Luke Harrigan (left) and Andrew Bartman (right) will be head coaches for the first time in the SLIAC in 2012. Westminister and MacMurray athletic photos

Luke Harrigan and Andrew Bartman join Principia's Alex Ferguson to the list of new head coaches in the SLIAC. Harrigan replaces Scott Pritchard at Westminister (Mo.) while Bartman takes over the reins of the MacMurray program for Kevin Vest.

Andrew Bartman has been named the 17th head baseball coach in the history of MacMurray. However, he is no stranger to MacMurray. Bartman was a catcher/first baseman for the Highlanders from 2004-2006.

“I am tremendously excited to be coming back to my alma mater to lead a program,” he said. “I cannot wait to hit the recruiting trail and begin getting prospects excited about MacMurray. I am extremely grateful to athletic director Dane Pavlovich and the Mac family for the opportunity that has been placed before me. I look forward to tackling the challenges ahead and restoring the program to the heights of excellence.”

Bartman has solid experience coaching at the collegiate level. During the springs of 2010 and 2011, he was the recruiting coordinator and pitching coach at Lincoln College, a two-year private college in Lincoln, Ill. While he was there, Bartman helped coach Tony Thomas bring the program to new heights.

His first year brought an eight-win improvement from the previous year, and 2011 was one of the program’s most successful to date. Bartman’s first recruiting class arriving for the 2011 season was the largest early-commitment class in history, and the teammates proceeded to lead the Lynx baseball squad to its highest conference finish in 15 years, including the school’s first-ever NJCAA National Player of the Week. In addition, that campaign lowered the pitching staff’s ERA. by more than 4 runs per game and garnered Lincoln votes in a national poll for the first time.

Luke Harrigan is the new head baseball coach at Westminster (Mo.). Harrigan, who is the sixth head coach since Westminster joined the NCAA and the SLIAC, officially begins his responsibilities on campus Aug. 1.

He is currently the head assistant baseball coach and recruiting coordinator at Adrian and has additional experience working as a baseball instructor in Germany, a volunteer assistant at Bowling Green State University and an assistant at Franklin College. Adrian went 31-11 this past season, won its third consecutive Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association title and advanced to the NCAA tournament.