Sherman to Retire at the Conclusion of the 2022 Season

NEWARK, Del. - A New Castle native and staple in the state of Delaware for more than 30 years, University of Delaware head baseball coach Jim "Sherm" Sherman will retire at the conclusion of the 2022 season.

"It is difficult for me to put into words what Coach Sherman has meant to Delaware and Delaware Baseball," said Director of Intercollegiate Athletics and Recreation, Chrissi Rawak. "Since day one, it was clear how much he cared about this program and our student-athlete's experience and that has never wavered. I am incredibly grateful to have had the opportunity to work with Coach Sherm and I am excited to be able to cheer him and this team on during his final season of coaching."

Sherman, a former standout outfielder for the Blue Hens, will begin his 22nd and final year as the head coach of the Blue Hen baseball program. Entering his 28th season overall, Sherman is No. 22 on the active all-time wins list in Division I baseball and will finish second all-time in the Blue Hen record book for career wins. In his 21 years at UD, Sherman has led the Blue Hens to a 581-506 overall record, good for a winning percentage of .534.

Inducted into the Delaware Baseball Hall of Fame in 2008, the University of Delaware Athletics Hall of Fame in 2009, and the Cape Cod Summer Baseball League Hall of Fame in 2012, Sherman was hired in 2000 as the 15th head coach in UD history and just the third since 1956.

"It's been an honor and a privilege to serve on the Delaware baseball coaching staff for the last 28 years," Sherman said. "I will cherish all of the memories I've made here as a player, assistant coach and head coach. There are so many people to thank including Bob Hannah, all of my assistant coaches, especially long-time assistant Dan Hammer, our administration, all of my current and former players, and my family. Although I am stepping away from baseball at the end of the spring, I will still be around as I plan to continue working in the UD Athletics Department."

On May 25, 2012, Sherman became the second coach in UD history to win 500 games. Sherman won his 700th career game as a collegiate head coach in Delaware's CAA Tournament victory over UNCW. His 28-year overall head coaching record, which includes a seven-year stint at Wilmington (Del.) University from 1987-94, stands at an impressive 799-634 (.558). He coached his 1,000th game at Delaware on May 7, 2017.

During Sherman's first season, the Blue Hens tied the school record of 45 victories, won the America East championship, and advanced to the NCAA Tournament. Sherman's teams hold single-season records for games played (60; 2001), at-bats (2,080; 2004), home runs (111; 2006), extra-base hits (275; 2006), and walks (287; 2017).

Sherman has led Delaware to 12 conference tournament appearances, four championship game appearances, and a conference title and NCAA Tournament berth in 2001 and 2017. With CAA runner-up finishes in 2004, 2007, and 2012, Sherman's Delaware teams have posted 30 or more wins eight times, including 13 winning seasons. He won the CAA Coach of the Year honor in 2007. In 2017, the Blue Hens took home the CAA Tournament title, compiling a perfect 4-0 record and completing one of the most dominant runs in conference tournament history. Delaware led all but two innings of the tournament, out-scoring its opponents 38-14 over the four games.

Sherman's Delaware career includes serving as UD's associate head coach from 1995-2000. In 2001, he took over for Hall of Fame head coach Bob Hannah, who retired following the 2000 season after 36 years at the helm of the UD baseball program.

"Jim was known as an outstanding hitting instructor during his two decades as head coach of the Delaware baseball program," Hannah said. "He was considered to be among the top collegiate coaches in the country, and his clubs were always well prepared and very competitive. He will be missed among his colleagues and the hundreds of players he guided to success in the game. I thank him for the dedication and consistency he brought to our program."

Twenty-six of his hitters and 15 of his pitchers have gone on to play professional baseball. During his time at Delaware as an assistant and head coach, the Blue Hens have had 39 players drafted.

A Blue Hen student-athlete from 1979-82, and just one of four players in UD history to earn all-conference honors four times, Sherman was a force to be reckoned with as he hit .347 for his career as an outfielder. He hit .367 with eight home runs and 52 runs batted in as a freshman in 1979; .328 with 13 home runs and 56 RBI as a sophomore in 1980; .316 with 10 home runs and 51 RBI as a junior in 1981; and .378 with 15 home runs and 68 RBI as a senior in 1982.

Sherman helped lead the Blue Hens to three NCAA Regional appearances. Upon graduation, he held school records for career home runs (46, which stood until 1999) and home runs in a season (15), RBI in a season (68), total bases in a season (209), and total bases in a career (489). His 489 total bases and 227 RBI still rank No. 2 all-time in the UD career record book.

At the conclusion of his UD career, Sherman was drafted in the 14th round of the 1982 amateur baseball draft by the Houston Astros. Viewed as one of the top power-hitting prospects in the Astros organization during the mid-1980s, Sherman spent five years in the Houston Astros organization as an outfielder and third baseman, reaching the AAA level. He spent one year on the Astros 40-man roster and two years in their major league spring training camp.

The Blue Hens open up the 2022 season on Friday, February 18 on the road at Stetson. Delaware will honor Coach Sherman during the Elon series that is scheduled for May 6-8. The Blue Hens will conclude regular season play at home at Bob Hannah Stadium on Saturday, May 21 at 1 p.m. versus Northeastern.

University of Delaware Athletics

Sherman to Retire at the Conclusion of the 2022 Season

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