Head Coach Joe Wharton (38), native of Dallas, Texas, will be entering his 13th season this coming Fall at Richland. He has compiled a 476-240 (.666%) overall record with a 238-82 (.743%) record in conference. Wharton recorded his 300th win on April 5th, 2005 and his 400th win on March 31st, 2008. He has led Richland to four National Championships in the last eight years. Winning it in 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2009. Richland finished second in 1999, 2000, 3rd in 2008, and 5th in 2005. Wharton’s teams also finished 2nd in the regional finals in 2001, 2006, and 2007. Wharton’s 2007 team recorded a team record of placing 13 players on scholarship at the 4-year level. He has led the Thunderducks to the World Series in eight of the last eleven years. He was named District C coach of the year by the National Junior College Athletic Association and Regional Coach of the year by Diamond Sports and Louisville Slugger in 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2008, and 2009. Wharton was named NJCAA National Coach of the Year in 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2009. Wharton was also named World Series Coach of the Tournament in 1999, 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2009. In the last eleven years, he has coached two National JUCO Players of the year, 73 All-Conference players, 54 All-Region players and 24 All-Americans.
Wharton graduated from R.L. Turner High School in Carrollton, Texas in 1989. He earned 1st Team All District Honors in both is junior and senior year. As a senior, he hit .410 and was 9-1 on the mound with a 1.35 ERA.
Wharton attended Lubbock Christian University for two seasons where he hit a combined .350 and collected 23 doubles, 9 triples, 6 homeruns, and was 30-37 in the stolen base department. He compiled a 6-4 record on the mound recording 13 saves in 45 games. He struck out 77 batters in 51 innings. L.C.U. advanced to the NAIA World Series in 1991 held in Lewiston, Idaho where they finished 5th.
He played his final two seasons at Baylor University. Wharton tore his anterior cruciate ligament in his knee three days after signing with Baylor and was limited his junior season. He appeared in 16 games compiling a 3-3 record while striking out 33 batters in 32 innings and recording 4 saves. His best game came against the University of Texas in Austin on April 17th, 1992 in pitching two shutout innings of relief while striking out five in picking up the save. As a senior, he started at shortstop and hit .345 with 12 doubles, 5 triples, 4 home runs, and also swiped 9 bases. He appeared in 21 games on the mound and had nine starts in which he won each start. In 85 innings pitched, he gave up 69 hits and struck out 85 batters while walking only 29 and ending up with a record of 10-3 with 3 saves.
He led the Southwest Conference with a 2.54 ERA and was third with 10 wins. He was selected 1st team all Southwest conference his senior year and was voted Baylor’s MVP in 1993. He was nominated for the Golden Spikes Award which goes out to the Nation’s Top collegiate player. Wharton is believed to be the only collegiate pitcher in NCAA history to post a victory over two number one ranked teams in the country in consecutive weeks. He beat #1 Texas 7-4 on April 10th, and on April 17th, he beat then #1 Texas A&M 2-1. Baylor ended up 41-17 on the year and qualified for the Regional tournament in Baton Rouge, Louisiana where they were eventually ousted by L.S.U., who went on to win the national championship.
The New York Yankees selected Wharton in the 18th round of the Major League draft in June of 1993. He spent parts of three years in the minor leagues before elbow problems would eventually end his career in 1995. Since 1999, Wharton has been a professional scout with the Kansas City Royals.
Wharton received his Bachelor’s of Business Administration from Baylor University in 1996. He received his Master’s of Science Degree in 1999 from Texas A&M - Commerce.
Wharton married his wife Monica in April of 1997. Monica is a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Manager at Parkland Hospital in Dallas. She graduated with a nursing degree from Baylor University in 1996 and completed her masters in Health Care Management from the University of Texas at Arlington this past summer. They have two daughters, Meaghan McKenzie (9), and Macyn Marie (7). Wharton’s parents, Don and Paula, reside in Farmers Branch, and he has one brother, Jeff who lives in McKinney with his wife, and four children.
Coach Wharton's Career Coaching Record |
|
|---|---|
| 1998 | 27-29 |
| 1999 | 48-14 (2nd) |
| 2000 | 37-24 (2nd) |
| 2001 | 37-17 |
| 2002 | 40-17 (1st) |
| 2003 | 37-24 (1st) |
| 2004 | 49-16 (1st) |
| 2005 | 39-24 (5th) |
| 2006 | 29-28 |
| 2007 | 39-18 |
| 2008 | 47-16 (3rd) |
| 2009 | 47-13 (1st) |
| Total | 476-240 |
| NJCAA World Series Appearances in Bold | |
| Coach Wharton's Mile Stone Wins | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2/23/1998 | Lon Morris | 3-2 |
| 25 | 4/30/1998 | Northlake | 11-7 |
| 50 | 3/23/1999 | Ranger | 13-5 |
| 100 | 4/15/2000 | Texarkana | 3-2 |
| 200 | 2/23/2003 | Northeast | 13-3 |
| 300 | 4/9/2005 | Tyler | 12-2 |
| 400 | 3/15/2008 | Northlake | 13-3 |
| 450 | 3/15/2009 | Brookhaven | 10-4 |
Josh Davis returns for his third season as part of the Richland coaching staff after helping the 2009 Thunderducks to a 47-13 overall record and capturing the NJCAA National Championship. This follows a 3rd place finish in the 2008 NJCAA World Series. Richland is 94-29 in the two years Coach Davis been on the coaching staff here with the T-Ducks.
A Georgia native, Josh attended Gainesville High School where he lettered three years in Baseball, Football, and Basketball. He helped lead the baseball team to three state championships in 1996, 1997, and 1998. He was named all Metro-Atlanta during the 1998 and 1999 seasons. He compiled an 18-2 record on the mound as a junior and senior, he also hit .470 with 11 home-runs as a senior.
Josh received a scholarship to Virginia Tech and as a freshman and helped the Hokies to the conference championship. Josh transferred to Tallahassee C. C. for his sophomore year where they finished 40-10. Josh played his final two seasons at Charleston Southern University in South Carolina. In 2005, Josh signed with the Chicago Cubs. Josh ended his professional career after sustaining a career ending shoulder injury. Josh earned his bachelors degree in Sociology from Charleston Southern in 2005 and received his master’s degree in Kinesiology (college coaching) in July 2009.
Josh comes from a family with a baseball background. His cousin Blake was the North Texas, Oklahoma scout with the Oakland Athletics from 2003-2009. Josh’s father, Jody Davis was in the major leagues for 10 years, playing for the Chicago Cubs and Atlanta Braves. Jody won the Gold Glove in 1985 and was voted an all star in 1984 and 1986 and is now the minor league catching coordinator for the Chicago Cubs organization after managing in the Cubs organization from 2006-2008.