Central Michigan University Athletics
Baseball
Justin Sumner
- Title:
- Assistant Coach
- E-Mail Address:
- sumne2jw@cmich.edu
- Phone:
- (989) 774-2412
- Year at CMU:
- 3rd
- Hometown:
- Rich Hill, Mo.
- Alma Mater/Year:
- St. Mary/2011; Pittsburg State/2019
- Experience:
- 10th year
Justin Sumner is in his fourth year as an assistant on coach Jake Sabol’s Central Michigan baseball staff.
He is primarily responsible for working with the hitters and infielders, while assisting in all recruiting efforts.
Sumner has overseen steady improvement in the victory total and in virtually every statistical category both at the plate and on the mound in his four years as a member of Sabol’s staff.
In 2026, the Chippewas finished in a tie for seventh in the Mid-American Conference, increasing their win total by more than 40 percent from 2024, when Sabol took the reins of the program and named Sumner to an assistant post. CMU won six of its 11 MAC series in 2026 for a total of 13 league victories, its most conference wins and league series victories during Sabol’s tenure.
CMU showed marked improvement at the plate in 2026, hitting .290 as a team and totaling 60 home runs, a 15-point batting average improvement and a 20-homer boost over the 2025 Chippewas. The Chippewas finished 2026 with 175 extra-base hits, a near 10-percent increase over the previous season. Eight Chippewas hit at least five home runs in 2026 after just two hit at least five in 2025.
Among the highlights of Sumner’s time on Sabol's CMU staff are road wins over Power 5 opponents Michigan State (twice), Notre Dame and Central Florida, and a dramatic walk-off victory over rival Western Michigan on Senior Day on storied Keilitz Field at Theunissen Stadium in 2024.
The Chippewas received the Team Academic Excellence Award from the American Baseball Coaches Association in both 2024 and '25, marking the fifth time in program history that CMU baseball has been so honored.
In 2025, five Chippewas were named to the Academic All-District Team and four earned Academic All-MAC honors one season after a dozen captured Academic All-MAC honors, catcher/infielder Nick Dardas earned the MAC Medal of Excellence, and two seniors, Jacob Donahue and Ely Stuart, garnered All-MAC accolades.
Sumner served during the 2021 and 2022 seasons as an assistant at Ohio and prior to that was an assistant at New England College and at Saint Anselm College, both which are located in New Hampshire, and also has coached at the high school and collegiate summer league level.
Sumner, a native of Rich Hill, Mo., played collegiately at Fort Scott (Kan.) Community College and at the University of Saint Mary in Leavenworth, Kan.
He is primarily responsible for working with the hitters and infielders, while assisting in all recruiting efforts.
Sumner has overseen steady improvement in the victory total and in virtually every statistical category both at the plate and on the mound in his four years as a member of Sabol’s staff.
In 2026, the Chippewas finished in a tie for seventh in the Mid-American Conference, increasing their win total by more than 40 percent from 2024, when Sabol took the reins of the program and named Sumner to an assistant post. CMU won six of its 11 MAC series in 2026 for a total of 13 league victories, its most conference wins and league series victories during Sabol’s tenure.
CMU showed marked improvement at the plate in 2026, hitting .290 as a team and totaling 60 home runs, a 15-point batting average improvement and a 20-homer boost over the 2025 Chippewas. The Chippewas finished 2026 with 175 extra-base hits, a near 10-percent increase over the previous season. Eight Chippewas hit at least five home runs in 2026 after just two hit at least five in 2025.
Among the highlights of Sumner’s time on Sabol's CMU staff are road wins over Power 5 opponents Michigan State (twice), Notre Dame and Central Florida, and a dramatic walk-off victory over rival Western Michigan on Senior Day on storied Keilitz Field at Theunissen Stadium in 2024.
The Chippewas received the Team Academic Excellence Award from the American Baseball Coaches Association in both 2024 and '25, marking the fifth time in program history that CMU baseball has been so honored.
In 2025, five Chippewas were named to the Academic All-District Team and four earned Academic All-MAC honors one season after a dozen captured Academic All-MAC honors, catcher/infielder Nick Dardas earned the MAC Medal of Excellence, and two seniors, Jacob Donahue and Ely Stuart, garnered All-MAC accolades.
Sumner served during the 2021 and 2022 seasons as an assistant at Ohio and prior to that was an assistant at New England College and at Saint Anselm College, both which are located in New Hampshire, and also has coached at the high school and collegiate summer league level.
Sumner, a native of Rich Hill, Mo., played collegiately at Fort Scott (Kan.) Community College and at the University of Saint Mary in Leavenworth, Kan.
Tuesday, May 12
Sunday, May 10
Saturday, May 09
Friday, May 08
