Concordia Texas Athletics

Former Major League Baseball pitcher Tommy Boggs served 13 seasons as the head coach of the Concordia University Texas baseball program.

In his 13 years with the squad, Boggs has led the Tornados to 339 victories, five NCAA Regional berths, one NCAA Super Regional appearance, three American Southwest Conference Tournament championships (2011, '12 and '13) and three ASC regular season titles in 2014, 2016 and 2018. He has mentored 135 ASC All-Academic honorees and 95 all-conference selections, including 2019 D3Baseball.com All-Americans pitchers Calvin Bush and Matthew Williams, 2018 D3baseball.com honorable mention All-American and first team all-West Region pitcher Justin Traxler,  2012 D3baseball.com second-team All-American and two-time ASC West Division Player of the Year Collin Janssen, 2014 D3baseball.com honorable-mention All-American and ASC Pitcher of the Year Scott Weinschenk, 2013 ASC West Division Pitcher of the Year Ryan Ullmann and 2016 D3baseball.com honorable mention all-American Lane Hobbs.

On March 24, 2018, Boggs became the winningest coach in CTX baseball history in a 7-5 victory over Hardin-Simmons, passing Concordia Hall-of-Famer Mike Gardener.

On Feb. 28, 2020, Boggs earned his 300th coaching win of his career as the Tornados defeated Louisiana College 2-1.

In 2022, Boggs and the Tornados posted a 14-25, 13-17 ASC record. CTX was led by utility player Shawn Huber, who took home All-ASC First Team honors. Three more Tornados in 3b Mason Dubois, SS Dalton Watts and SP Otto Franz secured All-ASC honorable mention accolades. Highlighted with a series sweep over the Ozarks, Concordia finished seventh in the ASC standings to secure their 11th-straight appearance in the conference tournament. On April 23, a 9-5 win over Hardin-Simmons at Tornado Field would stand as Coach Boggs' final collegiate win of his illustrious career.

In 2021, Boggs and his squad played to a 21-13, 13-9 ASC record, securing a fourth-place finish in the ASC and making their tenth-straight appearance in the ASC Tournament. In a season full of adversity due to COVID-19 protocols, Bret Leiferman became the career leader in multiple offensive categories, including hits, runs scored, doubles, triples, and total bases, and earned his second pair of D3Baseball.com and ABCA/Rawlings All-West Region honors. Additionally, nine Tornados were recognized with All-ASC honors, including a first-team selection for Leiferman. 

In 2020, Boggs and the Tornados' season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The team won eight of its last 10 games before the rest of the season was canceled and finished the year with an 11-5 mark, including being in a tie for first in the conference standings with an 8-1 record. During the shortened season, the program saw a couple of career records broken as Matthew Williams became the winningest pitcher in school history, earning his 28th career win with a 8-0 shutout of Belhaven. Bret Leiferman, meanwhile, batted .492 in 59 plate appearances and became the school's all-time hits leader after a 7-for-11 performance in a sweep of the Blazers.

In 2019, CTX took home their third ASC Tournament title in program history after defeating Louisiana College in a best-of-three series in championship series and reach their third straight NCAA Regional appearance. The Tornados would go on to win the NCAA Seguin Regional, highlighted by Matthew Williams tossing the program's first no-hitter since 2004 and reaching the NCAA Super Regional round, the best postseason run for the program since 2002. Williams was named the ASC Pitcher of the Year and the Tornados had four players selected to the ASC First Team, including Calvin Bush, Bret Leiferman and Casen Novak.

In 2018, CTX won their third ASC regular season title in six years after finishing 29-18. The Tornados advanced to the West Regional for the second straight season and fourth time in school history. Concordia was led by ASC pitcher of the year and all-American Justin Traxler as well as all-West region players Carson Cox and Casen Novak. CTX also landed eight players on the ASC all-conference team. Boggs and his coaching staff were also named ASC coaching staff of the year.

In 2017, the Tornados made their first West Regional appearance since 2012, advancing to the championship game, the furthest the program has gone since their College World Series appearance in 2002, before falling to Cal Lutheran. Concordia finished with a 31-18 mark and 16-8 record in conference, finishing as the fourth seed in the ASC and advancing to the ASC Tournament. Concordia earned four All-Conference honorees, including ASC Second-Team accolades for Matthew Brown and Caleb Maddox.

In 2016, the Tornados clinched their second-ever ASC regular season title after a 19-5 record in conference play and was 28-15 overall. Concordia collected nine All-Conference awards as Evan and Hobbs earned First-Team honors, while the freshman Leiferman took home Second-Team honors.

In the 2015 season, the Tornados posted their second consecutive 30-win season, finishing 31-12 and 23-6 in conference play. Concordia finished as the two-seed in the ASC standings and competed in yet another ASC Conference Tournament. Bertsh and Cox took home their respective Player of the Year and Pitcher of the Year awards, while Evan garnered ASC Freshman of the Year honor. The Tornados would earn a total of nine All-Conference honorees for the season.

In 2015, the Tornados garnered ASC Player of the Year; Pitcher of the Year and Freshman of the Year awards in Connor Bertsch, Cameron Cox and Michael Evan respectively. Bertsch and Cox both earned D3baseball.com All-West Region First-Team honors along with being named First-Team All-American and Second-Team All-American respectively. Concordia followed it up in 2016, winning ASC Pitcher of the Year, Freshman of the Year and the Newcomer of the Year awards in Lane Hobbs, Bret Leiferman and Jake Valadez respectively. Hobbs also walked away with D3baseball.com All-West Region First-Team honors and Second-Team All-American.  Under his guidance, Concordia Texas has advanced to seven consecutive ASC Tournaments and received 14 all-region selections.

During the 2014 campaign, the resurgent CTX squad recorded a 31-14 record and captured the league's regular season championship with 22-10 mark. The pitching staff set a conference record with a 2.35 ERA. All three of the Tornados' weekend starters earned first-team all-conference, headlined by Weinschenk, who captured the ASC Pitcher of the Year honor. Cameron Cox and Kiel Harmon both joined Weinschenk on the top team, while 13 players overall earned All-ASC laurels.

In 2013, the Tornados posted a 22-22 overall record and finished 11-7 in the ASC West Division, which was good for second place in the league standings. Concordia reached the ASC Tournament semifinals and the Tornados garnered numerous individual accolades during the campaign.

Ullmann was named D3baseball.com third-team All-Region, ASC West Division Pitcher of the Year and became the program's fourth player selected in the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft after the Washington Nationals called his name in the 30th round. The squad had four other all-ASC honorees, including first-teamer Brent Schaekel and ASC West Division Co-Freshman of the Year Connor Bertsch.

Boggs and his assistants were named the 2012 American Southwest Conference West Division Coaching Staff of the Year after leading CTX to its second straight ASC Tournament crown and NCAA West Regional appearance. The Tornados, who became the first program in school history to make consecutive Division III postseason appearances and were ranked as high as fourth nationally, improved their win total for the third time in as many years by recording 37 wins in 2012 after registering 15 in 2010 and 32 in 2011. The team’s 37 victories during the season were the most in the program’s  Division III era, surpassing the 35 that were recorded in 2002. Janssen was named a D3Baseball.com second-team All-American and the ASC West Division Co-Player of the Year. Furthermore, Boggs mentored five D3Baseball.com All-West Region selections and 12 players who garnered ASC postseason recognition, including eight that were ASC first-team All-West Division picks.

In his second year on the sidelines in 2011, Boggs piloted the Concordia program to one of its biggest turnaround seasons in program history. After winning just 15 games in 2010 and being picked to finish sixth among eight schools in the 2011 American Southwest Conference West Division Preseason Poll, the Tornados more than doubled their win total, won a share of the West Division title for the third time in school history and captured their second ASC championship by knocking off the host school – Texas-Dallas – twice.

Boggs' squad ended the 2011 campaign by defeating two nationally-ranked opponents at the Division III West Regional in a span of three days, beginning with a 5-2 upset of then-No. 5 Linfield before being eliminated by Chapman, which reached the national championship game. Concordia's 32 victories in 2011 were the second most in the program's Division III era, only trailing the 35 wins that were recorded by the 2002 squad. Led by ASC West Division Player of the Year Collin Janssen and ASC West Division Pitcher of the Year Colin Butschek, 11 players received postseason recognition from the ASC. In addition, Concordia finished the season ranked 24th in the final D3baseball.com/NCBWA National Poll.

Boggs, who was the second pick in the 1974 Major League Baseball amateur draft, played professional baseball for 13 years. He pitched at the Major League level for the Atlanta Braves and Texas Rangers for nine seasons between 1976-85 and was a member of the Braves team which won the 1982 National League West Division crown. Boggs, who played for legendary managers such as Jackie Moore, Billy Martin, Bobby Cox and Joe Torre, won 12 games and registered a 3.42 ERA for the Braves in 1980 on a pitching staff that featured Phil Niekro and Doyle Alexander.

Prior to his professional baseball career, Boggs was a standout student-athlete and All-American at Lanier High School in Austin. Originally committed to play collegiate baseball at the University of Texas for Cliff Gustafson, he signed with the Rangers following the 1974 draft.

Before joining the collegiate ranks, Boggs had been running the Austin Slam baseball program since 1986. More than 375 of the players he has mentored have gone on to play college baseball. Slam baseball has also seen numerous players advance to the professional ranks. Seventeen players have made a Major League Baseball roster, including six-time All-Star Lance Berkman.

Boggs, who was honored in February 2008 at the Round Rock Express Annual Awards Banquet with the Inaugural Jackie Moore Lifetime Achievement Award for his service and contributions to baseball in the central Texas area, is a native of Austin and currently resides in Salado, with his wife, Suzette. They have one son, Austin, and one daughter, Brooke. Their daughter, Brooke, served as the sports information director at Concordia for three years.

Coaching highlights:
• Earned his final career win on April 23, 2022.
• Recorded his 300th career coaching win on Feb. 28, 2020
• Led the Tornados to back-to-back NCAA Regional appearances after winning the American Southwest Conference Tournament in 2011 and '12
• Won the NCAA West Regional in 2019
• Advanced to the NCAA West Super Regional in 2019
• Advanced to the NCAA West Regional in 2018
• Reached NCAA West Regional Championship Game in 2017
• Captured three ASC Tournament Championship titles (2011, '12 and '19)
• Captured two ASC West Division titles (2011 and '12) and three ASC regular season titles (2014, 2016 and 2018)
• 2012 ASC West Division Coaching Staff of the Year
• 2018 ASC Coaching Staff of the Year
• 2021 D3Baseball.com All-West Region and ABCA/Rawlings All-West Region selection Bret Leiferman
• 2019 D3Baseball.com All-West Region and ABCA/Rawlings All-West Region selection Bret Leiferman
• 2019 D3Baseball.com All-West Region, ABCA/Rawlings All-West Region and D3Baseball.com Third Team All-American Calvin Bush
• 2019 ASC Pitcher of the Year, D3Baseball.com All-West Region, ABCA/Rawlings All-West Region and D3Baseball.com Honorable Mention All-American Matthew Williams
• 2018 ASC Pitcher of the Year, D3baseball.com All-West Region and honorable mention All-American Justin Traxler
• 2018 ASC Newcomer of the Year and second-team all-West region selection Carson Cox
• 2016 ASC Pitcher of the Year, D3baseball.com All-West Region and Second-Team All-American Lane Hobbs
• 2016 ASC Freshman of the Year Bret Leiferman
• 2016 ASC Newcomer of the Year Jake Valadez
• 2015 ASC Freshman of the Year Michael Evan
• 2015 ASC Player of the Year, D3baseball.com All-West Region and First-Team All-American Connor Bertsch
• 2015 ASC Pitcher of the Year, D3baseball.com All-West Region and Second-Team All-American Cameron Cox
• 2014 Major League Baseball draftee and all-conference relief pitcher Corey Holmes
• 2014 D3baseball.com honorable-mention All-American and ASC Pitcher of the Year Scott Weinschenk
• 2014 ASC Newcomer of the Year and first-team all-conference pitcher Kiel Harmon
• 2013 Major League Baseball draftee and ASC West Division Pitcher of the Year Ryan Ullmann
• 2012 D3baseball.com second-team All-American and two-time ASC West Division Player of the Year Collin Janssen
• 2011 ASC West Division Pitcher of the Year Colin Butschek
• 22 all-region selections
• Four ASC West Division Freshman of the Year picks
• 92 all-conference selections, including 29 first-team selections
• 132 ASC All-Academic honorees