Owls baseball coach Matt Burdette has been a fixture in Gambier, having led the program the past 29 seasons. Entering the 2025 campaign, Burdette, a four-time North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) Coach of the Year (1998, 2005, 2006, 2009), is looking to keep Kenyon among the most competitive teams in the conference. Aside from coaching at a .500 clip for two pandemic-shortened seasons, Burdette and the Owls posted winning records in eight of 11 seasons dating back to 2012.
The 2024 team racked up a 22-17 record, marking the third straight season of 20 wins or more. That year, the Owls also earned a spot in the NCAC Tournament and won a game before bowing out. A trio of players claimed spots on the All-NCAC squad and the Kenyon offense posted top-10 program outputs for on-base percentage, runs, hits, home runs, RBI, and stolen bases. Additionally, the 2024 Owls set a program record with a team fielding percentage of .973.
In the previous season, the 2023 Owls finished with a 21-14 overall mark and went 8-8 in NCAC contests. Kenyon's five All-NCAC honorees were the most since 2015, and the team etched its name near the top of many program records. Offensively, the Owls ranked within the top four all time in batting average (.327), slugging percentage (.488), on-base percentage (.417), runs (303), doubles (89), triples (14), home runs (26), RBIs (250), and times hit by a pitch (70). Defensively, the 2023 team ranked within the top four all time in strikeouts per nine innings (8.62), strikeouts (272), and fielding percentage (.964).
In 2022, Burdette fielded one of the best pitching staffs in recent history and carved out a 23-13 overall record and a 11-7 mark in NCAC play. Kenyon pitchers amassed 305 strikeouts, a single-season program record. That 2022 team also set a single-season record for saves (11) and crafted the program's longest win streak (14 games). Offensively, the team hit 28 home runs, a club record, and scored 268 runs, a total that ranked fourth in program history.
In 2019, Kenyon logged a 21-16 record and finished just two games out of fourth place which would have qualified them for the NCAC tournament. In 2018, the team went 16-18 overall and 10-8 in NCAC play. One of those victories, an 11-10 upset road win at No. 1-ranked College of Wooster, helped the program get into the NCAC tournament for the first time since 2012.
During his tenure, Burdette has placed 96 players on All-NCAC teams and 17 on All-Region teams. Burdette also coached the only two All-Americans in program history: Alex Gow (2022) and Edwin Groff (2023). Under his tutelage, Kenyon set single-season team records in nearly every offensive category, established the College record for wins in a season (27 in 2006 and 2012), and achieved the program's highest national and regional rankings.
Burdette’s players continue to possess success on and off of the diamond. He has had four players named Academic All-Americans by College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) and has coached two Major League Baseball draft picks (Jack Graham ’12, Baltimore and Jesse Weiss ’13, Milwaukee).
As a college player, Burdette competed and captained College of Wooster teams that won two conference championships, earned three regional berths and one trip to the Division III Small College World Series. During his playing days with the Fighting Scots, he was a three-time All-NCAC performer and All-Mideast Region honoree.
Matt and wife Kelly reside in nearby Howard, Ohio with their three daughters.
