Sky Smeltzer – Head Coach

In 1996, Sky Smeltzer became the fifth head baseball coach in the Yavapai College baseball program’s history. In only his second season at the helm, he lead the Roughriders to their first conference championship, a feat repeated in the ‘98, ‘99, ‘05,`06,`08, ‘09 and ‘10 seasons. Coach Smeltzer is the all time wins leader in the history of the tradition rich Yavapai baseball program with an all-time record of 553-267-4 (.671).

During his tenure at YC, Smeltzer has coached 63 All-Conference players, 61 All-Region players, 15 NJCAA All-Americans, and 4 Academic All-American. Smeltzer has been a Junior College coach for 18 years, and is most proud of the after-YC successes his players have had.

Under his tutelage, Yavapai is averaging 40 wins per season in the very competitive Arizona Community College Athletic Conference and a challenging non-conference schedule.

The 2007 season unveiled a fundraising campaign Smeltzer took on over 10 years ago; Roughrider Park has a new stadium and locker room, concession stand, scoreboard, bathrooms and playing surface for players and visitors alike to utilize, making YC’s facilities the finest in the ACCAC.

Smeltzer is a former two sport Division I athlete having played football and baseball at the University of Wyoming. He ended his career at UW as the all time homerun record holder, single season and career RBI record holder, and fifth in career triples. Upon graduating from Wyoming, he played one season of professional baseball for the Salt Lake Trappers of the Pioneer League. He began his coaching career at Otero Junior College before returning to Wyoming as a graduate assistant.

In 1994, Smeltzer was an assistant at Trinidad State Junior College and participated in the NJCAA World Series. That same Trinidad team led the country in team batting average at a .386 clip.

The head coach was named ACCAC Conference Coach of the Year in 1998, 1999, 2005, 2006 and 2008 and was also named the Western District Coach of the Year in 2006. In the summer of 2004, Smeltzer was named to the staff of the USA Baseball Junior National Team that traveled to Taipei for the World Games.

The 2006 Roughriders finished National Runners-Up and posted a school record for wins at 58.

The Denver native received a Masters of Science degree in Sports Administration from the University of Wyoming and lives in Prescott Valley, Arizona with his wife Judy.

Ryan Cougill – Assistant Coach

Roughrider Associate Head Coach Ryan Cougill enters his third season as a member of the Roughriders coaching staff. Five members of Cougill’s first YC recruiting class were selected in the 2009 MLB amateur draft and six Yavapai players were taken in the 2010 MLB amateur draft.

As well as handling recruiting responsibilities, Cougill also serves as the infield and hitting coach for Yavapai College. The 2010 YC offense led the ACCAC in batting average, doubles and homeruns. Roughrider centerfielder, Demarcus Tidwell had a breakout season in his first Spring at Yavapai, leading the conference in hits and batting average with an impressive .416 clip. The’10 Roughriders had 2 players end the regular season with batting averages above .400, 4 players hit over .350 and an amazing 12 players hit over .300.

Prior to Yavapai College, Cougill spent the 2008 season as an assistant at New Mexico Junior College. That’08 NMJC team captured its fifth straight WJCAC Championship with a remarkable team batting average of .376, belting 78 homeruns, a mark good enough for third in the country. The ’08 Thunderbirds were equally as impressive defensively, finishing third in the country in fielding percentage. In 2006 and 2007, Cougill served as an assistant coach at Joliet Junior College in Joliet, IL. Joliet, a perennial powerhouse in the Div III NJCAA ranks saw back to back trips to the Junior College World Series, finishing 3rd in ‘06 and runner up in ’07. Cougill spent one season as an assistant coach at his alma mater, Western Illinois University in Macomb, IL. He served as the infield coach on a team that finished second in the Mid-Continental Conference and one game away from earning an NCAA regional birth.

From 2001-2002, Cougill played at Joliet Junior College for coach Wayne King, where he earned All-Conference honors in both his freshman and sophomore campaigns. He then transferred to Western Illinois University where he played for the late Stan Hyman. Cougill was named to the All Mid-Continent Conference team in 2003 and 2004. Cougill left his mark at WIU finishing his career amongst the top of the record books in single season hits, runs scored, and career batting average. Cougill earned his B.S. in Exercise Science from Western Illinois University in 2004 and is working towards a Masters degree in Sports Management from Emporia State University.