ACADEMIC ALL-BIG TEN (2014-15)
UNANIMOUS ALL-BIG TEN FRESHMEN TEAM SELECTION (2013)
2015 CUBA TRIP
Appeared in the final two games of the Cuba Baseball Friendship Tournament … Entered as a pinch-hitter in historic 9-3 win over Mayabeque – the first win for a U.S. team against a Cuban National Series team … Started the tournament finale at Matanzas in centerfield.
2015 (JUNIOR)
Awards: Academic All-Big Ten. Season: Overcame early-season injuries to start 30 of 33 games played … Perfect on three stolen base attempts … Carried a seven-game hitting streak (4/7-4/17) batting .360 with three doubles, an RBI and six runs ... Team’s second-best hitter and on-base (.375, nine walks) leader in the month of April, batting .275 with four doubles, 11 runs and six RBIs. At Elon (2/13-14): Started first three games of the season … Scored three runs and drove in one run in season-opening victory … Was limited to six games for the remainder of the month and March due to injury. At No. 7 South Carolina: Walked and singled in first start since the Elon series. Vs. Western Carolina (3/13): Hit an RBI-single. Kent State (4/1): Walked three times to match career high … Also stole a career-high matching three bases and scored two runs. At Ohio State (4/4-6): Started all three games of the series, singling in the first and going 2-for-4 with an RBI in the second. Bucknell (4/7): Started seven-game hitting streak (4/7-4/17) with a double and run scored. Michigan (4/10-12): Reached base multiple times in all three games, starting at designated hitter in each ... Went 1-for-2 with a walk, hit-by-pitch and run scored in series opener … Doubled, walked and scored a run in second game … Went 1-for-2 with two walks and a run scored in series finale. At West Virginia (4/14): Went 3-for-4 with an RBI, stolen base and two runs scored. At Minnesota (4/17-19): Doubled in series opener and finale … Also tallied an RBI and run in finale. At Kent State (4/21): Reached base three times going 2-for-4 with a walk and two runs scored. Pittsburgh (4/29): Went 2-for-5 with an RBI. At Michigan State (5/9): Hit an RBI-triple and walked in second game of series … Doubled and scored a run in finale. At Purdue (5/14): Singled, walked and scored a run.
2014 (SOPHOMORE)
Awards: Academic All-Big Ten. Season: Started all 38 games he played in before season cut short due to injury ... Ranked second on the team of players with 26 or more appearances with a .277 batting average ... Earned a team-high 25 walks. At Gardner-Webb (2/16-17): Walked a combined five times in doubleheader (2/16) ... Notched two singles and scored a run (2/17) ... Hofstra (3/1-2): Accumulated two hits, a walk and a stolen base in the second game of a doubleheader (3/1) ... Scored three runs and roped a double in finale. Bucknell (3/22): Went 2-for-2 with two RBIs in the second game of a doubleheader. Youngstown State (4/1): Went 2-for-3 and scored two runs. At Purdue (4/5): Hit his first career home run in the second game of a doubleheader, driving in a personal-best three runs. Totaled two hits in three-straight appearances at Purdue (4/6), vs. West Virginia (4/8) and at Ohio State (4/11) ... Ripped his second career triple against the Buckeyes. Illinois (4/20): Drove in two runs in a 2-for-4 outing.
2013 (FRESHMAN)
Awards: Unanimous selection to the All-Big Ten Freshman team. Season: Started 49 and played in all 50 games for the Nittany Lions during his first season ... One of two players to see action in every game ... Tied for the team lead in batting with an average of .295 ... Led Penn State in runs scored with 27 ... Posted an on-base percentage of .392, the highest mark on the team ... Only Nittany Lion to reach double figures in steals with 10 ... Posted 51 hits on the year, tied for second-most on the team ... Ranked fifth on the team in runs batted in with 17 ... Drew 25 walks, the third highest total on the squad ... Finished the season on a seven-game hitting streak ... Compiled 15 multi-hit games over the course of the season. East Tennessee State (2/15-17): Started his Penn State career with a 2-for-3 effort at the dish and an RBI in season opening win (2/15) ... Scored his first career run and stole his first base after going 1-for-2 (2/16) ... Went 2-for-5 with a run, an RBI and a steal (2/17). At Liberty (2/24): Picked up two base knocks, including his first triple while wearing the Blue and White. At Houston (3/5-6): Singled and scored a run (3/5) ... Posted a hit, a run and an RBI (3/6) ... At Houston Baptist (3/9): Went 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI in the 9-3 win over ... Scored twice off a single and two walks. At Indiana (3/22): Singled and drove in a run in the Big Ten opener. Pittsburgh (3/27): Posted two singles, two RBIs and a run against. Purdue (3/29-31): Singled in each of the three games and added two runs and two walks in the series. Wright State (4/6-7): Went 1-for-3 and added a run, an RBI and a walk in the first game ... Filled the box score with two singles, two runs, an RBI, a walk, a steal and a hit by pitch in an 11-3 victory (4/7) ... Kent State (4/9): Singled and added a sacrifice fly to bring in a run against. Michigan (4/12 -13): Recorded a multi-hit game in the series opener with a 2-for-4 performance at the plate ... Plated a run off a single in the second. Bucknell (4/17): Reached base four times off two singles and two walks and two walks, while scoring a run in the 12 inning win. Minnesota (5/4-5): Drove in two runs off a single and sacrifice fly in second game ... Turned in a perfect day at the plate in the series finale, going 3-for-3 with a walk in the series finale. At Illinois (5/11-12): Doubled and singled to drive in a run and score a run (5/11) ... Went 2-for-5 with a stolen base (5/12). Villanova (5/14): Scored two runs on a double, single and walk and stole a base in a 7-4 win ... Michigan State (5/17-18): Drove in a career-high three runs off two singles in a 9-0 win ... Capped off his prolific rookie season with two hits, a walk and a stolen base in finale.
HIGH SCHOOL
Four-year letterwinner for Warren John F. Kennedy High School under head coach Don Lee ... Led his team to becoming North Shore League Champions in 2012 ... Named first team All-Ohio, as well as first team North Coast League in 2012 ... 2012 Team MVP ... Named second team All-Ohio in 2011 and honorable mention All-Ohio in 2010 ... Also lettered in football and in track ... Played for the 2012 Astro Falcons (summer), where he helped his team become Connie Mack State Champions, CABA World Series Champions and NABF World Series Champions ... Member of the National Honor Society and graduated with a 4.12 GPA ... 2012 Student Body President.
PERSONAL
Full name is James Martin Coates III ... Born on August 13, 1994 in Girard, Ohio ... Parents Jim and Gina Coates ... Has two sisters, Angelene and Chloe and one brother, Jacob ... Father, Jim, played football at Penn State from 1984-88 ... Cousin, Taylor Cera, played hockey at Penn State from 2007-11 ... Majoring in management.