Keith Zuniga, a former Miami Marlins draftee, joined the New Mexico State baseball program as an assistant coach in August 2020. He is also the Aggies' recruiting coordinator and begins his third season on head coach Mike Kirby's staff in the 2022-23 academic year.
The 2022 campaign proved to be an impressive on not only for the Aggies', but for Zuniga's pitching staff as well. Following the 2022 season, six members of the NM State pitching staff were drafted or signed professional contacts - Ian Mejia (drafted by Atlanta Braves), Sammy Natera (drafted by Los Angeles Angels), Alex Bustamante (signed with New York Yankees), Frank Dickson (signed professional contract), Brendon Rodriguez (signed professional contract), and Lyle Hibbitts (signed professional contract). Zuniga and company powered the Aggies through a miraculous WAC Tournament run and into the NCAA Corvallis Regional, where the Aggies took No. 3 Oregon State to extra innings with a stellar performance by Mejia.
NM State's 2021 campaign was not just Zuniga's first on staff, it was the Aggies' first full season since 2019. That year, Zuniga helped guide the Aggies to a 20-34 record which included a 16-20 showing in Western Athletic Conference (WAC) contests. NM State made the cut for the WAC Tournament as the fourth seed.
Zuniga helped prep a total of seven All-WAC honorees through the 2021 campaign including All-WAC Honorable Mention Chris Jefferson. The right-hander topped the Aggies' pitching charts in innings pitched (79 1/3), strikeouts (74), wins (six) and complete games (seven).
Zuniga, a standout on the mound for Bethune-Cookman, came to the Aggies from his alma mater, where he had been on the coaching staff since 2015. The former Miami Marlins draft selection was BCU's director of baseball operations from 2015-17 before he was promoted to assistant coach in 2018 and then pitching coach in 2019.
A highly regarded recruiter, Zuniga helped bring in the most accomplished class of signees in BCU's history. The 2019 signing class ranked 59th in the nation according to Perfect Game - the highest ever for BCU.
On the field, Zuniga's arms had tremendous success in his first two years as pitching coach at BCU. The Wildcats had a 2.56 team ERA and held opponents to a .209 batting average during the shortened 2020 campaign.
Zuniga mentored two pitchers that went on to play professionally in 2019. Anthony Maldonado was drafted in the 11th round by the Miami Marlins, becoming the highest BCU pitcher selected since the 2009 MLB Draft.
Brandon Wilkes, meanwhile, signed with the Evansville Otters of the Frontier League. Wilkes led the team with a 2.04 ERA, .202 opponents' average and 11.72 strikeouts per game.
While working as an assistant coach and the director of baseball operations, Zuniga was a key member of the 2016 and 2017 MEAC Championship teams, taking part in BCU's best postseason showing in school history. The Wildcats became the first MEAC school to advance to a Regional final in 2017, defeating Marist, #23 USF, and #1 Florida to place themselves one victory away from a Super Regional appearance.
Zuniga joined the BCU staff after an accomplished playing career. A right-handed pitcher who arrived at BCU via Pima Community College, he went 8-4 with a 2.70 ERA and three complete games as the Sunday starter in 2014. He started and won a postseason game against Columbia to give the school its first Regional victory since 2002.
The native of Nogales, Ariz., was selected in the 35th round by the Miami Marlins in the 2014 MLB Draft but elected to return to BCU for his senior year.
In 2015, Zuniga went 7-5 with a 3.03 ERA in 13 starts to earn first-team All-MEAC honors after being named the conference's Preseason Pitcher of the Year. He threw four complete games and finished his career with just 32 walks to 115 strikeouts in 186 innings pitched.
He and his wife, Cynthia, welcomed their daughter Peyton in April 2019.
