Gavin Schmidt enters his second season as Pearl River's pitching coach in 2026 after taking over the role ahead of the 2025 campaign.

Under Schmidt's direction, Pearl River led the country in numerous categories including ERA (2.73), saves (16), wins (53), WHIP (1.13) and strikeouts (586). The Wildcats were third nationally in K/9 at 11.10. He helped lead the Wildcats to an MACCC title, a Region 23 Championship and a National Runner-up finish.

Before he arrived at The River, Schmidt was a Graduate Assistant at Mississippi State University. During his time with the Bulldogs, Schmidt assisted with breaking down trackman data and evaluating pitchers while serving as the bullpen coach during games. Additionally, he assisted in defensive work with the program's catchers. 

Schmidt earned his Bachelor's Degree in Kinesiology from Mississippi State in 2022 and his Master's Degree in Workforce Education Leadership in 2024. He earned additional certifications in Driveline Baseball's Foundations of Pitching and Rapsodo Sports Analytics Technology in 2022.