2010 Baseball Coaches

Jonathan Burton begins his second season as the head coach of the Trojan baseball program after posting a 35-23 record in his first season leading the team.

Burton led the team to a second place (14-7) finish in the TranSouth Conference regular season race and to the TSAC Tournament Championship game. It is the third straight year for the Trojans to reach the conference finals.

The team was honored with several postseason honors. Tim Dunn was named an NAIA First Team All-American and TranSouth Conference Player of the Year. It is just the second time a pitcher has been selected for that award. Chris Lowe was named honorable mention All-American. Brian Dirheimer, Cody Heggie, and Chris Lowe joined Dunn on the TranSouth First Team. Ross Muirhead, Trevor Green, Chris Lowe, and Blair Haskins were named to the NAIA Scholar-Athlete list. Wesley Griggs was named NAIA Pitcher of the Week during the season.

Prior to becoming the head coach at Trevecca, Burton was the Trojans' top assistant for two years under Chris Collins. He also previously served former Trojan mentor Jeff Forehand as an assistant, recruiting and maintaining all the outdoor athletic facilities at Trevecca. Burton served as a graduate assistant at Trevecca in 2005.

Burton's 2007 pitching staff led the TranSouth Conference in five statistical categories, and the 2008 staff led the conference in four categories. Trojan hurlers broke three school records in 2007 and two in 2008.

Several Trojans hurlers have earned honors under Burton's mentoring the last three seasons. Tim Dunn (TranSouth Player of the Year) ran up a 12-0 record with a 1.89 ERA in his first season under Burton's tutelage in 2009. Luke Brown (All-TranSouth and Region-XI First Team) who led the NAIA (2007) in wins (16) and set the TNU record for wins in a season. Eric Van Slyke, who signed as a non-drafted free agent with the Kansas City Royals, was named the TranSouth, Region-XI, and NAIA Pitcher of the Week. Steven Brown set the Trevecca career and season record for saves was named All-Region XI and All-TranSouth. Nick Shoup was named All-TranSouth First Team. Griggs was named to the second team and Region-XI and TranSouth Pitcher of the Week. Freshman Ben Johnson was named TranSouth Pitcher of the Week.

Burton, from Smith County in Tennessee, transferred to Trevecca after a two-year stay at Volunteer State Community College in Gallatin, Tenn.

Burton had an inspiring career as a player prior to his coaching career. Burton, who pitched at Trevecca from 2001-2004, returned from Tommy John surgery in 2004 and posted a career-best 8-1 record with a 3.93 ERA, compiling a career record of 13-10. After the devastating arm injury, he spent a year helping the Trojans as a scout and essentially starting his coaching career. Burton had a memorable and gutsy performance against Birmingham Southern in 2001. He threw the complete game, picking up the win in a 4-2 decision against the eventual national champions.

Jonathan resides in Hermitage, Tenn.

Jack Peel begins his first season as an assistant on the Trevecca baseball staff.

Peel, the former University of Memphis baseball standout, most recently served as the head softball coach at Lambuth University. Prior to his one season at Lambuth, Peel started the Lyon College softball program. In the team's first season he led it to a fifth place finish (of 10 teams) in the TranSouth Athletic Conference.

In addition to his work with the softball program, Peel was an assistant baseball coach for Lyon for three seasons.

While with the Lyon baseball program Peel coached six NAIA All-Americans.

Peel, who played six seasons of professional baseball, played two years at Northwest Mississippi Community College in Senatobia, Miss. He was selected to the Mississippi Junior College All-State Team following his sophomore season. In 2005 he was inducted into the Northwest Mississippi CC Athletic Hall of Fame.

His final two seasons of collegiate play were spent at the University of Memphis (then Memphis State) where he was selected to the All-Metro Conference Team for his play in the outfield.

The University of Memphis graduate signed and played with the Chicago White Sox for four seasons and then played two more seasons with the Texas Rangers organization.

Following his playing career he returned to the University of Memphis as the baseball program's graduate assistant for one season. He spent two more years as an assistant coach on that staff.

Peel resides in Nashville, Tenn.

Matt Thomas joins the Trojan baseball program as an assistant after a tenure with the Lipscomb baseball program.

Thomas works with infielders, on defensive alignment, on baserunning, and in the weight program.

Thomas, a 2006 graduate of Lipscomb University, served the Bison baseball program as an assistant coach from 2006-2009. While at Lipscomb, Thomas contributed to several player's careers who would be drafted in the top 25 rounds of the Major League Baseball amateur draft.

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

Thomas coached Rex Brothers, Caleb Joseph, Jon King, and Casey Bond; all were drafted by Major League Baseball.

Thomas resides in Nashville, Tenn.

Chris Lowe, a four-time member of the TranSouth All-Conference Team, is the Trojans' graduate assistant this season.

Lowe. a second-team All-Conference performer as a freshman, made the first team his final three years. As a sophomore, the four-year starter in right-field, made the NAIA All-Region XI Team and was named the Region XI and TranSouth Player of the Week once. As a junior, he repeated as a All-Region XI selection. In his senior year he was selected honorable mention NAIA All-American and was an NAIA Scholar-Athlete. He was a three-time TranSouth Scholar-Athlete. As a senior he also was selected to the TranSouth Rawlings Gold Glove Team.

Lowe set three Trevecca career records. He owns the career record for runs scored, triples, and hits.

Lowe resides in Nashville, Tenn.