Joel Southern is set to begin his 17th season as the head baseball coach at Elmhurst University.
In 2018, Southern guided Elmhurst to a 22-17 overall record, marking the first time the team the team posted three straight 20-win seasons since the 2001 season. Trey Compton, Jacob McMillan, Nick Drago and Jordan Scrimpsher all took home all-conference accolades. Compton and Reagan McReynolds went on to earn all-region accolades as well.
In 2017, the Bluejays posted a 21-18 overall record.It marked the team's first back-to-back 20-win season in over a decade. Ben Havel and A.J. Compton earned all-conference and all-region accolades while Havel went on to earn All-America honors from the ABCA and D3baseball.com.Â
In 2016, the Bluejays finished with a 21-19 overall record and the team enjoyed it's best start under Southern's direction with an 11-3 start. Six Bluejays earned all-conference honors and Ben Havel and Reagan McReynolds earned all-region accolades.Â
In 2012, Southern guided the Bluejays to a 23-20 overall record and an 11-10 record and third-place finish in the CCIW. He was named the league's Coach of the Year after the Bluejays qualified for the CCIW Tournament for the first time since the 2007 season. The 23 victories was the Bluejays' highest win total under Southern's direction. Â
In his first season at the helm of the Bluejays in 2007, Southern guided Elmhurst to a fourth-place finish in the CCIW and a trip to the CCIW Tournament. During his 15 years at Elmhurst, the program has produced 35 all-CCIW honorees, 24 all-Central Region performers, one All-American and three all-region gold glove award winners. Southern has an overall record of 248-340.
Southern, who previously spent four seasons as a coach at Western New England College, also served as an assistant baseball coach at Elmhurst during the 2002 season. Southern began as an assistant coach at Western New England and was promoted to associate head coach in 2005. During his tenure with Western New England, the Golden Bears compiled a record of 121-52 (.699), including three consecutive 30-win seasons. The team advanced to the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Tournament all four years and finished no lower than second place. In 2006, the Golden Bears won both the GNAC regular season and tournament championships and advanced to the NCAA New England Regional where they placed third. Western New England also advanced to the NCAA Tournament during the 2004 season, finishing third.
In addition to his coaching duties at Western New England, Southern also served as the head coach of the Holyoke Giants in the New England College Baseball League (NECBL), a wood-bat collegiate summer league. He guided the Giants to a 23-18 record in 2005 while advancing to the playoffs. His 2006 team finished 17-25 and once again qualified for the playoffs.
He also served as an assistant coach at the University of Chicago from 1997-98. A 1994 graduate of Augustana College (Ill.), Southern was a three-year starter and letterwinner for the Vikings' baseball team, earning all-CCIW second-team honors as well as being chosen as a third-team GTE/CoSIDA Academic All-American®. Southern finished his Augustana baseball career with a .308 batting average. He also earned two varsity letters in football at Augustana.
Southern earned a Ph.D. degree in inorganic chemistry from the University of Chicago in 1999. He earned a master of education degree in physical education (concentration in athletic administration) at Springfield College (Mass.) in 2004.
In addition to his coaching duties, Southern also serves as an adjunct professor of chemistry at Elmhurst. He also served as an assistant professor of chemistry during his time at Western New England.
Southern is a native of Latham, Ill. He and his wife, Carey, are the parents of two sons, Paul and Daniel, and they reside in Villa Park.
