McKendree University Athletics

McKendree University baseball coach Danny Jackson has announced the addition of Jon Levin to the Bearcats’ coaching staff for the 2017 season. Levin will serve as the program’s pitching coach.
 
Levin, a native of O’Fallon, Ill., comes to McKendree after spending the last two seasons on the coaching staff at his alma mater, Saint Louis University. Levin was a volunteer assistant with the Billikens, working primarily with the pitchers. He began his coaching career as a graduate assistant coach at Lindenwood University-Belleville, where he helped the Lynx to a USCAA baseball national championship in 2014. Levin was part of an LU-Belleville coaching staff that guided the team that set a program record with 38 wins and a school-low 3.62 ERA.
 
“We are very excited to have Jon join our staff as pitching coach,” said Jackson, who was named as the Bearcats’ head coach during the summer. “He is a metro-east guy who has played and coached for one of the best mid-major teams in the country at Saint Louis University. He was a heck of a competitor on the mound, and he brings the same passion in his coaching style. Jon will be in charge of developing and implementing programs for our pitchers and will also assist in recruiting. The relationships he has built in this area will be crucial as our primary focus is to recruit local players.”
 
Levin moved into the coaching ranks after playing two seasons professionally in the Frontier League. A left-handed pitcher, Levin registered a career record of 2-1 with a 2.12 earned-run average in 31 games as a member of the River City Rascals and Southern Illinois Miners.
 
At SLU, Levin was a part of the Billikens’ teams that captured Atlantic 10 championships in 2010 and 2013 and also qualified for the NCAA Tournament in those same seasons. Saint Louis won a school-record 41 games during his junior and senior seasons in 2012 and 2013. Working primarily out of the bullpen, Levin pitched in 90 games at Saint Louis, which is a school record for appearances. In 94 innings of work, Levin struck out 61 batters while walking just 21. As a senior in 2013, he posted a 3-0 record with a 1.21 ERA in 30 games, which is also a school record. Levin held batters to a .175 batting average in his final year with the Billikens.
 
“I’m excited to have this opportunity,” said Levin. “I am really looking forward to developing and building our pitching staff. We have a really good core group returning along with some newcomers who will step in and help as we work toward our goal of competing for a conference championship.”
 
Before attending SLU, Levin was a standout at nearby O’Fallon High School. As a senior, he posted a 9-4 record with a 3.55 ERA and 56 strikeouts in helping the Panthers to a third-place finish in the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Class 4A state tournament.