USA – On the heels of Mount Olive’s first-ever national championship, Trojan head baseball coach has been named 2008 ABCA Division II Baseball National Coach of the Year, it was announced by the America Baseball Coaches Association. Lancaster becomes the first coach in school history to win national coach of the year honors in any sport.

Mount Olive defeated Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) 6-2 May 31 in the Championship Game of the 2008 NCAA Division II Baseball National Finals at Sauget, Ill. The Trojans won all four games during their first-ever appearance in the National Finals. Mount Olive hosted and won the South Atlantic Regional to earn a spot among the final eight. The Trojans also captured their third consecutive Conference Carolinas title.

Mount Olive posted a record of 58-6 in 2008, the most wins of any team in Division II. The Trojans shattered last year’s school record of 49 wins. Mount Olive earned its first-ever No. 1 national ranking in late February and stayed at No. 1 for 15 of the final 16 weeks of the season.

A school record five Trojan players were selected in this year’s Major League Baseball Draft and four players earned All-America honors.

In his 22nd year as a collegiate head baseball coach – all at Mount Olive – Lancaster improved his career record to 726-354 for a .672 winning percentage. Lancaster will begin the 2009 season ranked in the top 15 in career wins and winning percentage among active Division II baseball coaches. He will move into the top 30 all-time in career wins and could land in the top 20 all-time in winning percentage.

In the last two years, Mount Olive has compiled a record of 107-19 (.849).

The National Coach of the Year award is the latest in a series of awards for Lancaster this season. He was named ABCA South Atlantic Region Coach of the Year and earned Conference Carolinas Coach of the Year honors for the second year in a row and sixth time overall.

Lancaster gave credit for the award to the players and to assistant coaches Aaron Akin and Rob Watt.

“I’m very humbled,” said Lancaster. “It’s quite an honor the boys got for me. But it’s more than one person. I can’t say enough about the job Coach Akin and Coach Watt do. This is their award, too.”

Source: Mount Olive Athletics

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