In an announcement from Celt Athletics, the University of St. Thomas-Houston has promoted Torry Peterson to the position of Head Coach of Celt Baseball. After serving as an assistant for the previous two seasons, Peterson has earned his first head coaching position after more than 10 years in the field.
"What an incredible honor it is to be chosen to lead this group of young men moving forward," Coach Peterson said. "My life has revolved around sports in the city of Houston. To become a Head Coach at the collegiate level in the city that has meant the world to me is more than a dream. My hope is to make UST Baseball a well-known name not only in Houston and the state of Texas but also nationally within the baseball community."
Peterson's Path
The Houston native is no stranger to college baseball. Prior to coaching, Peterson began his collegiate playing career at Texas A&M International. He then transferred to Alvin Community College and shortly afterward found himself heading to Marshall, Texas, to complete his eligibility with the East Texas Baptist University Tigers. Peterson graduated from ETBU with an undergraduate degree in kinesiology and a minor in psychology. Continuing his education, he also served as a graduate assistant for ETBU baseball while earning his Master's Degree in Sport and Exercise leadership.
Afterward, Peterson stayed alma mater, ETBU, where he worked as a hitting coach from 2010 to 2019. During his nine-year tenure, he played a key role in the development of 10 All-Americans and two MLB draft picks. In addition, he also helped lead the Tigers to their first ASC Tournament Appearence since joining the league.
This changed in the fall of 2021 when Peterson got the opportunity to join the University of St. Thomas as an Assistant Coach. Under Coach David Wood for the last two seasons, Peterson was responsible for hitting, infielders, and recruiting. Most recently, Peterson helped lead the Celts to their first 20-win season in 2023. With these experiences, Coach Peterson is now ready to assume the role of Head Coach.
"Coach Peterson has played a major role in building a solid foundation for our Baseball program during the last 2 years," Athletic Director Todd Smith added. "His familiarity with UST Baseball and our baseball student-athletes will be extremely helpful as we continue to grow the program. Torry is a baseball guy who lives and loves the game. We are excited to watch Coach Peterson and the team build on the last two years!''
About UST Baseball
Since baseball returned to St. Thomas in 2019, the team has made progress each season in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference. In 2022, the Celts made the SCAC tournament for the first time, and in 2023, they followed it up with their first 20-win season. With a roster that includes six All-SCAC selections, notably second-teamers Dylan Lamb and Kadin Munson, the Celts are gearing up for a promising 2024 season with Torry Peterson leading the way as the new Head Coach.
" Thank you to Coach Smith and the UST Administration for trusting me with the future of this program. It has been a blessing to work for such an awesome community of coaches and administrators for the last two years. I wouldn't be where I am today without the past coaches and mentors ," Peterson said. "There are too many to list; my past and future success has everything to do with the path I've taken," Coach Peterson added. "Thank you to Coach David Wood and his family for making the transition to UST two years ago and bringing my family and me along for the ride. Coach Wood took a chance on me, and I will forever be indebted to him for the knowledge and wisdom he has shared with me over the past couple of years. Most importantly, I want to thank my wife Keely, who has made many sacrifices to allow me to pursue my dream of leading a baseball program. Lastly, I want to express my gratitude to my parents for pushing me to become the man I am today and for being with me on my journey from tee ball at Pearland Little League to now being the Head Coach at UST. Go Celts!"
Coach Peterson is ready to begin his duties as the Head Coach of Celt baseball immediately at the Jerabeck Activity and Athletics Center.