2012 Baseball Coaches

mlord@trevecca.edu  l  615.248.1276
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Mike Lord begins the 2012 campaign as the new baseball coach for Trevecca Nazarene University, the eighth head coach in the program's history. Coach Lord has more than 25 years of baseball coaching experience as a college head coach, bench coach, and pitching coach. He also spent nine years in the San Diego Padres organization and three more with the Boston Red Sox.

Coach Lord started his career as a pitching coach at Saddleback College in Southern California. His staff was in the top ten in earned-run average, and the team finished fourth in the California state playoffs. The next year Mike was hired to turn around a struggling program at Westmont College in Santa Barbara. He inherited a team which had finished under .500 in its past four seasons and had won fewer than ten games the year before. His team finished 22-20 and lost to Azusa Pacific in the GSAC finals both years he was at Westmont.

Lord has also held head coaching positions at Claremont College, Palm Beach Atlantic University, and San Diego Christian College. His 2005 squad at PBA finished the season at 33-11 and lost to Dallas Baptist in the final game of the NCCAA World Series. Lord's career coaching record is 170-127. Coach Lord also served nine seasons with the San Diego Padres as a batting practice pitcher and defensive positioning coach and most recently was an international scouting coordinator for the Boston Red Sox. The past three years on the other side of the fence has given Coach Lord greater perspective and renewed excitement about coaching. "With all the rules and regulations of college coaching, it is easy to get caught up in ‘the grass is greener syndrome.' You look at scouting as a way to be in the game but without all the paperwork and restrictions. The fact is, scouts spend a tremendous amount of time on the road away from their families, and finding future big leaguers is not easy to do. I have tremendous respect for both coaches and scouts, but for me hitting fungos, throwing batting practice, and helping kids get better is what I enjoy the most and what I want to do."

Trevecca Nazarene is in the first year of a three-year transition from NAIA to NCAA Division II. Coach Lord is looking forward to the future and is excited to be a part of the process. While in transition, Trevecca  will participate in the National Christian College Athletic Association.

"A lot of exciting things are happening on campus and in the baseball program. Trevecca not only has a winning tradition, but it has a reputation for developing talent and producing professional players," adds Coach Lord.

This past season two Trevecca pitchers, Craig Stem and PJ Francescon, were drafted by major league teams. Brad Coon, a 2006 draft pick of the Anaheim Angels, is currently in AAA with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

"As we move to NCAA DII, our goal is to continue to develop our baseball facility and create an environment where talented athletes can come and have a great experience. As a Christian coach, I am committed to seeing my boys develop spiritually, emotionally, and physically. I want them to leave Trevecca with great memories, strong friendships, and a game plan for a successful life."

The 2011-2012 season will be the second for Luke Brown as the Trojans' pitching coach.

Brown, a lefty, pitched for the Trojans from 2003-2007, producing a 28-7 career record with a 3.47 ERA. He compiled 177 strikeouts in 259.1 innings pitched over 58 appearances, with five complete games, two shutouts, and two saves.

As a senior in 2007, Brown led the NAIA and set a Trevecca record for wins in a season, going 16-1 with a 3.26 ERA and 76 strikeouts in 22 appearances. He was named Second Team NAIA All-American, First Team All-TranSouth, and was also tabbed for the NAIA All-Region XI team.

He pitched professionally for the Florence Freedom of the Frontier League for one season following graduation before getting into coaching, first as an assistant with the Christ Presbyterian Academy baseball program before coming back to his alma mater.

Brown was instrumental in the development of former Trojan hurlers Craig Stem and PJ Francescon, helping them develop into legitimate MLB prospects. Stem was taken in the 15th round of the 2011 Major League Baseball draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers, while Francescon was taken in the 40th round by the Chicago Cubs.

Matt Thomas begins his second season as an assistant with the Trojan baseball program, working with the infielders and directing the  teams weight program. He is also the teams hitting coach.

Thomas, a 2006 graduate of Lipscomb University, served the Bison baseball program as an assistant coach from 2006-2009. While at Lipscomb, Thomas contributed in several different areas under former Trojan head coach Jeff Forehand, including infield play while assisting with hitters.

Thomas, a native of Louisville, Ky., played at South Oldham High School. In addition to playing for Lipscomb, he played two seasons at St. Catharine Community College, where he was the team captain and starting shortstop.