 Head Coach Kevin Howard
Coach Kevin Howard led the Panthers to their seventh straight winning season in 2007. The Panthers finished the season 28-17 and had a second place finish in the GSAC Championship Tournament. In eight seasons with LaGrange, Howard has a 237-139 (.630 winning percentage) record and an overall record of 417-230-1 (.645 winning percentage). During this time the Panthers have won five GSAC regular season championships and two GSAC tournament championships.
In 2005, the Panthers acheived their first ever national ranking and finished 31-13. The Panthers led the nation in NCAA Division III in stolen bases per game and were second in the nation in runs scored per game, fourth in batting average and 11th in pitching earned run average.
Howard led LaGrange to a banner season in 2003. The Panthers won their first national baseball title, winning the USCAA National Tournament. The Panthers finished with a 36-10 record, setting school records for wins and fewest losses in a season. Under Howard, LaGrange has produced 52 all-conference performers, 16 all-region performers, 15 All-Americans and eight conference player/pitcher/freshman of the year award winners.
Prior to building the Panthers' baseball program, Howard had six successful years at Emory University in Atlanta. Howard led Emory to three straight berths in the NCAA Division III National Championships in 1996, 1997 and 1998. The American Baseball Coaches Association ranked Emory four years, including a number 12 ranking in 1999.
Emory had five All-Americans, 21 all-region performers, 23 all-conference performers and two conference most valuable players under Howard. In five of the six years, Howard's pitching staffs were ranked among the top 30 in the nation in team earned run average.
Prior to coming to Emory, Howard was the top assistant coach for Indiana of the Big Ten Conference for three years. He was also an assistant at Morehead State University in Kentucky and his college alma mater, The College ofWooster in Ohio. Wooster reached the Division III World Series in 1989 when Howard was an assistant coach there.
Howard graduated from Wooster in 1988. He was named to the all-region team by the American Baseball Coaches Association. Howard helped Wooster to four trips to the NCAA Division III national tournament, four national rankings and four conference championships.
A two-sport star, Howard was a four-year starter at defensive back, earning all-conference honors. He was given the school's Senior Scholar-Athlete Award, presented to the senior male athlete who has excelled academically, performed with distinction as an athlete and demonstrated positive leadership.
Howard holds a master's degree in exercise science from Morehead State. He is a member of the American Baseball Coaches Association and has served on the NCAA Division III regional selection advisory committee. During the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta, Howard worked as a practice site coordinator for baseball.
Howard and his wife. Lisa, have two children; Jacob, 8 and Madison, 6.
 Assistant Coach Ryan Grice
Grice begins his second year on the Panthers coaching staff. Prior to coming to LaGrange, Grice spent the 2006 season coaching at the University of Akron. He spent five seasons as the top assistant coach at Walsh University in North Canton Ohio, where he earned his Masters in Education. Grice was a four-year letterman at Walsh and ranks sixth on the school's all-time hits career list. In his final two seasons at Walsh, he earned American Mideast All-Conference honors. Grice helped Walsh to the most wins in school history (36) and the best winning percentage in conference history, (19-2) his senior season. Grice is a native of Millersburg Ohio. He was a standout in baseball and football for West Holmes High School. Grice was a four-year starter for the baseball team and a three-year starter for the football team where he earned all-state honors.
 Assistant Coach Nick Nelson
Nelson begins his first year as a member of the Panthers' coaching staff. Nelson is a 2006 graduate of LaGrange College with a degree in Biology. He was a four-year letterman for the Panthers. During his career with the Panthers, Nelson was a three-time All-GSAC selection as a catcher (2004-2006) and earned GSAC All-Academic honors for three straight years. Nelson was a member of three GSAC regular season titles, two GSAC tournament championships and a USCAA National Championship. He finished his career with a .333 batting average and was awarded the J. Phillip Cleaveland Outstanding Senior award. A native of Birmingham, Ala., Nelson attended Oak Mountain High School where he was a standout catcher. In his senior year, Nelson was elected All-State Honorable Mention and was selected to the Alabama East-West All-Star Game. Upon graduating from LaGrange College, he returned to Oak Mountain to join the staff and help lead the Eagles to No. 1 state ranking. Nelson is currently working on a Masters of Arts in Teaching here at LaGrange College.
|
| 
Athletics
|
|
