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One of the premier coaches in college baseball history, and a man whose name is synonymous with the Stanford baseball program, Mark Marquess enters his 33rd year at the helm of his alma mater in 2009. Since he arrived on The Farm as a two-sport athlete in baseball and football in the fall of 1965, Marquess' impact upon Stanford baseball is beyond measure, even by the benchmark of his long list of on-field accomplishments. Perhaps more important than any of the wins or championships his club has produced is the nature of the program he has developed, both on and off the field. In his 40 years associated with the school, Marquess has been the architect of a Stanford program that is nationally recognized as one of winning baseball and quality student-athletes. A member of the American Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame, Marquess opens the season as the 10th-winningest coach in NCAA Division I baseball history - fifth among active skippers - with a career 1,326-669-7 (.664) record. Each of those 1,326 victories has come on The Farm, as he has won more games than any coach in any sport ever at Stanford. A three-time NCAA Coach of the Year recipient and nine-time Pac-10 Coach of the Year honoree, he has guided his Stanford clubs to 25 NCAA Tournament appearances, a pair of College World Series championships (1987 and 1988), six NCAA Super Regional titles, 15 NCAA Regional crowns and 12 Pac-10 regular season championships. Marquess owns a career 120-55 (.686) record in postseason play, including a 72-26 (.734) mark in NCAA Regionals, a 12-4 (.750) ledger in NCAA Super Regionals and a 36-25 (.590) record at the College World Series. Under Marquess' guidance, Stanford has reached Omaha - the pinnacle of the college baseball world - in eight of the last 14 seasons. In a testament to the standard of winning baseball Marquess has created at Stanford, 31 of his first 32 teams have finished at .500 or better. He has presided over 19 teams that have won at least 40 games, including six clubs that have crested the 50-win plateau. Marquess led the Cardinal to a school-record stretch of 10 consecutive 40-win campaigns from 1995-2004. Marquess' clubs have advanced to postseason play in 25 of a possible 32 seasons, including a school-record 13 straight campaigns from 1994-2006. Stanford has won at least one game in 24 of its trips to the NCAA Tournament under Marquess, while winning as many as four playoff contests in 14 different seasons. Marquess' teams have played nearly .600 baseball in the Pac-10 (524-352, .598), long recognized as one of the best and toughest conferences in the country. Stanford has finished either first or second in the Pac-10 a total of 23 times in the last 28 seasons (including Southern Division finishes), while capturing 12 conference championships. The Cardinal has won at least two consecutive conference titles three different times under Marquess, as Stanford captured three straight crowns in both 1983-85 and 1997-2000 before winning back-to-back championships in 2003 and 2004. Perhaps the crowning moment of Marquess' career came when the Cardinal captured back-to-back College World Series titles in 1987 and 1988, becoming one of only four programs in the 62-year history of the CWS to have ever won at least two consecutive titles. But there was much accomplished before and much has been done since. Stanford has reached the College World Series a total of 14 times and been in the CWS final on five occasions during Marquess' tenure, including a stretch where the Cardinal finished second three times during a school-record string of five consecutive trips to Rosenblatt Stadium from 1999-2003. The trips to Omaha were just two shy of Oklahoma State's NCAA record run of seven in a row from 1981-87. Even more impressive, each of the 14 teams Marquess has skippered to the CWS has won at least one game. Both of Marquess' championship clubs won the title after having their back against the wall. His 1987 team won the first CWS crown in school history, finished the season 53-17 overall and was 21-9 in the Pac-10 Southern Division - winning the league title by five full games. But, the Cardinal had to win its final three CWS contests after a second-round loss to claim the title, defeating Oklahoma State in the championship game. Stanford completed the back-to-back feat in 1988 by winning eight postseason elimination games, four in both the CWS and the NCAA Northeast Regional, concluding its unbelievable run by defeating league rival Arizona State in the CWS championship. Stanford's recent near misses for another national title began in 2000 when the Cardinal went unbeaten in its CWS bracket before dropping a 6-5 heartbreaker to LSU in the championship game. In 2001, Stanford again swept through its bracket before falling to Miami in the championship contest. Two years later, the Cardinal made a run through the 2003 CWS losers' bracket with three straight wins in elimination games to reach the championship again, extending Rice into the final game of the inaugural best-of-three CWS championship series. Marquess became the 23rd NCAA Division I baseball coach to reach the 1,000-win mark ,with a victory over Florida State on February 9, 2001. He picked up his 1,100th career victory with a February 17, 2003 win over Nevada. Win number 1,200 came against California on March 5, 2005, while he reached the 1,300-win plateau by defeating top-ranked Arizona State on April 6, 2008 at Klein Field at Sunken Diamond. Marquess recorded his 100th career postseason win in Stanford's NCAA Super Regional-clinching victory over Long Beach State on June 7, 2003. Stanford's success under Marquess has paid dividends at the next level as well, as his players are normally very visible on the radar screens of professional baseball scouts. A total of 146 Cardinal players have been chosen in the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft over the past 24 seasons, including 20 in the last 22 years that were taken in either the first round or as a Compensation A pick. Nine players from Marquess' 2008 club were selected, while Jason Castro was the 10th overall pick and Jeremy Bleich was grabbed in the first compensation round. Marquess has also developed several fine young coaches that were either former assistants or players on The Farm, including Jeff Austin (assistant coach - Stanford), David Esquer (head coach - California), Mark Machtolf (head coach - Gonzaga), Dave Nakama (former head coach - San Francisco State; assistant coach - Stanford), Mark O'Brien (head coach - Santa Clara) and Ed Sprague (head coach - Pacific). The accolades have streamed Marquess' way throughout his illustrious career at Stanford, including three NCAA Coach of the Year selections (1985, `87, `88). His most recent major honor came in 2003 when he earned his ninth Pac-10 Coach of the Year award. He was previously chosen as the Pac-10 Southern Division Coach of the Year seven times in the final 16 seasons of the league (1983, '85, '87, '90, '94, '97, '98) and the Pacific-10 Coach of the Year during the first season of the conference's restructuring in 1999. The 2008 Cardinal began the season picked to finish near the bottom of the Pac-10 and well away from the postseason, but Marquess led his club back to Omaha. After losing its NCAA Regional opener, Stanford tied a school record for one postseason with seven straight victories. The Cardinal staved off elimination four times in Regional action and overcame a 6-2, fifth-inning deficit to defeat Pepperdine in the Regional title game, then swept host Cal State Fullerton in the Super Regional. Stanford eventually settled for a tie for third at the College World Series, concluding a season which featured some of Marquess' best work to date. The Cardinal finished 41-24-2 for the 19th 40-win season of his tenure, including a 14-10 mark in a Pac-10 Conference that sent four clubs to the NCAA Tournament. Marquess had arguably his most challenging season in 2007 as the Cardinal played below .500 for most of the year before winning nine of its last 10 games to finish with at an even .500 (28-28). The late run wasn't enough to vault the Cardinal into the playoffs, but a sweep at USC in the final three-game series of the regular season allowed Stanford to lift itself past the Trojans out of the Pac-10 cellar. His 2006 club had a similar season, but caught fire a little earlier and carried the hot streak to its 13th straight postseason appearance. The Cardinal then put together its best stretch of baseball with a dominating three-game sweep of the NCAA Austin Regional, ending the season for defending College World Series champion Texas on its home field in the process. Stanford's clutch victory over the Longhorns in the winners' bracket game on the second day of the Regional was sandwiched by a pair of victories over North Carolina State in its opening postseason game as well as the Regional championship contest, which the Cardinal was playing in for the eighth consecutive season. Stanford's year came to an end when the Cardinal ran into eventual CWS winners Oregon State at the NCAA Corvallis Super Regional, but the Cardinal finished the season 33-27 overall. Marquess' 2005 team advanced to the championship game of the NCAA Waco Regional before falling to host and eventual CWS participant Baylor, 4-3 in 12 innings. The squad finished with a 34-25 overall record and was 12-12 in the Pac-10 to tie for sixth place. His 2004 club was among the very best in college baseball. Stanford spent 10 weeks as Baseball America's No. 1 club and captured a second straight Pac-10 title in a campaign that saw the Cardinal win the second-most regular season games in school history (44). Although Stanford was eliminated by Long Beach State in an NCAA Regional, the team finished with a 46-14 overall record and was ranked ninth in final polls by both Baseball America and Collegiate Baseball. Marquess' 2003 unit dominated NCAA Regional and Super Regional action with five consecutive victories to reach the College World Series for a school-record fifth straight season. In Omaha, Stanford set a new College World Series standard by playing eight games before finally succumbing to Rice in the third and deciding contest of the inaugural CWS Championship Series. Stanford's 13 postseason games - the last 10 of which were televised live by ESPN - were also a school record, as were its 10 postseason victories. In addition, the Cardinal won its first outright Pac-10 title since 1999, finished with a 51-18 overall record to rank tied for third on the school's single-season victory list and became the fourth Stanford team to reach the 50-win mark in five years. In 2002, Stanford reached a bracket final to finish tied for third at the College World Series and posted a 47-18 overall record. The Cardinal swept its first six postseason contests and won a total of seven playoff games, but a pair of CWS losses to eventual national champion Texas ended its season. Marquess' club entered the year as the nation's consensus No. 1 team and stayed on top of the Baseball America poll until April 1, but a mini-slide in late April relegated the Cardinal to second place in the Pac-10. Marquess guided a young and inexperienced 2001 Stanford team with no seniors on its roster to a third straight College World Series appearance, reaching Omaha after winning a total of four elimination games in NCAA Regional and Super Regional play. Stanford ended up reaching the championship game at the CWS for the second straight year, before falling to Miami. The Cardinal recorded its third straight 50-win campaign, finishing 51-17 as Marquess garnered ABCA West Region Coach of the Year honors. In 2000, Marquess and one of his most experienced, and arguably best, Cardinal teams was within six outs of Stanford's third CWS title, holding a 5-2 lead over LSU into the bottom of the eighth inning of the championship game. However, the Tigers scored four times over the final two innings for a 6-5 win. Still, Marquess' club finished the season with a 50-16 record to give Stanford back-to-back 50-win seasons for the first time in school history. The Cardinal also shared the Pac-10 regular season championship with Arizona State and UCLA, after beating the Bruins in each of the final two regular season games. Marquess' 1999 club finished tied for third at the College World Series and won a Southern Division Pac-10 title. The team went on an incredible run toward the end of the season, winning 23 of 24 games - including its first seven contests of the postseason. Back-to-back losses to Florida State in a CWS bracket final eventually ended the Cardinal's campaign at 50-15, marking only the third time in school history and the first since 1990 that a Stanford squad had reached the 50-win mark. His 1998 team spent a college baseball record 15 straight weeks atop the Baseball America poll and beat eventual national champion USC by a single game to win the Pac-10 Southern Division title before being upset in NCAA Regional action. Pitcher Jeff Austin, who is in his second season as an assistant coach at Stanford in 2009, became Stanford's third National Player of the Year winner. The 1997 club finished tied for third at the College World Series, losing to eventual champion LSU in a bracket final. Marquess' team captured a Pac-10 Southern Division title with a 21-9 conference mark en route to a 45-20 overall record. Marquess returned the Cardinal to Omaha in 1995 after a four-year absence from college baseball's promised land, while his 40-25 club started a school-record streak of 10 consecutive 40-win seasons. Stanford tied for fifth at the CWS and took second in the Pac-10. The Cardinal saved its best baseball for conference play in 1994, when Marquess guided his team to a Pac-10 Southern Division crown. Stanford finished 21-9 against the Pac-10 Southern Division (Six-Pac) to qualify for a NCAA Regional, despite a 15-15 record outside of conference play that left the Cardinal with a 36-24 overall mark. Marquess led a potent 1990 Cardinal club to a school record for wins, as Stanford finished 59-12. After capturing the Pac-10 Southern Division title, Stanford swept through the NCAA West I Regional in four games and eventually tied for third at the College World Series. Marquess guided Stanford to a 47-15 overall record, won the Pac-10 Southern Division title and finished in a tie for fifth place at the College World Series in 1985. The Cardinal ended the regular season as the nation's top-ranked team in the ESPN/Collegiate Baseball national poll. During the season, Marquess became the winningest coach in Stanford Baseball history, surpassing the 326 victories of his predecessor Ray Young (1968-76). His 1983 and 1984 teams gave Marquess his first two Pac-10 Southern Division crowns, with the 1983 squad also becoming his second consecutive College World Series club. Marquess took his first group to Omaha in 1982, when the Cardinal came within one victory of becoming the first team in school history to reach the 50-win mark. Stanford finished the campaign with a 49-18-1 overall record, while its College World Series appearance was the program's first since 1967 - when Marquess himself was a first-team All-America first baseman. Marquess has also been a well-known coach on the international level. In 1988, he won International Coach of the Year honors after leading the United States Olympic team to a gold medal that year at the Olympic Games in Seoul, South Korea. Marquess guided his club to a 4-1 record, defeating Japan, 5-3, on September 28 to capture the first gold medal in baseball for the United States. Prior to arriving in Seoul, Marquess led the national team to the silver medal at the 15th World Amateur Baseball Championships in Italy. The Americans posted an 11-2 mark in the tourney, losing both games to gold medalist Cuba in the bottom of the ninth inning. For the summer, the USA squad posted a 42-11 overall record. As head coach of the USA national team, Marquess skippered the club to a silver medal at the 1987 Intercontinental Cup Tournament in Cuba. In the summer of 1984, he served as an assistant coach on the USA squad that competed at the World Amateur Championships that were also played in Cuba. As head coach of USA Baseball in 1981, Marquess guided the U.S. collegiate team to a gold medal at the World Games in Santa Clara. Following that accomplishment, he led the club to the gold medal at the Intercontinental Cup in Edmonton, Canada. His squad edged Cuba, 5-4, in the finals to mark the first time since 1970 that the United States had beaten the Cubans in international competition. In addition, Marquess became the only person ever to post victories over the Cuban team as both a player and a coach. From 1989-98, Marquess served as President of USA Baseball, an organization that handles all aspects of amateur baseball - from the youth level through the college-aged player and the Olympic squad. Marquess' success as a coach can be traced to his days as a player. A three-year starter at first base for Stanford (1967-69), he earned first-team All-America honors in 1967 and garnered second-team All-America recognition in 1968. He was also named first-team All-Pac-8 and All-District-8 both seasons. Marquess' name is still etched in the school's record book, as his .404 batting average in 1967 is fifth all-time on the school's single-season list and his 15 career triples are tied for fifth. In addition, Marquess is one of only 10 to have both played in and coached at the College World Series, and he also competed on the 1967 USA Pan American Games team that captured the gold medal. A member of the American Baseball Coaches' Association Hall of Fame, he is one of 34 members of the Stanford Baseball family to have a place in the Stanford Athletic Hall of Fame. One of the greatest two-sport athletes ever on The Farm, he complimented his collegiate baseball career with three seasons on the Stanford football squad as a quarterback, split end, defensive back and punt returner. After graduation, Marquess signed with the Chicago White Sox organization in 1969 and spent four seasons as a professional baseball player before getting a taste of coaching as a player/coach with the Des Moines (Iowa) Triple-A team in 1973. He was also an assistant coach on the Boulder Collegians squad that captured the 1975 National Semi-Pro championship. The following year, his Boulder team placed third at the national tourney. Prior to his appointment as head coach at Stanford in 1977, Marquess spent five seasons (1972-76) as an assistant under Ray Young. Marquess now officially serves as the Clarke and Elizabeth Nelson Director of Baseball at Stanford. The Nelsons, through a large gift to the baseball program, endowed the position in 1987. His success in the dugout and on the field has led to some other exciting and noteworthy experiences. Marquess made his broadcasting debut for CBS during the network's coverage of the 1987 Pan American Games in Indianapolis. After winning the College World Series and Olympic gold medal in 1988, he was asked to throw out the first pitch before Game 4 of the 1988 World Series on October 19 at the Oakland Coliseum. Later, President Ronald Reagan honored Marquess and the Olympic championship squad at a White House reception. He also served as a color commentator for the baseball venue during NBC's coverage at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, Spain. In 2001, Marquess and the Cardinal played in the opening game at the College World Series in which President George W. Bush threw out the first pitch. Marquess earned his bachelor's degree in political science from Stanford in 1969. He completed his master's degree in political science at San Jose State in 1976. Marquess and his wife, Susan, reside in Mountain View. They have three daughters - Bridget Dunnington, Anne Lohman and Maureen Marquess. Bridget and her husband, Gan, have a six-year old daughter, Ella, and two-year-old twins, Reagan and Gan. Anne and her husband, Chris, have a fourth-year-old son, Wyatt. Both families make their home in Los Altos. Maureen lives and works in New York City.
Mark Marquess File
Marquess Year-By-Year
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