Alma Mater: Hendrix 2005
Seasons: Sixth season
Record: 106-105
Former Hendrix infielder Neil Groat was hired as the Warriors' head coach in August of 2012. Prior to be named head coach, he spent seven years as an assistant and recruiting coordinator.
In 2016, the Warriors tied the school record with 23 wins and finished second in the Southern Athletic Association standings. They hosted the first round of the SAA Tournament as a result of their high finish.
In 2015, Groat's squad broke the program earned run average for the third consecutive year. They also had four wins over nationally-ranked teams.
In his second year at the helm, Groat's Warriors broke the school record for wins by going 23-20 and finished fifth in the Southern Athletic Association. The 2014 squad also broke the school record for earned run average and opponent batting average.
Since taking over the program, Groat has coached MLB draft pick, SAA Man of the Year, SAA Player of the Year, All-American, Academic All-America Pick and All-America Gold Glove selection Collin Radack.
Groat has also coached nine All-SAA First Team selections, 14 Second Teamers, six honorable mentions, four Capital One CoSIDA Academic All-District picks, two SAA Newcomers of the Year, two Academic All-Americans and six All-Region selections.
In 2008, his first year in charge of recruiting, Groat orchestrated the addition of a 14-member class. The group, arguably the deepest and most talented in Warrior history, hailed from six states and was a major contributing factor in the Warriors' 2009 Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Championship.
Under Groat’s direction, all four of Hendrix’s starting infielders were named All-SCAC in both 2009 and 2010 and the Warriors have seen their team defense improve from a .927 fielding percentage in his first season to a program-best .965 in 2012.
During the summer Groat served on the coaching staff at the Stanford All-Star Camp, Headfirst Academic Honor Roll Camps, and DeMarini Top 96 Camps.
A four-year starter for the Warriors, Groat was a three-time member of the SCAC Academic Honor Roll. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history and a minor in Spanish from Hendrix in the spring of 2005. Groat received a Masters of Liberal Studies degree with an emphasis in Health and Human Performance at Fort Hays State University in Kansas in 2014.
Besides serving as a baseball assistant, Groat was an Assistant Director of Admission at Hendrix. He recruited students from Dallas/Fort Worth and Austin, Texas, Washington D.C., Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, and Illinois.
Groat is married to the former Jamie Fotioo and resides in Conway.
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| Year |
Overall Record |
Pct. |
Conference Rec. |
Pct. |
Conf. |
Place |
| 2013 |
21-22 |
.488 |
10-10 |
.500 |
SAA |
4th |
| 2014 |
23-20 |
.535 |
12-9 |
.571 |
SAA |
5th |
| 2015 |
19-22 |
.463 |
7-14 |
.333 |
SAA |
6th |
| 2016 |
23-19 |
.548 |
13-8 |
.619 |
SAA |
2nd |
| 2017 |
20-22 |
.476 |
11-9 |
.550 |
SAA |
3rd |
| Totals |
106-105 |
.502 |
53-50 |
.515 |
|
|
