Jordan Becker concluded his second season as an assistant coach at NM State in 2018. Becker came to Las Cruces after serving as an assistant at Riverside Community College in 2016.
Becker served as the first base coach and helped guide the team to a 40-22 overall record, a 17-7 mark in Western Athletic Conference play, the first WAC Tournament title in program history and just the fourth Regional appearance in the history of the program.
2018 marked just the second time in program history in which the team recorded 40 wins and reached an NCAA Regional.
Along the way in 2018, NM State shattered three team records and five individual records. NM State established new single-season team records in strikeouts (537), hit by pitch (119) and team fielding percentage (.977). Individually, Kyle Bradish broke the school record for strikeouts in a season (140), Jonathan Groff broke the record for wins (11), Brock Whittlesey broke the saves record (12), Tristen Carranza was hit by a program record 21 pitches and Caleb Henderson set a new school record for games played (62).
NM State placed seven players on the All-Conference list at the end of the Regular Season with three players claiming All-American honors. Groff became the first conference pitcher of the year in program history while Nick Gonzales earned WAC Freshman of the Year honors, the first Aggie to receive the honor in the schools history in the WAC.
Groff, Bradish and Gonzales all captured All-American honors. Groff earned Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Second Team All-American honors while Bradish was named a Third Team All-American by Perfect Game/Rawlings.
Meanwhile, Gonzales captured Freshman All-American honors from three different publications (Collegiate Baseball Newspaper, NCBWA and Perfect Game/Rawlings).
In June of 2018, Bradish became the highest drafted player in program history when the Los Angeles Angels selected him in the fourth round (121 overall). Bradish became the third Aggie since 2016 to be drafted in the top six rounds.
In Becker's first season with the program in 2017, NM State went 35-20 overall and 19-5 in Western Athletic Conference. At season's end, the Aggies were ranked in the top-25 nationally in multiple categories. These impressive totals include finishing second in triples (31), fourth in batting average (.322), seventh in slugging percentage (.501), eighth in scoring (7.9 runs per game), 12th in on-base percentage (.403), 17th in runs (453) and 18th in hits (650).
The Aggies saw multiple players earn postseason honors. Seven New Mexico State players earned recognition on the All-WAC baseball teams, tied for the most in 2017 with CSU Bakersfield and the most in school history since 2012.
The All-WAC honorees included first-team honorees Dan Hetzel, Mason Fishback, LJ Hatch and Kyle Bradish. Then on the second-team the Aggies saw Brent Sakurai, Tristen Carranza and Jonathan Groff earn the distinction.
Behind the plate, Fishback earned a Second-Team All-American nod from the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper. Fishback was just the second Aggie to be named to the Collegiate Baseball post-season All-American team, joining 2002 selection Gabe Veloz.
Sakurai was also named to the Midwest All-Region Second-Team as voted on by members of the ABCA and the process is led by the ABCA NCAA Division I All-America Committee.
Following the season, the Aggies made history in the 2017 MLB Draft. NM State pitcher Marcel Renteria was selected in the sixth round, pick 187, by the New York Mets. This was the first time in program history that two Aggies had been drafted in the first six rounds. Renteria was also just the fifth NM State player all-time to be drafted in the first 10 rounds.
At Riverside, Becker served as the first base coach, hitting coach and worked with the infielders. Additionally, he also assisted in recruiting. Becker helped the team qualify for the California Community College Athletics Association playoffs and finished the season in the CCCAA Southern California Regionals. During the playoffs, the Tigers became the first No. 16-seed in state history to defeat a No. 1-seed in the first round.
While working at RCC, Becker also served as the co-head coach of the Corona Adrenaline College Summer Baseball Team. In the 2016 season, Becker helped the team to a 14-9-1 record. He was selected as an assistant coach for the North team in the Pacific Coast Collegiate League All-Star Game.
Before arriving at RCC, Becker worked as the assistant varsity baseball coach at Cajon High School in San Bernardino, Calif. for five years. At CHS, he served as the third base coach, hitting coach and worked with the infielders and outfielders. Becker helped the team to the California Interscholastic Federation Playoffs in 2013, 2014 and 2015, and helped guide the team to the Citrus League Championship in 2015. While at CHS, Becker coached his younger brother, Branden, who was named First Team All-Citrus Belt League, First Team All-CIF and Second Team All-State California USA Today. Branden Becker also signed to play baseball for the University of Oregon, but was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the 17th round of the 2015 MLB Draft.
A native of San Bernardino, Calif., Becker earned his bachelor's degree in psychology from Cal State San Bernardino in 2014.
