OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – Wichita State head baseball coach Brian Green recently announced that Johnson County Community College assistant coach Anthony Miller will be joining his staff for 2023-24. He will serve as the Shockers' hitting and outfield coach.
"Coach Miller will be missed but we are happy for his new opportunity," said JCCC head coach Eric Horner. "Anthony's knowledge of the swing is second to none and Wichita State made an outstanding hire! We wish him and Emily the best and are sure we will see him around on the recruiting trail."
Miller goes to Wichita State after four seasons as an assistant coach at the NJCAA level, most recently in his second stint at Johnson County. This past season, the Cavaliers reached the NJCAA D-I World Series for the third time in program history and the first since 2014. JCCC went 56-10, including a 30-3 mark in the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference East Division. Fourteen Cavaliers were named All-KJCCC East Division, including conference Pitcher of the Year Luc Fladda and Co-Freshman of the Year Dagen Brewer. Fladda was also named National Junior College Athletic Association and American Baseball Coaches Association/Rawlings second-team All-American.
Johnson County finished second in the country with a .364 team batting average, fourth with a .466 on-base percentage, and sixth with 597 runs scored. As a team, the Cavaliers drew nearly as many walks (336) as they had strikeouts (346). On the mound, JCCC's 3.80 ERA ranked eighth nationally, piling up 601 strikeouts to finish fourth in the country. The Cavaliers team fielding percentage of .976 was the second-best mark in NJCAA Division 1.
Miller returned to Johnson County after two seasons a volunteer coach at McLennan Community College in Waco, Texas under current Baylor head coach Mitch Thompson. Miller helped the Highlanders to consecutive NJCAA World Series appearances, highlighted by a national championship in 2021. During his time in Waco, Miller and McLennan compiled a 97-29 overall record (.770 winning percentage), four NJCAA All-Americans and three MLB draft picks.
A former All-American as a player at Johnson County, Miller returned to his alma mater to begin his coaching career in 2020. The Cavaliers were 20-3 with a top-10 national ranking before the season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. JCCC had three players selected All-America by JUCO Baseball Blog with Brady Slavens named as the JUCO Baseball Blog Player of the Year.
In the COVID shortened season, Johnson County finished third in the country first in slugging percentage at .729, hits (290), home runs (47) and RBI (228). They were second in doubles (71) and runs scored (256).
All told in four seasons as an assistant, Miller's teams combined for a record of 173-42, good for a winning percentage of .805. In two seasons at JCCC, the Cavaliers posted a mark of 76-13 for an .854 winning percentage.
As a player with the Cavaliers, Miller had an amazing career playing for coach Shelley and Cavaliers. During the 2015 campaign, his sophomore year, Miller was selected as the Kansas Jayhawk Conference Player of the Week six times and earned NJCAA National Player of the Week twice. He also was a first-team All-East Jayhawk Conference and All-Region VI selection and was a second-team NJCAA All-American selection.
In 2015, Miller hit a team-best .443 (86-for-194) with 15 doubles, five triples, a school record 26 home runs and 79 RBI. He also scored 73 times to set a new season mark. His 86 hits and 79 RBI rank second on JCCC's season charts. Nationally, he ranked 12th in batting average, ninth in RBI and second in home runs. He tallied 24 multiple-hit games, and 19 multiple-RBI games.
As a freshman, Miller earned second-team All-East Jayhawk Conference after batting .322 (68-for-211) with 18 doubles, five triples, 13 home runs, 63 RBI and 59 runs scored. He led the team in homers and tied for the lead in doubles, RBI and runs scored. He registered 18 multiple-hit games and 18 multiple-RBI games.
Miller's name is etched all through the Cavaliers all-time leaders list. His name appears 25 times in game, season andcareer statistical categories. He set the career record for home runs (39), runs scored (132) and multiple-RBI games (37). He also ranked tied for fifth in career doubles (33), tied for 10th in triples (9), second in RBI (142) fourth in walks (77) and second in multi-hit games (42). He had seven multiple-home run games over his two seasons, most by any player, and he tied the game record for runs driven in with eight in a win at Mountain View Feb. 9, 2015.
Two days after being selected All-American, Miller was selected with the 544th overall pick (18th Round) of the 2015 MLB Draft by the Indians. His selection ranks as the ninth highest in JCCC history. He played five seasons in their minor league system. Miller ultimately reached Double-A in 2019, and finished his professional playing career with 25 home runs and 117 RBI in 310 career games.
A native of Kansas City, Missouri, Miller was a three-sport star at Blue Valley Southwest High School before beginning his collegiate career at Johnson County.