Jedd Soto Position: Head Coach Experience: Sixth Year Alma Mater: Louisiana Monroe, 1996

Jedd Soto, who enters his sixth season as Saint Mary's College Head Baseball Coach, has had one of the biggest turnarounds in Division I baseball in the past five years. Inheriting a program that won 22 games in 2002 and 18 games in 2003, Soto has improved the program by six wins per season. He has become the second coach in Saint Mary's modern history to record back-to-back improvements in the win column. In 2006 he led the Gaels to their finest season in 15 years after compiling their first winning season (26-25) since 1991.

"We are very fortunate to hire someone with Soto's ability to lead our baseball program into the future," stated former Director of Athletics and Recreational Sports, Carl R. Clapp.

"He has a tremendous understanding of the game of baseball and runs an outstanding program both on and off the field. His success is not just measured on the field, as he values both the academic and Lasallian traditions of Saint Mary's College."

The 34-year old Soto has continued the tradition of excellence that began at Feather River College (1997-2003) while leading his teams to four thirty-win seasons, three conference titles, three regional titles, and one super regional championship. In 2003, Soto led Feather River to the California Final Four in the team's sixth year of existence.

"He is a person of great character and is very respected in the baseball community," said Clapp.

Soto hails from a powerful coaching tree that includes former LSU Head Coach, Smoke Laval, and Jim `Skip' Walker, both 1000-game winners at the collegiate level. Soto has blended these two styles of coaching and implemented them into his own approach, which is bred for success. With 11 players earning West Coast Conference (WCC) accolades, which include three earning First Team selections in 2005, and six selections in 2006. This is the most at SMC since the 1994 season.

In the last four seasons Soto has had six players selected in the amateur draft: Brian Byrne (12th, Arizona Diamondbacks); Mike Sansoe (18th, San Diego Padres); Sean Gleason (20th), Baltimore Orioles Joel Fountain (25th, Florida Marlins); Corey Madden (21st, Florida Marlins); Sam Carter (free agent, San Diego Padres).

At SMC, Soto has achieved a 100% graduation rate among players who have completed their eligibility. Other draftees, including Brian Byrne (2005 draft as a junior), have since returned to Saint Mary's to complete their degree requirements. Soto's success on the field is transferred to the classroom; the Gael squad's 2.80 average team GPA for the past four seasons speaks volumes for his effect away from Louis Guisto as well. In the last two seasons, five players were honored by the West Coast Conference for their achievements on the field and in the classroom garnering WCC All-Academic Team status.

Student-athlete academic achievement has been a focus in Soto's system since he began coaching - the Feather River squad was a four-time recipient of the school's Academic Team of the Year award (2000-2003). Their efforts culminated in winning the prestigious Statewide Pepsi Team Scholar award in 2002 and 2003 for maintaining a team average 3.45 GPA. Soto was also a full-time faculty member in the Math, Physical and Life Sciences instructional division at Feather River, and served as Division Chair for that department. In addition to instructing classes in sports management and marketing, he was engaged in curriculum development, tenure review, and campus-wide strategic planning.

Soto launched the first-ever baseball program in Feather River's history. Of the 108 community colleges in California at the time, Feather River was the smallest with a full-time student enrollment of less than 300 students. Baseball was only one of five sports offered at the institution and was the only program to win consecutive conference and regional titles.

"Jedd Soto and his staff are amazing at what they accomplished at FRC," said former Vice President and Athletic Director, Paul Thein. "With minimal resources and its unique location, he established our program as one of the elite baseball powerhouses in the state of California, in a very short period of time."

In the six years Soto spent at Feather River College, he had eight players drafted by Major League Baseball in five years, including five from his 2003 team. Chris Roberson, an outfielder for Soto, was drafted out of FRC in the ninth round in 2001. He is currently on the Philadelphia Phillies' major league roster. Another 2003 graduate, Evan Maclane, was drafted by the New York Mets in the 25th round. After a strong campaign for the Mets in 2006, Maclane was traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks for Shawn Green.

In 2003 Soto led the Feather River team to its finest season, which led to a state Final Four finish. The program finished ranked 4th in the state (out of 98 baseball teams), posting a 36-12 record. During the 2000-03 seasons, Feather River reached the playoffs each year, while winning the Golden Valley Conference championship his final three seasons. Soto was named the Golden Valley Conference Coach of the Year in 2001, 2002, and 2003 while posting a career record of 167-85, a .663 winning percentage.

Soto had seven first team junior college all Americans, nine first team all state honorees, 28 first team all conference selections, and one freshman All American. The staff sent 44 players on to four-year institutions including 15 athletes to division one colleges.

Soto served as an associate scout for the Philadelphia Phillies and Cincinnati Reds during his career at Feather River College.

In 1997, Soto participated on the construction team to build Feather River's baseball facility, including drainage, dugouts, batting cages, fencing, and grading. Once the playing surface was completed Soto raised an additional $220,000, which provided for a professional lighting system, fan picnic area, outfield teams flags, astroturf areas, storage facilities, and an on-site professional-grade locker room. To this day, Feather River is still considered one of California's premier playing facilities.

Soto earned his bachelor's degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Marketing and Management, and minors in Real Estate and Insurance from the University of Louisiana Monroe in 1996. He finished his college career with a pitching record of 24-4 and 19 saves.

Soto was born in San Dimas, CA. He grew up in Reno and graduated from Reed High School, where he was an all-conference and all-state varsity letterman. Additionally, he completed a dual master's degree from the United States Sports Academy in Science and Sports Administration in July of 2003. Soto and his wife, Carly, reside in Moraga, CA and he has three sisters and two brothers.