The 2018 campaign is the 11th for Jeremy Fikac as an assistant coach for Texas State. He was promoted to recruiting coordinator and pitching coach in 2013, and he also served as acting head coach in 2015. He initially joined the program as a volunteer assistant and was promoted to pitching coach in fall 2008.
In his first five years, Fikac worked with the team’s hitters along with handling scheduling duties and assisting recruiting. In 2013, he took over as pitching coach. The move made sense as Fikac is a former major league pitcher. Still, his offensive guidance only helped Texas State.
Under Fikac’s tutelage, the Bobcats put together several outstanding offensive seasons. In 2009, 12 batters hit higher than .300, while Paul Goldschmidt earned All-America honors in addition to being named the Southland Conference Hitter of the Year for the second straight season.
In 2010, eight Bobcats hit above .300 and five position players were named to All-Southland Conference teams. In 2012, Fikac mentored Casey Kalenkosky, who broke the Texas State single-season record for home runs with 21 and also earned All-American status.
In 2013, Fikac spearheaded a pitching staff that saw two Bobcats selected in the Major League Baseball Draft. Kyle Finnegan went in the sixth round to the Oakland Athletics, marking the fifth consecutive season a Bobcat was selected within the first 10 rounds of the draft.
After Finnegan, Donnie Hart was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the 27th round. The sidearm lefty broke a school record for most appearances in a season at Texas State with 41, finishing with a 2.13 ERA. Hart did not give up a run until his 11th appearance and that was unearned. He did not allow an earned run until his 26th appearance of the season.
In 2014 and ‘15, Fikac’s pitchers carried on the tradition. Austen Williams was drafted in the sixth round like Finnegan a season before him. In addition, Taylor Black was also drafted while two more pitchers, Lucas Humpal and Scott Grist, were selected in the 2015 draft after working with Fikac.
Humpal returned for his senior season and re-entered the draft in 2016, where he was chosen in the ninth round. Jonathan Hennigan (21st) and Pasquale Mazzoccoli (35th) were also selected in this past draft.
The Bobcat pitching staff finished 2013 with a team ERA of 4.33 led by Hart (2.13), Hunter Lemke (2.28) and Collegiate Baseball Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American Lucas Humpal (3.30).
Humpal, just a freshman, led all starters in ERA and wins, finishing with a 5-2 record. Under Fikac’s tutelage, the freshman earned his Freshman All-American nod from Collegiate Baseball along with a spot on the All-Western Athletic Conference Team.
Lemke also made the All-WAC team as one of the top closers in the conference. Lemke, a junior at the time, led the team with eight saves, the second most ever for a Texas State reliever.
In 2014, the team’s ERA dropped even lower as the Bobcats finished with a 3.61 ERA led by Cory Geisler’s 1.97. The weekend rotation of Williams, Black and Humpal finished atop the Sun Belt Conference in all major pitching categories, including strikeouts as they combined for 266.
Prior to joining the Bobcat baseball staff, Fikac spent seven years in the professional circuit as a pitcher, playing for the San Diego Padres, the Oakland A’s and the Montreal Expos.
The Shiner, Texas, native was drafted in 1998 after playing for former Texas State head coach Howard Bushong. He made his major league debut on August 16, 2001, against the New York Mets. Fikac earned his first win that day, fanning Benny Agbayni, Vance Wilson and Jay Payton in the effort.
Fikac is still listed in the Bobcat record books for career home runs and stolen bases. In addition, his 83 strikeouts on the mound in 1998 rank 14th all-time at Texas State for a single season.
Fikac was named the MVP of the 1997 Southland Conference Tournament after leading Texas State to its first SLC Tournament championship and a berth in an NCAA Regional. Fikac was the starting pitcher in the team’s opening regional contest, helping lead the Bobcats to a 7-6 win over Texas Tech after tossing 9.1 innings of the 11-inning game.
Following his career in the major leagues, Fikac returned to Texas State and earned his bachelor’s degree in exercise and sport science. He currently resides in Austin, Texas.
