GREENSBORO, N.C. -- IUP head baseball coach
Steve Kline was named the 2024 American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA)/ATEC NCAA DII Atlantic Region Coach of the Year, announced by the organization on Tuesday.
The ABCA/ATEC Regional Coaches of the Year are selected by members of the ABCA All-America & Coach of the Year Committees in all nine divisions: NCAA Divisions I, II and III, NAIA, NJCAA Divisions I, II and III, Pacific Association Division and high school.
Kline helped lead IUP to its best season in program history in 2024, going 41-18 overall with a regional championship and a berth in the DII national semifinals. In just his third season at the helm, Kline has continued raising the trajectory of the IUP baseball program each season with the Crimson Hawks.
A former professional baseball player with over a decade of pitching experience in the Major Leagues, Kline helped IUP to a 25-win improvement in his first season in 2022 after just two wins in 2021. IUP secured a spot in the conference tournament on the final weekend of the regular season in 2023, which led to the program's deepest run in the PSAC Tournament in over a decade.
IUP finished the season with a pair of top-10 national rankings in 2024, tabbed fourth in the final ABCA DII Top 25 Poll and seventh in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Assocation (NCBWA) listing.
The 2024 season saw IUP record back-to-back appearances in the conference tournament for the first time since 2010-2011. The impressive run and turnaround of the program did not stop there as IUP earned an at-large bid in the NCAA Atlantic Region Tournament for the first time since 1990, rolling past West Chester and Charleston (W.Va.) to earn a spot in the NCAA Super Regionals. Hosting the NCAA Super Regionals against perennial postseason regulars Seton Hill at Dougherty Field, the Crimson Hawks rallied from one game down to secure their first regional championship in program history during the best-of-three series against the Griffins.
IUP dropped its opening game of the 2024 NCAA DII College World Series, falling 2-1 in the program's debut against Point Loma on June 1. Facing elimination throughout, the cardiac Crimson Hawks eliminated top-seeded Central Missouri and offensive juggernaut Point Loma in a rematch against the Sea Lions four days later with a shutout victory. IUP got within one win of a spot in the national championship with a 10-8 victory against defending national champion Angelo State on June 6. The Rams posted a 7-3 win against the Crimson Hawks the following day in an elimination game, the fourth of the DII College World Series for IUP.
The 2024 ABCA/ATEC National Coaches of the Year in all divisions will be announced on Wednesday, June 26.
Founded in 1945, the American Baseball Coaches Association is the primary professional organization for baseball coaches at the amateur level. Its over 15,000 members represent all 50 states and 41 countries. Since its initial meeting of 27 college baseball coaches in June 1945, Association membership has broadened to include nine divisions: NCAA Division I, II and III, NAIA, NJCAA, Pacific Association Division, High School, Youth and Travel.
| 2024 ABCA/ATEC NCAA Div. II Regional Coaches of the Year |
| Region |
Coach |
School |
State |
| East |
Chris Shank |
Southern New Hampshire |
NH |
| Atlantic |
Steve Kline |
IUP |
PA |
| Southeast |
Jim Gantt |
Catawba |
NC |
| South |
Joe Urso |
Tampa |
FL |
| Midwest |
Al Ready |
Indianapolis |
IN |
| Central |
Kyle Crookes |
Central Missouri |
MO |
| South Central |
Kevin Brooks |
Angelo State |
TX |
| West |
Justin James |
Point Loma Nazarene |
CA |
|
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