Team is tied for seventh place in SAC, trying to earn bid into league tourney
HobbsDailyReport.com
HICKORY – Lenoir-Rhyne University has placed head baseball coach Tom Fleenor on paid administrative lead.
Chaz Frank is serving as interim head coach, an e-mail response on Tuesday from Jeremy Zalacca, assistant athletic director for athletic communications at LRU, said in confirming both moves.
“There will be no further comment at this time,” Zalacca’s email said.
TOM FLEENOR’S BIO: https://lrbears.com/coaches.aspx?rc=369&path=baseball
CHAZ FRANK’S BIO: https://lrbears.com/coaches.aspx?rc=372&path=baseball
Fleenor did not participate in the Bears’ most recent games, an 11-4 South Atlantic Conference (SAC) loss at home to Wingate on Monday and losses of 11-4 and 4-2 to Wingate on Saturday in a doubleheader at Bears Field.
LRU’s next game is Wednesday, a non-conference encounter at home against Limestone at 6 p.m.
The Bears are 21-24 overall and 7-14 in the SAC, tied with Coker for seventh place, and the top eight teams in the regular-season standings advance to the conference tournament on April 25-29 in Kodak, Tenn.
LRU will play its final league series Friday and Saturday (doubleheader) at Tusculum and close the regular season next Tuesday with a non-league home game against Erskine.
Fleenor is in his sixth season guiding the LRU baseball program. His teams are 150-136 overall and 59-91 in conference games with no finishes in league play of better than fifth place.
He came to LRU in 2013, hired by the late Neill McGeachy when he was AD, and replaced Paul Knight. Knight was fired after the Bears went 114-179 in six seasons, and he is now in his second year as head baseball coach at Middle Georgia State.
Fleenor left USC Sumter after six seasons (242-103 record) to accept McGeachy’s offer to coach the Bears.
LRU had had six players drafted by major league baseball teams during Fleenor’s tenure with two draft picks in each of the last two drafts.
LRU’S SCHEDULE, RESULTS:
https://lrbears.com/schedule.aspx?path=baseball
SAC STANDINGS (through Monday): https://www.thesac.com/sports/bsb/2018-19/standings