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Men's Baseball

 630-617-3143
 southernj@elmhurst.edu

Joel Southern
Head Coach

Joel Southern is entering his third season as the head baseball coach at Elmhurst College.

Last season Southern guided the Bluejays to a 12-28 overall record, and a 5-16 finish in the CCIW.

Southern, who previously spent four seasons as a coach at Western New England College, also served as an assistant baseball coach at Elmhurst during the 2002 season.

Southern began as an assistant coach at Western New England and was promoted to associate head coach in 2005. During his tenure with Western New England, the Golden Bears compiled a record of 121-52 (.699), including three consecutive 30-win seasons. The team advanced to the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Tournament all four years and finished no lower than second place. This past season, the Golden Bears won both the GNAC regular season and tournament championships and advanced to the NCAA New England Regional where they placed third. Western New England also advanced to the NCAA Tournament during the 2004 season.

In addition to his coaching duties at Western New England, Southern also served as the Head Coach of the Holyoke Giants in the New England College Baseball League (NECBL), a wood-bat collegiate summer league. He guided the Giants to a 23-18 record last season while advancing to the playoffs. His 2006 team finished 17-25 and once again qualified for the playoffs.

He also served as an assistant coach at the University of Chicago from 1997-98.

A 1994 graduate of Augustana College (Ill.), Southern was a three-year starter and letter winner for the Vikings' baseball team, earning all-CCIW second team honors as well as being chosen as a third-team GTE/CoSIDA Academic All-American®. Southern finished his Augustana baseball career with a .308 batting average. He also earned two varsity letters in football at Augustana.

Southern earned a Master of Science degree in chemistry from the University of Chicago in 1995. He also earned his Ph.D. degree in inorganic chemistry from Chicago in 1999. Most recently, he earned a master of education degree in physical education (concentration in athletic administration) at Springfield College (Mass.) in 2004.

In addition to his coaching duties, he also served as an assistant professor of chemistry at Western New England.

Southern is a native of Latham, Ill. He and his wife, Carey, are the parents of a son, Paul, and they reside in Villa Park.

Mike Woodard
Assistant Coach

Former Major League Baseball Player Mike Woodard is entering his fourth season on the Bluejays' coaching staff. Woodard, who played professionally from 1978-1991, will work with the team's infielders.

Woodard was a part of five different MLB organizations including: Oakland, San Francisco, Chicago (AL), Cleveland and New York (AL). He reached the majors with San Francisco from 1985-87 and also with the Chicago White Sox in 1988.

Most recently, Woodard has served on the baseball staff at Proviso West High School in Hillside. He was an assistant coach from 1992-2002 and served as the team's head coach from 2002-2005. He also coached wrestling for two seasons.

Woodard resides in Maywood, with his wife, Pam, and daughters, Tiffany and Ashley.

Tim Shermak
Assistant Coach

Tim Shermak enters his fourth year as an assistant coach with the Elmhurst College baseball staff. Shermak will be working with the outfielders.

Shermak played baseball at Elmhurst College and earned a bachelor's degree from Elmhurst in 2002.

Originally from, St. Joseph, Mich., Shermak was a three-sport athlete in high school, earning all-conference, all-region and all-state honors twice in baseball. He also lettered in football and basketball.

Shermak currently works as a third grade teacher at Westview Elmentary School in Wood Dale. He resides in Lombard.

Dave Dobosz
Assistant Coach

Dave Dobosz is entering his third season as an assistant coach with the Bluejays. He will serve as the team's pitching coach.

Dobosz graduated from Illinois Wesleyan University in 2006 where he was a four-year letterwinner and first-team all-ABCA Central Region pitcher (2006) for the Titans. He is second all-time in Illinois Wesleyan history for wins in a season (9, 2006), third all-time for ERA in a season (1.36, 2006), as well as third in career ERA (2.74).

Dobosz continues to play baseball professionally for the Schaumburg Flyers of the independent Northern League while residing in his hometown of Glen Ellyn.

Gordon Murphy
Assistant Coach

Gordon Murphy enters his fourth year as an assistant coach with the Elmhurst College baseball team. He will serve as the team's bench coach.

Murphy has a law degree from Northern Illinois University and his undergraduate degree from Illinois State University. While at ISU he played baseball for the Redbirds under the legendary Coach Duffy Bass and was a member of the 1969 national champions in the college division. Murphy was the left fielder on the ’69 team and with that team joined the ISU Athletics Hall of Fame in 1986.

In addition to assisting with the team, Murphy is the Executive Director of the Christian Community Development Association (CCDA), a national group working to rebuild America’s urban communities. Prior to CCDA, Murphy managed and directed a number of for-profit and not-for-profit organizations.

Murphy has been on the teaching faculty of Wheaton College and Columbia College and is a past chair of the Steppenwolf Theatre Company in Chicago.

Murphy is a veteran of the U.S. Army, rising to the rank of Specialist 4th Class, with an honorable discharge in 1972.

Murphy and his wife, Cheryl, have four adult children, Paul, David, Rebecca and Daniel. The Murphy’s reside in Glen Ellyn.