The turnaround: Hallock led BGSU to MAC title

AVON — There was never a backup plan. After being drafted in the 10th round of the 2011 MLB Draft by the Houston Astros, Kyle Hallock had his future set. Two years later, the former Kent State University standout reached the Triple-A level within the Astros' minor league system. "I was going to go to the big leagues and pitch for 15 years," said Hallock, a 2007 Perkins graduate. "There was no Plan B." But the dream of reaching the majors never happened. And a decade after his playing days ended, the former pitcher who didn't intend to coach is now one of the best in NCAA Division I college baseball. In his fourth season as the head coach at Bowling Green State University, Hallock guided the Falcons to a 33-20 record. They went 24-6 in Mid-American Conference play to win the regular season title. It marked the first MAC title in 11 years for the Falcons, and just the ninth overall in program history. As a result, Hallock was selected the MAC Coach of the Year. He became the only former player of the year — he was the Pitcher of the Year in 2011 — to also be named coach of the year in the conference. But it all started by taking the pitching coach position at Div. II Malone University in Canton. There, he recruited his neighborhood back home, landing pitchers Braun Miller (Perkins) and Kyle Kovach (Huron). "I was working on my Masters at Malone and thought, let me give this two years and see if I can use my MBA to get a sales job," Hallock said. "Or if I coach, maybe teach and coach baseball somewhere. "After I got Braun and Kyle to commit to Malone, I thought, 'you know, this is pretty fun.' And that's led to this. If those guys don't get me off to that start, we're not standing here. So it all dates back to, 'what do you want to do with your life?' Good examples Looking back, Hallock started the coaching process without even knowing it. At Perkins, he was coached by Ray Neill, who took the Pirates to state twice, won two American Legion state titles — and is nearing 500 career high school wins. At Kent State, Hallock played under head coach Scott Stricklin and pitching coach Mike Birkbeck. During his tenure in Kent, Hallock was a key member of Golden Flashes' teams that won four straight league titles and played in three NCAA tournaments while averaging 40 wins per season. Stricklin went on to be the head coach at the University of Georgia after taking the Flashes to the College World Series. Birkbeck is a former MLB pitcher and Baseball America National Assistant Coach of the Year. "I was taking notes, writing down practice plans and remembering the lines that got dropped on me," Hallock said. "And the cool thing is, that stuff still plays today with our guys. "You see a little bit of Perkins, a little bit of Kent State — and you see a lot of Bowling Green in what we do. I'm lucky to share that with kids who want to be coached like that, and want to do what it takes to win." Senior relief pitcher Isaiah Seidel, a 2020 South Central graduate, said Hallock loves his players and wants to win. "That's why we love playing for him," Isaiah said. "He's a competitor at all times, always trying to get the most out of his players. I respect him a lot." Isaiah's younger brother, Sam, is an All-MAC first team second baseman for the Falcons. He was also the first player to commit in one of Hallock's first high school recruiting classes (2022) at BG. Sam described Hallock as "really intense" during practices. "But one-on-one, he's always there for you and has your back," he said. "I put all my trust in him and I have all the respect for him and what he does here. Coach Hallock has built something really special." The BGSU turnaround After four years at Malone, Hallock became the pitching coach at BGSU and yielded immediate results in 2019. But when the pandemic gripped the world in the winter and spring of 2020, the fallout was massive. Not only was the remainder of the 2020 season canceled across the U.S., but BGSU made the decision to cut the baseball program because of budget constraints. Just over three weeks later, the program was restored thanks to huge donations from past Falcon players and alumni. At that time, Hallock was promoted to head coach after Danny Schmitz retired after more than 30 years in the position. The road was rocky at first. A pair of 20-30 records in 2021 and 2023 sandwiched an 18-34 mark in 2022. But this season, all the losing was erased in dramatic fashion. The Falcons took the college baseball world by storm, finishing 33-20 overall. That included a 24-6 record in MAC play, giving the Falcons the regular season title. In just four full seasons, the BGSU program went from potentially being cut to MAC champions. And Hallock was garnering national praise as a result. "You win championships because of the players," Hallock said. "So for them to get this now and get this before they graduate, it's special. It's all the words, but I run out of words. "It's storybook, it's Hollywood — and something that usually happens to other people. And for it to happen for us and be able to tell our story like this, it's really cool." As Hallock watched his starter, Nic Good, warm up before the MAC tournament opener vs. Miami on May 23 in Avon, he got the same feelings that he felt in that exact spot as a player. "I got into coaching to give an opportunity to the next generation of kids to have the same experiences that I had," he said. "So now I can relate to them, and they can relate to me, because we're winning. "Fortunately, that was my experience in high school and college. And now, it's to find the right kids to give them that opportunity here." Through all the ups and downs, Hallock still makes one thing clear: Home is never far from his daily approach. "A lot of people, when they think of Sandusky, Ohio, they think of Cedar Point or the movie Tommy Boy," he said. "I tell our guys, by the end of these two hours, you're going to know what Sandusky, Ohio and Perkins High School is about. "I've taken that with me since I left there, and I'll take it with me for the rest of my career," Hallock added. "So if you don't know what Perkins product looks and acts like, hopefully you will after these two hours — and you'll be proud and be rewarded for it."