COACHING STAFF

Head Coach Kent Bottenfield

Coach Kent Bottenfield begins his fifth season leading the Palm Beach Atlantic baseball program after being promoted to head coach during mid-season in 2012.   

Palm Beach Atlantic returned to the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) World Series for the first time since 2009 under Bottenfield's guidance. The team finished the season with a PBA record-tying 28 victories, including an NCCAA South Region championship and a berth in the NCCAA National semi-finals. Under Coach Bottenfield's tutelage, second baseman Brian Walker became the first Sailfish to earn Daktronics All South Region first-team, as well as being named alongside Josh Turner as NCCAA All-Americans.

The 2014 campaign was an injury-plagued season, with PBA finishing the year with 16 wins. The season's highlight came in a three-game series with perennial NCAA Division II power Delta State, with the Sailfish winning two of three.

In 2013 the 'Fish totaled 28 wins, which marked the highest total for the program since officially joining the NCAA ranks in 2008. The ‘Fish were also the only team in the country to earn a weekend series victory over the University of Tampa who would go on to win the NCAA Division II national championship. Coach Bottenfield was honored following the season by being named the Independent Collegiate Athletic Association (ICAA) Coach of the Year.

Under the tutelage of Bottenfield, senior pitcher Nic Kovacs would go on to earn All-Region accolades by numerous postseason publications and media outlets as well as being named the ICAA Pitcher of the Year. Junior catcher Joel Buchko earned NCCAA All-American first-team honors while also taking home ICAA Player of the Year honors for his good work behind the plate and with the bat. Freshman Sean Visconti was part of an impressive recruiting class by Bottenfield and his staff as Visconti earned ICAA Freshman of the Year accolades. 

Bottenfield officially took the reins of the PBA program following the passing of former head coach and Major League Baseball Hall-of-Famer Gary Carter, who passed away Feb. 16, 2012 after a nine-month battle with brain cancer.

Bottenfield has a diverse background in baseball, playing in the professional ranks for 16 seasons (1986-2001) including nine years at the major league level. His experience as a major league pitcher has been a tremendous benefit to the Sailfish pitching staff, while managing the day-to-day operations of the program.

Having spent his first season in the big leagues pitching to Carter while with the Montreal Expos in 1992, Bottenfield and Carter formed a bond that allowed the two to continue their work in the collegiate coaching ranks. 

Bottenfield enjoyed his finest professional season in 1999 while pitching for the St. Louis Cardinals. There he was named to the National League All-Star team on his way to winning a career-high 18 games. 

Following his breakout season, he was traded to the Anaheim Angels in a blockbuster trade that brought the Cardinals back an All-Star of their own in centerfielder Jim Edmonds. 

Drafted in the fourth round by the Expos in the 1986 amateur draft out of James Madison High School in Portland, Ore., Bottenfield would find himself in West Palm Beach during the early portion of his minor league career as he pitched in the Instructional League. 

After working his way up through the minor league ranks, Bottenfield made his major league debut on July 6, 1992, as starting pitcher for the Expos against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Bottenfield was called back to the majors in September 1992 and had the unique distinction of being the last starting pitcher to throw to Carter in his final game as a starting catcher. 

Following his time with the Expos, Bottenfield pitched for the Colorado Rockies, San Francisco Giants, Chicago Cubs, Cardinals, Angels and Philadelphia Phillies. He closed out his career with the Houston Astros in 2001. His final season was cut short when a shoulder injury sidelined him, forcing him into retirement from the game as a player.

Bottenfield and his wife, Pamela ’91, have three children, Emma, Eli and Lucy, and live in Jupiter, Fla.

Assistant Head Coach Beau McMillan

Beau McMillan will get his second season with the Sailfish baseball program in 2016 and his first in the full-time role of Assistant Head Coach. 

His role with PBA will see McMillan assist in all phases of the day-to-day operations of the Sailfish program including recruiting, practice plans, academic monitoring, travel, on-field coaching and other administrative duties.

McMillan spent a total of six seasons on the coaching staff at his alma mater, Lynn University in Boca Raton, Fla., which included being a part of the staff for the Fighting Knights’ NCAA Division II National Championship team in 2009.

Before transitioning to coaching McMillan was a standout player for LU as a middle infielder from 2000-04 while earning his bachelor’s degree in business administration. His time in a Fighting Knights uniform would culminate by seeing him selected by the Florida Marlins in the Major League Baseball draft as he continued his career into the professional ranks.

Outside of his time as a player and collegiate coach McMillan has also gained valuable experience as a professional trainer and sales associate for Perfect Competition, a professional training company out of Davie, Fla.

He has also helped hone his coaching skills by leading the Boca Raton Lightning of the South Florida Collegiate League.

Assistant Coach Justin Sizemore

Justin Sizemore is in his third season as an assistant baseball coach at Palm Beach Atlantic following a four-year playing career for the Sailfish. 

Coach Sizemore’s role with the team includes his duties as the first-base coach while also assisting in other areas of the program including hitting, infield defense, base running and game preparation. 

During his time with the program as a player, Sizemore emerged as a solid all-around player and starting first-baseman while batting near the top of the order as a senior. 

In his final season in 2012, Sizemore finished second on the team in hitting with a .363 batting average while drawing a team-best 23 walks. He also proved very valuable as a first-baseman by making only two errors and producing a .990 fielding percentage. 

His play resulted in him being named to the Independent Collegiate Athletic Association (ICAA) second-team as a senior.