DANVILLE, Va. — Averett University Director of Athletics Meg Stevens proudly announced Friday the hiring of Drew Bailey as the new baseball head coach. Bailey comes to Averett following three seasons as an assistant coach at Bluefield College.

"I'd like to thank Averett President Dr. Tiffany Franks, Meg Stevens and the Averett community for their trust in me to lead their baseball program," Bailey said. "My family and I are very thankful for this opportunity to be a part of the Averett family."

Bailey takes over the Averett program, which has more than 200 wins and one conference championship in 22 years of varsity play. As the third head coach in program history, Bailey is excited to build upon the Cougars' history of success.

"The goal for our program will be to give every student-athlete the best experience possible," Bailey said. "It will be our staff's expectation that every player in our program will graduate and is in a position to win a championship while enrolled at Averett. We are going to hold every player accountable and will prepare them for life after baseball. We want our guys to become successful in their careers and at home."

During his time at Bluefield, an NAIA school, Bailey served as the pitching coach and recruiting coordinator while assisting with hitters and catchers. In each season, his pitching staff totaled more than 300 strikeouts. Twice the Rams qualified for the NCCAA Tournament, earning a bid in the NCCAA College World Series in 2015 and 2017.

"We are thrilled to welcome Drew and his family to Averett," Franks said. "His core values align with our university's and he is the right fit to lead our baseball program into the future."

A native of Christiansburg, Virginia, Bailey played collegiately at Division II Concord University, where he was an all-conference relief pitcher twice. During his time there, he set the school record for saves and pitching appearances, and was a member of the 2008 Concord team that broke the program's wins record. Following his junior season in 2010, Bailey was selected in the 35th round of the Major League Baseball draft by the Oakland Athletics. He had his best pro season in 2011, when he went 5-0 with a 2.34 earned run average with the Single A Vermont Lake Monsters. In addition to the Athletics' organization, he also played with three independent teams.

"We are excited to have Drew Bailey lead our baseball program," Stevens said. "He has a wealth of experience and knowledge as a coach and a player. Drew's vision for his student-athletes on and off the field matches our department's '3-2-1' philosophy. Additionally, his knowledge of this region is beneficial for recruiting and future success."

In addition to his playing and coaching career, Bailey also worked as an associate scout with the St. Louis Cardinals' organization from 2015-16. He is also the founder of the Southwest Virginia Prospect Camp and served as the pitching coach at Christiansburg High School, his alma mater. Additional experience includes time as a guest instructor at summer camps in 2016 at Auburn University and the University of Virginia.

Outside of baseball, Bailey also served as the head coach of Bluefield's men's and women's cross country programs.

Bailey completed his bachelor's degree from Concord in 2015. He joins the Averett family, along with his wife, Lexi, and children Paxton and Reagan.