LUBBOCK, Texas (June 26, 2019) – Lubbock Christian Head Baseball Coach
Nathan Blackwood has added Jermaine Van Buren as the program's new pitching coach, he announced on Friday. Van Buren will begin his coaching duties on August 1, 2019.
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Van Buren is coming off a two-year stint as the pitching coach at the New Mexico Military Institute after being hired there in September of 2017. In 2019, the Broncos pitching staff racked up 410.1 innings on the mound, allowing just 235 earned runs and averaging 8.82 strikeouts per nine innings.
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"We are excited to announce Jermaine Van Buren as our new pitching coach," Blackwood said. "He will be a tremendous asset to this program with his enthusiasm, positive energy, competitiveness and passion for the game of baseball that is evident to anyone who knows Coach Van Buren."Â
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A native of Mississippi, Van Buren has been in Amarillo more recently as the head pitching instructor at the Amarillo Baseball Academy, helping to build one of the top select baseball programs in the country. In more than seven years with the program, ABA has sent at least 200 kids into collegiate baseball programs. His family includes wife Tiffany and four children – Jermaine (20), Jaden (17), Lara (11) and Karis (3).
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Van Buren also has extensive professional baseball experience, spending 12 years in the professional ranks, including two pitching for major league baseball teams. Van Buren was selected in the second round of the Major League baseball draft out of high school in 1998. He made his major league debut in 2005 with the Chicago Cubs and pitched for the Boston Red Sox in 2006, appearing in 16 big league games overall. Van Buren was also very successful in the minor league ranks, leading the league and setting a team record for saves while pitching for the Triple-A Iowa Cubs. He won a Pacific Coast League title in 2007 with the Sacramento River Cats and was named to All-Star teams at various levels in 1998, 2004, 2005, 2008 and 2009.
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"His experience in professional baseball under several well-known successful pitching coaches, and his connections and experience in college baseball recruiting were two of the items that stood out the most to me in the hiring process" Blackwood added. "But more importantly, we are excited about his passion to teach and model life skills that support the mission of Lubbock Christian University."
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The vacancy in the pitching coach role comes after
Justin Sundlie stepped down from the position that he held for six seasons. Sundlie was named the pitching coach prior to the 2014 season and has helped lead the Chaparrals to a 206-106 record in his time with the team. He is now moving into a head coaching role at Spokane High School in Missouri.
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"Coach Sundlie has been a major piece of our success since transitioning into Division II including three Conference Championships and three NCAA Regional appearances in four years of D-II eligibility," Blackwood said. "Since he took over the pitching staff in 2014, he has always found ways to improve each individual and push them beyond even their own expectations."
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LCU pitchers have seen tremendous success since Sundlie took over the coaching duties. The Chap pitching staff posted sub-4.00 earned run averages in four of his six years leading the group, including the 11
th best ERA in the country (3.58) in 2019. This past season's pitching staff also ranked 10
th nationally in fewest hits allowed per nine innings (7.95) and 18
th in WHIP (1.35).
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The six-year stint as pitching coach was not the only time the Missouri native spent at LCU, however. Sundlie was a graduate assistant for the program while earning his master's degree, and prior to that, he was a Lubbock Christian catcher for the 2005 and 2006 seasons. In 2006, he hit .381 with five doubles.
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"Justin is a great teacher, motivator, recruiter, and leader, but more importantly he is a man of faith who has been a positive mentor to our players on and off the field," Blackwood said. "He and his sweet family will certainly be missed."
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