Head Coach: Doug Bletcher
In late June, Lindenwood University announced that Doug Bletcher has been named the Lions’ head baseball coach. Bletcher is no stranger to Lindenwood baseball -- he has been the head coach at Heart of America Athletic Conference (HAAC) rival Culver-Stockton for the past nine seasons.
“I am so excited to come to Lindenwood,” said Bletcher. “It has always been the envy of our conference, and really the Midwest. Lindenwood has a great reputation both academically and athletically.”
Bletcher was named the head coach at Culver-Stockton in 1999 after serving two seasons as the associate coach at the school. He had a record of 358-183-1 (.661) as the head coach for the Wildcats, and he has averaged nearly 40 wins a season.
Bletcher led Culver-Stockton to four HAAC titles, two HAAC tournament titles, and eight NAIA regional tournaments. The Wildcats won the 1999, 2002, and 2006 regional championships, and in 1999, finished third in the NAIA World Series. He was named the HAAC coach of the year in 2000 and 2005, and he was the regional coach of the year in 2000, 2002 and 2006.
Athletics director John Creer said choosing Bletcher to run the baseball program at Lindenwood was an easy choice.
“Doug has a proven track record of success on the field and in the classroom,” said Creer. “His players know from the start that academics come first. And his performance shows that he can recruit, and he certainly can coach.”
“With Doug here at Lindenwood, we feel that our successful baseball program will become even stronger,” said Lindenwood University President Dr. James Evans.
Bletcher’s student-athletes at Culver-Stockton have indeed excelled in the classroom. The latest Graduation Rate Survey shows his team with a 80% graduation rate within six years.
“I don’t let the young men who play for me lose sight of the fact that they have to perform in the classroom,” said Bletcher. “They have lives and careers to prepare for.”
While he was an associate coach at Culver-Stockton, the program went 66-40, won two conference titles, and advanced to the NAIA World Series in 1998 for the first time in school history. From 1990-1996, Bletcher was the associate head baseball coach at Pomona College in Claremont, Calif. In his final three seasons at Pomona, the program had its best three records in school history up to that point. Bletcher was also an assistant coach from 1988-1989 at Citrus Junior College in Glendora, Calif.
Bletcher graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Recreation Management from Culver-Stockton, and he is currently working on his master’s.
Assistant Coaches:
Bobby Armstrong (Infield/Academics)
Bobby Armstrong comes to Lindenwood after playing two years at Culver-Stockton College. Before coming to Culver-Stockton, he played at Southwestern College in Chula Vista, Calif. He helped lead Culver-Stockton to two Heart of America Conference championships and a Region V championship his senior year.
During his junior year he led his team in hitting and made second-team all-conference and first-team all-conference his senior year. Armstrong joins the Lions as the infield coach as well as the team's academic success mentor. He holds a BS in Biology with a minor in Chemistry and graduated Cum Laude from Culver-Stockton in 2006. He is currently pursuing his MBA in Management from Lindenwood University.
Bryan Brown (Junior Varsity Coach/Video Technology)
Bryan Brown joins the Lions staff as the Junior Varsity Coach as well as the head of the video technology. Last year, he coached at Forest Park Community College as the first base coach and hitting instructor.
Brown graduated from Parkway West High school in Ballwin, MO, in 2001 where he was a part of the #1 ranked Longhorns, and still holds the career RBI record. He began his collegiate career at Forest Park as well, where in two seasons, he helped the Highlanders to back to back Super-Regional appearances, and in 2003, was a part of a team that was ranked #1 nationally in Junior College Divsion II. After Forest Park, Brown joined up with the Washington University Bears for '05 and '06, two season in which the school record in wins was broken and re-broken. He is currently finishing his degree at Washington (Mo.) in Communications and Journalism.
Brown also coaches locally in the summer for the St. Louis Metro-Collegiate League as the manager for the Clayton Wasps, which includes many Division I, II, III, NAIA, and Junior College players from St. Louis and all across the country.
Tim Canavan (Outfield/Recruiting Coordinator)
Tim Canavan joins the Lindenwood coaching staff for the 2008 season as the Outfield Coach and Recruiting Coordinator.
From 2003-2007, he served as the infield, outfield and hitting coach at Florissant Valley Community College. In his five years at Florissant Valley, the team increased its win total every year but one and was nationally ranked in 2004 and 2005. Thirteen of his players were named All-Region, one was an All-American, one was named the Region Defensive Player of the Year, one was a Division-I signee, and another signed a professional contract.
Canavan holds a BS in Business Administration and an MA in Teaching. He currently resides in O’Fallon, Mo. with his fiancée Angie.
Adam Shafer (Pitching Coach)
Adam Schafer, a former Lindenwood player, returns to the program this season as the pitching coach.
He pitched in college for two seasons at Avila and two years at Lindenwood. After college, he pitched two years for the River City Rascals, where he won the Cy Young award in 2002.
After the Rascals, Schafer moved around a lot playing for the Joliet Jackhammers, Sioux City Explorers, Gary SouthShore Railcats, Saint Paul Saints and in Western Australia for the Wannero Giants. In that span he helped the Saints win a championship title.
After playing in Wannero, he was signed by the Philadelphia Phillies and spent two years in their minor league system. In 2005, he played at Low A Lakewood, High A Clearwater and Double A Reading. The next season, he split time between Clearwater and Reading.
Last winter, Schafer retired from playing and started pursuing a coaching career. He started in the independent Frontier League where he was a coach for the Slippery Rock Sliders.
Dillon Lawson (Strength and Conditioning/Catching)
Dillon Lawson enters his first year with Lindenwood as the head strength and conditioning coach, catching coach, and head of summer baseball player placement.
Lawson graduated from Transylvania in 2007 with a BA in Exercise Science. He graduated with honors in his major, and while there, held an internship as a personal trainer at the HIT (High Intensity Training) Center.
For the Pioneers, Lawson was a four-year starter at first base and catcher, and was named second-team all-HCAC his junior year, and first-team all-HCAC his senior year. Both his freshman and senior years, the Pioneers set the school record for most wins in a single season, and in 2007, the Pioneers were ranked as high as #13 in NCAA Division III baseball.
Lawson is currently pursuing his Master’s Degree in Education with a specialization in Strength and Conditioning at Lindenwood, along with his CSCS certification.
