Jake Epstein

South Carolina softball head coach Beverly Smith announced July 27, 2023 the addition of Jake Epstein to her coaching staff. He will serve as the hitting coach for the Gamecocks.

Regarded as one of the top hitting instructors in the country, Epstein has a wealth of playing and coaching experience to Carolina. For the past 20-plus years, Epstein has served as a full-time hitting instructor with professional and amateur players, while also spending the previous six seasons working as a hitting consultant for the Milwaukee Brewers organization.

As the founder of the Epstein Online Hitting Academy, he has consulted with multiple Major League Baseball organizations, including the Padres, Giants, and Brewers, as well as several Power 5 baseball and softball programs. He has personally trained countless professional baseball players as well as collegiate baseball and softball student-athletes. His college softball athletes have included former SEC players Casidy Chaumont of Missouri, who is currently playing for the USSSA Pride of the Women’s Professional Fastpitch league, along with two-time All-American and 2021 SEC Player of the Year Bailey Hemphill of Alabama.

He served as a hitting coach for the University of Missouri baseball program in 2019, helping the Tigers to a 34-22-1 record. Under Epstein, the Tigers improved in every major offensive category from the previous season. Two of his hitters were drafted during the 2019 MLB draft, with Kameron Misner being selected in the first round and Chris Cornelius in the 16th.

Epstein enjoyed a standout playing career prior to his coaching tenure at the University of Missouri and Cal State Fullerton. He was named a co-captain for the Tigers following a Big 12 All-Conference campaign in 1998. After three seasons at Missouri, Epstein played his final season with the Titans.

Following his final college season, Epstein signed with the Anaheim Angels organization and hit .336 with 14 doubles, five home runs and 33 RBI in his lone season of professional baseball. He was originally drafted in the 34th round of the 1996 MLB Draft by the San Diego Padres out of Mount Carmel High School.

Epstein earned his degree in communications from Cal State Fullerton in 2002. He is married to his wife, Jamie, and with whom they have three daughters – Ella, Hannah, and Vivienne.