Since joining the Ohio Baseball staff in 2022, Kirby McGuire has made a substantial impact for the Bobcats as the hitting coach.
In the 2023 season, McGuire helped lead the Bobcats to an offensive explosion. Under McGuire's coaching, Cole Williams had two home runs in a game and saw a walk-off grand slam by Wes Lug.
In 2022, the Bobcats finished the regular season leading the MAC with a .298 team batting average. The Bobcats finished in the top 50 in the NCAA in three offensive categories: on-base percentage (37th), batting average (46th), and doubles per game (34th). McGuire also helped Colin Kasperbauer earn First Team All-MAC honors and Mason Minzey reach the Second Team.
Before coming to Ohio, McGuire coached at Southern Illinois where he was the Director of Player Development for two seasons. In his second and final year, the Salukis had a 40-21 record, the best year for the program in 31 years. The Salukis were one of the best offensive teams in the nation, ranking in the top-20 nationally in hits (10th), slugging percentage (10th), home runs (15th), and runs scored (16th).
Southern Illinois hit several milestones with McGuire on staff. Starting in the 2020 season and carrying into 2021, the Salukis won 19 consecutive games, marking the longest winning streak SIU recorded since 1974. SIU's 14-0 start in 2021 was the best start in program history. The 2021 Salukis hit 84 home runs, which shattered the previous program record of 75 homers set in 1998. SIU also finished the 2021 season with an RPI of 82, the best for the program since 2007. SIU collected five wins over the RPI top-50, six wins over teams that made the NCAA Tournament, and nine wins over the RPI top-100, including a four-game series split with Dallas Baptist, who went on to advance to a Super Regional.
In 2019, McGuire joined the coaching staff at the University of The Incarnate Word as the graduate assistant where he helped the program set a school record for wins with 37. He worked extensively with UIW hitters on pitch recognition and plate discipline, as the Cardinals led the Southland conference in almost every offensive category in 2019.
McGuire's coaching career started in 2018 at William Jewell College in Liberty, Missouri under head coach Mike Stockton. He worked with outfielders and hitters in his time at Jewell.
McGuire, a Round Rock, Texas native, graduated from the University of Missouri where he led the Tigers in hitting during conference play in 2017. Before attending the University of Missouri, McGuire played at McLennan Community College in Waco, Texas. He helped lead the Highlanders to a national runner-up finish in Grand Junction in 2015.
