FORT SMITH, Ark. – University of Arkansas – Fort Smith Baseball Head Coach Todd Holland has announced the addition of Jon Ubbenga to his coaching staff as an assistant coach.
“I’m excited and grateful for the opportunity,” Ubbenga said. “It’s great to see so many familiar faces and be back with the Lions baseball team and the UAFS community. I’m looking forward to the opportunity to hit the ground running to help this program continue to improve to the highest level.”
Ubbenga previously served as an assistant for the UAFS baseball program from 2014-16. He officially started his duties this past fall.
“Jon will be a vital part of our staff,” Holland said. “He’s a proven recruiter that will help us compete for MIAA championships.”
Ubbenga most recently served as an assistant coach at Tarleton State for three seasons, working on both offensive and defensive game plans. He helped coach two All-WAC selections and the Texans hit 69 home runs under his tutelage in 2022.
Prior to Tarleton State, Ubbenga coached to seasons at Bishop McGuinness Catholic High School in Oklahoma City. During his time at the high school ranks, Ubbenga quickly turned around a program that went 8-27 prior to his arrival to one game shy of the state tournament in 2019.
He coached at Central Arkansas for the 2017 season.
Ubbenga’s collegiate baseball history dates back to 2005 as a shortstop for William Jewell College, where was an NAIA Honorable Mention All-America selection and a four-year starter for the Cardinals before graduating in 2009. During his time at William Jewell, the Cardinals went 168-70 with Ubbenga in the lineup.
After playing one summer of professional baseball for the River City Rascals in the Frontier League, he moved on to Missouri State University as a volunteer assistant coach. He spent two seasons with MSU before one year at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M.
During his previous stint at UAFS, Ubbenga recruited Dion Williams and Logan Allen. Williams would go on to earn Newcomer of the Year honors in the Heartland Conference while Allen developed into the first Major League Baseball draft pick in UAFS’ NCAA era. He was a 14th round selection of the Tampa Bay Rays in June.
He and his wife, Jessica, reside in Fort Smith with their son, Jaxon, and daughters, Jayden and Jamison.
