Bio

Chris Lewis just completed a highly successful second-season as Union's head baseball coach, which say the Bulldogs pull off the biggest single-season turnaround in program history.

After winning just 10 games in 2022, Union won 30 in 2023, making the national tournament for the first time since 2019 after winning the AAC Tournament, Union's first league title since 2006. In the season, seven different program records were broken, while the team had its first Conference Player of the Year (Angel Mendoza) since 2006 and its first NAIA National Player of the Week (Luke Powell) since 2013. Bulldog players continued to thrive in the classroom as well, as 26 players were selected to the AAC All-Academic Team.

In his first year at the helm, the Bulldogs were 10^th in the nation in total stolen bases and first in stolen bases per game. The program also established academic excellence in the classroom leading the athletic department in 4.0 GPAs for the fall semester as well as placing 33 players on the Athletic Director’s honor roll list. That year, a record 42 players were selected to A.D.’s honor roll list.

Lewis spent the previous two seasons as the hitting coach and recruiting coordinator at Upper Iowa University. In his first year as the hitting coach, the UIU offense increased production in 12 categories and in the Covid-19 2020 shortened season, the offense was well on track to break the program’s home run record.

From 2016-18, Lewis was the head coach at Dawson Community College in Glendive, Mont. Lewis saw 25 of his players move onto the 4-year level, seven become academic All Americans, 21 get named to the dean’s list and had back-to-back MonDak Conference Players of the Year, while the 2017 squad was named an NJCAA Academic All-American Team. In 2018, Buccaneer catcher Reynaldo Pichardo was drafted in the 33rd round by the Texas Rangers. In addition, the Buccaneers were nationally ranked at the NJCAA D-II level for the first time in program history.

Lewis spent a season at Northwestern College as the hitting coach and recruiting coordinator where six of Lewis’ position players were selected to the Great Plains Athletics All-Conference team and five became all-conference selections.

Prior to Northwestern, Lewis coached at Campbellsville University, helping the Tigers compile 177 wins with two Mid-South Conference championships, three NAIA Opening Round appearances, and a third-place finish in the NCCAA World Series. Lewis served as the infield coach, hitting coach, worked with catchers and was a recruiting coordinator, helping 29 players earn all-conference honors. During his first season at CU, the offense broke school records for at-bats, hits and doubles. National rankings were a commonplace for the Tiger offense, finishing the 2010 season ranked 20^th in hits. In 2011, the Tigers were ranked 11^th nationally in stolen bases, following suit in 2012 with a national ranking of 11^th in stolen bases, 19^th in batting average and 24^th in hits per game. In 2013, they were once again the top in the nation on the bases, finishing 13^th in the county in steals.

In the summer of 2009, Lewis was the inaugural head coach for the Portland Baseball Club. The team captured the Valley Conference championship, the Oregon State title and a 35-win season. The roster had two future NCAA D-I signees and a future MLB draft pick.

In the summers of 2007 and 2008, Lewis was the top assistant for NW Star Academy. While with NW Star, the team earned two Valley Conference titles, two Oregon State Championships and a NW Regional Crown. The team capped the the 2008 summer as the Senior Babe Ruth World Series Champions and a nominee for Oregon Sports Team of the Year. In those two summers, the rosters contained 10 future NCAA D-I signees and seven future MLB draft selections.

In 2006, Lewis was named the head coach at Bethany University in Scotts Valley, Calif. In his one season with the Bruins, they had the first 30-win season in school history and set 40 team and individual records. That team led Region II in stolen bases and JP LaPointe was named the first All-American in the history of the baseball program.

In 2008 and 2009, Lewis was an assistant at his alma mater Sherwood High School. The two teams claimed consecutive Northwest Oregon Conference championships. From 2002-05, Lewis was the top assistant and recruiting coordinator at Lewis & Clark College, bringing in some of the largest recruiting classes in program history.

In 2000, Lewis began his collegiate coaching career as an assistant at Southwestern Oregon Community College working with hitters and infielders. That season for the Lakers was one of the best in program history.

Lewis received his Bachelor of Science in Physical Education & Health from Eastern Oregon University and his Master of Arts in Organization Leadership from Campbellsville University. Lewis resides in Heidrick, Ky. with his wife Stephanie and their daughters McKinley and Whitley.