Ruben Felix Position: Assistant Coach Experience: Third Season at UCF Graduated: Texas Tech, 2000

Contact Ruben:
Email - rfelix@athletics.ucf.edu
Phone - 407-823-4298

Ruben Felix enters his third season as an assistant coach with the UCF softball program in 2013. Felix works as the Knights' hitting coach as well as the infield defense.

The Knights improved offensively in every major statistical category from 2011 to 2012 under Felix's guidance. UCF's team batting average jumped 14 points from .244 to .258 and the Black and Gold also scored 65 more runs on the season while slugging more doubles and more home runs.

UCF also greatly improved defensively from the 2011 season. One year after making 83 errors and posting a .951 fielding percentage. The Knights made just 61 errors in 2012 and posted a .962 fielding percentage.

Felix has spent the last 10 years coaching or scouting at every level of baseball. Most recently, he spent the 2010 summer as a scout and outfield coach for the USA Baseball 14U National Team that won Bronze in Nicaragua, was an associate Major League Baseball scout for the Los Angeles Angels in Texas and also served as the baseball/softball operations director for the Next Level College Promoters in Lubbock, Texas.

From 2008-09 Felix was an assistant bullpen coach in Major League Baseball for the Baltimore Orioles and he was also an assistant coach for Team USA Baseball at the 2009 World Baseball Classic where he helped coach MLB stars Derek Jeter, Jimmy Rollins, Dustin Pedoria, Adam Dunn, Chipper Jones, Ryan Braun, JP Howell, Brain McCain, Curtis Granderson, Evan Longoria and others.

Felix was also a Major League Baseball assistant coach for the Cleveland Indians for three seasons (2004-06) and was the head bullpen coach for the AAA Culiacan Tomateros of the Mexican Pacific Coast Winter League in 2007. While coaching for Culiacan, Felix helped former Major Leaguer Jose Silva break the league record for saves with 23. Felix has been an assistant coach for USA Baseball three times in his career (2010 14U, 2009 WBC, 2007 16U).

Prior to coaching at the Major League level, Felix was a collegiate coach for five seasons. He was the head and assistant baseball coach for Galveston Junior College in Galveston, Texas from 2001-04. While with the Whitecaps, Felix not only managed the team but also served as the team's strength and conditioning coach and coordinated team travel and operations.

In the summer of 2001, Felix was the bullpen coach for the Bethesda Big Train Collegiate Team of the Cal Ripken League. That same year Felix was the outfield/pitching coach for Trinity Christian High School in Lubbock, Texas.

In 2000, Felix was an assistant softball coach at Texas Tech University under current UCF head softball coach Renee Luers-Gillispie. While with Texas Tech softball Felix coached infielders, catchers, outfielders and hitters.

Felix was a volunteer assistant baseball coach for Texas Tech University in 1999 and helped the team to a No. 24 national ranking, runner-up honors at the NCAA Regional Championship in Lubbock and a first-place finish in the Big 12 Conference. While with the Red Raiders, Felix served as the bullpen/outfield coach.

Prior to the start of his collegiate coaching career, Felix played professional baseball for five seasons in Triple AAA-A in both the U.S. and Mexico. Felix played for the Lubbock Crickets, Corpus Christi Barracudas, Los Mochis Sugarcane Growers, Navojoa Mayos, Beloit Snappers and Stockton Ports with the Milwaukee Brewers Baseball Club as a relief pitcher. Felix was part of two minor league championship teams; the 1995 Single-A Midwest League Champions Beloit Snappers and the 1994 Double-AA Texas/Louisiana League Champions Corpus Christi Barracudas.

While with the Barracudas in 1994, Felix was named Texas/Louisiana League Rookie and Reliever of the Year and was also named to the league All-Star Team.

Felix played Division I collegiate baseball for the Elkhart Dusters of the Kansas Jayhawk Summer League, Lubbock Christian University, New Mexico State University, Dodge City Community College and Howard Junior College in Texas. He was a Jayhawk League All-Star in 1992 and was an all-conference and all-region selection in two seasons at Lubbock Christian. Felix was also an all-conference and all-region pitcher at Dodge City in 1990.

Felix comes from a baseball and softball family. His twin brother Larry currently plays men's AA-Major fastpitch softball with teams from Texas and Mexico after retiring from playing professional baseball for 12 seasons in AAA-A Oakland A's, Milwaukee Brewers, Atlantic League and Mexican League. His younger brother Eugene Felix also played professionally for the Lafayette Bullfrogs of the Texas/Louisiana League. His father Lauro Sr. played competitive men's fastpitch softball for over 30 years with teams from Texas and Mexico.

Felix played men's fastpitch during high school and college in El Paso, Texas for the El Paso Toros and Team Casa softball clubs.

Felix graduated from Texas Tech University in 2000 with a bachelor's degree in general studies. Felix has been married for 12 years to his wife Michelle and they have a son Matthew Ripken Felix.

Professional Experience

Team USA Baseball Staff
2012 Women's National Team Manager World Cup
2011 Women's National Team Blue Manager Friendship Series
2011 NTIS Team USA Baseball Scout 16U
2010 Team USA Baseball 14U Scout/Assistant Coach
2009 Team USA Baseball Assistant Coach World Baseball Classic
2007 Team USA Baseball 16U Trials Coach

Major League Baseball Staff
2008-2009 Baltimore Orioles Assistant Coach
2004-2006 Cleveland Indians Assistant Coach

Major League Baseball Scout
2010 Los Angeles Angels Associate Scout West Texas

Minor League Baseball Coach
2007 AAA Culiacan Tomateros Bullpen Coach

NCAA/NJCAA Baseball & Softball Coach
2010-Current UCF Softball Assistant Coach
2001-2004 Galveston JC Baseball Head/Assistant Coach
1999-2000 Texas Tech University Softball Assistant Coach
1999 Texas Tech University Volunteer Assistant Baseball Coach

Professional Baseball Player
1994-1998 A-AAA Milwaukee Brewers - Beloit Snappers, Stockton Ports, Lubbock Crickets, Los Mochis Sugarcane Growers, Navojoa Mayos & Corpus Christi Barracudas Baseball Clubs.