September 5, 2007

Baseball: Former UC Riverside pitching coach Andrew Checketts fills out Oregon staff

EUGENE — University of Oregon manager George Horton has rounded out his staff at the school with the hiring of Oregon native and former UC Riverside pitching coach Andrew Checketts.

Checketts, 31, who spent the past six seasons at UCR, joins Horton and former Cal State Fullerton assistant Jason Gill as the people in charge of rebuilding Ducks baseball after a 26-year hiatus.

Upon his arrival at UC Riverside, the West Linn High School product made an immediate impact as the staff earned run average improved by almost three runs and the team broke the school record for strikeouts in his first year.

During his first three seasons at UCR, the team ERA improved every year.

During the past five years 12 of his pitchers have signed professional contracts and four were selected in the top 10 rounds of the draft.

Checketts will be paid an annual guaranteed salary of $120,000 plus a one-time expense stipend of $25,000.
A former draft pick of the Boston Red Sox, Checketts played one season at Florida and three at Oregon State.

As a senior in 1998 he posted an 11-1 record and 3.77 ERA in 13 starts, striking out 73 batters in 86 innings, earning a series of Pac-10 and national honors.