LOUDONVILLE, N.Y. - Siena Baseball Head Coach Tony Rossi has appointed Steve Adkins as the Saints' new pitching coach. The Elmhurst, Illinois native joins the program after spending last season as the pitching coach at Division II Southwest Baptist University located in Bolivar, Missouri.

"We are real excited to have Coach Adkins as a member of our staff," said Rossi. "He was an outstanding pitcher at Bradley University, and coming from Southwest Baptist University, the Chicago-area native will being renewed energy to our pitching staff. We are very fortunate to have him as a member of the Siena community."

Adkins wasted no time in having an immediate impact at SBU this past spring. He directly contributed to the success of a pitching staff which lowered its overall team ERA by more than a half run from the previous season, while breaking the program's single-season record with 304 strikeouts. Adkins also assisted in recruiting for the Bearcats, and developed the team's strength and conditioning program. He most recently served as the pitching coach for the Licking County Settlers of the Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League earlier this summer.

A 2015 graduate of Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois with his B.S. in Secondary Education, Adkins was a two-year captain for the Braves. He was named a Second Team All-Missouri Valley Conference selection after posting a 6-2 record with a 2.87 ERA in 10 appearances (nine starts) during his senior season in which he helped pitch Bradley to its first NCAA Regionals appearance since 1968 with an at-large berth and No. 2 seed in the Louisville Regional. Adkins amassed a career record of 8-6 with a 3.81 ERA and 125 strikeouts in 132.1 innings spanning 41 appearances (17 starts).

A 2015 nominee for Bradley Male Athlete of the Year, Adkins was the recipient of the 2013 Bradley Athletics Carl Grose Community Service Award and the 2013 Phil Kaiser Memorial Award for Leadership. He directly helped spearhead efforts to raise money for pediatric cancer treatment which raised $11,000 to benefit the Children's Hospital of Illinois. He was also heavily involved in the Heart of Illinois Big Brothers and Big Sisters program.

Adkins joins a Siena Baseball program which posted a 25-32 overall record this spring, and finished second in the MAAC with a 16-8 league mark. The Saints are set to welcome 16 freshmen to the program this fall and return seven members of the starting lineup from a team which advanced to the MAAC Championship Series for the fourth consecutive season this spring.