MOUNT PLEASANT — Former CMU player and graduate Jake Sabol has been named the new baseball coach at Central Michigan University, Zyzelewski Family Associate Vice President/Director of Athletics Amy Folan announced Tuesday morning.
Sabol, a 2011 Central Michigan graduate, becomes the 22nd coach in the 117-year history of the Chippewa baseball program.
An official on-campus welcome event is scheduled for Thursday at 3 p.m. at the Chippewa Champions Center Atrium. Additional details will be released later this afternoon.
“Jake has proven success over eight years as a head coach,” Folan said. “As a player and coach, he has consistently figured out how to beat all odds. We are excited to welcome the Sabol family back to Central Michigan and excited for Jake to continue to build upon this great baseball legacy and tradition at CMU.”
“I could not be more grateful for the opportunity to be the next head baseball coach at Central Michigan University,” Sabol said. “This place helped shape the direction of my life in such a positive way and it is imperative to me that I am able to give back and do that same thing for our current and future student-athletes here at CMU. The university’s commitment and the incredible alumni base of CMU baseball are both top notch and essential to the success of this program. That support will help us continue to build and maintain a championship-caliber experience for our players moving forward.”
“I look forward to bringing a strong and energetic passion for Chippewa baseball while we strive to achieve a tradition of excellence on the field, in the classroom, and in the Mount Pleasant community. I am excited to get to campus, to get to know the players, and to start preparing for the future!”
Sabol (pronounced Say-bull) rejoins the Central Michigan program after serving as the head coach at Northwood University for the past five years (2018-23). In four full seasons, Sabol guided the Timberwolves to a 140-90-1 record, 77-35 conference mark, four NCAA Division II Regional appearances, including three straight from 2021-23, and two Great Midwest Athletic Conference titles (2023 regular season and 2023 tournament).
Sabol, who has spent a total of eight seasons as a collegiate head coach, replaces Jordan Bischel, who was named the University of Cincinnati’s coach last week. It is the second time that Sabol has succeeded Bischel in the coaching ranks.
Sabol took over the Northwood program in July, 2018 when Bischel became CMU’s coach. Sabol also worked under Bischel as Northwood’s pitching coach in 2015.
In Northwood’s first season in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference in 2023, Sabol guided the Timberwolves to a 42-19 overall record, and the GMAC regular season title with a 27-5 league record, the GMAC Tournament title, and the school’s third straight NCAA Regional berth. Pitcher Derek Clark earned consensus All-America honors, four Timberwolves were named to the All-Midwest Region team, and a school-record 13 players earned All-GMAC honors. Sabol was named the GMAC Coach of the Year.
Under Sabol, the Timberwolves finished 31-23-1 overall and 15-9 in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference in 2022. Northwood was ranked No. 1 in the Midwest Region in the season-opening poll and spent two weeks in the top position. NU reached the NCAA Regional and posted a dramatic 10-5 come-from-behind win over Quincy in the opening round. Northwood had three athletes earn All-Region and nine players claim All-GLIAC honors including GLIAC Freshman Player of the Year, Myles Beale, and GLIAC Freshman Pitcher of the Year, Jayden Dentler.
Picked to finish sixth in the GLIAC Preseason poll, Northwood went 29-17 overall, 18-10 in the GLIAC in 2021, finishing one game out of first place and reaching the semifinals of the Midwest Regional. Eleven members of the team were named to the All-GLIAC team including GLIAC Player of the Year and All-American Cole Brooks, and GLIAC Freshman Pitcher of the Year Derek Clark. The 2021 team also had five players named to the All-Region team, set a school record for home runs in a season (60), and finished with the fourth-best win percentage in program history.
Sabol earned his 100th career win in 2019, leading Northwood to an NCAA Regional bid. The Timberwolves concluded the year with 33 wins, the third-most in program history, while also setting the program record for runs (438) and walks in a season (279).
In Sabol’s first season, seven Timberwolves earned All-GLIAC honors, three were named All-Region, and one, Nick Palmer, received All-America honorable mention. Four members of that 2019 squad moved on to the professional ranks: David Vinsky was a 15th round draft pick of the St. Louis Cardinals, Max Bain signed as a free agent with the Chicago Cubs, and Lennon Gwizdala and Colin McClelland signed with independent league organizations.
Prior to Northwood, Sabol spent three years (2016-18) as the coach at Alma College.
He guided Alma to two of its three winningest seasons in the 118-year history of the program (28 wins in 2016 and 24 victories in 2018). The Scots reached the MIAA Tournament twice under Sabol, marking the first time in program history that the team qualified for the event. Alma won 67 games under Sabol and placed nine players on the All-MIAA team during his tenure. It was the second time in Sabol’s career that he coached at Alma.
He served as the pitching coach in 2013, helping to develop his first professional signee, Jose Velez, who signed with the Minnesota Twins after leading NCAA Division III in strikeouts per nine innings.
Prior to taking over at Alma, Sabol served as the director of scouting for Prep Baseball Report-Michigan as well as an associate scout for the Toronto Blue Jays.
Sabol spent two years (2014-15) as a graduate assistant at Northwood, serving as the pitching coach under Joe Di Benedetto and then Bischel.
Sabol becomes the second current Chippewa head coach who graduated from CMU (gymnastics coach Christine MacDonald is the other). Sabol enjoyed a distinguished collegiate career as a Chippewa from 2007-11. A weekend starter for two seasons, he helped lead the Chippewas to two Mid-American Conference West Division Championships as well as a MAC regular season title in 2010. As a senior, Sabol posted a 4-2 MAC record with a 3.18 earned run average and was a two-time MAC West Pitcher of the Week. Following his senior season, Sabol was the program’s recipient of the Chippewa Award, symbolic of the player who best represents the Central Michigan baseball program.
While playing collegiately, Sabol also participated in numerous prestigious college baseball summer leagues, beginning in 2008 with the Pittsfield Dukes of the New England Collegiate Baseball League. In 2009, he was named first-team All-Jayhawk League with the El Dorado Broncos. During that same summer, he was named to the NBC World Series All-American Team and World Series Most Valuable Player in Wichita, Kan., as the Broncos won the NBC World Series.
Prior to his senior year at CMU, Sabol spent the summer of 2010 in the Alaska Baseball League with the Kenai Peninsula Oilers.
Sabol was drafted by the Detroit Tigers in 2011 and spent parts of two seasons in the Tigers’ farm system with the Gulf Coast League Tigers and the Connecticut Tigers in the New York-Penn League. He went 3-3 with a 3.43 ERA in 13 games with the GCL Tigers in 2011. Sabol finished 2012 as a member of the Traverse City Beach Bums, and was named to the Frontier League All-Star game in 2013. In 30 career games with the Beach Bums, Sabol was 12-6 with a 2.86 ERA in 147.2 innings pitched.
A lifelong Michigan resident and 2006 graduate of De La Salle Collegiate High School in Warren, Sabol earned a bachelor’s degree in sports management from CMU in 2011, finishing his career on the MAC Honor Roll. He then earned his master’s degree in business administration from Northwood in 2015.
Sabol and his wife, Robyn, reside in Midland with their daughter, Parker.
THE SABOL FILE
Date Named CMU Head Coach: June 27, 2023
Hometown: Shelby Township, Mich
Family: Wife Robyn, daughter Parker
Education: Bachelor of Science, Sports Management, Central Michigan University, 2011; Master of Business Administration, Northwood University, 2015; Warren De La Salle Collegiate, 2006
Coaching Career
Head Coach, Central Michigan University, 2023-current
Head Coach, Northwood University, 2018-23
Head Coach, Alma College, 2016-18
Graduate Assistant Coach (Pitching Coach), Northwood University, 2014-15
Assistant Coach (Pitching Coach), Alma College, 2013
Associate Scout, Toronto Blue Jays, 2012
Playing Career
Four-year letterman in baseball at Central Michigan from 2017-11 … Led the Chippewas to two Mid-American Conference West Division titles and a regular season championship in 2010 … Two-time MAC West Pitcher of the Week … Earned the baseball program’s Chippewa Award … Also pitched in college baseball summer leagues including the Pittsfield Dukes of the New England Collegiate Baseball League, El Dorado Broncos in the Jayhawk League, Kenai Peninsula Oilers of the Alaska Baseball League … Named First Team All-Jayhawk League in 2009 … Named to the NBC World Series All-American Team and World Series MVP after the Broncos were crowned the 2009 NBC World Series National Champions … Drafted by the Detroit Tigers in 2011 MLB draft … Saw action with the Gulf Coast League Tigers, Connecticut Tigers and Traverse City Beach Bums.
