Riley Goulding enters his second season as a member of the SMC baseball staff and his 8th at the Division 1 level.
"Saint Mary’s College is a special place to be a Division 1 Athlete while earning one of the top degrees on the West Coast" Goulding said about the experience in Moraga. "The intimate setting allows for minimal transition time wasted between class, the dining hall, and the baseball facilities. From a quiet Oliver Hall for breakfast to 3,500 rowdy fans packed into UCU Pavilion, SMC is truly a one-of-a-kind college experience."
Goulding was a large part of a four-year span at CSUN that saw 120 total wins and more Big West Conference wins (44) than any other four-year block in CSUN history.
In 2018, the Matadors had four players sign professional contracts with major league teams. Previously undrafted, Albee Weiss was selected in the 23rd round by the Minnesota Twins while Justin Toerner was taken in the 28th round by the St. Louis Cardinals. Trevor Casanova was drafted in the 13th round by the Minnesota Twins, and Alvaro Rubalcaba signed a free agent contract with the Los Angeles Angels. Toerner went on to be a Cardinals minor league player of the month in 2019.
During the 2018 season, under the direction of Goulding, the Matadors' offense averaged 5.67 runs per game, 3.09 extra bse hits per game and 1.12 home runs per game. The Matadors hit 102 doubles and 65 home runs. Each of the Top 10 hitters for CSUN had at least two homers. CSUN also led the Big West in home runs and slugging percentage, and were second in runs scored and RBI. On the defensive side of the ball, Goulding directed the Matador outfielders. In 2018, the outfield core committed just seven errors and had 14 assists. Two of the three starting outfielders for the Matadors were drafted in the 2018 MLB First-Year Player Draft (Weiss and Toerner).
In Big West Conference play in 2017, the Matadors ranked first in doubles and extra base hits, second in runs scored and third in batting average, home runs and RBI. Also in 2017, CSUN improved upon its batting average, on-base percentage, home runs, extra base hits, RBI, runs scored as well as lower strike out rate.
"Coach Goulding personalizes the hitting approach for each hitter," head coach Greg Moore said about Goulding. "While he drives our team approach on offense, the players are coached to maximize their strengths at the plate."
During the summer of 2019, Goulding spent time working with USA Baseball as a member of the Task Force for the 18u team. He scouted the USA West Championship Tournament in Peoria, AZ and helped identify potential prospects for the 18u USA Team.
In addition, Goulding serves as director of youth and high school camp clinics. He also organizes practice and weight schedules, academic and team study hall, community outreach efforts, social media posts and all team gear ordering and distribution.
Originally from Tracy, Calif., Goulding played junior college ball at the College of San Mateo. As a freshman in 2010, Goulding contributed to a team that won their ninth straight conference championship and went on to finish second in the CCCAA Final Four. Goulding went on to play Division I baseball for the University of Texas Pan-American (now known as the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley). He started 102 games in his two years with UTPA while hitting .304 and leading the team in hits as a senior.
In December 2013, Goulding received his Bachelor’s Degree from UTPA in Business Administration while majoring in Management. During the Fall of 2013,Goulding served an undergraduate student assistant for UTPA working closely with the coaching staff on practice organization and inventory management and with the infielders on a daily basis.
In July 2015, Goulding graduated from the University of Concordia-Irvine with a Master's degree in Coaching and Athletic Administration.
Goulding comes from a coaching lineage, which began with his father, John Goulding. John has been inducted into multiple High School Baseball Halls of Fame while coaching at James Logan High School in Union City. He posted over 500 wins during his 25 years at James Logan to go along with multiple league titles and two North Coast Section Championships. He is now retired from teaching and working full time with the NorCal section of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA).
Goulding's brother, Tyler, began his collegiate coaching career in USC in 2013 as an assistant to the men's golf team. In the summer of 2016, he became the assistant men’s golf coach at the United States Air Force Academy.
Another brother, Logan, is the assistant men’s golf coach at the University of San Diego.
Head coach Greg Moore on Riley Goulding, "Coach Goulding is emerging as one of the premier young hitting coaches on the West Coast. His mix of teaching instinct and knowledge of the swing is unique. He not only knows how to teach hitting, he also understands how to instill a mindset that leads to success in the batters box. Our hitters enjoy the freedom to hit and the support needed to make in-game adjustments. He’s creating a culture of offense.”
Riley currently resides in San Ramon, Calif.
