Josh Epstein

Josh Epstein is entering his fourth season as the pitching coach for the Lincoln Memorial University baseball team after serving in that same capacity for two seasons with the Bloomsburg Huskies, an NCAA Division II program located in Northeast Pennsylvania.
 
Epstein has had a massive impact on the pitching staff since his arrival, playing a significant role in back-to-back SAC tournament titles in 2017 and 2018.  
 
In 2018, he helped the Railsplitters post a 5.30 ERA and break the program’s single-season strikeout record with 480 K’s over 479 innings. The effort was highlighted by SAC Pitcher of the Year and All-American honoree Ethan Elliott, who went 10-3 with a program-record 124 strikeouts and three complete games. The Railsplitters matched the program record for wins with 36 while capturing their second straight SAC title. 
 
The pitching staff was a strength in 2017, when the team posted a sparkling 4.78 ERA (the program’s lowest since the 2009 campaign) with 393 strikeouts and only 159 walks over 444 innings of work. LMU posted a 3.73 ERA in April to send the Railsplitters to their first SAC tournament title and NCAA tournament berth since 2013. 
 
In his first season with the Railsplitters, Epstein helped the pitching staff post a 5.51 ERA, which was nearly a full run improvement from the 2014 campaign (6.29). Epstein’s staff was highlighted by freshman left-hander Ethan Elliott, who recorded the second 10-win season in program history, was recognized as the SAC Freshman of the Year and was named to All-Southeast Region team by three separate publications.  
 
Prior to his arrival at LMU, Epstein helped the Huskies' 2014 staff combine for a 3.16 team ERA with only 100 walks in 347.1 innings. Bloomsburg finished with a 28-19 record that season while setting the single-season program record with a 20-8 mark in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) East play. That season, Epstein coached a pair of All-PSAC performers (Casey Cooperman, Tyler Hill) as well as Bloomsburg's first-ever All-Atlantic Region selection (Cooperman).
 
Prior to his tenure in Bloomsburg, Epstein, a native of Cleveland, Ohio, spent six total seasons at Ramapo College of New Jersey. In his three seasons as the pitching coach, the Roadrunners compiled a 95-45-1 cumulative record and made three NCAA Regional Tournament appearances. In his first season as pitching coach at Ramapo, Epstein's staff posted a 3.44 ERA and led the Roadrunners to a 30-14 record. The Roadrunners went 35-15 in his second season and finished with a 3.63 ERA. In his final season, the Roadrunners went 30-16-1 with a stingy 3.24 ERA. Ramapo accumulated a 5.76 ERA the season before Epstein took over as the pitching coach.
 
Epstein is also a proven commodity on the recruiting trail, as the Roadrunners placed 15 players on the All-NJAC teams, 22 on the All-NJCBA teams and had two earn player of the year recognition with Epstein on staff.
 
Epstein played one season of professional baseball with the Petach Tikva Pioneers of the Israel Baseball League after completing his collegiate career at Ramapo College, where he was the team captain and the school's SAAC president.
 
"Josh is a great addition to our staff and comes to our program with and proven track record of success developing pitchers both at Bloomsburg and Ramapo," LMU head baseball coach Jeff Sziksai said upon Epstein’s hiring. "He has also been very successful as a recruiter and I am confident he will be a great asset to our program on that front as well.
 
"In the interview process, Josh stood out with his ability to communicate his plan on how he wants to develop our staff and win recruiting battles. He is a man of exceptional character and I am looking forward to working with him in hopes of bringing more championships to the LMU baseball program."

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