New Tennessee Skipper To Run USA Team For First Time…

Serrano was an assistant for the Collegiate National Team in 2010.

DURHAM, N.C. — USA Baseball announced Tuesday the naming of Dave Serrano as manager of the 2012 Collegiate National Team. The new Tennessee Volunteer head coach will be making his managerial debut for Team USA.

Serrano was named the 24th head coach of the University Tennessee baseball program on June 15, on the heels of his fourth season at the helm of Cal State Fullerton. The former Titans skipper earned Big West Coach of the Year honors in 2011 for the second season in a row and led Fullerton to its 20th consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance.

“We could not be more pleased with Dave Serrano accepting our invitation to serve as manager of the 2012 Collegiate National Team,” said Eric Campbell, general manager of USA Baseball National Teams. “The energy and passion he brought to the Collegiate program in 2010 was key to the success of that club, and we’re confident those qualities will carry over to the 2012 team as well.”

Serrano’s first experience in the red, white and blue came as pitching coach of the 2010 Collegiate team. He helped guide a staff headlined by several 2011 MLB First-Year Player Draft first round picks, including Gerrit Cole (No. 1 overall, Pittsburgh Pirates), Sonny Gray (No. 18 overall, Oakland Athletics), Matt Barnes (No. 19 overall, Boston Red Sox), Tyler Anderson (No. 20 overall, Colorado Rockies), and Sean Gilmartin (No. 28 overall, Atlanta Braves). The 2010 club finished 16-3 overall, and Serrano’s staff compiled a 1.22 ERA for the summer.

“It is a tremendous honor to be given the opportunity to lead the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team,” said Serrano. “My experience on Bill Kinneberg’s staff in 2010 was nothing but first class, and I am both excited and humbled to have the chance to put on the USA Baseball uniform once again. I look forward to putting together a talented staff and representing this great country next year.”

Over 17 seasons at the Division I level, dating back to the start of his coaching career at Cerritos College in 1998 and including stints at Tennessee, UC Irvine and Fullerton, Serrano has secured 16 postseason bids and has tutored 161 draft picks. Seven of the picks were first-round selections and 23 ultimately reached the Major League level. Serrano has coached 19 players that have starred for USA Baseball National Teams, including Todd Helton and Christian Colon, and he is one of just 11 head coaches ever to lead two teams to the College World Series in Omaha (UC Irvine, 2007; Cal State Fullerton, 2009).

The 2012 Collegiate National Team schedule and the remainder of the coaching staff are currently being finalized. An announcement will be made prior to the end of the year and details will be available on www.USABaseball.com. In 2011, the Collegiate team finished with an 11-2-1 record, and its season was highlighted by a 3-1-1 series win over Japan in the two counties’ bi-annual collegiate all-star friendship series.

About USA Baseball
USA Baseball is the National Governing Body of amateur baseball in the United States and is a member of the United States Olympic Committee (USOC). The organization selects and trains the World Baseball Classic Team and World Cup Team (and all other USA Baseball Professional Teams); the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team; the USA Baseball 18U, 16U and 14U National Teams; and the USA Baseball Women’s National Team, all of which participate in various international competitions each year. USA Baseball also presents the Golden Spikes Award annually to the top amateur baseball player in the country. For more information, please visit www.USABaseball.com and www.GoldenSpikesAward.com.

(Release)

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Second High-Profile Coach Gone In Past Three Days …

Todd Raleigh

“We feel our baseball program, unfortunately, has not made the progress on the field that it should have over the last four years,” Hamilton said. “We believe a change in leadership is necessary in order to move the program forward. We appreciate Todd’s efforts and wish him the best in all future endeavors.”

Contractually, the university is obligated to pay Raleigh his annual base salary for the one year remaining on his contract, as well as one year’s worth of additional compensation for broadcast and shoe and apparel pay. That total is $331,657.53, payable over 12 months in equal installments.

Raleigh finishes with an overall record of 108-113 (.489) in his four seasons at Tennessee from 2008-11, including a 42-78 (.350) mark in SEC play.

(Press Release)

Tennessee is the final SEC school to release its 2011 college baseball schedule. The Volunteers open their season February 18-21 when they host Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Canisius visits Knoxville the following weekend for a three-game series.

CLICK HERE to see the complete 2011 Tennessee baseball schedule.

The Vols hit the road for the first time when they visit Clarksville, TN to face Austin Peay on March 16. They open SEC play March 18-20 at Kentucky. Other conference road series are at Florida, Vanderbilt, Alabama, and LSU. Conference home series are against Ole Miss, defending national champion South Carolina, Georgia, Mississippi State, and Auburn.

The 2011 SEC Baseball Tournament is May 25-29 in Hoover, AL.

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KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - The University of Tennessee baseball team has hired San Diego Padres Regional Crosschecker Ash Lawson as assistant coach and recruiting coordinator, Head Coach Todd Raleigh announced Friday. Lawson will replace Bradley LeCroy who resigned earlier this week to pursue another coaching opportunity.

Ash Lawson

“While I am disappointed to see Bradley leave, I am extremely excited about adding Ash Lawson to our staff,” Raleigh said. “Coach LeCroy did an absolutely fantastic job while he was here and I truly believe that Ash will step right in and continue to move our program forward. His resume both at the college level and the professional level with the Padres speaks for itself and, as a Tennessean, he certainly understands the unique responsibilities and expectations that come with working at the University of Tennessee.”

“Ash will be a tremendous asset to our program from day one. He is very familiar with our current players, as well as our commitments in the 2011 class. I believe this will be a very smooth transition. He did a great job at Tennessee Wesleyan as a head coach, was on the fast track with the Padres and has a great reputation for evaluating talent.”

Lawson, who hails from Athens, Tenn., was promoted to regional crosschecker by the Padres in January after serving five years as an area scout covering Georgia, Tennessee and South Carolina. During that time, he signed over 20 players, including three first-round picks and two supplemental round selections. Lawson was named the San Diego Padres Scout of the Year in 2006.

“The Padres were great to me and there is some remorse in leaving, but, like I told our assistant general manager last night, through all my years in professional baseball, the only place that I ever considered leaving for was the University of Tennessee,” Lawson said. “Obviously, when Coach Raleigh called me I was excited, happy and honored to even be considered for this job.

“I’ve always thought this was a goldmine and I think the opportunity to win at Tennessee is unbelievable. You are wearing your state’s name across your chest. What kid doesn’t want to play at Tennessee? I look at this as a challenge, but my years in professional baseball have shown me what it takes to play in the SEC and what it takes to play in the big leagues. Now it’s my job to find those kids and convince them to come play at Tennessee.”

Prior to joining the Padres, Lawson was the head coach at Tennessee Wesleyan College from 1999-2004. He led the Bulldogs to three of the best seasons in school history, setting school records for wins in 2002 (38-20), 2003 (41-10) and 2004 (42-16) and winning the Appalachian Athletic Conference title in those three years. Lawson was also named the conference and region coach of the year in 2003.

In 1999, Lawson served as the interim head coach at Bluefield College where he piloted the Ramblin’ Rams to the most wins in school history (29), as well as the program’s first conference tournament championship and initial appearance in a regional tournament.

Lawson graduated in 1996 from Tennessee Wesleyan. He has also spent time as a volunteer assistant at Elon (1996-98) and has extensive experience in summer collegiate leagues, having served as an assistant coach on teams in the Coastal Plains League, Valley League and Arizona Summer Collegiate League.

Lawson takes over for LeCroy and will assume his responsibilities as recruiting coordinator and infielder’s coach. He will also implement a baserunning program and assist Raleigh with hitting.

“This decision was definitely a bittersweet one,” LeCroy said. “While I am excited about returning to a place that my wife and I both consider to be home, it is extremely difficult for me to leave Knoxville and the University of Tennessee. I can’t thank Coach Raleigh enough for believing in me over the past five years at both Western Carolina and UT and providing me with the opportunity to grow as a coach. I have no doubts that Coach Raleigh, Coach Lawson, Coach Beverlin and the rest of his staff will return Tennessee to the level at which it deserves to be.”

Prior to his time in Knoxville, LeCroy worked with Raleigh for two years as an assistant coach at Western Carolina from 2006-07. He also served as a volunteer assistant coach at Clemson, his alma mater, from 2003-05. LeCroy was a four-year letterwinner with the Tigers, helping the squad to four NCAA appearances, including a berth in the 2000 College World Series.

“Bradley and I worked together for several years and he will definitely be missed,” Raleigh said. “He was a tireless worker, tremendous coach and a great person. We will miss both him and his wife Meredith as they leave our family.”

(Tennessee Release)