Edwin Thompson, who in the last 10 seasons has recruited and coached 23 All-Americans and 43 players who went on to play professional baseball, was chosen as the head baseball coach at Eastern Kentucky University on July 2, 2015.
“EKU has a great standard of academic and athletic excellence along with a strong baseball tradition and I am honored to lead the baseball program,” said Thompson. “I truly respect the vision for EKU and the athletic department's commitment to fostering success; my goals for the baseball program will support both.”
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Thompson has turned the Colonels into consistent winners. Under his guidance, EKU posted back-to-back 30-win seasons for the first time since 1999 and 2000. In addition, Eastern has qualified for two straight Ohio Valley Conference Tournaments for the first time since 2012 and 2013. Thompson has guided EKU to five wins over top-30 ranked teams.
Thompson led Eastern to 12-2 start to the 2020 campaign, including a Friday night win at No. 11 LSU, before the season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. When the season ended, the Colonels were receiving votes in the NCBWA Poll. EKU started the season 4-0 for the first time since 2001.
Thompson led Eastern to 12-2 start to the 2020 campaign, including a Friday night win at No. 11 LSU, before the season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. When the season ended, the Colonels were receiving votes in the NCBWA Poll. EKU started the season 4-0 for the first time since 2001.
Catcher A.J. Lewis and second baseman Daniel Harris IV earned All-America honors. Nick Howie became just the fourth person in OVC history to be chosen as Academic All-America® of the Year in any sport. Lewis signed a free agent contract with the Colorado Rockies. He is the ninth player to be drafted or sign a professional contract the last five seasons. Five of those nine were selected in the MLB Draft. As a team, EKU was 12th in the nation in batting average (.314) and 15th in scoring (8.4 runs/game).
In that 2-0 victory over the Tigers, five EKU pitchers combined for a 3-hit shutout with nine strike outs.
EKU’s 16 conference wins in 2019 were the most for the program since 2013. Eastern Kentucky’s seven conference series victories were the most for the program since 2012.
Individually, Aaron Ochsenbein was drafted in the sixth round of the Major League Draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was the highest drafted EKU player since 2008. Along with being drafted, Ochsenbein was chosen as an All-American and a finalist for the NCBWA Stopper of the Year Award. He broke Eastern’s single season ERA record with a 0.83 mark in 2019.
The pitching staff broke the EKU mark for strikeouts in a season for the third straight year and recorded the best team ERA since 2008.
Academically, the team is one of only 13 NCAA Division I baseball programs to earn the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) Team Academic Excellence Award each of the last five years. In order to qualify for the award, programs must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0.
In 2018, the Colonel baseball program turned the corner under Thompson. The team defied expectations throughout the season – beating two top-15 ranked teams, winning 30 games, finishing five spots higher in the OVC than predicted and advancing to the final three in the conference tournament.
Alex Holderbach hit a school record four home runs in a victory at Xavier on April 25, 2018, was chosen as the national player of the week by four organizations and was picked as national player of the month. At the end of the season, Holderbach was selected as an All-American. He was the first OVC player ever to be chosen as a finalist for the Johnny Bench Award, given to the nation’s top catcher. Holderbach was a semifinalist for the Dick Howser Trophy, given to the best player in the nation. He was drafted in the 16th round by the Houston Astros in the 2018 Draft.
In 2017, Thompson helped Ben Fisher earn multiple All-America honors, the OVC Co-Player of the Year Award, and a 21st round draft selection by the Miami Marlins. Along the way, Fisher broke the program record for home runs in a season, was named national player of the week multiple times and ranked among the top three in the nation in home runs, runs and slugging. He was named the 2017 Academic All-America® of the Year, the first EKU student-athlete selected as the Academic All-America® of the Year for any sport.
Thompson proved that the Eastern Kentucky University baseball team can compete with any team in the country in his first season as head coach in 2016. He led the Colonels to victories over two ranked Southeastern Conference teams. EKU beat No. 13 Mississippi State in 10 innings. Later in the season, Eastern knocked off 28th ranked Kentucky. In 2018, the Colonels beat No. 15 Virginia on a Friday night and downed No. 11 Vanderbilt.
In his first season, Thompson tutored a pair of Major League Draft picks. Mandy Alvarez led the nation in hits per game, was named OVC Co-Player of the Year and was drafted in the 17th round by the New York Yankees. Kyle Nowlin broke the program record for home runs and walks in a season in 2016 and was drafted in the 21st round by the Oakland Athletics.
Thompson spent four years working with USA Baseball. His roles included evaluating players for the USA 18U National Team, serving as the pitching coach in 2015 and coaching the 17U National Development Program. In the summer of 2016, he served as the manager of the Stripes team during the USA Baseball 2016 Tournament of Stars.
Before arriving at Eastern Kentucky, Thompson spent three seasons at Georgia State University. He served as the pitching coach for the Panthers in 2013 and 2014 before being promoted to recruiting coordinator/defensive coordinator before the 2015 season. His 2015 recruiting class was ranked by Perfect Game as one of the top-100 recruiting classes in the country.
Before joining the Georgia State program, Thompson spent the 2011 and 2012 seasons at Duke University as the assistant coach and recruiting coordinator. Following the 2012 campaign, Thompson served as the interim head coach for one month. While working with the Blue Devils, his 2012 recruiting class was recognized by Baseball America as one of the top recruiting classes in the South and rated among the top-35 in the nation by Perfect Game. The group included four future Major League Baseball draft picks.
Thompson worked with a total of 12 players at Duke who would go on to play professional baseball, including current Toronto Blue Jay Marcus Stroman.
Thompson compiled a 37-33 record in two seasons (2009 & 2010) as the head coach at NCAA Division III Bates College in Lewiston, Maine. His coaching career began at the University of Maine at Farmington where he served four seasons (2005-08) as the associate head coach and recruiting coordinator.
The Jay, Maine native played collegiately at Howard University and the University of Maryland before concluding his career at Webber University in Babson Park, Florida where he helped the team to a school record 37 wins and its first-ever regional appearance. He earned a bachelor’s of science degree in general business at Webber in 2003.
Thompson played one year for the Bangor Lumberjacks in the independent Northeast League before starting his coaching career. He is married and has one child.
What Others Are Saying About Edwin Thompson …
“I am so happy for coach Edwin Thompson to be named Head Coach at Eastern Kentucky University. EKU has hit a grand slam with this hiring. Coach Thompson is ready in every way to be a great head coach. He is professional, hard working, loyal and a great role model for student-athletes. He will be missed at Georgia State baseball, but I am extremely proud to see him move up the coaching ranks.”
Greg Frady, Head Coach, Georgia State University
“Eastern Kentucky has made a tremendous addition to its athletic department and campus as a whole with the hiring of Edwin Thompson as the new head baseball coach. First and foremost, he is a principled, honest man who has a special capacity to teach and lead in an easy going, authentic manner. He will connect with the players, bring in a top flight staff, and work tirelessly to elevate the program on and off the field. His deep national recruiting connections will be essential in helping Eastern Kentucky baseball take a big step forward. Simply put, the program is in the hands of a dedicated and caring individual who will pour his heart and soul into his players and the community. Great hire!”
Sean McNally, Former Head Coach, Duke University, Currently Pittsburgh Pirates Pro Scout
“Eastern Kentucky made a ‘world class’ hire relative to Edwin Thompson. Edwin will be a great citizen of the university, an outstanding teacher/mentor/coach, a stellar recruiter, and a strong and determined leader that will operate with impeccable integrity. Just a great hire for EKU, for college baseball, and for college athletics generally.”
Kevin White, Director of Athletics, Duke University
“Edwin is a very dynamic person and teacher. He is in coaching for the right reasons and will passionately convey this to his student-athletes. I am excited to see the growth of the program while he is there. This is such a great opportunity for both parties.”
Tim Corbin, Head Coach, 2014 National Champion Vanderbilt University
“I think Eastern Kentucky made a great decision in selecting Edwin Thompson as their next head coach. His passionate, charismatic work ethic and his attention to detail will be something his players will feed off of for their future success. I won't be surprised to see him take Eastern Kentucky to another level very quickly.”
Dave Serrano, Former Head Coach, University of Tennessee
“Eastern Kentucky just hired one of the young bright minds with a high ceiling to run its program. Edwin is a guy of high character and tireless worker that relates well to players, families, professional scouts and anyone he comes in contact with. His open mind to learn and stay humble in the process will continue to be a strong asset as he takes this next step into being a head coach. I have watched his progression since he entered into college coaching as an assistant and feel strongly that overall his future is bright. I wish him and the family at Eastern Kentucky nothing but the best moving forward with its baseball program.”
Danny Montgomery, Special Assistant to the GM, Colorado Rockies
“I’m really excited for Edwin to have this opportunity at Eastern Kentucky. I’ve known him for a long time as a coach and a friend. He is a hard worker, highly motivated and passionate. He will parlay that into something very special at EKU. Edwin really has a knack for recruiting. He’s a great people person and has a lot of contacts.”
Jack Leggett, American Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Famer and Former Head Coach, Clemson University
