Mike Silva was named the sixth head coach of the Arkansas State baseball program on June 13, 2024. The 2023 Southland Conference Coach of the Year joined the program after three seasons at Nicholls, guiding the Colonels to a 98-71 record and back-to-back Southland Conference Tournament titles in his first stint as a Division I head coach.
AT NICHOLLS
Nicholls’ saw significant improvement in every aspect under his leadership over three seasons. The team increased their batting average from .219 (283rd in nation) to .303 (35th). Defensively, the program’s fielding percentage increased from .965 (202nd) to .974 (81st). On the mound, strikeouts per nine innings increased from 7.5 (238th) to 9.0 (78th) and hits per nine innings decreased from 9.34 (136th) to 8.99 (55th).
2024
Silva led the Colonels to a 38-22 (16-8 SLC) record during his third year in Thibodaux. His program ranked inside the top 100 nationally in most statistical categories, including shutouts (5th), runs scored (22nd), hits (29th), scoring (31st), on-base percentage (37th), WHIP (70th), and strikeouts per nine innings (78th). Nicholls went on to claim their second consecutive Southland Conference championship en route to a 2024 regionals birth in Corvallis, Oregon.
In addition, Silva played an important role in the development of 2024 ABCA/Rawlings Gold Glove selection Edgar Alvarez, who was also named a Perfect Game All-American, ABCA/Rawlings Second Team All-American, and First Team All-LWSA.
2023
In just his second season at the helm, Silva led the program to its first SLC regular season title in school history and second SLC tournament title. Nicholls won five-of-eight conference series and finished the regular season with a 34-24 (15-9 SLC) record. The Colonels went undefeated in the conference tournament to claim their first title and regionals appearance in 25 years.
The program won at least 30 games in the regular season for the first time since 2015 and upset top-ranked LSU by a score of 6-5 in Baton Rouge. Silva earned Southland Conference Coach of the Year honors and produced four All-Southland first team selections along with a second-team honoree.
2022
Led Nicholls to a 26-25 (12-12 SLC) record in his first season with the program, which was a five-win improvement from a 21-34 (16-24 SLC) campaign the year prior. It was the Colonels’ first winning season since 2017.
Silva produced six All-Southland honorees and a SLC All-Defensive team selection.
AT LOUISIANA TECH
Served as an assistant coach for three seasons, leading the Bulldogs to eight shutouts in 2021, including a victory over top-ranked Arkansas. The pitching staff ranked third in Conference USA for saves (15), and fourth in ERA (5.01) plus batters struck out (454). He produced one all-conference selection and guided Jarret Whorff to Collegiate Baseball National Player of the Week honors.
In 2020, Louisiana Tech led CUSA in ERA (3.03), WHIP (1.15) and hits allowed per nine innings (6.78). During Silva's inaugural season with the Bulldogs, the pitching staff led the league in strikeout-to-walk ratio (2.58) and walked the second-fewest batters per nine innings (3.30) while ranking third in strikeouts per nine innings (8.5) and second in ERA (4.28).
AT LITTLE ROCK
Spent two seasons as the pitching coach under head coach Chris Curry, helping the Trojans reach new milestones during his brief stint. He guided the Trojans staff to the fifth-lowest ERA in the Sun Belt in 2018 (4.61). The Trojans lowered their team ERA in each of Silva's two seasons in Little Rock. Silva coached his pitchers to a program-record 471 strikeouts in 2018, good for 8.5 strikeouts per nine innings to rank third in the league.
In 2017, his pitching staff broke the program record for strikeouts (463) in a single season for the first time and the team ERA dropped from 6.20 in 2016 to 4.76 one year later.
AT SAN DIEGO PADRES
Silva spent one season in the professional ranks, serving as an area scout for the San Diego Padres in Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kansas Nebraska, South Dakota and North Dakota.
AT TEXAS STATE
Served as an assistant coach for three seasons with the Bobcats, primarily working with the team’s position players. Silva reached the conference tournament in all three seasons and produced three All-WAC selections along with six MLB Draft selections.
AT JUNIOR COLLEGE LEVEL
Silva has four years of head coaching experience at the junior college level, spending three seasons at Clarendon College from 2009-11 before moving to Galveston College in 2012. He led the Whitecaps to their first winning season in 13 years and their first regional tournament since 2007.
He won 111 games with the Bulldogs to become the winningest coach in program history at the time, achieving the second-highest ranking (15) and producing the second All-American in school history along with a Big Stick Award winner and the conference player of the year.
Silva served two other stints at Clarendon College as an assistant, from 2003-05 and in 2008, helping the program earn 40 wins and a regional championship appearance. Between stints at Clarendon, Silva spent the 2006 seasons as an assistant at Bethany College where the team posted 40 wins and ranked as high as No. 18 in the NAIA poll.
AS A PLAYER
Prior to his coaching career, Silva played at Northwestern Oklahoma State University, helping lead the team to three consecutive regional tournaments and a 49-win season in 2001. He finished 19th in the nation for batting average that year (.426). Following his collegiate career, Silva played two seasons of independent baseball and was recognized as an All-Star during his rookie season in the Southeastern Professional Baseball League.
PERSONAL
Silva is a native of Hull, Mass. and earned his bachelor’s degree in leadership at Bellevue University in Nebraska. He earned his master’s degree in education at East Central University in Ada, Okla. He is married to the former Reagan Page and has a son, Dylan.
