha, and was among the final 44 on the 1984 USA Olympic Baseball team. He was selected as an NJCAA All-Regional player while in Junior College at Cuyahoga Community College. Groth also played two seasons with the USA Athletes in Action team in Europe and the Orient. A three sport athlete in high school, he was elected into the Chagrin Falls High School Athletic Hall of Fame in October of 2003.
Coach Groth is also the Faculty Sponsor for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes at Tyler Junior College and is a Deacon at Tyler's Green Acres Baptist Church.Coach Groth is married to wife Kitty and they have six children. The Groth Family resides in Tyler.
Former Apaches have transitioned well into the Big 12, Southeastern Conference, Southland, WAC, Conference USA, Lone Star Conference and other top programs in this region of the country.
Coach Groth served as an officer in the Texas-New Mexico Junior College Baseball Coaches Association for several years, most recently as President from 2002-2004. He also has served as NJCAA Region 14 East Conference Chairman when the Apaches were a part of that conference from 1993-2003.
The Apache Baseball Program transitioned from NJCAA Division I status to NJCAA Division III status in 2003. TJC has hosted an NJCAA Regional tournament three times and despite the transition to Div III, the Apaches have been in the NJCAA playoffs in five of the last seven years. One of the fruits of the Apache program under Coach Groth has been the success of his former assistant coaches. His first assistant, Eddie Uschold, is now the skipper of the Missouri Baptist University program in St. Louis. Robert Riggs, current head coach at East Texas Baptist University, is also a former assistant for the Apaches. Steven Purl, another former Apache assistant, after serving the baseball program at the University of Texas is now an assistant coach at Horn High School in Mesquite, Texas. Daniel Washburn, pitching coach at LaGrange College in East Georgia is another former Tyler assistant that is doing great things in baseball after time in the Apache program.
Before coming to Tyler, coach Groth was an assistant coach at Texas A&M University under ABCA Hall of Fame coach Mark Johnson. While in College Station, he earned his PhD in Kinesiology. Before his time at A&M, he was a Graduate Assistant at Georgia Southern under ABCA Hall of Fame coach Jack Stallings and earned his M.Ed in Health and Physical
Education. His coaching career began at the University of New Orleans where he played for ABCA Hall of Fame coach Ron Maestri and coached under longtime UNO coach Tom Schwaner.
His playing career included two years of professional baseball and being selected an All-Star his rookie season in the Cincinnati Reds organization. In college, he was an NCAA All-Regional player at the University of New Orleans, played in the 1984 College World Series in Omaha, and was among the final 44 on the 1984 USA Olympic Baseball team. He was selected as an NJCAA All-Regional player while in Junior College at Cuyahoga Community College. Groth also played two seasons with the USA Athletes in Action team in Europe and the Orient. A three sport athlete in high school, he was elected into the Chagrin Falls High School Athletic Hall of Fame in October of 2003.
Coach Groth is also the Faculty Sponsor for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes at Tyler Junior College and is a Deacon at Tyler's Green Acres Baptist Church.Coach Groth is married to wife Kitty and they have six children. The Groth Family resides in Tyler.
Email Jon Groth: jgro2@tjc.edu
Ryan Dean - Assistant Coach
Graduate Assistant Coach Ryan Dean is the next in a line of former Apache players who've joined the Apache Coaching Staff. Dean was a pitcher for the NJCAA Regional teams of 2001 and 2002. He was a standout at East Texas Christian Academy during his high school career. Coach Dean works with the Apaches in many areas but much of his work is with the pitching staff. He is pursuing a bachelor's degree at the University of Texas at Tyler.
Email Ryan Dean: rdea@tjc.edu
Cody Ellis - Assistant Coach
Graduate Assistant Coach Cody Ellis another former Apache player who has joined the Apache Coaching Staff. Ellis was a catcher and 1st baseman for the 2003 and 2004
teams. He is the only TJC baseball player to ever receive 1st Team All-American and Academic All-American in the same year. He earned All-State honors for Bullard High
School and after leaving TJC went on to play for University of Arkansas-Monticello for 2 years. He received All Gulf South Conference Tournament Team in 2005 after being one of the only players in GSC history to hit for the cycle in the GSC tournament.
Coach Ellis works primarily with the Apache hitters, infielders and catchers. He received his associate’s degree from TJC, his bachelor’s degree from University of Arkansas-Monticello, and is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree at the University of Texas at Tyler. He graduated Caum Laude from TJC and UAM and was in the Alpha Chi Honor Society at UAM.
teams. He is the only TJC baseball player to ever receive 1st Team All-American and Academic All-American in the same year. He earned All-State honors for Bullard High
School and after leaving TJC went on to play for University of Arkansas-Monticello for 2 years. He received All Gulf South Conference Tournament Team in 2005 after being one of the only players in GSC history to hit for the cycle in the GSC tournament.
Coach Ellis works primarily with the Apache hitters, infielders and catchers. He received his associate’s degree from TJC, his bachelor’s degree from University of Arkansas-Monticello, and is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree at the University of Texas at Tyler. He graduated Caum Laude from TJC and UAM and was in the Alpha Chi Honor Society at UAM.
Email Cody Ellis: cell@tjc.edu
Dusty Ashworth - Manager
Evan Gillispie - Manager
Donnie Lee - Manager
