Head Coach Kevin Howard
Phone: (706) 880-8295
E-Mail: khoward@lagrange.edu
Coach Kevin Howard led the Panthers to their ninth straight winning season in 2009. finishing the season 23-18.  In 10 seasons with LaGrange, Howard has a 260-157(.623 winning percentage) record and an overall record of 444-248-1 (.642 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, 11 and Madison, 9.

Assistant Coach Lee Fite
Phone (706) 880-8047
E-Mail: lfite@lagrange.edu
Fite will be starting his second season as a member of the Panther coaching staff.  He is a 2008 graduate of LaGrange College with a degree in History. 

Fite was a four-year letterman under coach Kevin Howard and was a member of the GSAC regular season championship team in 2005 and the GSAC tournament championship team in 2006.  He was awarded the Coaches Award his junior year in 2007 and the J. Phillip Cleaveland Outstanding Senior award in 2008. 

A native of Crawford, Ga., Fite attended Oglethorpe County High School where he was a standout catcher. He received the team's MVP and Coaches Awards and was an All-Region honorable mention and was selected to the Northeast, Georgia All-Star Team as a senior. Fite also holds a Masters Degree in teaching from LaGrange College.

Assistant Coach David Kelton
Phone (706) 880-8035
E-Mail: dkelton@lagrange.edu
David Kelton is in his first year on the Panthers' coaching staff. Kelton will be assisting head coach Kevin Howard with defense, base running, and hitting.  A native of West Point, Ga, Kelton was an all-state short stop for Troup High School.  As captain, he was selected as a Coaches Poll All American.  He set five school hitting records, two of which still remain today. 

Kelton was drafted in 1998 out of high school in the second round by the Chicago Cubs. He reached the major leagues with the Cubs in 2003. Kelton got his first major league call up when Sammy Sosa was suspended for the corked bat incident.  He received many accolades during his professional career being selected to the minor league All-Star teams in eight of his nine seasons.  In 2002, Kelton was the minor league player of the year, and selected as Topp's player of the month. He played in the Futures All Star game at US Cellular Field in Chicago in 2003.  In 2006 as a free agent, Kelton signed with the Atlanta Braves, playing at the AAA level.  During his career as a pro, He had 910 hits, including 116 home runs, 517 RBI's, and 89 stolen bases.

Kelton spent the 2007 season as the head coach for Springwood High School in Lanett, Al.  He took the Wildcats to the NAIS first round playoffs, only to be beaten by Lowndes Academy who went on to win the State Championship. Kelton,  born  December 17, 1979,  is married to the former Meredith Hawkins of Lanett, Ala.  The couple now resides in  Lanett, Ala.