BEREA, KY.,- Berea College Athletic Director Ryan Hess has officially announced the hiring of Chris Lewis to take over the Berea College Baseball team this week.
"In our extensive search of the new head coach of the Berea College Baseball Program, the search committee was blown away with the experience Coach Lewis has had in his career coaching all over the country," Athletic Director Ryan Hess states. "Coach Lewis has had extensive experience working with student-athletes, promoting a holistic coaching philosophy, which will enrich the experience of our student-athletes. We are excited to have Coach Lewis and his family join our campus family and lead our baseball program into new heights."
Lewis, who arrives in Berea after two seasons at NCAA Division II Upper Iowa University, as an assistant coach. His responsibilities included overseeing all the hitters and position players. In his first year, UIU offense showed tremendous progress, increasing production in 12 categories. In the shorted 2020 season, UIU's offense was on track to break the program individual and team home run records.
Before Upper Iowa University, Coach Lewis was the head coach at Dawson Community College. Lewis saw 25 of his players move onto the 4-year level, including coaching 7-Academic All-Americans, 21 of which were named to the Dean's List. Lewis also coached back-to-back MonDak Conference Players of the Year and the 2017 team was named to the NJCAA Academic All-American Team. In 2018, Reynaldo Pichardo was drafted in the 33rd round by the Texas Rangers. In addition, the Buccaneers led by Coach Lewis was nationally ranked at the NJCAA Division II level for the first time in program history.
"I would like to thank Director Hess and the search committee for giving me an opportunity to lead the Mountaineer Baseball Program. During the interview process, I knew that Berea was the perfect place to call home for me and especially my family. The mission of Berea College fits into what I believe coaching is about," said Coach Lewis. "I also cannot wait to come back to the bluegrass and start rebuilding the Mountaineer Baseball Program."
Coach Lewis has learned under the tutelage of some of the most revered coaches in college baseball. Coach Lewis spent 2009-2014 under legendary coach Beauford Sanders at Campbellsville University in Campbellsville, KY. Under the legendary long-time head coach, Campbellsville University is #12 on the active list on winningest coaches in NAIA Baseball. Coach Lewis also spent a year under head coach Brian Wade, which in the past decade has won more games than any other four-year collegiate program in the state of Iowa regardless of level.
Coach Lewis has been coaching since 2000, being an essential part of many winning and successful programs all throughout the country, including stops at Southwestern Oregon Community College, Sherwood High School, Salinas Valley Packers, Portland Titans, Lewis & Clark College, Portland Baseball Club, NW Star, and Bethany University (Scotts Valley, CA.), where he achieved the first 30-win season in school history.
"I am a blessed man," said Lewis. "I have had the opportunity to work for and with some great coaches in my career not to mention the countless players who have been a special part of my life. We are all who we are today in part to the people who have helped shape our lives. I have a wonderful wife, who is more than I deserve, two beautiful daughters and an opportunity to build a program. It is a great day to be a Mountaineer."
Lewis received his Bachelor of Science in Physical Education & Health from Eastern Oregon University in La Grande, Ore. and his Master of Arts in Organization Leadership from Campbellsville University in Campbellsville, KY. Lewis resides in Berea with his wife Stephanie and their daughters McKinley and Whitley.