RICHMOND, Ky. – John Peterson has been hired as the new assistant coach for the Eastern Kentucky University baseball program, head coach Jason Stein announced on Tuesday. Peterson joins the Colonels after spending the last three seasons as a volunteer assistant coach at Middle Tennessee State University.

His duties at EKU will include working with catchers and hitters and assisting with recruiting. He will also serve as the EKU baseball camps director.

“John brings a wealth of knowledge to our baseball program,” Stein said. “He has won championships and he knows what it takes to be a consistent NCAA regional participant. He is an excellent teacher and communicator, and he will work tirelessly at developing our student-athletes and assisting in recruiting quality student-athletes into our program.”

While at MTSU, Peterson helped the Blue Raiders win the 2009 regular season and tournament championship in the Sun Belt, one of the premiere college baseball conferences in the country. The Blue Raiders also broke nearly every offensive school record and were one of the top hitting teams in the country during Peterson’s three years at the school.

On an individual level, Peterson, who was a catcher during his college playing years, worked with MTSU catcher Drew Robertson during his tenure in Murfreesboro and watched as Robertson was drafted in the 48th round by the Kansas City Royals in the 2010 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft.

Before his stint at MTSU, Peterson served as the hitting and catching coach at Jefferson State Community College in Birmingham, Ala. His duties at Jefferson State included assisting in recruiting, organization of practice and instructing players in hitting mechanics. While there, Peterson worked with a NJCAA third-team All-American catcher.

Prior to his stint at Jefferson State, Peterson served as a student coach at the University of Memphis. As a student coach at Memphis, he worked with the pitching staff, implemented defensive drills with small groups and assisted with on-campus recruiting.

Peterson played at Memphis as a catcher and first baseman for two years. He transferred to Memphis from Cleveland State Community College in Cleveland, Tenn., where he was a two-year letterwinner as a catcher.

Along with his expanse of knowledge, Peterson touts a proven pedigree as he is the son of long-time and highly successful MTSU head baseball coach, Steve Peterson.

Peterson married the former Myranda Howland in the summer of 2008 and the couple will reside in Richmond.