University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Staff Directory
Taylor Sandefur
- Title:
- Assistant Coach/Pitching
- Email:
Veteran pitching coach and former standout two-way player Taylor Sandefur joined the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns Baseball staff as Pitching Coach ahead of the 2026 season. A rising star in the collegiate coaching ranks, Sandefur brings a track record of player development, staff improvement, and recruiting success across multiple levels of college baseball.
Sandefur comes to Lafayette after three seasons as the pitching coach at Marshall University (2022–25), following a successful four-year stint in the same role at his alma mater, Western Carolina University. During his time with the Thundering Herd and Catamounts, Sandefur established himself as one of the top pitching minds in the Southeast.
While at Western Carolina, Sandefur engineered a dramatic turnaround of the Catamounts’ pitching staff. Under his guidance, the team’s ERA dropped by nearly three runs from 2018 to 2020, opponent batting average fell from .308 to .267, and strikeouts per nine innings rose to nearly nine by 2022. His 2022 pitching staff tallied 506 strikeouts — the second-highest single-season mark in program history.
Sandefur helped develop several standout arms, including:
Prior to his time at Western Carolina, Sandefur made coaching stops at Erskine College, St. Andrews University, and Appalachian State, where he contributed to player development, recruiting, strength and conditioning, and offensive strategy. His coaching career began in the Valley League with the Aldie Senators, and he has also worked the Dirty 30 Showcase in Cary, N.C.
As a player, Sandefur was a reliable Friday night starter for Western Carolina before transitioning to a designated hitter role due to shoulder injuries. He helped lead the Catamounts to back-to-back Southern Conference regular-season titles in 2013 and 2014. In his senior year at the plate, he batted .310 and was named Second-Team All-State by the NCCSIA. He also earned a spot on the 2014 Gregg Olson Breakout Player of the Year Watch List.
In summer ball, he excelled with the Waynesboro Generals (Va.) in the Valley League, going 7-0 with a 2.26 ERA in 2010, and later pitched for the Falmouth Commodores in the prestigious Cape Cod League.
A native of Mechanicsville, Virginia, Sandefur earned his degree in communication from Western Carolina in 2014. He and his wife Kourtney have a son, Tate.
Sandefur comes to Lafayette after three seasons as the pitching coach at Marshall University (2022–25), following a successful four-year stint in the same role at his alma mater, Western Carolina University. During his time with the Thundering Herd and Catamounts, Sandefur established himself as one of the top pitching minds in the Southeast.
While at Western Carolina, Sandefur engineered a dramatic turnaround of the Catamounts’ pitching staff. Under his guidance, the team’s ERA dropped by nearly three runs from 2018 to 2020, opponent batting average fell from .308 to .267, and strikeouts per nine innings rose to nearly nine by 2022. His 2022 pitching staff tallied 506 strikeouts — the second-highest single-season mark in program history.
Sandefur helped develop several standout arms, including:
- Zach Franklin (First Team All-Southern Conference, 2022): 5-1, 2.06 ERA, .203 OBA
- Zebby Matthews: 122 strikeouts in 2022 (3rd all-time at WCU), all-time leader in strikeout-to-walk ratio (7.03), and tied single-season shutout record
- Chase Walter: 114 strikeouts in 2019 before signing with the San Diego Padres
Prior to his time at Western Carolina, Sandefur made coaching stops at Erskine College, St. Andrews University, and Appalachian State, where he contributed to player development, recruiting, strength and conditioning, and offensive strategy. His coaching career began in the Valley League with the Aldie Senators, and he has also worked the Dirty 30 Showcase in Cary, N.C.
As a player, Sandefur was a reliable Friday night starter for Western Carolina before transitioning to a designated hitter role due to shoulder injuries. He helped lead the Catamounts to back-to-back Southern Conference regular-season titles in 2013 and 2014. In his senior year at the plate, he batted .310 and was named Second-Team All-State by the NCCSIA. He also earned a spot on the 2014 Gregg Olson Breakout Player of the Year Watch List.
In summer ball, he excelled with the Waynesboro Generals (Va.) in the Valley League, going 7-0 with a 2.26 ERA in 2010, and later pitched for the Falmouth Commodores in the prestigious Cape Cod League.
A native of Mechanicsville, Virginia, Sandefur earned his degree in communication from Western Carolina in 2014. He and his wife Kourtney have a son, Tate.
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