Austin College Names Rise Head Baseball Coach

Austin College Names Rise Head Baseball Coach

(Story courtesy of Austin College)

SHERMAN, Texas
- James Rise has been named the new head coach of the Austin College baseball team, Athletics Director David Norman has announced. Rise comes to Austin College from Occidental College, where he served as an assistant coach for two seasons.

"We are excited to welcome Coach Rise as our newest member of the Austin College family,” said Norman. "He comes to us with strong experience not only in coaching baseball at the Division III level but also in recruiting outstanding student-athletes. His experiences at Occidental have prepared him well to take the next step as a head coach. We look forward to continued success both on and off the field for our baseball program."

A 2005 graduate of Western Oregon University, Rise received his master’s degree from Pacific University. For the past two seasons, Rise has worked as assistant head baseball coach, recruiting coordinator, and strength and conditioning coach at Occidental. Working as the team’s defensive manager, Rise coached both of his middle infielders to All-Conference accolades and in just his first season, the team finished in the top 25 nationally in double plays. During his time at Occidental, he also worked as the team’s base running coach.

"I would like to thank Dr. Marjorie Hass, Tim Millerick, and David Norman for giving me the opportunity to become part of the Austin College family,” said Rise. “I am extremely excited and optimistic about our future as a program and look to build on the existing foundation. I know our student-athletes are anxious to move forward with the season, and I am eager to get to Sherman to get things started."

Rise will be on campus later this month.

Prior to his arrival at Occidental, Rise also gained coaching experience working as an assistant at Springfield High School in Springfield, Oregon, from 2006-2008 and previously worked as an assistant coach at College of the Siskiyous in Weed, California, during the 2005 and 2006 seasons. While at Occidental, he served as the strength and conditioning coordinator not only for the baseball team but also for women’s basketball, lacrosse, and softball teams.

"I know that Coach Rise will provide tremendous leadership for our team and I am confident that he has the skills to lead the ‘Roos to continued success on the playing field,” said Austin College President Marjorie Hass. “As someone who has coached at the NCAA Division III level, he also appreciates that one of the goals at this level is to build character and become true student-athletes, achieving success both on the field and in the classroom."

In addition to his coaching experience, Rise played collegiate baseball at College of Siskiyous in 2003 and 2004, before moving on to Western Oregon to complete his degree.

"It's a bittersweet time at Occidental to see Coach Rise pursue his next opportunity,” said Occidental Director of Athletics Jaime Hoffman. “While Coach Rise will be missed, we recognize that his experiences in athletics have prepared him to lead a program. Austin College made an excellent choice, and we wish James well."

Austin College athletic teams participate as a member of the NCAA Division III and the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference.