Sonoma State University Athletics

Head coach John Goelz enters his 39th year leading the Sonoma State baseball program as the team embarks on the 2024 season. The Seawolves are coming off of a 22-22 overall record in 2023 where they finished 8th in the conference after winning seven of their last eight games. They made the conference tournament in 2022 for the first time since 2014 with a 21-19 overall record. 

During the abbreviated 2020 season, Goelz would achieve yet another milestone in his illustrious 39 year-career as the Seawolves defeated Cal State San Marcos 7-6, securing his 1,100th career victory. The 7-6 win would also give SSU the road series win over the Cougars. 

In 2015, Goelz became the 16th head coach in NCAA Division II baseball history to win 1,000 games, and now sports a career record of 1,096-748-5.

In 2014, Goelz led Sonoma State to its 10th conference championship, capturing the regular season banner on the final day of the regular season with a thrilling 10-7 victory over archrival Chico State at Raley Field in Sacramento as part of the annual Capital City Clash between the two squads -- SSU went 24-8 in conference play.  However, four consecutive losses -- two in the CCAA Tournament and two in the NCAA West Regional -- resulted in the Seawolves' end to the 2014 season after compiling a 27-18 overall record.

Much of the success in 2014 could be attributed to Sonoma State's reputation for great starting pitching, thanks to the undisputed staff ace George Asmus.  He had been among the nation's leaders in earned run average all season long, finishing with a 1.25 ERA, which ranked first in the CCAA and seventh in the nation.  He went 6-1 with 55 strikeouts and gave up just seven walks in 72 innings of work.  In 279 batters faced, Asmus gave up just 12 extra base hits, 10 of which were doubles, and he didn't allow a home run until his final appearance of the season back on May 16 against No. 27 Dixie State. He was the third SSU starting pitcher in the last two years to be named to the All-American team.

During Goelz's tenure, Sonoma State has seen unprecedented success, not only on the field, but in the classroom as well.  The Seawolves have qualified for the NCAA tournament 11 times in the past 19 seasons, including the 2013 year in which Goelz coached Harmen Sidhu, the Seawolves' ace pitcher that earned the Tino Martinez Award.  Equivalent to the Heisman Trophy in Division I football, the Tino Martinez Award is given annually to the best baseball player in Division II.  Not only did Sidhu earn that honor, as well as the 2013 NCAA Division II statistical champion for sporting a nation's-best 0.98 ERA in 82.2 innings of work, he was named the CCAA's Male Scholar Athlete of the Year for his superb efforts on the field and in the classroom.

Speak of the 2013 season, Goelz led Sonoma State to a 36-22 record, finishing fourth in the CCAA standings at 24-16.  As the No. 4 seed in the CCAA tournament, the Seawolves made it all the way to the tournament championship game, but came up just short of the title.  However, SSU qualified for the NCAA West Regional Tournament in St. George, Utah as the No. 2 seed, but after going 2-2 in the regional, Sonoma State would bow out of national title contention.

It wasn't just the stellar play of Sidhu that helped SSU succeed in 2013, it was fellow pitcher Glenn Wallace, who was named the CCAA and West Region Baseball Pitcher of the Year.  Wallace went 9-2 with a 1.19 ERA and 71 strikeouts in 98 innings of work.  It complemented Sidhu's effort as Sidhu went 10-1 on the mound with 93 strikeouts.  Both Sidhu and Wallace, considered the best one-two punch in the nation, battled for the best ERA in all of Division II throughout the season.

While Sonoma State is nationally renowned as an elite program now, that wasn’t always the case.  After taking over a Sonoma State team in 1986 that had won just 50 games over the previous six seasons combined, Goelz wasted little time turning the school into a winner.  Following an eighteen-win season in 1986 (the most wins in school history at that time), Goelz delivered the school’s first winning campaign in 1987 with a 30-20 record.  Winning seasons have become common place ever since, as Goelz has recorded 24, including 17 in the last 21 years.

Named the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) West Region Coach of the Year in 2011, Goelz led the Seawolves to the program's second-ever west region title, making an appearance in the NCAA Division II Baseball Championships in Cary, N.C.  It was there that Sonoma State stunned then-top-ranked Grand Valley State in the opening round of the national tournament, halting what was a 32-game win streak for the Lakers.  However, the Seawolves' cinderella story came to a close with a pair of losses to West Florida and Southern Connecticut State and the season ended at 37-22.

The 2008 season was, hands down, the most successful in the long, storied history of Sonoma State baseball.  After an unprecedented 29-1 start to the season, the Seawolves set a school record with 52 wins on their way to CCAA and NCAA West Regional championships.  Making their first trip to the NCAA Division II Championship Tournament, the Seawolves won their first two games and placed third in the nation. Individually, the Seawolves had four players drafted by major league teams and three named All-American.  For his efforts, Goelz was named CCAA Coach of the Year and NCAA West Region Coach of the Year, adding to an already overflowing trophy case.

Coach Goelz has also seen 115 of his players sign professional contracts since his arrival in 1986 and in the past 14 years, 58 players have been drafted or signed to play professionally.  Baseball insiders certainly took notice in 2004 when SSU had four players taken in the first eleven rounds of the Major League Baseball draft.  Their draft performance ranked among the top Division I schools in the nation in terms of early round draft picks and they led all Division II teams with four draftees.  Two of those draft picks have played in the Major Leagues, Daniel Barone in 2007 with the Florida Marlins and Tommy Everidge in 2009 with the Oakland Athletics.  Another draft selection, but from the 2010 draft, from SSU also broke into the Major Leagues in 2015 when former SSU southpaw Scott Alexander was called up to the Kansas City Royals.  O'Koyea Dickson, from the 2011 West Region championship squad, was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 12th round in 2011 and was called up to the Big Leagues for the first time in September 2017.

In addition to their presence in the professional ranks, Goelz’s former players have continued to make a difference in their communities both on and off the field.  Over 100 have gone on to coaching jobs at high schools and colleges throughout Northern California and the nation.  

Goelz has seen 19 of his players go on to earn All-American honors and has coached eight conference player of the year award winners and six conference pitcher of the year honorees, in addition to one Tino Martinez Award winner (Harmen Sidhu in 2013), which is an award given to the best player in Division II baseball.  Goelz, himself, has earned conference coach of the year honors seven times (1990, 1991, 1992, 1998, 2001, 2007, 2008).

As proud of these accomplishments as Coach Goelz is, he is just as proud of the fact that Sonoma State baseball boasts one of the best graduation rates in the conference.  Numerous ballplayers have earned All-Academic distinction and in 2007, Paige Dumont became just the third Academic All-America selection in Sonoma State history.  Harmen Sidhu was also named the CCAA's Male Scholar Athlete of the Year in 2013, adding to the program's excellence in not just athletics, but academics.

A pitcher during his playing days at San Francisco State, Goelz went on to be an assistant at San Francisco State to Al Figone from 1977-78 and to Orrin Freeman from 1979-82.  Freeman is currently the Assistant General Manager of the Florida Marlins.  During his time at SF State, the Gators enjoyed their greatest success, ranking in the national top twenty four times and participating in the NCAA West Regionals on three different occasions.  From 1984-85, Goelz was the varsity baseball coach at Albany High School, where he was also a teacher.  After a third-place finish in 1984, Goelz led his team to the Alameda County Athletic League championship, finishing the season with an 18-8 mark and a final East Bay ranking of 12th.

Goelz resides in Rohnert Park with his sons John and Matthew.