Friday, March 29, 2024

MSU baseball hires Roof as student assistant coach

September 14, 2016

Then-junior infielder Jonathan Roof slides into third base after hitting a triple on April 4, 2010 at McLane Baseball Stadium. MSU scored 12 runs in the fifth inning to beat Iowa 26-11.

Photo by Kat Petersen | The State News

The MSU baseball team and head coach Jake Boss announced earlier this week that former Spartan Jonathan Roof will be joining the coaching staff, according to a press release. Roof, who played for the team from 2008-10, will be a student assistant coach for the Spartans.

During his time as a player, Roof hit .299 with seven home runs and 95 RBIs after starting all 160 games he played in. The former shortstop also collected first-team All-Big Ten honors in 2010, his last year at MSU as a junior.

Professionally, Roof played six years in the minors after his college career ended. He forwent his senior season after he was drafted in the eighth round of the MLB draft by the Texas Rangers, No. 256 overall. The highest level Roof reached was at triple-AAA, playing most recently for the Pawtucket Red Sox in the Boston Red Sox organization.

Fresh out of high school, Roof was also previously selected in the MLB Draft before his time at MSU, where he was picked by the Red Sox in the 39th round. He will also be the second former Spartan on Boss’ coaching staff, with Jordan Keur currently serving as a volunteer assistant coach.

Roof will be following in similar footsteps as his brother, Eric Roof. Eric coached for the Spartans from the 2013-14 seasons after his professional baseball career ended. He serves as an assistant baseball coach for Eastern Michigan University now.

“I’m honored and excited to join coach Boss and his staff, and return to the Spartan baseball family,” Roof said in the press release. “I learned a great deal from coach Boss during my time as a player and I’m anxious to learn from him as a member of his coaching staff.”

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