Jay Artigues, the architect of a pair of nationally ranked junior college baseball programs which averaged nearly 40 wins per season, was named head coach at Southeastern Louisiana University in July of 2005.
Artigues has earned a reputation for success, posting a 275-108 career record over seven years, including stints at Bossier Parish (La.) Community College and Pearl River (Miss.)
Coach Artigues has received many accolades throughout his career including the 2004 Mississippi Junior College Coach of the Year, the 2002 Diamond Regional Coach of the Year, the Region XXIII Coach of the Year and Central District Coach of the Year by the NJCAA.
Justin Hill - Assistant Baseball Coach
Justin Hill enters his second season as Southeastern baseball's pitching coach and recruiting coordinator.
In his first season with the Lions, Hill led the Southeastern pitching staff to the 2008 Southland Conference team ERA title and helped develop Lion lefthander Wade Miley into the 43rd overall selection of the 2008 MLB First Year Player Draft.
Hill, a Monroe native and former LSU pitcher, returned to Louisiana after spending a season at Sam Houston State where he served as an assistant for head coach Mark Johnson's Bearkats. Hill helped oversee a team that went 40-24, advanced to the NCAA Regionals for the first time in school history, posted the most wins by the program in 20 years and produced nine All-Southland Conference selections and two first team All-Americans in Luke Prihoda and Bobby Verbick .
As the Bearkats' pitching coach, Hill worked with 2007 National Stopper and SLC Pitcher of the Year Luke Prihoda. With Hill's help Prihoda led the nation with 18 saves, was named a first team All-American and was selected in the 24th round of the 2007 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks. Meanwhile, Hill also helped Bearkat hurler Tim Gray earn a free agent contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Prior to joining Sam Houston State, Hill spent the 2006 season as an assistant coach at LSU. The Tigers finished 35-24 in Hill's lone season in Baton Rouge, producing three Major League draft picks and a freshman All-American.
Hill spent the 2004 and 2005 seasons at Northwestern State, where he earned his Masters while serving as assistant coach. After a 33-23 finish in 2004, Hill helped the Demons to a 41-20 record, a Southland Conference Championship and a place in the 2006 NCAA Regionals. With Hill's help, the 2006 Demons produced two freshmen All-Americans and two Major League draft picks.
Hill began his coaching career in 2003 as an assistant at his high school alma mater, West Monroe High School, helping the Rebels to a district title.
As a player, Hill was a two-year letterwinner at LSU and was part of the legendary coach Skip Bertman's final team (2001) and was a member of the Tigers' 2001 and 2002 NCAA Regional Champioship teams.
Hill appeared in 19 games in his final season at LSU, throwing 19 innings while compiling a 1-1 record with two saves and 27 strikeouts before a shoulder injury cut short his year.
Hill began his playing career at Mississippi Delta Community College before transferring to Bossier Parish Community College, where he played for Jay Artigues.
At BPCC, Hill recorded a 7-2 mark and a 3.74 ERA with 102 strikeouts in 77 innings, while limiting opponents to a .199 batting average. He was an All-Region 23 and All-conference performer and was also a member of the Dean's List.
Hill is married to the former Melissa Rawls of West Monroe, La.
Matt Riser - Assistant Baseball Coach
Matt Riser enters his second season on Jay Artigues' staff and his first as a full-time assistant coach.
Riser, a Picayune, Miss. native, began his coaching career after completing his collegiate career at Tulane, where he played in 2005-06. Prior to his time in New Orleans, Riser played under Jay Artigues for two seasons at Pearl River Community College.
Riser played in 108 games in two years with the Green Wave. As a senior, he played in all 64 games and made 57 starts, finishing the season with a .262 batting average, three home runs, 37 RBI and 16 doubles, helping Tulane to a NCAA Regional Appearance.
At Pearl River Community College, Riser earned All-Region XXII honors and Region XXII Defensive Player of the Year honors as a sophomore, helping PRCC to the state title. He batted .376 as a sophomore and .347 as a freshman, while compiling 110 hits, 30 doubles and 109 runs scored in his two-year juco career. Riser prepped at Picayune Memorial High and was an All-State pick as a senior.
Jordan Rogers - Volunteer Assistant Baseball Coach
Jordan Rogers joins the Lions for his first season as a volunteer assistant coach with the Southeastern baseball program. Rogers is primarily responsible for working with the team's hitters and infielders.
A former player for current Lion head coach Jay Artigues at Pearl River Community College and at William Carey University, Rogers joins the Southeastern coaching staff after spending the 2007 season as an assistant at WCU in Hattiesburg, Miss.
The Ocean Springs, Miss. native graduated from WCU with a biology degree in 2007 after helping the Crusaders to a regional appearance and Gulf Coast Athletic Conference runner-up honors.
Prior to his time at WCU, Rogers spent two seasons playing for Artigues at Pearl River Community College where he helped PRCC to a pair of regional appearances, two conference titles and a Mississippi state junior college championship.