James Leverton to Join Mitch Thompson's Staff as New Bears Pitching Coach
A new era is starting for the Baylor Bears' baseball program, as new coach Mitch Thompson looks to come in and turn things around.
Following a disappointing season for the Baylor Bears, which saw them finish at 26-28 and miss the NCAA Tournament, Thompson will have his hands full early on in the rebuild process.
Thompson would take his first steps in that process on Friday afternoon with the announcement that Baylor has hired James Leverton to his staff as the new Bears' pitching coach.
Leverton will also have his hands full, being tasked with correcting the Bears' pitching issues. The Bears' pitching staff finished the 2021 season with a dismal 5.84 ERA, with only Kansas having a worse ERA in the Big 12.
However, Thompson believes that Leverton is the perfect man for the job and is looking forward to see him work with the team moving forward.
“I am thrilled to bring James Leverton on to the staff as our pitching coach here at Baylor,” Thompson said. “I’ve known James for a long time, and I am certain he fits in perfectly to the vision of what we’re trying to accomplish. James is an excellent talent evaluator, a relentless recruiter, and an even better pitching coach on a day-to-day basis. He is a rising star in college baseball, and I can’t wait to see the success he has as a Bear.”
The two have history working together, with Leverton having served as a former assistant under Thompson at McLennan Community College. After six seasons with Thompson, Leverton would join the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Trojans as a voluntary assistant before being promoted to pitching coach in 2019
During his time as pitching coach, the Trojans would win three conference championships, a pair of NJCAA World Series appearances and the 2021 NJCAA National Championship.
As well as seeing team success, under Leverton's watch the Trojan pitching staff would put up elite numbers. Leverton mentored eight all-conference pitchers, three Pitchers of the Year and a pair of second-round Major League Baseball draft picks in Josh Breaux and Connor Phillips
In his final season with MCC, Leverton worked side-by-side with Logan Henderson, the 2021 NJCAA Division I Pitcher of the Year.
Now, Leverton comes to Waco looking to turn around the Bears' pitching staff and looks forward to the opportunity to do so.
"I'm very excited to join the Baylor Family," Leverton said. "I want to thank Coach Thompson for the opportunity to work at such a historic program. My wife and I couldn't be happier to be back home in Waco. We can't wait to see everyone at the ballpark in 2023. Sic 'Em!"
Whether or not Leverton is ultimately able to have the same results with the Bears as he did with the Trojans, his hire signals a step in the right direction for Baylor. Under Thompson, the Bears are finding themselves back on the path to being annual contenders in college baseball once again.
You can find Connor Zimmerlee on Twitter @Connorjz98
Want the latest in breaking and insider news for the Baylor Bears? Click Here
Follow Inside the Bears on Twitter
Follow Inside the Bears on Facebook
Connor Zimmerlee is a writer and reporter for the FanNation network. Zimmerlee received his Bachelor's of Journalism from the University of Texas at Austin and graduated from Northwestern's Medill School of Journalism with a Master's of Science in Journalism with a Specialization in Sports Media.