Jim Kais is entering his first season as an assistant coach withthe USC Upstate baseball program. Prior to joining theSpartans, Kais served as an assistant coach this summer with theWilmington (N.C.) Sharks of the Coastal Plain League, a collegiatesummer wooden-bat league.
During the 2010 baseball season, Kais was an assistant coach atWaldorf College where he primarily worked with hitters andcatchers. During his time in Forest City, Iowa, Kais helpedthe team improve its batting average by 28 points compared to the2009 squad. The team also saw improvements in hits, doubles,homeruns and slugging percentage.
Kais, a native of Waukesha, Wis., spent three years with thePerfect Game Wisconsin Fall Scout League (2006, 2008-09). During his tenure with the league he helped one player get draftedin the third-round of the MLB Draft. In 2007, Kais workedwith the Midwest Blazers Scout team. Ten players went on tojoin Division I baseball programs and three players were selectedin the MLB Draft.
Kais was a four-year letterwinner as a catcher for Coach Fincherfrom 2002-05. As a freshman, Kais appeared in 36 games andmade 26 starts. In the game against USC Aiken on March 23,2002, Kais delivered the game winning hit as the team claimed athrilling 14-13 victory. During his sophomore season, Kaisowned a batting average of .294 and scored the game winning run ona wild pitch against No. 1 Kennesaw State on March 28, 2003. It was the program's first victory over a nationally No. 1-rankedteam.
In 2004, Kais' junior season, he appeared in 42 games whilemaking 35 starts. He was part of the first team to ever playat Cleveland S. Harley Park. In his final season inSpartanburg, Kais made 49 appearances with 46 starts. Heowned a career best .327 batting average in 2005 as well as postingseason-highs in hits (55), runs (35), RBI (31) and doubles(12).
