News - KANSAS CANNONS

Kansas Cannons
Coaching Addition

The Kansas Cannons are pleased to announce that Steve Lienhard will join head coach Phil Stephenson’s staff as pitching coach for the summer collegiate baseball team’s 2023 season.  Coach Lienhard pitched and coached at the collegiate and professional level.  He’s been coaching competitive baseball and providing private pitching instruction for 26 years in Wichita.  He served as the head baseball coach at Kapaun Mt. Carmel high school for nine seasons.

At Oklahoma State, Lienhard and the Cowboys made four consecutive NCAA College World Series tournament appearances.  He was captain of the 1987 Cowboy team that lost to Stanford in the National Championship game.  Lienhard was named Honorable Mention All Big 8 his senior season.

Lienhard was selected by the San Francisco Giants in the 29th round of the 1987 draft.  He pitched parts of six seasons in Minor League Baseball for the Giants and Milwaukee Brewers organizations.  He was the California League Pitcher of the Year for the San Jose Giants in 1989.  After retirement, Lienhard spent three years coaching at the professional level including two years as pitching coach for the Clinton (IA) Giants, the Class A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants.

Introducing the 2023 Kansas Cannons Coaching Staff

Kansas Cannons
Coaching Hire

The Kansas Cannons are pleased to announce that Phil Stephenson will coach the summer collegiate baseball team for the 2022 season. Coach Stephenson most recently led the Dodge City Community College baseball program, a position he held for 16 seasons. The 2015 Conqs won the Central District Championship earning a trip to the NJCAA World Series.

As a Wichita State Shocker, Stephenson was a three-time, First-Team All-Missouri Valley Conference selection; two-time, First-Team All American at first base; and the Baseball News College Player of the Year in 1982. Stephenson held 13 individual NCAA records at the conclusion of his collegiate playing career and still holds NCAA career records for hits (418), runs (420), total bases (730), stolen bases (206), and walks (300).

Stephenson was a third round selection of the Oakland A’s in 1982. He played 14 years professionally, four of those at the major league level with the Chicago Cubs and the San Diego Padres. After retirement, Stephenson spent four years coaching at the professional level including two years as the hitting instructor with the Wichita Wranglers, the Double-A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals.

Stephenson is a member of the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame, the Kansas Baseball Hall of Fame, the WSU Hall of Fame, and the Missouri Valley Conference Hall of Fame. In 2007, he was elected to the National College Baseball Hall of Fame. He has also been named one of the three best college baseball players of the 20thcentury by Collegiate Baseball and one of the top 10 College baseball players of all-time by Baseball America.