NDSU

The Jeff Ditch File:
- Coached four All-Summit League hitters in his two seasons in the dugout, including one first team honoree in Logan Busch in 2017
- Helped NDSU compiled 218 walks in 2017 (second-most in program history) and 213 walks in 2018 (third-most in program history)
- Assisted the Bison to program records in fielding percentage (.973) and double plays (53) in 2017
- NDSU's .972 fielding percentage in 2018 led The Summit League.
- North Dakota State's 50 errors in 2018 were the fifth fewest in program history and the least since 1968. 

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Jeff Ditch recently wrapped up his second season as the hitting coach for the North Dakota State University baseball team.

Last season, Ditch helped coach NDSU to a 26-24 overall record, incluing a 15-13 Summit League tally. He coach Logan Busch and Jayse McLean, who were both voted second team All-Summit League. Ditch helped North Dakota State work 213 walks in 2018, the third-most in program history, and post a .972 fielding percentage, which led the league and ranked third in NDSU program history. NDSU's 50 errors during the season tied for fifth-fewest in North Dakota State history and were the fewest miscues since 1968. 

The Bison increased their home run total from 19 to 24 in 2018, including smacking 10 round trippers at Newman Outdoor Field, doubling their total from the previous season at home. 

During his first season with NDSU in 2017, Ditch helped the Bison to a 31-25 overall record, including a program-record 19 wins in Summit League play. North Dakota State won at least 30 games for the fifth time in program history, while the 31 wins tied for fourth-most in program history.

Ditch guided NDSU to a .261 team batting average and the second most walks in program history with 218 free passes. He also coached three All-Summit League hitters in junior Logan Busch and seniors Ben Petersen and JT Core. In addition, he assisted the North Dakota State defense to program records in fielding percentage (.973) and double plays (53). 

A native of Wahpeton, N.D., Ditch came to the Bison in the summer of 2016 with over 24 years of baseball coaching experience with six different collegiate programs, including three Division I programs.

In his 24 years of coaching college baseball, he has coached 117 players who have been selected in the Major League Baseball Draft, with 13 former players making it to the big leagues.

Prior to joining North Dakota State, Ditch was the head coach for 11 seasons at Indiana University-Pennsylvania in Indiana, Pa., where he was the all-time winningest coach in program history, recording 253 wins.

Ditch helped 55 student-athletes at IUP earn Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) postseason honors, while a combined 51 team and individual school records were set under his guidance.

His Crimson Hawk teams also excelled in the classroom. Under Ditch’s watch, 299 student-athletes earned Dean’s List honors while 141 were named PSAC Scholar Athletes. Ditch had two PSAC Top-10 award winners, two IUP Scholar Athletes, and one CoSIDA Academic All-American. His 2014-15 team had a 3.21 GPA, including a 3.31 GPA in the fall semester. 

Ditch led a 26-win improvement in his first three years at IUP, finishing as the PSAC runner-up in 2008 with a school-record 36 victories. IUP won the division in 2010 with an 18-6 league record and advanced to the PSAC championship game for the first time since 1990 the following season. 

Ditch served as an assistant coach at junior college power Young Harris College before becoming head coach for IUP in 2006.

Prior to his time at Young Harris, Ditch spent nine years coaching at the Division I level. He served as the hitting coach at West Virginia in 2004 and was the pitching coach and recruiting coordinator at Cincinnati from 1999-2003. He began coaching Division I college baseball at Penn State University, where he was the hitting coach and recruiting coordinator from 1995-1998.

At Cincinnati, he helped the Bearcat pitching staff lower their staff earned run average by three runs per contest on their way to three straight 30-win seasons, a first for Cincinnati. The 2003 pitching staff set several school records. In his first season as pitching coach, the 1999 staff set a season record for strikeouts with 400. He also recruited and signed the highest draft pick (sixth round) in school history.

While at Penn State, Ditch helped the Nittany Lions to a Big Ten Championship in 1996. During his time as hitting instructor, Penn State destroyed Big Ten records for total bases, slugging percentage and home runs.

Ditch coached 35 All-Big Ten players, 25 All-Conference USA selections and four All-Big East honorees.

He started his college baseball coaching career as an assistant coach at St. Cloud State University from 1993-1994.

Ditch graduated from Valley City State University in 1989 with a double major in math and physical education and an athletic coaching minor.