Rick Hubbard enters his third season as Pitching Coach for the Westmont Baseball program, after previously serving as the Director of Pitching with the NCAA Division I Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. Over his eight-year career, Hubbard has coached 33 pitchers who have been selected in the MLB draft. Three former pitchers for Hubbard were on MLB clubs in 2024, and seven more were selected in the 2024 MLB draft.
Westmont has been exceptional during Hubbard’s tenure. In his two years with the program, the Warriors have won the 2023 NAIA World Series; and finished their first year of NCAA Division II competition ranked 14th nationally by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA).
In 2024, four Westmont pitchers were selected to PacWest's all-conference teams. The Westmont pitching staff set program records for single game strikeouts and single season strikeouts per nine innings. In conference play, Westmont led the PacWest in strikeouts, allowed the fewest total bases, and held opposing hitters to the leagues lowest batting average and slugging percentage.
In 2023, Westmont finished seventh nationally in ERA (3.78), fourth in WHIP (1.23), fourth in walks per nine innings (2.87), and third in runs allowed per nine innings (4.48). The staff also set program records for strikeouts per nine innings and single season strikeouts. During the team’s postseason championship run, the pitching staff posted an ERA of 3.62, walks per nine innings of 2.63, and a strikeout to walk ratio of 3.34.
The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets returned to the national spotlight in Hubbard’s first year as the Director of Pitching, winning 43 games, earning the number three national seed, and hosting the 2019 NCAA Atlanta Regional. While Hubbard was at Tech, the Jackets were two-time ACC Coastal Division champions (2019, 2021), and earned a place in three-straight NCAA Division I Regional Championships. In 2021 and 2022, Georgia Tech finished as NCAA Division I Regional runners-up to Vanderbilt University and top-seeded Tennessee respectively.
While working alongside Danny Borrell (former New York Yankees pitching coordinator) at Georgia Tech, Hubbard saw nine former pitchers have their names called in the MLB draft.
Hubbard also served as pitching coach for the Santa Barbara Foresters from 2020-2023, which at point included three-straight National Baseball Congress World Series titles. Under Hubbard, the Forester pitching staff possessed the California Collegiate Leagues lowest ERA in four straight seasons. Nineteen former Forester pitchers under Hubbard have been selected in the MLB Draft.
Prior to Georgia Tech, Hubbard served as a pitching coach and head strength coach for the NCAA Division II Tiffin University baseball program. Tiffin garnered a program-record 32 wins in Hubbard’s first year, surpassing the previous mark of 25. Hubbard received honors as an exercise physiologist from East Carolina University in 2015 and is a nationally Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).
A native of Angola, New York, Hubbard was a pitcher for the 2013 NCAA Division I MAAC Champion Canisius University baseball team and was a participant in the 2013 NCAA Regional in Chapel Hill, N.C. Following his playing career, Hubbard received a Bachelor of Science in kinesiology and physiology from East Carolina University, and an MBA from Tiffin University in 2018.
Hubbard has stated, "I am grateful to Westmont College for the opportunity to grow in my Christian faith, while also being part of a community with a winning group of servant leaders."
