Former Tiger expected to be named new Cloud County CC baseball coach

Courtesy NCKToday.com

Eric Gilliland is expected to become Cloud County Community College’s next head baseball coach, replacing Greg Brummett who resigned following 13 seasons with the program. Final action to approve Gilliland should come at a special meeting of the Cloud County Community College Board of Trustees on Thursday, June 2nd.

Gilliland previously served as the assistant baseball coach at Garden City Community College. During his four seasons with the Broncbusters, Gilliland was a part of one Jayhawk West Conference championship team (2012) and two Jayhawk Conference runner-ups (2013, 2014). While at GCCC, Gilliland helped 14 players move on to the Division 1 level.

Prior to Garden City, Gilliland served as an assistant baseball coach and sports information intern at his alma mater, Fort Hays State University. He interned in sports information under current SID, Ryan Prickett and assisted the sports information department in volleyball, men’s and women’s basketball, football, and baseball at FHSU.

Gilliland joined Cloud County Community College last year as the school’s Sports Information Director.

From 2005-2007, Gilliland attended Cloud County Community College. He earned Academic All-American honors in baseball while at Cloud. He was also a member of Phi Theta Kappa, and the Sports Editor of the school newspaper.

The Concordia, Kansas native was a two-time All-MIAA selection as a pitcher at Fort Hays State in 2008 and 2009, and is currently ranked in the top 10 all-time at Fort Hays State in strikeouts and innings pitched. Gilliland was also a top performer in the classroom as a CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District First Team selection, and Fort Hays State’s male Ken B. Jones Award nominee in 2009.

Following his collegiate playing career, Gilliland played professionally for three years in independent baseball. Most recently, he pitched for the Wichita Wingnuts of Wichita, Kansas in 2011. He played with the Gateway Grizzlies of Sauget, Illinois in 2010, and the Midwest Sliders of Ypsilanti, Michigan in 2009.

Gilliland earned his bachelor’s degree in Health and Human Performance from Fort Hays State University in 2009. He obtained his Master’s degree in Sports Administration in 2011 from Fort Hays State.