FROM STAFF REPORTS

University of Montevallo baseball coach Chandler Rose announced the hiring of Blake Lewis as assistant coach and recruiting coordinator July 16.

Rose also announced the promotion of assistant coach Erik Maas to pitching coach and associate head coach.

Lewis will work with the hitters and the infield. Lewis is a 2006 graduate of Montevallo and was a member of the Falcons’ baseball team for two seasons. He was most recently the head coach at Lawson State Community College in Birmingham.

“Adding Blake to our staff and program is very exciting,” Rose said. “Being a former player here, Blake has a passion for Montevallo that will provide us with a lot of energy. He is a tireless worker and recruiter that will help us continue building to reach our goals. Blake has had tremendous success in his coaching career so far and he will be a tremendous addition to our University and baseball program. He will be responsible for the hitters and infielders in addition to recruiting.”

Maas has been on the Montevallo staff for two seasons, helping lead the Falcons to their first ever Peach Belt Conference tournament appearance this past season.

“Maas couldn’t be more deserving of this promotion,” Rose said. “His hard work recruiting and in all areas of the program has been instrumental in our success so far. He is so valuable to our program and I know how much our players love playing for him. We are very fortunate to have him in our program.”

Lewis has been the head coach at Lawson State for three seasons and has posted records for most wins in a season and most conference wins in a season. This past season, he led Lawson to a No. 12 national ranking. As head coach, he was in charge of all aspects of the program, including scheduling, fundraising, recruiting and field maintenance. Prior to taking over as head coach, Lewis served as the assistant coach at Lawson for one season.

Prior to Lawson State, Lewis was a graduate assistant coach at the University of West Alabama for two seasons. While at West Alabama, the Tigers were the Gulf South Conference East Division Champions in 2007 and East Division Runners-up in 2008. They finished second in the Gulf South Conference tournament in 2006 and made an NCAA Regional appearance in 2008. In his two seasons at West Alabama, he helped lead the Tigers to an 86-30 record.

During Lewis’ final season, the team reached the No. 2 ranking in the nation. Lewis served as the infield coach and assisted with hitting. He also helped coordinate field maintenance and game day activities as well as serve as the first base coach at West Alabama.

Lewis played at Montevallo for two seasons, 2004 and 2005. His senior season, the Falcons finished with a 36-22 record and he was third on the team in batting average with a .325 clip. He led the team with 21 stolen bases and was third with 35 RBIs. He helped lead the Falcons to the Gulf South Conference tournament that season.

A native of Pleasant Grove, Lewis is a 2006 graduate of the University of Montevallo with a Bachelor of Science in kinesiology. He earned his graduate degree in 2008 from the University of West Alabama. He is married to Calera High School volleyball coach Amanda Lewis.