Spartanburg Methodist College head baseball coach Tim Wallace returns in 2011-2012 for his twenty-first  season at the helm of the Pioneers.  He also serves as Athletic Director for the Pioneers athletic programs.

Wallace's previous SMC teams have produced an 891-274 record with NJCAA Region X Championships in 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2001, 2003, 2006, 2007 and 2009.  His .768 winning percentage ranks him among the leaders of those actively coaching at the NJCAA level. 

He has garnered many awards, included being named Region X Coach of the Year (1992, 1998, 2000, 2008, 2010), Carolina’s Junior College Conference Coach of the Year (1992) ,Louisville Slugger Coaches Award (1993, 1996, 1997, 2001)  and Diamond ABCA Regional Coach of the Year (2001, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009) .  In 2001, Wallace earned his first Eastern District Coach of the Year award as his 49-12 club sported the best record in Grand Junction, Colorado at the NJCAA World Series. He earned his second Eastern District Coach of the Year award in 2003, when his club posted a 50-16 record. His 2007 squad earned him his third by posting a school record 54 wins while finishing third at the Junior College World Series. A fourth was awarded after the 2009 squad finished 5th at JUCO with a school record 55 wins. 

In addition to having successful teams, Wallace has helped individuals realize their potential.  Three Pioneers have participated on the NJCAA All-Stars, a group put together to face international competition.  Of the three All-Star participants, Derrick Clay and Marty Gantt were named Offensive MVP’s of their respective groups. Fourteen players have been named NJCAA All-Americans during his tenure, while 57 have signed professional contracts.  Of these 57, 19 are actively playing and pursuing a shot at the Major Leagues. In 2002 Coach Wallace had his first player reach the majors, 1998 graduate Orlando Hudson with the Toronto Blue Jays. Hudson is now a three time Gold Glove winner and four time All-Star second baseman with the Los Angeles Dodgers. A second Pioneer under Wallace, Lee Gronkiewicz, made an appearance at the big league level in 2007.  Also during the Wallace era, players have signed letters of intent with or gone to play at major NCAA Division I institutions such as South Carolina, Clemson, Tennessee, Kentucky,  North Carolina State, College of Charleston, Coastal Carolina and East Carolina (just to name a few).  Numerous others continued their careers at the NCAA Division II level.

Prior to his coaching career, Wallace was a standout player himself.  A former second round pick of the St. Louis Cardinals, he played professionally for seven years.  This included a two-year stint in Italy, where he led the league in hitting and homeruns.  While playing in the States, Wallace was named an All-Star for both the Appalachian and Florida State leagues and also was team MVP for the 1983 St. Petersburg Cardinals.  This continued a streak of team MVP awards that included two Lancaster High School, one Post 31 American Legion, one Baptist College and two Wofford College seasons.  It was at Wofford where Wallace attracted professional scouts.  During his two seasons there he posted records for career batting average (.456) and longest consecutive game hitting streak (37).  He also led NAIA District 6 and the state of South Carolina in hitting as a sophomore.  For his efforts, Wallace was inducted into Wofford’s Hall of Fame in 2000.

Wallace returned to Wofford after his playing career and completed his B.A. in Sociology.  He then earned an M.A. in Physical Education from Gardner-Webb University.  He and his wife of twenty-seven years, Beth, have three children- Jacob,23 ; Amy Kate,21; and Mary Grace 19.

Matt Williams returns in 2011-2012 for his seventh season as Pitching Coach and Recruiting Coordinator with the Pioneers. Williams is solely responsible for the pitchers at SMC and has done a stellar job in that capacity. Under his leadership the Pioneers have consistently led Region X in ERA and Opponents Average. In his seven seasons in the Pitching Coach position Williams has watched 27 players from his staffs advance to the NCAA Division I level, eight to the Division II ranks, one to NAIA ranks and six move on to professional baseball. Five of his former pitchers are currently in pro ball working towards the Major Leagues.

Williams is also a former Pioneer pitcher himself, posting a 1-0 record in 2002 and a 5-2 mark in 2003. He tossed a no-hitter in the 2003 Region X Tournament against the Surry Knights in a pivotal Game 6. The LHP from Lancaster, SC was a member of the 2003 JUCO World Series team that finished 50-16. Coupled with the 51 wins of the 2002 squad, the members of those 2 teams tallied 101 wins in a Pioneer uniform, most ever by a group in SMC history.

After his playing days at SMC, Williams pitched for the professional Mid Missouri Mavericks and then transitioned into coaching. He served as Pitching Coach for the Spartanburg Post 28 American Legion group that won 2 State Championships and later served as Head Coach of the same group for 2 seasons. Williams also worked with the prestigious SC Diamond Devil program, a summer travel ball program based out of Charleston, SC. In 2010 he served as Head Coach for the Laconia Muskrats, a summer collegiate team in the NECBL, and led them to the playoffs in their inaugural season. Williams is also a noted camp clinician having worked at many camps and clinics across the state.

Jonathan Ratledge joins the Pioneer coaching staff as the team’s hitting coach and co-recruiting coordinator. He will also work with the team's outfielders, coordinate strength and conditioning and speed and agility workouts for the position players.

Prior to SMC, Ratledge graduated in 2005 from South Mecklenburg High School in North Carolina. Jonathan was a Louisville Slugger 1st Team All American in 2005. He went on to attend and play baseball at the University of South Carolina in 2006 and 2007 before transferring to East Carolina University in 2008 and 2009.

Ratledge graduated in December of 2010 with a degree in Finance.

Ratledge was a Coach/Instructor at the Carolina Baseball Center in Charlotte, NC and also served as an area scout/writer for the Diamond Prospects.

JJ Joye is a 2001 graduate of Manning High School and a 2009 graduate of the University of South Carolina, earning a BA degree in Early Childhood Education through USC Upstate via satellite..

In 2005, Joye started his coaching career as an assistant for Manning High School before being named the Head Coach for the J.V. squad the following year. He has also founded the “Boys of Summer”, a training camp which provides individual instruction for youth players. 

Joye played his collegiate baseball at USC Salkehatchie under Joe Baxter. While prepping at Manning, he also played summer baseball for the highly-regarded Diamond Devils organization based in Charleston. He has since rejoined the Diamond Devils as a coach, helping lead the 17’s to two national titles in the summer of 2008. 

Joye began his college coaching career in 2007 at the University of South Carolina Sumter serving as the outfielders coach and assisting with hitting instruction and recruiting.  He spent the summer of 2010 as an assistant coach with the Thomasville Hi-Toms and the summer of 2011 as an assistant coach with the Columbia Blowfish, both of the Coastal Plain summer collegiate league.

Joye will work with the Pioneer infielders and assist in recruiting and conditioning.