Doug Smith
Head Coach • doug.smith@ucr.edu

Doug Smith was appointed as the fourth head baseball coach in UC Riverside history in September 2004, following 25 years as the top assistant and hitting coach at his alma mater.

Entering his fourth season, Smith has set high expectations for 2008 after winning the schools first ever Big West Conference title and earning a trip to the NCAA Regionals in 2007. After finishing the season with a program best 16-5 in conference, Smith was awarded Big West Coach of the Year.

Smith became the fastest coach in school history to reach 50 wins, doing so in just two years. He is the first coach in the program to have a winning record in his first two seasons, compiling a 57-52 mark.

In his first season at the helm, UCR posted a 28-27 record, the program’s fourth consecutive winning season at the Division I level. The team improved upon that record the next year, going 29-25.

In a collegiate coaching career spanning over 1,500 games, Smith has helped the Highlanders to 10 postseason appearances, including one Division II National Championship, one Big West Conference Title, and two NCAA Division I West Regional appearances.

As the Highlanders’ hitting coach, Smith has seen his teams set nearly every significant offensive school record, including batting average, home runs, runs, RBI and extra base hits. In addition, the 2003 Highlanders led the Big West in batting average and homers and had the fourth highest team batting average in Division I.

In his career, Smith has coached over 150 all-conference selections and 34 All-America selections. During that time, nearly 100 of his players have been signed to professional contracts including 2007 Oakland A’s first round pick, James Simmons.

Smith graduated from UC Riverside in 1975 with bachelor’s degrees in sociology and political science. An outstanding catcher, his senior year was highlighted by his performance in the All-Riverside Baseball Invitational Tournament, where he helped lead the Highlanders to their first-ever title and was the leading hitter at .471. Following the season he was named All-CCAA First Team.

Smith served as a part-time assistant coach from 1976 through 1980 while he pursued a master’s degree in Physical Education from Cal Poly Pomona. After taking three years off to venture into private business, Smith returned to the Highlanders in 1983 and has been on the staff ever since. In 1989 Smith led the Kenai Peninsula Oilers of the Alaska Summer Baseball League to a third-place finish at the National Baseball Congress Tournament in Wichita, KS.

Smith is a member of the American Baseball Coaches Association and enjoys playing golf in his free time. He and his wife, Ruthan, reside in Riverside with their daughters, Traci and Kelly.

Randy Betten
Assistant Coach • randy.betten@ucr.edu

Randy Betten joined the UC Riverside coaching staff in September 2004, coming to the Highlanders after one year at Cal Baptist University and eight seasons at Riverside Community College.

In 2004 Betten served as an assistant to former UCR assistant and Cal Baptist Head Coach Gary Adcock. The Lancers overcame a slow start to post a 30-22 record and finished as runners-up in the Region II Tournament.

Betten was on Head Coach Dennis Rogers’ staff at RCC from 1996-2003 and coached on three straight California Community College state championships from 2000-02.

Betten played professionally for six years after being taken in the 26th round by the California Angels in the 1995 draft. He reached as high as the AAA level in the minors with the Angels’ teams in Vancouver and Edmonton in 1998 and 1999. He began his coaching career in 2000 with the Angels Midwest League affiliate, Cedar Rapids.

A graduate of Newlife Christian HS in Highland, CA, Betten began his college career at RCC, earning All-American, All-Southern California and All-Orange Empire Conference honors for Coach Dennis Rogers in 1992 and 1993. He then earned a scholarship to Arizona State. Playing for Coach Jim Brock, Betten was part of a team that finished third in the 1994 College World Series. In 1995, Betten earned All-Pacific 10 Conference first team honors. He also served as a team captain.

Betten earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Thomas Edison State College in 1998. He also earned a master’s degree in physical education from Azusa Pacific in 2002.

Betten’s hobbies include playing golf. He and his wife, Amy, two young children, Beau and Cody, and reside in Riverside.

Nathan Choate
Assistant Coach - Pitching • nathan.choate@ucr.edu

Nathan Choate was hired as the Highlanders' pitching coach in September, 2007.

Choate spent the 2007 season as pitching coach for the Anteaters under then-Head Coach Dave Serrano, where he played a key role in the team's success. The Anteaters finished the 2007 season ranked fourth in the nation and reached the College World Series in Omaha, NE. Choate had previously served one year as the Anteaters' director of baseball operations.

Choate pitched at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo for two seasons, where he was awarded the "Jim Newkirk Fireman's Award", given to the team's best relief pitcher in his junior and senior seasons. In his two-year career he posted a 6-5 record and struck out 52 batters in 67.2 innings pitched. Choate made 45 appearances for the Mustangs and logged eight saves during his stint.

Prior to joining the Mustangs, Choate competed at Santa Ana Junior College in 1998 and 1999, helping the Dons to a third-place finish in 1999. He prepped at Esperanza High School and was a first-team all-state selection after helping the team to a CIF championship and a No. 4 national ranking.

Choate spent a year as the pitching coach at Esperanza High in 2004-05 and in the summer of 2006 was the pitching coach for the Hyannis Mets of the Cape Cod League.

He received a BS in Kinesiology with an emphasis in Sports Management from Cal Poly in 2002. Choate and his wife, Lori, reside in Yorba Linda, CA.

Rusty McNamara
Assistant Coach • james.mcnamara@ucr.edu

James McNamara joined the Highlander staff as a volunteer assistant coach in September 2007 after serving as an assistant coach for Huntington Beach High School under head coach Benji Medure.

He played four years of collegiate baseball for Oklahoma State University. He received honorable mention All-American in 1996, earned First Team All-Big VIII, and played in the College World Series. In 1997, he received Second Team All-American, as well as earned First Team All-Big XII. He earned his degree in Physical Education in 1998.

He was named to five minor league all-star teams during his six-year career in the Philadelphia Phillies and the Atlanta Braves organizations. After finishing the 2001 season in AAA, he moved on to play professional baseball in Italy for the Nettuno Indians. In his five-year career he batted .289 with 54 home runs and 466 RBI.

McNamara is a 1993 graduate of Riverside Poly High School and enjoys reading, keeping a journal of his life experiences, working out, and yoga.

He resides in Riverside.

.