Entering his third season as the pitching coach for Shepherd University, Paul Hvozdovic’s primary responsibilities include oversight and development of the Ram pitching staff.
In 2016 Hvozdovic's pupil Sam Crater earned MEC Pitcher of the Year honors for the second consecutive year as he posted a 9-1 mark with a 3.16 ERA.
In 2015, Hvozdovic’s first season on the Ram’s coaching staff, Shepherd’s pitchers boasted a Mountain East Conference (MEC) best 2.89 ERA. The Rams picked up 39 wins and 299 strikeouts, en route to their second consecutive regular season title. Sam Crater was selected as MEC Pitcher of the Year with a 1.71 ERA in his 84 innings pitched.
The Herndon, Virginia native is no stranger to the Rams program as he helped rewrite the program’s record books during his playing career (2010-14). Hvozdovic holds the Shepherd career marks for most wins (34), innings pitched (340), strikeouts (307), games started (56), and complete games (19).
In 2012, Hvozdovic set Shepherd’s single-season pitching records for games started in a season (17) and innings pitched (108.2). He helped lead the Rams to their fifth WVIAC title by closing the final three innings of the WVIAC championship game. Hvozdovic was a First Team All-WVIAC selection.
In 2014, during his senior campaign, Hvozdovic was unbeaten during the MEC’s inaugural season, leading the Rams to their first MEC regular season title. He completed his final season with an 11-1 mark, a 1.80 ERA, and was named one of eight finalists for the Brett Tomko Award as the most outstanding Division II Pitcher. Hvozdovic was selected as the MEC Pitcher of the Year and the Shepherd University Male Athlete of the Year.
Following his career at Shepherd, Hvozdovic played professionally with the River City Rascals of the Frontier League (2014) and the Sonoma Stompers of the Pacific Association of Professional Baseball Clubs (2015).
In addition to his coaching responsibilities, Hvozdovic is also interning in the Shepherd University Compliance Office. He is expected to graduate in May 2016 with a degree in recreation and leisure studies with a concentration in sport management.
