GREENSBORO, N.C. – The Angelo State baseball program has earned another prestigious honor for the 2025 season, with Sam Mote being named the Division II Assistant Coach of the Year by the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA)/Soldier Sports, as announced by the organization on Wednesday morning.

Mote becomes the first coach from the Lone Star Conference and the South Central region to receive this distinction.

According to the release, coaching expertise, recruiting, loyalty to the program and respect for the players and the game are some of the many criteria examined when reviewing the candidates for the award. Assistant Coach of the Year honorees are voted on and selected by the ABCA All-America and Coach of the Year committees, in conjunction with the ABCA national office.

Since joining the Rams in 2018, Mote has played a pivotal role in transforming the team into one of the most potent offenses in the country. Under his guidance, Angelo State has led the Lone Star Conference in batting average for four of the past seven seasons.

In the 2023 National Championship season, Mote helped propel the Rams to a national ranking of fifth in batting average (.342), third in on-base percentage (.454), and third in runs scored (597). The team also excelled defensively, finishing the season with the top fielding percentage in Division II at .985.

The 2022 campaign marked a historic offensive achievement for the Rams, as they set a program record with 677 runs, leading all of Division II. The team finished with a .357 batting average, the fourth highest in the nation, and topped the Division II rankings in on-base percentage (.470) and doubles (166). Additionally, the Rams ranked second in the nation in hits (763) and made their second consecutive College World Series appearance.

During his tenure at Angelo State, Mote has mentored eight NCAA Division II All-Americans, including Josh Elvir, the 2019 NCAA Division II Player of the Year.

Before his time at ASU, Mote served as a volunteer assistant at Texas A&M – Corpus Christi. He also spent two years as an assistant coach at the University of Northwestern Ohio, where in 2016, he helped the Racers set program records in doubles, home runs, and slugging percentage. The following season, Mote's efforts helped place UNOH among the NAIA's top-10 in hits and runs per game.

Mote's coaching resume also includes three years as an assistant at Iowa Western Community College, where he was part of the coaching staff that won the 2014 NJCAA National Championship and finished fifth at the 2015 NJCAA World Series.

In addition to his collegiate coaching experience, Mote has worked with various summer league teams, served as a scout director for Prep Baseball Report Ohio, and acted as a site director for Pastime Tournaments.

Mote's playing career took place at Wright State University, where he contributed to the team's Horizon League Tournament Championship in 2009 and its Horizon League Regular Season Title in 2010.