Dan Spencer

Head Baseball Coach

Hired in 2019, Spencer is just the sixth coach to lead the baseball program over the last 71 seasons. Since recording its first Northwest Conference baseball championship in 1923, Linfield has won three national championships (two as part of the NAIA and one in the NCAA), along with 41 additional conference titles.

Spencer became the first non-Linfield graduate to lead the program since 1949. He has strong ties to the Pacific Northwest and brings with him 28 years of coaching experience, including 22 at the Division I level with stops at Washington State, New Mexico, Oregon State and Texas Tech.

He left Washington State for Linfield after three seasons, serving as the Cougars associate head coach, pitching coach and recruiting coordinator.

Before Washington State, Spencer was an assistant for three years at New Mexico (2013-15), where he helped the Lobos reach the title game of the Mountain West Conference Tournament. In 2014, his pitching staff recorded the lowest collective ERA (4.23) since 1977 and seventh-lowest staff ERA in the program's 115-year history. The UNM bullpen saved a school-record 16 games.

He spent a total of 11 years as a member of the Oregon State coaching staff, first as an assistant (1997-2003) and then as associate head coach under Pat Casey (2004-07). While in Corvallis, the Beavers won back-to-back national titles and appeared in three straight College World Series (2005-07). His pitching staffs led the Pac-10 in ERA during both 2005 and 2006 and in saves in 2006 and 2007. He also served as the program's recruiting coordinator and brought in three nationally ranked recruiting classes. Collegiate Baseball Magazinenamed Spencer as its National Pitching Coach of the Year in 2007.

Spencer spent five seasons at Texas Tech, one as associate head coach and four more as head coach. He was the first Red Raiders head coach to win at least 25 games in each of his first four seasons and his teams defeated 32 nationally ranked opponents. His players excelled in the classroom, earning 31 Academic All-Big 12 awards during his four years, nearly as many (34) as the school received in the 12 years preceding his arrival.

During his time at Oregon State, Texas Tech and New Mexico, Spencer coached 12 players to 26 All-America awards. Thirty five players he coached were selected in the first 10 rounds of the Major League Baseball draft, including 14 in the top five rounds and three first-round picks.

Spencer began his head coaching career at Green River Community College in Auburn, Wash., where he was the head coach from 1992-96. In 1992 and 1994, he was named the Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges Coach of the Year. He also spent one season as an assistant at Tacoma Community College. His first coaching job was leading Vancouver’s Ryder Construction 16-18 year-old Senior Babe Ruth team.

As a player, Spencer played three seasons as a catcher and third baseman at Texas Tech after beginning his collegiate career at Mira Costa College in Oceanside, California.

Joe Paterson

Pitching Coach

Joe Paterson is in his fourth year as a member of the Linfield baseball coaching staff. He works directly with the Wildcat pitching staff.

Paterson spent nine years in professional baseball, including four with the Arizona Diamondbacks. In 2011, he posted a 2.91 ERA in 62 appearances, helping Arizona claim the NL West Division title.

He was a 10th-round selection by the San Francisco Giants in 2007 and spent his first seasons in the minor leagues, eventually being named to the 2009 Eastern League All-Star team.

Paterson enjoyed an impressive college career at Oregon State University where he was a member of OSU’s back-to-back national championship clubs in 2006 and 2007. With current Linfield coach Dan Spencer as his pitching coach, Paterson received the Bill Cloyes Award in 2007 as OSU’s most valuable pitcher. He was the MVP of the Charlotte Regional and earned second team Pac 12 All-Academic Team honors as a senior. He pitched the final out via strikeout in the 2007 College World Series in Omaha.

Paterson began his collegiate baseball career at Linfield in 2005 before transferring to OSU following his freshman season. At Linfield, he played alongside his older brother, Tommy, who was an All-America outfielder for the Wildcats.

When he’s not coaching baseball, Paterson works as a commercial insurance agent at Hagan Hamilton Insurance. He and his wife, Carley, live in McMinnville with their three children, sons Henry and Cal, and daughter Wallace.

Justin Salge

Assistant Coach

Justin Salge is in his first year as assistant baseball coach at Linfield. He will oversee the outfielders and work with the hitters alongside fellow assistant coach Jordan Harlow. He will also take a prominent role in athletic event operations.

Salge comes to Linfield from the University of Texas at Austin, where he served as the baseball program’s camp specialist while simultaneously serving as a recruiting counselor within the Office of Admissions.

His coaching experience includes stops as head baseball coach with the Power Summer Collegiate League, at North American University and Houston Community College, and assistant coaching roles with the Houston Summer Collegiate League and San Antonio College. Salge also works as a birddog scout for the Tampa Bay Rays and has operated his own private baseball instruction business for more than 15 years.

Salge received his bachelor’s degree in history from Stephen F. Austin University and followed by earning a master’s degree of education from Midwestern State University. He is approaching completion of a doctorate degree in global sport leadership from East Tennessee State University. Additionally, Salge completed a hitting and pitching certification course from Rapsoda, a data-driven baseball training technology program.

He expects to lend his experience to multiple areas of the Linfield baseball program.

Jordan Harlow

Associate Head Coach

Jordan Harlow returns for his seventh year as assistant coach with the Linfield coaching staff.

A member of Linfield's 2013 national championship baseball team, Harlow was a three-year varsity letterman and a first team all-Northwest Conference performer at third base.

He helped the Wildcats to two NCAA playoff appearances, including the title run while serving as co-captain his senior year. Harlow graduated from Linfield with a bachelor's degree in English and went on to receive a master's degree in coaching and athletic administration from Concordia University-Irvine.

Harlow previously coached baseball at McMinnville High School from 2014 until 2016, leading that program to a pair of Class 6A state quarterfinals appearances and one semifinals appearance. He guided the Grizzlies to the Greater Valley Conference championship in 2015 and was honored as the league's coach of the year.

Jordan and his wife, former women's basketball student-athlete Brynna (Fuller) Harlow, reside in McMinnville with their son Dane and daughter Jensen.