Baseball Names Mee Assistant Coach
8/25/1999 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Aug. 25, 1999
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Cory Mee, who served as assistant baseball coach at Notre Dame for the past five seasons, has been appointed to the same position at Michigan State, head coach Ted Mahan announced today. Mee's primary responsibilities will include working with the Spartan hitters and catchers. Mee replaces Ed Turek, who resigned to take an administrative position at Detroit Catholic Central High School.
"We are excited about Cory joining our coaching staff," said Mahan. "The teams he coached at Notre Dame were very strong offensively and we hope he can do the same things at Michigan State. His experience will certainly help us."
While at Notre Dame, Mee was responsible for instructing Irish catchers and hitters. In his five seasons, Mee tutored four different all-star catchers, including 1999 Collegiate Baseball All-American Paul O'Toole, who hit .318 with eight home runs and 39 RBI. Under Mee's direction, Irish hitters have posted impressive numbers. All five of his squads have posted team batting averages of .304 or higher, while averaging 65 home runs per season.
"I am very excited about being here at Michigan State and a part of the Big Ten Conference," said Mee. "This is an opportunity to be a part of the resurgence of Spartan baseball. I just want to help each player reach their potential."
In 1999, Notre Dame posted a .307 team average while hitting 70 home runs. The home run total was second most in school history, trailing only the '98 squad which belted 73 round trippers. Mee's '97 team set school records at the time in slugging (.529), home runs (66) and doubles (127) while equalling the team batting record of .334. In 1996, the Irish hit .315 with 58 home runs and in Mee's first season of 1995, Notre Dame hit .316 with 60 home runs.
Potent offenses have been a key ingredient in Notre Dame's success. In 1999, the Irish finished the season with a 43-18 record and hosted an NCAA Regional for the first time in school history. The 43 wins marked the 11th consecutive season in which Notre Dame has reached the 40-win plateau. Mee has been involved in 10 of those 11 years as a coach or player.
In addition to hitting and catching instruction, Mee was responsible for many areas of the Notre Dame baseball program. He assisted the strength coach with the supervision of the strength and conditioning program. He was also responsible for the preparation of scouting reports on opposing teams and was actively involved with recruiting administration. In addition, as Associate Director of the Notre Dame Summer Baseball Camp, he was solely responsible for the organization and daily activities of the camp.
A native of Hilton, N.Y., Mee was a four-year letterwinner at Notre Dame from 1989-1992. He started all four years at third base, catcher and second base. He was a member of the 1989 Notre Dame squad that made the program's first trip to the NCAA since 1970. As a senior, he captained the Irish squad that advanced to the title game of the 1992 NCAA Atlantic Regional.
In 1992, Mee graduated with a bachelor's degree in biological sciences. His 3.3 grade-point average and his performance on the field earned him a spot on the 1992 GTE Academic All-American first team. After graduation, Mee signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers' Northwest League affiliate, the Yakima Bears, for the 1992 Class A short season. In 1993, he returned to his alma mater as a volunteer assistant, helping the Irish to a 46-16 record and a return trip to the NCAAs. He would then spend one year at the Rochester Institute of Technology as an assistant coach before accepting the full-time assistant coach position at Notre Dame.
Born February 14, 1970, in Jamestown, N.Y., Mee's family includes his wife, Susan.
