R.D. Spiehs Named Tarleton State Associated Head Baseball Coach
STEPHENVILLE, Texas – Tarleton State Baseball has promoted R.D. Spiehs to Associate Head Coach, head coach Fuller Smith announced on Friday. Spiehs enters his third season on the Tarleton State staff after joining the Texans in July 2023 as an assistant coach leading the pitching staff. Since arriving in Stephenville, Spiehs has played a pivotal role in the program's growth, helping guide the Texans to back-to-back Western Athletic Conference Tournament appearances and the 2024 WAC Tournament championship.
"R.D. has been an incredible asset to our program since the day he arrived," said Smith. "His wealth of knowledge, work ethic, and ability to connect with our players have been instrumental to our success. This promotion is a reflection of his dedication to Tarleton State Baseball, and I'm excited to continue building this program alongside him."
Under Spiehs' guidance, Tarleton State's pitching staff helped propel the Texans to a historic 2024 campaign, finishing 32-29 and capturing the WAC title in the program's first-ever appearance in the tournament. The Texans posted a 5-1 record during the postseason run, marking their most postseason wins since 1992.
In 2025, Spiehs helped the Texans to a 19-14 mark at home and a .500 finish in WAC play. The season included a series sweep of Grand Canyon to clinch a second straight WAC Tournament berth and a nationally-recognized 31-5 run-rule victory over Butler, where Tarleton State scored 31 runs in seven innings.
During his tenure, Spiehs has coached numerous All-WAC pitchers and guided his staff to multiple WAC Pitcher of the Week honors. In 2024, Grant Garza posted a 10-1 record on the mound and earned First Team All-WAC recognition, while Brian Panetton and Reece Bassinger were named to the Second Team All-WAC.
"I am honored and grateful to be named Associate Head Coach at Tarleton State," said Spiehs. "Stephenville and Tarleton State have become home to my family. I am excited to continue working alongside Coach Smith, our staff, and our student-athletes as we push this program to new heights. Our players' commitment and resilience have been inspiring, and I look forward to building on the success we've had these past two seasons."
Spiehs brings over 15 years of coaching experience, with stops at Illinois State, Little Rock, Northern Colorado, and Grayson College, developing championship-caliber pitching staffs and producing numerous all-conference players and MLB Draft picks. A former professional pitcher in the San Francisco Giants, San Diego Padres, and Seattle Mariners organizations, he starred at the University of Nebraska, starting in the Cornhuskers' first College World Series appearance in 2001.
The Grand Island native began his coaching career at his alma mater, the University of Nebraska, in 2008. Spiehs was a three-year starter for Nebraska and held a 21-6 career record, which at the time ranked eighth all-time for wins. He held a 3.14 ERA in 2000 on a staff that had the lowest ERA in the nation. Spiehs was Nebraska's starting pitcher for the team's first appearance in the College World Series in 2001.
He spent seven seasons pitching professionally in the San Francisco Giants, San Diego Padres and Seattle Mariners organizations. Spiehs pitched for both the Portland Beavers and Fresno Grizzlies of the Triple A Pacific Coast League in 2005, as well as spending time at both the Double A and Independent levels.