The two top candidates for the Mississippi Valley State University head coach job have very close ties to the baseball program. Former players Zack Penprase and Damon Lessler are graduates. Penprase spent four years at the school on the baseball team and Lessler spent one year.
Additional candidates they are considering. Oscar Espade who is currently the assistant coach who has several players, parents and alumni in his corner and has coach Stevens blessings to put in for the job. No word if Espade will throw his name into the mix.
Penprase played college baseball for the Mississippi Valley State for whom in both 2005 and 2006 he was Southwestern Athletic Conference All-Conference infielder. In 2006 he led the country in stolen bases, with 60, as he played shortstop. He was then selected by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 13th round of the 2006 Major League Baseball draft.
Lessler serves as the University of California-Berkeley Golden Bears’ infield, catching and base running coach and assists with the program’s hitters. He also served as the team’s third base coach and player recruitment. Lessler’s second season (2019) in Cal’s first trip to an NCAA Regional since 2015. The Bears received an at-large bid and the No. 2 seed at the Fayetteville (Ark.) Regional. Lessler went on to play collegiately at Mesa (Ariz.) Community College, Sonoma State and Mississippi Valley State. A 2006 graduate of Mississippi Valley State.
In 2010, Espade was named pitching coach at the College of Lake County in Grayslake, IL. where he spent two seasons. In 2015, Co-Founded Florida International Baseball Academy, and in 2017, he was named Assistant Coach/Recruiting Coordinator at Texas College under head coach Anthony “Happy” Macon, a position he held until coming to Mississippi Valley State. Currently responsible for the Mississippi Valley State pitching staff.
The Mississippi Valley State baseball program has finished at the bottom of the SWAC conference for several years now but that’s not entirely recently fired coach Stevens’ fault. The athletic department only pays $40,000 a year to the head coach, $22,000 for one assistant coach and six scholarships. Very little in a recruiting budget while their competition has increased dramatically in those areas.
The investments made into those other SWAC baseball programs are shown in the wins and losses categories as well as in playoff appearances. The new head coach will have to rebuild the program back. He will need resources for field upgrades, scholarships, equipment, paid assistant coaches, and mainly getting top tier scholar recruits into the program to be competitive and complete at the national level and for a SWAC Championship.
Harvey Lee wants this Job and is a fantastic Recruiter. Also can bring in Donors. With strong ties to South Florida high school coaches, he can rebuild quickly. He should be seriously considered.
The word is Espada has expressed his interest in the position. In my opinion, he should be given serious consideration.
I am a proud alumnus of mvsu and I am praying that the athletic administration selects the very best coach for the baseball team. I am hoping that one day all of us will be able
to see win championship after championship, we have been so close before but it’s acceptable.
Put out better feelers’ MVSU. Who choose names mentioned in article. Good but not great. Remember, this task puts a coach at the very bottom of the NCAA financial structure. Nevertheless, they always put forth great effort. To the late Coach Wilson and former Coach Stevens, thanks for making it work out of 15 cents.# It’s a “Sip” thang