Fred Jordan, a former Citadel baseball letterman, is entering his 21st season at the helm of his alma mater’s baseball program and holds a 686-508 (.575) overall record, all with the Bulldogs.  Jordan has instilled the ideals of belief, faith and trust into The Citadel baseball.  Players under Jordan are known for playing “The Citadel Way”— Long, Hard and Fast.  The Citadel Baseball has been recognized for its tenacious pace of play and tremendous discipline that Jordan sets forth in the everyday rigors of practice and throughout the regular season.

He has led the Bulldogs to seven Southern Conference Tournament championships and seven NCAA Regional appearances in the last 14 years, including the 2010 SoCon regular season champion, tournament championship and an appearance at the 2010 NCAA Regional held in Columbia, S.C.  No other NCAA Division I baseball program has been a part of their conference championship more than The Citadel in the past 15 years.

In his 20 seasons, Jordan’s Bulldogs average more than 34 victories a year, including 43 victories in 2010, which currently ranks as the second highest win total in Citadel history.  Jordan hit a milestone in 2010 when he passed Chal Port for most wins in school history by picking up his 642^nd win in a 5-0 shutout of Charleston Southern on March 31.

Jordan is considered the dean of Southern Conference baseball coaches as he has won 12 Southern Conference championships, seven more than the nearest competitor.  Jordan stresses strong pitching and solid defense in order to win championships.  Under Jordan, The Citadel has won the pitching title in three of the last four seasons and nine of the last 17 overall. Jordan has had 27 players drafted in the Major League Baseball Amateur Draft from The Citadel.

Under Jordan, the Bulldogs have garnered 50 All-Southern Conference honors while bringing home another 50 All-SoCon Tournament honors, including a record seven in 2004.  He has coached one Southern Conference Male Athlete of the Year, seven Southern Conference Pitchers of the Year, four Southern Conference Freshmen of the Year, one Southern Conference Player of the Year, and seven tournament Most Valuable Players.

Jordan has been honored as the Southern Conference Coach of the Year four times, the most recent coming in 2010.

Of Jordan’s 27 draftees, 18 were pitchers. Britt Reames, recently retired from professional baseball and a new addition to The Citadel baseball staff in 2011, became the first-ever Bulldog to ever participate in the Major League Baseball postseason with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2000. In 2010, Asher Wojciechowski became the highest player ever drafted from The Citadel when he was selected in the supplemental first round by the Toronto Blue Jays with the 41^st overall pick.

An influx of young talent came through in 2011 as Jordan and the Bulldogs faced a challenging season that saw them miss the Southern Conference Tournament for the first time since 1987. Yet another Bulldog pitcher was drafted in 2011 as Matt Talley was selected by Atlanta in the 28^th round. The team did finish productive once again on the base paths, swiping 93 bags while outfielder Nick Orvin grabbed first team All-SoCon honors and a pair of Bulldogs were named to the All-Freshmen Team in Drew DeKerlegand and Joe Jackson.

The highlight of the season came when The Citadel shutout what would eventually become the two-time defending national champions in No. 3 South Carolina, 2-0, at Riley Park. It was the first shutout of the Gamecocks by The Citadel since 1971. In addition, the Bulldogs won the battle of Charleston by going 4-2 against their cross-town counterparts including a conference series win over the Cougars and a sweep of Charleston Southern.

2010 proved to be a banner year for the Bulldogs as they went 24-6 in conference on the way to capturing the regular season championship. They earned their first national ranking since 2001 and swept through the SoCon Tournament Championship en route to a regional bid in Columbia. Finishing the season with a career-best 43 wins, Jordan guided The Citadel past Virginia Tech in the first game of the regional.

Asher Wojciechowski earned All-America honors and SoCon Pitcher of the Year as he struck out 155 batters, the second most in Division I. Meanwhile, Justin Mackert grabbed the SoCon Tournament MVP and helped lead the Bulldogs to finish tenth in the nation with 127 stolen bases. Three Bulldogs were drafted in the 2010 Draft.

The 2009 season saw several pitching and hitting records fall at The Citadel. The Bulldogs recorded the most hits and most total bases in a single season. They ranked in the top 10 nationally in hits as well. Sonny Meade finished his stellar career at The Citadel ranked in the top 10 in five single season categories and in the Top 10 in eight career categories. Four players were selected in the 2009 Major League Draft, the most in school history in a single season.

The Citadel continued its streak of upsetting nationally-ranked programs in 2008 as the Bulldogs topped No. 23 Louisville in 10 innings, 1-0, at Riley Park. The game pitted former Bulldogs against current Bulldogs as the Cardinals were led by head coach Dan McDonnell ’92 and assistant coach Chris Lemonis ’92. The 2008 season witnessed The Citadel pitching staff lead the nation with 28 pickoffs and the Bulldogs brought home four SoCon Pitcher of the Week honors awarded to four different pitchers, a first for the program.

The Citadel surpassed the 30-win total in 2007 for the 15th time in 16 seasons under Jordan. Included in that was The Citadel’s 7-6 upset victory over No. 1 South Carolina as the Bulldogs rallied from a late 6-1 deficit in the sixth inning. Also, for the third time in four years, The Citadel found itself in the Southern Conference Tournament Championship game.

The Bulldogs garnered national attention in 2006 as Chris Swauger was named National Hitter of the Week to open the season.  Swauger was one of two players to earn All-SoCon honors and finished the season second nationally in triples.  Closer Link Saunders was tabbed to the Stopper of the Year Watch List as he was consistently in the top-five in the nation in saves.

Jordan also had two more players continue to the professional ranks as left-hander Ryan Owens signed with the Houston Astros and shortstop Matt Matulia was drafted in the 24th round by the Chicago Cubs.

The Citadel played 12 games against nationally ranked opponents, including an upset over No. 3 Nebraska.  In the Southern Conference Tournament, the Dogs battled to knock out top-seeded Elon en route to the championship game as The Citadel captured the runner-up spot and had two Bulldogs named to the All-Tournament team.

In 2005, Jordan had his 37th player named to the Southern Conference All-Tournament team in shortstop Matt Matulia.  Matulia registered a .333 batting average with two doubles, two home runs and six RBI in four games.  Two seniors on the 2005 squad also received Southern Conference Player of the Week honors as Chris Ard and pitcher Griff Beckham each earned the award for their performance.

Four seniors left their mark on Citadel baseball history.  Ard, Josh Stackley and Jon Aughey each made their way into multiple top-10 lists, while Shannon Sprouse moved into seventh all-time in saves. Relief pitcher Link Saunders emerged to lead the Southern Conference in opposing batting average (.234) during his sophomore campaign.  Saunders also finished third in the Southern Conference with a 3.15 earned run average.

In 2004, The Citadel finished 21-9 in the Southern Conference and had three players named to the 2003 All-Southern Conference squad; Chip Cannon and Jonathan Ellis were honored as members of the first-team, while Josh Stackley was named to the second team.  A record seven Bulldogs earned all-tournament honors after leading The Citadel to its seventh SoCon Tournament title.  Jordan’s 2004 team also became the first Bulldog team since 1998 to win a NCAA Regional game as they downed Coastal Carolina 10-1 in the Regionals.

The 2004 Bulldog club assaulted the record books like no other team in recent history as 19 career and/or season records were either tied or broken.  The marks that standout are Cannon’s 17 homers, 71 base on balls and .990 fielding percentage, Stackley’s 274 at-bats, and Ellis’ 18 games started, nine complete games, 136.1 innings pitched and 12 wins.  The 2004 team also left its mark on the field with a .974 team fielding percentage that broke the previous record of .968 set by the 2003 club.

Ellis and Cannon took home several national honors as well, including All-American laurels.  Cannon was quickly tabbed as a clutch power hitter and several teams took notice as he set a new Southern Conference and Citadel record with 71 walks in 2004, a mark which also led the nation.  The dynamic pair capped off a great season by getting drafted on the first day of Major League Baseball Amateur draft.  Ellis went in the sixth round to San Diego, while Cannon was picked by Toronto in the eighth round.

The 2003 club finished 19-11 in the Southern Conference and had four players named to the 2003 All-Southern Conference squad; Chris Ard and Chip Cannon were honored as members of the first-team and Brook Dantzler and Matt Hamer, who finished his career second on the all-time appearances list with 108, were listed on the second-team.  Freshman centerfielder Trent Weathers, who played in all 57 of the Bulldogs’ games, was honored by the Southern Conference Media Association as the Freshman of the Year.

With national powers Miami, North Carolina State, Florida State and South Carolina on the slate in 2003, Fred Jordan led his ball club to victories over the Hurricanes, Wolfpack and Gamecocks.  He also became the fastest Citadel coach to reach the 400-win plateau as he accomplished the feat on March 8 with a 7-3 victory over Western Carolina.

The 2002 team featured one All-American, two All-Southern Conference performers and the Southern Conference’s Pitcher and Male Athlete of the Year.  The 2002 team was no different than any other Jordan coached club, as they were one of the best pitching teams in the country.  The Bulldogs’ earned run average ranked in the top-25 nationally and right-handed pitcher Randy Corn proved to be the workhorse of the Bulldogs’ staff as he saved 13 games, tying a then school record.  Corn’s 1.37 ERA was good enough for second lowest in the country and earned him Southern Conference Pitcher of the Year honors.  Joining Corn in the category of pitching dominance was junior reliever Matt Hamer, who compiled a 9-2 record to earn second-team All-SoCon honors.       

When remarking about the 2002 team it is impossible to forget 13th-round draft pick T.A. Fulmer and team batting leader David Griffin.  Fulmer, who threw the fifth no hitter in school history, became the 17th Bulldog selected since Jordan took over.  Griffin, perhaps the epitome of Jordan’s style, went on to play minor league baseball, carrying on, along with Fulmer, the Bulldog tradition of graduating players to the professional ranks.

The 2001 team featured three All-Americans, four first-team All-Southern Conference performers and the Southern Conference’s Pitcher and Player of the Year.  The Bulldogs’ earned run average ranked in the top-25 nationally and was led by Corn, who compiled an 8-3 record and 12 saves to earn second-team All-America honors.   

When mentioning the 2001 team it is impossible not to mention the names of second-round draft pick Dallas McPherson and Southern Conference Player of the Year Philip Hartig.  McPherson, the 57th overall selection of the Anaheim Angels in the 2001 draft, became the third-highest selected Bulldog in school history.  Hartig, perhaps the most prolific offensive power in Southern Conference history, set 10 Citadel and six Southern Conference all-time records during his senior season and teamed with McPherson to be the most dominant offensive duo in the Southern Conference.

The 2000 championship team featured two all-Americans, three first-team All-Southern Conference performers and two second team All-Southern Conference members.  Junior centerfielder Chris Morris led the nation by stealing 84 bases and established the single season Southern Conference record.  Those 84 swipes also moved the Southern Conference all-time record for stolen bases to 147.  Morris was named first team All-America by Baseball Weekly and also earned first team All-Southern Conference honors.

In typical Jordan fashion, the 2000 team was not without strong pitching.  Senior right-hander Ron Colvard posted 11 wins, which stands as the second highest total in school history.  Along with Colvard, senior closer Jay Morgan posted 10 saves, which was the highest total since 1995 when Donald Morillo posted 13 saves for Jordan’s second Southern Conference championship team.

In 1999, Jordan’s team posted 41 victories en route to the regular season crown and the Southern Conference Tournament championship.  The Bulldogs participated in the NCAA Regional in Tallahassee, Fla., and Jordan was named the Southern Conference’s Coach of the Year for the second time in his career. 

In 1998, The Citadel won 37 games, marking the fifth-highest single-season victory total in school history, and won the Southern Conference Tournament crown by outscoring its four opponents by a combined score of 37-3.  In addition, Jordan saw three members of his 1998 club selected in the Major League Baseball Amateur Draft.  In the spring of 1998, he had three players with 4.0 grade point averages, five Gold Star (3.8+ GPA) recipients and 17 AD’s Honor Roll (3.0+ GPA and/or 2.75 cumulative GPA) members.

His 1995 squad captured the Southern Conference regular season crown by five games, the Southern Conference Tournament Championship and made their second consecutive trip to NCAA Regional play.

The 1994 Bulldogs captured the Southern Conference Tournament, won the play-in series with the Ohio Valley Conference tournament champion and earned the right to participate in the NCAA East Regional at Clemson. The Citadel advanced to the quarterfinal round of play before bowing out with a 5-1 loss to Notre Dame. This was accomplished with only five freshmen and two seniors in the everyday lineup.

Jordan’s teams have consistently had the eyes of Charleston upon them.  In 2001, the Bulldogs finished 25th in the nation, the highest ever for a Citadel team, with 53,501 fans turning out at Riley Park to see the Bulldogs play.  In 2004, over 58,000 fans streamed through the gates of Riley Park to help set a single-season attendance record.

Jordan, 53, was named The Citadel’s head coach on Jan. 14, 1992, only 28 days prior to the team’s season-opener against Coastal Carolina in Conway.   He replaced his former college head coach Chal Port, who retired prior to the 1992 season after coaching baseball at The Citadel from 1965-1991. Jordan is the fifth head coach in modern-day Citadel baseball history (since 1954).

Jordan is a 1979 graduate of The Citadel where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in physical education and a master’s degree in education in 1987.  He lettered as a pitcher in 1976, 1977 and 1979 for the Bulldogs under Port.  He won an Ace (Pitching) Award in 1979 and was a member of the 1979 Southern Conference Baseball Championship squad.

Prior to his appointment at The Citadel, Jordan had been one of the most respected high school baseball coaches in the state of South Carolina. He was the head coach at Stratford High School from 1984-1991 before The Citadel called. He led the Knights to an overall record of 156-53 (.746), and during his tenure at Stratford, the Knights were Lower State runners-up in 1988 and 1989.

At Fort Johnson High and James Island High schools in Charleston, Jordan led the Trojans and Rams to an overall record of 70-34 (.673) from 1980-83, including the AAAA Lower State Championship in 1983 at James Island. His 1980 and ‘81 Fort Johnson teams were AAA District runners-up.

In 12 years as a high school head coach, Jordan led each of his teams to a state playoff appearance and all 12 squads finished no worse than second place in their conference. His 1988 Stratford team racked up 20 wins in a row en route to a No. 28 ranking by Collegiate Baseball. His 1989 squad started the season ranked 20th by USA Today and was ranked between 20th and 25th the entire season.

Jordan was named Region 6-AAAA Coach of the Year in 1987, 1988 and 1989, and served as the head coach of the Lowcountry All-Star team in 1991. He served as the assistant coach of the South Carolina All-Star team in 1989.

His high school coaching record in 12 seasons was 226-87 (.722).

Jordan had over 30 high school players go on to play collegiate baseball. He coached four professional draft choices, six Lowcountry Players of the Year and 48 all-conference picks. Two of Jordan’s players in high school - Lee Glaze and Anthony Jenkins - went on to become Southern Conference Athletes of the Year at The Citadel and earn induction into the school’s athletic hall of fame.

A Charleston native and 1975 graduate of Garrett High School, he is married to the former Debra Mattox of Charleston and the couple has two children, Kristen, who graduated from Clemson in the spring of 2004, and Kyle, who played baseball and  graduated from The Citadel in 2010.

David Beckley enters his 11th season overall with the Bulldogs, his second as associate head coach and his sixth as the recruiting coordinator.  Beckley works with the infielders and base runners.

Under Beckley, the Bulldogs have flourished defensively.  Head coach Fred Jordan has always preached that good pitching and solid defense wins championships, and Beckley firmly believes in that system.

After setting the school's fielding percentage record at .968 in 2003, all the 2004 club did was smash it with a .974 fielding percentage.  Beckley's defense only committed 69 errors in 2,633 chances and tallied a record-breaking 762 assists, surpassing the previous mark of 715 set in 1994.  The solid defense continued in 2009 with a .971 fielding percentage.

With such a solid defense behind them, Jordan can allow his pitchers to pitch without any fear of being let down by a defender. In 2006, Matt Matulia was drafted by the Chicago Cubs and was a solid defender at shortstop as a four-year starter.  Matulia also made an assault on many Citadel records during his career as a Bulldog.

Six other Bulldog infielders have reached the professional ranks under Beckley's tutelage.  Second baseman Jon Aughey signed as a free agent with the Kansas City Royals in 2005 and first baseman Chip Cannon was drafted in the eighth round by the Toronto Blue Jays in 2004 after receiving All-Southern Conference accolades.  Cannon was also named to the Louisiville Slugger/TPX All-America Team in his final season as a Bulldog.  Shortstop David Griffin played with the Evansville Otters of the independent Frontier League in 2002 and 2003. In 2009, first baseman Chris McGuiness was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the 13th round, while catcher Richard Jones was selected in the ninth round by the Chicago Cubs. Second baseman Bryan Altman, who left in the career top five in eight different offensive categories, was taken by the San Diego Padres in the 2010 MLB Draft.

Beckley's other task is to put pressure on opposing pitchers and defenses by coaching the Bulldogs base runners.  A solid base stealer himself, Beckley swiped 103 bags in four seasons as a Bulldog.  He has taken his approach to base running and instilled it into the current Citadel base runners.  His guidance payed huge dividends in 2010 that lead to a league title as six Bulldog starters had double-digit steals and the team swiped 127 total bases, the most since The Citadel set the school record in 2000.

Jon Aughey was one swipe shy of the career top-10 list in stolen bases as he recorded 65 over the four years he played for the Bulldogs.  Chris Ard swiped a season-high 29 bases in 2005, giving him a career total of 54. 

Aughey and Ard are not the only players to benefit from Beckley's knowledge.  Trent Weathers was a huge base stealing threat to any club in the conference as he totaled 50 stolen bases in 68 attempts over the four years he spent at The Citadel.

Beckley played a pivotal part in the development of the 2003 Southern Conference Freshman of the Year, Weathers.  Weathers not only played in every game for the Bulldogs in 2003 and hit over .300, but Beckley helped hone the fleet-footed Weathers into one of the nation's leading base stealing threats.  Weathers broke The Citadel's freshman stolen base mark with 25 steals in only 30 attempts.

Beckley is no stranger to The Citadel as he was a four-year letterwinner under coach Fred Jordan.  Among the smartest base runners in conference history, the James Island native finished his career as the top base stealer in Southern Conference history as he eclipsed the century mark and finished with 104 stolen bases. 

A 1996 graduate of The Military College of South Carolina, Beckley previously served as the head baseball coach at Berkeley High School and had stints as an assistant coach at both Barnwell and James Island high schools. 

Beckley was a member of the 1994 and 1995 Southern Conference Championship teams and brings continuity and dedication to the program.  Beckley finished second on the team in batting average his senior season as he batted .335 and led the team with 37 stolen bases, 65 runs scored and five triples to lead the Bulldogs to their second consecutive Southern Conference title.  He was tabbed to the South Carolina Collegiate All-State team in 1994 and 1996, while being named The Citadel's team MVP in 1996. 

A 1992 graduate of Stratford High School, Beckley earned two letters in football and four letters in baseball.  During his senior season, he played in the North-South baseball game and the Shrine Bowl for football.  For his efforts the High School Sports Report named him the Lowcountry Co-Player of the Year along with former Bulldog pitcher Brian Callahan (1993-96).

Beckley is married to the former Lauren Garmon of James Island.  The couple has a daughter, Payton, and a son, Tanner.

Former major league pitcher and Citadel Hall of Fame inductee Britt Reames was hired in July 2011.

"It is an honor to be coming back to my alma mater," said Reames. "Getting a chance to be along side Coach Jordan and Coach Beckley, two people I have tremendous respect for, really is something special. I look forward to being part of championships teams in the near future."

Reames will serve as the pitching and catching coordinator on a day-to-day basis while assisting in the recruiting process. The Upstate native spent the three previous years as the recruiting coordinator and the pitching coach at Furman.

"We are very excited Britt has decided to return to The Citadel family," said Bulldogs Head Coach Fred Jordan, who is entering his 21^st season at the helm of the baseball program. "He brings unbelievable energy and knowledge to our program."

A Seneca, S.C., product, and 1996 graduate of The Citadel, Reames spent six seasons in the major leagues from 2000-06 with four different clubs, including St. Louis, Montreal, Oakland, and Pittsburgh. He also played three seasons of winter ball in the Dominican Republic during that span.

While at The Citadel, he posted an 18-7 record and 2.03 ERA over four seasons and twice earned All-Southern Conference honors while helping the Bulldogs to a pair of league tournament championship, a regular season championship and a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances.

Reames was inducted into The Citadel's Athletic Hall of Fame in November 2008 and is still fifth on the all-time list with 296 career strikeouts.

Selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 17th round of the 1995 Major League Draft, he worked his way up through the minor leagues before making his major league debut with the Cardinals in 2000, going 2-1 with a 2.88 ERA over 40 2/3 innings of work. He was a credited with the win in the Cardinals' game three series clinching playoff victory over the Atlanta Braves in the 2000 National League Division Series.

In December of 2000 he was traded to the Montreal Expos, where he spent three seasons. He later made appearances with the Oakland Athletics in 2005 and Pittsburgh Pirates in 2006 before returning to the Upstate.

Reames is married to the former Laura Carmody of Chicago, Ill. The couple has a one-year old son, Michael Britt.

Adam Vrable enters his first year at The Citadel after his hire in August 2011 as the hitting coach while working with the outfielders.

"Adam had an outstanding playing career and we are excited about the energy he brings to the program," said Head Coach Fred Jordan on the addition of Vrable.

Vrable, a 2007 graduate of Coastal Carolina University, joins the staff after serving as Furman's outfield, base running and hitting coach in 2011. Before that, he was an instructor at the Coastal Baseball Academy in Myrtle Beach, S.C. for three years.

"It's a privilege and an honor to get an opportunity to work at The Citadel," said Vrable. "I know the program from the outside having played at Coastal Carolina and coached at Furman with Coach Reames. I am really looking forward to working with Coach Jordan and Coach Beckley at such a well respected institution."

A two-time all-state infielder as a prep in Bay City, Mich., he played his freshman year at Grand Rapids (Mich.) Community College, where he earned All-NJCAA honorable mention All-America honors after keying his squad to a Division II national title.

He transferred to Coastal Carolina as a sophomore and helped spark the Chanticleers to two Big South Conference championships, their first 50-win season, and a pair of No. 1 seeds in both the 2005 NCAA Tempe, Ariz., Regional and 2007 Myrtle Beach Regional, which Coastal Carolina hosted.  

The All-Big South Tournament team selection at second base set season records for putouts and assists at CCU.

In addition to his instructing duties at the Coastal Baseball Academy, he directed travel teams and this coached in the Upstate Maverick Organization for the 17U Orange in summer 2010.

In July 2011, Vrable married the former Renee Rasmer.