On Monday, Lindenwood baseball head coachannounced that the 2023 season shall be his closing yr as a result of the chief of this technique.”I am proud to have labored for two wonderful schools over the previous 27 years, at Culver Stockton School and Lindenwood Faculty,” talked about Bletcher. “Every institutions from the very best on down have been led by good people and gave unbelievable assist to the baseball functions. With respect to the baseball players, I am grateful to have been able to educate the easiest of top of the range of human beings {{that a}} coach would possibly ever ask for over time. Not solely did they perform successfully on the diamond, as well as they represented the Universities inside the highest attainable delicate off the sphere academically and socially. They’ve been and nonetheless are WINNERS on the sphere and in life itself. An individual/coach couldn’t have requested and been delivered any larger than I was given.”Bletcher begins his sixteenth season as a result of the headman of Lions baseball this spring, whereas it stands as his twenty fifth whole as a collegiate head coach. All through career, Bletcher has amassed a report of 811-483-2 (.626) as a head coach, along with a 452-277-1 (.620) mark in St. Charles, Mo. Bletcher led the Lions to five conference championships (2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2017, 2021), along with two on the NCAA stage (2017 MIAA, 2021 GLVC). In 2017, the Lions obtained the MIAA Occasion Championship, sooner than making their first ever NCAA DII World Sequence Look. Lindenwood returned to the NCAA Division II Regional Occasion in 2021. Bletcher has helped produce two draft picks (Geoff Hartlieb and Matt Meier) whereas two (Connor Regulation and Brendan Feldmann) inked free agent contracts following the 2017 season.”Coach Bletcher has been a treasure to our baseball program, division, and institution,” talked about VP for Intercollegiate Athletics Jason Coomer . “We stay up for having coach on the helm this yr as he continues to make historic previous by most important our youthful males into the Division I interval. Whereas we’ll miss seeing coach inside the dugout subsequent season, we truly need him the easiest as he begins the following chapter. The impression he has had on the lives of so many student-athletes is a testament to the importance that coach has positioned on being a pacesetter every on and off the sphere. It is clear to all that he shall be sorely missed, as he is the face of Lindenwood Baseball. That talked about, Coach Bletcher will always be a part of our program and we stay up for seeing him for a couple of years to return supporting the Lions.”In 2021, Lindenwood earned the No. 1 score by way of the season for the first time inside the NCAA interval. Lindenwood went on the win the GLVC Occasion Championship, which was held at Lou Brock Sports activities actions Superior. Bletcher was named the ABCA/Diamond Space Coach of the 12 months after the 2017 season, as a result of the Lions swept the Central Space Occasion. Bletcher led the baseball program to 4 40-win seasons, each of which seen a conference championship. In 2013, Bletcher was inducted into the Culver-Stockton Hall of Fame. All through his tenure, Bletcher led the Wildcats to 4 conference titles and 9 regional occasion appearances.”Lastly, the assistant coaches have been wonderful and I am grateful for the entire laborious work, assist and loyalty these coaches equipped the baseball functions over time. Our stage of successes could not have been achieved with out their stage of sacrifice and dedication to the game.”Bletcher expressed his pleasure for the upcoming season, and his love for the baseball program.”What a great time to be transferring into the inaugural yr of the OVC Conference and NCAA Division I for me to step aside on the conclusion of this season and watch this technique attain even further heights of accolades and accomplishments.”Lindenwood opens the season on Friday, February 17 in Thibodaux, La. to sort out Nicholls in a four-game assortment. The Lions host Minnesota State on Friday, February 24 for the first dwelling movement of the season at Lou Brock Sports activities actions Superior in St. Charles, Mo.