Ritch Price - Baseball - Kansas Jayhawks

Ritch Price

TITLE Head Baseball Coach
PHONE 864-4196

Bio

Ritch “Skip” Price finished his 20th season as head coach at Kansas in 2022. Known for being a tireless worker and enthusiastic recruiter, Price instilled an atmosphere of camaraderie and competitiveness within his program during his tenure.

Price, the winningest baseball coach in school history, compiled a record of 581-558-3 (.510) at KU since being named the 32nd head baseball coach on July 1, 2002. He became the all-time winningest coach in program history on March 4, 2017, with an 11-7 win over Northwestern State. That 439th win on that day broke a record that stood 35 years, nine months and 27 days by legendary head coach Floyd Temple (438).

Skip led the program to three NCAA Tournament appearances (2006, 2009 and 2014) in his 20 seasons, which is more than the combined number of appearances the program achieved in its first 112 seasons before Price.

Price’s 581 wins at Kansas accounted for over 29 percent of the program’s 2,001 victories spanning 132 seasons. He was the longest tenured coach in the Big 12 Conference at the time of his retirement and had managed in over 250 more league games than any of the other eight head coaches. His 20 years at Kansas matched Texas’ Augie Garrido for the longest tenured coach in Big 12 baseball history.

In his 20 seasons holding the reins at KU, Price mentored players to 114 all-conference selections, 165 academic all-conference honorees, 75 professional contracts, two Big 12 Newcomers of the Year (Jordan Piché in 2013 & Ben Krauth in 2015), two All-Americans (Don Czyz in 2006 & Tony Thompson in 2009) and one National Stopper of the Year (Czyz in 2006).

Price amassed 798 wins during his 28 years coaching at the Division I level and coached in more than 1,500 games. He earned his 700th win on April 8, 2018 with a 17-3 victory of then-No. 5 Texas Tech. His 600th-career victory came on April 26, 2014, with a 10-2 win at Baylor, before following up the next day with an 8-5 win over the Bears to pick up the 1,000th-career win among all his stops in his 44 years of being a head coach at the Division I, JUCO and high school levels.

In 2008, Price was named an assistant coach for the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team. Price coached future Major Leaguers Stephen Strasburg, Mike Leake and Mike Minor on the team. Price helped lead the Americans to a perfect 24-0 record in international play, the only Collegiate National Team to ever go undefeated. The squad won the Harlem Baseball Classic and its third straight FISU World Championship. The Team USA club also defeated Cuba twice during the summer, marking the first time an American team accomplished that feat.

In addition to 20 seasons at Kansas, Price was the head coach at Cal Poly (1994-2002) where he transitioned the Mustangs into a Division I program; at De Anza Community College (1987-94) where he was also the director of athletics; at Menlo College (1983-86); and got his start both at Phoenix High School (1978-81) and at Jasper High School (1982-83).

A Sweet Home, Oregon, native and 1978 graduate of Willamette University (Salem, Oregon), Price was inducted into the NWCA Hall of Fame as a player in 1998 for his two seasons at Linn-Benton Community College. He received his master’s degree in physical education from Cal State Hayward in 1987.

Price was inducted into the California Community College Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in May 2008. He earned the Hall of Fame honor for his eight seasons spent at De Anza Community College in Cupertino, California.

Price and his wife, Cindy, have three sons: Ritchie, Ryne and Robby, and one grandson, Ryan. All three sons played four seasons for their father at Kansas, and were drafted to the majors. Ritchie played in the New York Mets organization, and is in his 10th season as an assistant coach at KU. Ryne played two seasons in the San Francisco Giants’ organization and is a heavy equipment operator in Overland Park, Kansas. Robby played five years in the Tampa Bay Rays’ organization and is a firefighter in Lenexa, Kansas.

Price Year-by-Year Record at KU
YearOverallConferenceNCAA
200335-288th
200431-31-19th
200536-287th
2006*43-255thRegional (1-2)
200728-309th
200830-279th
200939-245thRegional (2-2)
201031-27-17th
201126-3010th
201224-347th
201334-256th
201435-263rdRegional (1-2)
201523-329th
201620-35-19th
201730-287th
201827-308th
201932-265th
20207-10N/A
202130-27T-8th
202220-359th
Totals581-558-3 (.510)184-291-1 (.388)4-6 (.400)
*Big 12 Tournament Champions

 

Highest Draft Picks in the Price Era

Round 3, Overall 99 – Jackson Goddard, RHP, Arizona Diamondbacks, 2018
Round 3, Overall 107 – Ryan Zeferjahn, RHP, Boston Red Sox, 2019
Round 5, Overall 156 – Wes Benjamin, LHP, Texas Rangers, 2014
Round 5, Overall 167 – Jaxx Groshans, C, Boston Red Sox, 2019
Round 6, Overall 185 – Tony Thompson, INF, Oakland Athletics, 2010

Professional Players Under Coach Price
YearRoundStudent-AthleteOrganization
2021Free AgentEverhett HazelwoodChicago White Sox
2020Free AgentBlake GoldsberryColorado Rockies
20193Ryan ZeferjahnBoston Red Sox
20195Jaxx GroshansBoston Red Sox
20183Jackson GoddardArizona Diamondbacks
201812Zack LebanMiami Marlins
201817Devin FoyleOakland Athletics
201838Brendt CittaPittsburgh Pirates
20178Blake WeimanPittsburgh Pirates
201710Steve VillinesNew York Mets
201712Matt McLaughlinColorado Rockies
2017Free AgentSean RackoskiToronto Blue Jays
20167Michael TinsleyCleveland Indians
201616Ben KrauthCleveland Indians
201619Sam GilbertOakland Athletics
201625Colby WrightCincinnati Reds
2015Free AgentBlair BeckTampa Bay Rays
2015Free AgentConnor McKayTexas Rangers
20145Wes BenjaminTexas Rangers
201413Frank DuncanPittsbugh Pirates
201424Michael SuiterChicago White Sox
201428Jordan PichéLos Angeles Angels
201430Tucker TharpNew York Mets
201432Robert KahanaHouston Astros
201323Alex DeLeonSt. Louis Cardinals
201326Thomas TaylorLos Angeles Dodgers
201328Kevin KuntzKansas City Royals
201331Tanner PoppeMilwaukee Brewers
201339Frank DuncanCleveland Indians
201113Colton MurrayPhiladelphia Phillies
201115T.J. WalzOakland Athletics
201137Tanner PoppeTampa Bay Rays
2011Free AgentBrandon MaciasMilwaukee Brewers
20106Tony ThompsonOakland Athletics
201013Robby PriceTampa Bay Rays
201020Brett BochySan Francisco Giants
201022Cameron SelikWashington Nationals
201031Travis BlankenshipHouston Astros
201041Brian HeereCleveland Indians
201050T.J. WalzOakland Athletics
200915David NarodowskiArizona Diamondbacks
200925Shaeffer HallNew York Yankees
200935Paul SmythOakland Athletics
200948Brian HeereBoston Red Sox
2009Free AgentBuck AfenirNew York Yankees
200832Sam FreemanSt. Louis Cardinals
200833Ryne PriceSan Francisco Giants
200835Nick CzyzSeattle Mariners
200838Andres EsquibelSeattle Mariners
200848Erik MorrisonTexas Rangers
2008Free AgentJohn AllmanCleveland Indians
200716Zach AshwoodChicago Cubs
200719Kyle MurphyTexas Rangers
200746Brock SimpsonCleveland Indians
200749Erik MorrisonPittsburgh Pirates
20067Don CzyzFlorida Marlins
20069Sean LandMinnesota Twins
200614Gus MilnerPhiladelphia Phillies
200618Ritchie PriceNew York Mets
200630Jared SchweitzerSt. Louis Cardinals
200633Kodiak QuickDetroit Tigers
2006Free AgentRicky FairchildCleveland Indians
200512Mike ZagurskiPhiladelphia Phillies
200519Sean RichardsonMinnesota Twins
200523A.J. Van SlykeSt. Louis Cardinals
200547Gus MilnerCleveland Indians
2005Free AgentJacob JeanChicago White Sox
200411Travis MetcalfTexas Rangers
200435Ryan KnippschildCleveland Indians
2004Free AgentRyan BatyTampa Bay Devil Rays
2004Free AgentMatt TribbleChicago White Sox
20032Tom GorzelannyPittsburgh Pirates
200312Casey SpanishAtlanta Braves
200324Kenny FalconerSeattle Mariners
200338Travis MetcalfMinnesota Twins

 

The Price File
PositionHead Coach
Alma MaterWilliamette, 1978
CSU Hayward, 1987
WifeCindy
ChildrenRitchie
Ryne
Robby
GrandsonRyan

Previous Stops
SchoolYear
Kansas2003-22
Cal Poly1994-2002
DeAnza CC1987-94
Menlo College1983-86
Jasper HS1982-83
Phoenix HS1978-81

Coaching Record
Place (Yrs)WLTPct.
Kansas (20)5815583.510
Cal Poly (8)2172281.488
Division I (28)7987864.504
Junior College (11)2841750.619
High School (5)117460.718
Total (44)1,1991,0174.541

Milestone Victories
WinDateResult
102/02/1995Cal Poly 8, Cal Lutheran 6
10004/07/1998Cal Poly 14, Santa Clara 6
20003/15/2002Cal Poly 12, Sac. State 4
30003/16/2005Kansas 16, Baker 6
~31705/14/2005Kansas 9, #20 Missouri 3
40003/12/2008Kansas 11, Missouri State 7
!41705/02/2008Kansas 17, Oklahoma 15
50003/22/2011Kansas 5, Little Rock 3
#51702/17/2012Kansas 7, Middle Tenn. 3
60004/27/2014Kansas 8, Baylor 5
*61703/15/2015Kansas 8, Michigan 4
^65603/04/2017Kansas 11, Northwestern State 7
70004/08/2018Kansas 17, #5 Texas Tech, 3
+71703/02/2019Kansas 3, Northern Illinois 1
~100th win at KU; !200th win at KU; #300th win at KU; *400th win at KU; ^439th win at KU to become all-time winningest coach; +500th win at KU.