GOLDEN, Colo. – Colorado School of Mines baseball head coach Jerod Goodale announced Thursday that he will step down as the Orediggers' skipper to take the same position at his alma mater, Fort Hays State. Assistant coach Robby Bales will serve as interim head coach while Mines Athletics conducts a full search to replace Goodale.
 
"I will forever be grateful to Mines and Tom Spicer for giving me my first head coaching opportunity seven years ago," said Goodale. "I am also thankful to the current administration and support staff for giving us all the resources needed to compete at a national level. I want to thank all of our players over the past seven years. Their hard work and dedication in the classroom and on the field inspired me far more than anything I could have taught them. Watching them buy into a team culture and take pride and ownership in the program while excelling academically, far outweighs any success we had on the field. Mines is a special place that will always be a part of me, but I take comfort in knowing they will be in good hands and the program will continue to strive for greatness in the future."
 
Goodale departs after overseeing the most successful era in program history from 2012 to 2018. During his tenure, Goodale led the Orediggers to 180 wins with six RMAC Tournament appearances, numerous program records and the team's first-ever NCAA Tournament berth in 2018. He snapped the program's 14-year streak of losing seasons and has led Mines to three straight winning campaigns – the winningest three-year stretch in program history.
 
"We want to thank coach Goodale for his seven years of service as head baseball coach at Colorado School of Mines," said Director of Athletics David Hansburg. "He took the program to new heights and was an integral part of our athletics staff. We wish him and his family all the best in his return to his hometown and alma mater. Mines is excited that coach Bales has agreed to become the interim head coach, and we are confident he will maintain the level of excellence established by coach Goodale."
 
Bales' appointment in the interim follows his third season with the program. After joining the Orediggers in 2016, Bales took over the top assistant position in the summer of 2017, working primarily with infielders and hitters. He and Goodale, with the help of Tyler Thomas and Mark Martinez, led Mines to unprecedented success in 2018 as the Orediggers won a program-record 37 games while breaking the single-season records for runs scored (465), hits (595), doubles (139), home runs (88), RBI (428) and walks (201).
 
Goodale matched his cultivation of team success with the development of individual talent as well. Under his guidance, four Orediggers earned nine All-America honors along with 27 All-RMAC selections with 14 first-teamers. Goodale's most recent prodigy, Mikey Gangwish, was named the 2018 RMAC Player of the Year on his way to consensus Regional Player of the Year and First-Team All-America honors at catcher.
 
The Hays, Kan., native returns to his hometown after 12 years away, having made stops at Wichita State and Angelo State with summer stints in Liberal, Kan. (Bee Jays) and Thomasville, N.C. (Hi-Toms). Goodale played collegiate baseball at FHSU from 2001-04 where he was a two-year captain and two-time all-conference catcher. He also served as an assistant coach and earned two degrees as a Tiger including his bachelor's degree in health and human performance ('04) and his master's in health and human performance ('06).
 
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