Justin Blood

Justin Everett Blood

• Bats Left, Throws Left
• Height 6' 3", Weight 210 lb.

• School Franklin Pierce College

• Born November 20, 1979 in Keene, NH USA

BR Minors page

Justin Blood has been a minor league pitcher and college coach.

Biographical Information

Playing Career

Blood was taken by the Seattle Mariners in the 9th round of the 2001 amateur draft, the first player ever drafted from Franklin Pierce College. He fanned 20 New Hampshire College batters in a game that year, one of the top five totals in NCAA Division II annals. He was the first player surnamed Blood to be chosen since fellow hurler Darin Blood in 1995. He had a rough pro debut with the 2001 Everett AquaSox, allowing 15 runs in 11 2/3 IP and going 1-1.

In 2002, Blood pitched for Everett (0 R, 1 H in 4 IP) and the San Bernardino Stampede (1-1, 3.91, 24 BB, 34 K in 25 1/3 IP). He wrapped up his pro career with his best season yet, going 5-2 with two saves and a 3.07 ERA for the Inland Empire 66ers. He fanned 77 in 58 2/3 innings while drastically improving his control (27 BB). He held opponents to a .218 batting average in the high-scoring California League. His 50 appearances led the Cal League champs, 8 ahead of Emiliano Fruto. Overall, Blood had gone 7-4 with 3 saves and a 3.97 ERA in 82 minor league games. He struck out 133 and walked 60 in 99 2/3 IP.

Coaching Career

Retiring as a player, he was a coach at Quinnipiac University in 2003 and Franklin Pierce in 2004. He was pitching coach of the 2005 Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox, working with future big leaguers such as Brandon Morrow and Daniel McCutchen. After the Cape Cod League ended, he became pitching coach and recruiting coordinator for the University of Connecticut. In 2006, his staff was 17th in NCAA Division I in ERA, a feat they repeated in 2010, when UConn was nationally ranked for the first time in 16 years. Among his products at UConn was 2011 first-round pick Matt Barnes.

Following the 2011 season, Blood was named head coach of the University of Hartford, staying through 2021. He then became head coach at Keene State College.

Sources

• 2004 Baseball Almanac
• UConn bio
• Franklin Pierce press release