Staff Directory
- Title:
- Assistant Coach
Kyle Winkler, an accomplished hurler for the TCU Horned Frogs during his playing days, will enter his second season at Air Force after assuming the role of pitching coach for the Falcons in 2024.
During his first season as the Air Force pitching coach, Winkler helped propel the Falcons to their first Mountain West Regular Season Championship title in program history. The pitching staff accumulated 27 wins, 11 saves, and 368 strikeouts. Seungmin Shim led the Falcons on the mound and was tabbed the 2024 Mountain West Pitcher of the Year, just the third Air Force pitcher to garner the award. The lefty threw 65.1 Mountain West innings and totaled six wins, the most of any pitcher in the league. Across the season, Shim tallied 14 starts on the mound, managed at least 5.0 innings in 12 of those starts, and struck out 87 batters for an overall ERA of 3.22.
The former right-hander helped oversee a Horned Frogs pitching staff that was instrumental in guiding TCU to a trip to the College World Series in 2023, finishing as a national semifinalist. Winkler, assigned the role of bullpen coach in 2023, contributed to the efforts of five TCU relievers to post sub-3.00 ERA's in the spring. The Horned Frogs managed a team ERA of 4.64, the third-best mark in the Big XII and 46th among 295 Division I programs.
Winkler returned to Fort Worth in 2022 as the volunteer assistant. He also served as a student assistant for the 2019 campaign while completing his undergraduate degree.
Upon his return to TCU, Winkler was tasked with guiding the pitching corps. The group produced four draft picks while two (Luke Savage and River Ridings) were invited to the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team. Five members of the TCU pitching staff were drafted in the summer of 2023, including two (Ryan Vanderhei and Cam Brown) in the 10th round.
In his first stint on campus, Winkler served as the bullpen coach during the 2019 campaign. TCU put together a 34-28 record and advanced to the championship game of the NCAA Fayetteville (Arkansas) Regional. He helped in mentoring 1st-round draft pick Nick Lodolo to an All-American season.
Winkler also spent two seasons at Incarnate Word. Prior to the unexpected shutdown of the 2020 season, the Cardinals were off to a 9-7 start and had a team ERA of 4.75. The 2021 season saw the Cardinal finish with a 21-28 record. His staff produced a 2.01 K:BB ratio.
Winkler was a standout on the baseball field in his three years at TCU. A 2011 All-American, Winkler was twice an All-Mountain West Conference performer in addition to earning a spot on the 2010 USA Baseball Collegiate National Team. Five times in his career, he was voted the Mountain West Pitcher of the Week. Following his junior campaign, Winkler was drafted in the 10th round of the 2011 MLB Draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks.
As a freshman in 2009, Winkler was a key contributor in a starting role on TCU's first-ever NCAA Super Regional team. He made 14 starts as part of 17 appearances and boasted a 7-1 record to go along with a 4.15 ERA in 73 2/3 innings pitched.
In 2010, Winkler spearheaded an impressive starting rotation in helping the Horned Frogs to their first-ever College World Series appearance. In 19 starts, he posted a 12-3 record with a 3.39 ERA. Winkler was the winning pitcher in Game 3 of the Austin Super Regional, holding Texas to just five hits in 7 2/3 innings of work.
His final season at TCU saw him make 14 appearances, 13 starts, and boast a miniscule 1.39 ERA in 90 2/3 innings pitched. He posted a career-high 99 strikeouts and put up an 8-2 record.
For his career, Winkler was 27-6 in 50 appearances. He tossed five complete games and amassed 239 strikeouts in 281 innings of work. Winkler had a career ERA of 2.95.
Winkler spent seven seasons in professional baseball playing in the Arizona Diamondbacks, Los Angeles Dodgers and Tampa Bay Rays' organizations. He made 20 starts as part of 215 career appearances on the mound. In 352 innings pitched, Winkler fanned 345 batters and boasted an ERA of 4.50.
Winkler will be joined by his wife, Stephanie, and daughter, Kole.
