Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
Blue Raiders Add Lukas Ray to Coaching Staff
7/28/2020 10:00:00 AM | Baseball
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – Head Middle Tennessee baseball coach Jim Toman announced the hiring of Volunteer Assistant Coach Lukas Ray today. Ray will work with the catchers and baserunners, and will coach first base during the 2021 season.
"[Ray] is an excellent young up and coming coach," says Toman. "Everyone we talked to spoke very highly of Lukas' work ethic and integrity as well as having an excellent knowledge of the game. We couldn't be more excited to add such a dynamic young coach!"
Ray joins the Blue Raiders after spending the shortened 2020 season at Charleston Southern University, where he served as the team's Assistant Coach and oversaw the overall development of the catching staff and baserunning.
Under Ray's lead the Buccaneers led the Big South Conference in stolen bases and ranked seventh nationally with 40 stolen bases in 42 attempts. Charleston Southern was also atop the Big South in catcher fielding percentage (1.000) through 19 games.
Coach Ray has also previously served as the Recruiting Coordinator/Pitching Coach at both the University of South Carolina-Lancaster and Florence-Darlington Technical College. While at Florence-Darlington Technical College, Ray helped the program win the 2018 Region X Regular Season title. Ray's staff posted a team ERA of 2.83, which was the sixth lowest nationally, and had three players drafted into the MLB.
Before serving on the USC-Lancaster coaching staff, Ray was a catcher and a member of 2015 Region X Championship team.
After graduating with an Associate Degree in Science from USC-Lancaster, Ray attended the University of South Carolina where he graduated with a Bachelor of Liberal Studies.
Ray will be replacing John Panchella who spent two seasons with the Blue Raiders in the same position.
"[Panchella] did a tremendous job for us and I believe he still has a great chance to be a frontline coach in the future, I wish him nothing but success," says Toman.
