Pitching coach Bobby Applegate returns to the Cougar fold after spending four seasons as an assistant coach at the Air Force Academy (1998-2001).
Applegate's appointment became official yesterday.
"We are excited about Bobby joining our program," said BYU Coach Vance Law. "He had great success in a program at Air Force that struggles in getting great baseball recruits. We are anxious to see how he can help us with our caliber of pitchers."
Applegate led the Academy to more Division I games in his final season, 2001. In 2002 he worked as an associate scout with the Kansas City Royals and as an instructor in the Academy PE Department. He also was an assistant coach with the Falcon boxing team, helping them to their fifth straight NCAA Boxing Championship.
Applegate, 30, is a 1996 graduate of the University of Southern Colorado with a degree in kinesiology. He was inducted into the USC Baseball Hall of Fame in 2000.
A native of San Diego, Calif., Applegate played two seasons (1991-92) at Southwestern Community College in San Diego. he then transferred to Southern Colorado where he pitched in 1993 and 1994. In 1994, Applegate was named the Colorado Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Year. He spent the 1995 and 1996 seasons at USC as the pitching coach and helped lead the team to the NCAA Division II college World Series. In the summer of 1995, Applegate pitched with the Pueblo Bighorns professional baseball club of the AA Texas-Louisiana league.
Following his coaching stint at USC, Applegate was a player-coach for the Tri-City Posse in Pasco, Wash., of the AA Western Baseball League in 1998. Applegate left the Posse to joining the coaching staff at BYU. He worked with the Cougars from Aug.-Dec. 1998. Applegate was married earlier this year to Kristy Palmquist and they have a dog named Rylee.
Applegate replaces Mike Karpel, who has taken a position in the College of Health and Human Services.