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After eight seasons of professional baseball, including a stint at the Major League level with the Cleveland Indians, Kyle Denney is in his first year as an assistant coach with the Missouri Southern baseball team. Denney is a native of Prague, Oklahoma, where he lettered in baseball, basketball and football. He was a three time All-State selection in baseball, while earning All-State status in 1995 in basketball. After high school, Denney attended Seminole State College, where as a freshman, he led the NJCAA in ERA with a 1.51 average, helping the team to a 50-10 mark in 1996. He continued that success as a sophomore as Seminole went 59-5 and advanced to the NJCAA National Title game. Denney then transferred to Oklahoma University, where the 1998 squad was ranked third in the nation, before falling in the regional finals. He finished his career with the Sooners with 107 strikeouts in 102.2 innings pitched. He was drafted in 1999 by the Cleveland Indians in the 26th round of the Major League Baseball Draft. In 2001, he earned a spot on the Carolina - California league All-Star game, before going through season-ending Tommy John surgery. Denney rebounded in 2003 and was named the Eastern League Pitcher of the Year and was a mid and post season All-Star. In 2004, he went 10-5 with AAA Buffalo and made his Major League debut in September of 2004. Denney also had professional stints in both the Washington Nationals and Detroit Tigers minor league systems. Denney and his wife, April, a native of Noel, Mo., reside in Carl Junction, Mo. |
