Assistant coaches hired for Grizzly Baseball team
The coaching staff is set for the inaugural season of Grizzly Baseball at Missouri State University-West Plains (MSU-WP).
Head Coach Kadem Tharp has announced that Jake Woods and Bo Crites will join him on the bench as assistants. Their first day with the team was Aug. 1.
"I'm thrilled to have both Coach Woods and Coach Crites on staff this year. Both of these young coaches know what and how to teach the things that will help these student athletes succeed here and at the next level," Tharp said.
More about Coach Woods
Woods, a native of Camdenton, comes to the Grizzlies after serving as an assistant at St. Johns River State College in Palatka, Florida. He helped lead the Vikings to a 42-25 record last season, the Region 8 and South District Championships and a third-place finish at the 2024 NJCAA Division II World Series. Woods helped coach the hitters and was in charge of coaching the outfielders for the Vikings.
He also spent the past four years coaching under the Orlando Scorpions baseball club in Cassellberry, Florida. He has helped over 50 student athletes move to four-year and two-year schools over the past five years.
During his five-year collegiate career, Woods played for the University of South Carolina-Sumter during the 2018-2019 season where, as a starter, he led the offense in RBIs. He then transferred to Shorter University in Rome, Georgia, where he was a four-year starter and a staple for the Hawks in the infield. In his time at Shorter, he was a key component in the school's first ever Gulf South Conference (GSC) title berth in 2022. He also received GSC honor roll accolades in 2023.
"Coach Woods provides a solid defensive background as a player and a coach," Tharp said. "He coached at one of the best junior colleges in Florida and knows what talent and what skills it will take to help our program get better."
"I'm excited to be a part of this program and to coach alongside Coach Tharp and Coach Crites," Woods said. "I'm really looking forward to helping build this program year in and year out."
Woods earned a bachelor's degree in sports management with a minor in general business and a master's degree in business administration from Shorter.
More about Coach Crites
Crites, a former West Plains High School baseball standout, recently completed his fourth season of collegiate baseball at Ottawa University in Ottawa, Kansas. Before transferring to Ottawa, Crites played for Tharp's North Arkansas College Pioneers in Harrison, where he helped lead the team to a two-year record of 70-28.
Crites also serves as a coach of the Midwest Mavericks Baseball Club. The club travels throughout the nation to some of the most prestigious scout events in the sport. He also manages Dead Red Baseball, which organizes individual baseball lessons with other college athletes serving as instructors to host summer and winter baseball and hitting camps.
"Coach Crites is a West Plains native and former player of mine who has a good grasp of what it will take to win," Tharp said. "Through his summer coaching and playing expereince, Coach Crites will provide quality instruction."
"I'm excited to bring a high level of baseball into West Plains," Crites said. "It's an honor to work in my hometown and with our coaching staff and student athletes. We have the foundation to build a great program and culture, and I'm looking forward to the season!"
For more information about the Grizzly Baseball team, visit MSUWPGrizzlies.com.