Ryan Sloniger is in his first season as Gardner-Webb's Pitching Coach and Recruiting Coordinator after joining the program in July, 2022.
He handles the GWU pitching staff, from bullpen management and calling pitches to scouting reports and everything in between. He also spearheads the program's recruiting efforts and is responsible for placement of Gardner-Webb's pitching staff on summer teams.
Sloniger came to Boiling Springs from Kent State University, where he served on staff as Assistant Pitching Coach and Catching Coach for the 2022 season. Sloniger also spent time with the Kent State program as Director of Player Development in 2021. During the 2022 season, Sloniger served as first base coach for the Golden Flashes and threw batting practice in addition to coordinating camps in the offseason. He also handled scouting reports and game charts, as well as in-game pitch calling.
Sloniger played collegiately at Penn State, where he started as the Nittany Lions' catcher from 2016-2019. His best season at the plate came in 2018 as a junior, when he batted a team-high .306 with fie home runs, 13 doubles and 31 RBI. Sloniger finished his career ranked in the top-10 in Penn State history in career putouts.
He went on to play professionally after being selected in the 38th round by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 2019 MLB Draft. He spent three seasons in the pro ranks. He batted .327 in his first assignment with Bluefield in 2019 and was called up after 30 games to Vancouver in the Northwest League. Sloniger finished the 2019 season with a .304 batting average and 10 home runs in 43 total games. His final season came with the Dunedin Blue Jays in 2021 in the Florida State League. He saw valuable time in 65 professional games and hit 12 home runs, drove in 39 runs and forged a solid .356 career on base percentage.
During his college coaching debut at Kent State in 2022, Sloniger worked as the team's catching coach, assistant pitching coach and first base coach, He also tossed batting practice for the Golden Flashes, handled in game pitch selection and worked as the program's camp coordinator.
He graduated from Penn State with a bachelor's degree in Journalism in May, 2019. He and his wife, Alyssa, reside in Shelby, N.C.
