Rockbridge Hires Manager

For Immediate Release
Contact: Ken Newman, Rockbridge GM (540.460.7502)

LEXINGTON, Va. - The Rockbridge Rapids, the newest franchise in Virginia’s Valley Baseball League, announced August 24 the signing of Mark Mace as their inaugural coach for the 2009 season.

Mace is a Rockbridge County native who has extensive baseball experience in Virginia high school and college teams. He is currently head coach at Eastern Mennonite University in Harrisonburg. EMU plays in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference, an NCAA Division III league.

“We know that our choice for the first coach of the Rapids is critically important,” General Manager, Ken Newman, said of the decision, “and we are positive that we have the best man for the job.”

“Mark has the experience on the local and college level that will help us field the best team in the Valley League,” Newman explained. “He knows we expect to come out of the gate strong with our first team. We want quality kids on our team, but we want to win our share of Valley League games. Mark also shares our pride in Buena Vista, Lexington, and Rockbridge County.”

Mace was head baseball coach at Parry McCluer High School in Buena Vista, and made regional playoff appearances in 1997 and 1998. Prior to coaching in Buena Vista, he was an assistant coach at Lexington High School and Rockbridge County High School.

From Parry McCluer, Mace went to Monticello High School, in Albemarle County, as head baseball coach for the new consolidated school. At Monticello High, Mace compiled a 99-54 record over seven years. His team made four regional playoff appearances and won three Jefferson District titles during that time. He won three Jefferson District Coach of the Year awards and, in 2005, was named the Central Virginia Coach of the Year for guiding the Monticello team to the State AA Final Four.

Mace left Monticello for his alma mater, Eastern Mennonite, “for the challenge of college-level coaching,” as he says. During his tenure at EMU, the Royals have become very competitive in the Conference, according to one competing coach.

The Rockbridge Rapids are a new team in the highly competitive summer college Valley Baseball League. The twelve teams in the Valley League use wood bats, follow NCAA rules and guidelines, are members of the National Alliance of Summer Baseball Leagues and are supported financially by Major League Baseball.

The motto of the Valley League is “Gateway to the Majors” because so many of the League players are signed to play professional baseball and many former Valley Leaguers are currently playing in the Majors.

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FACT SHEET FOR MARK MACE

Head Coach of the Rockbridge Rapids

Personal:

Email: pmark.mace@emu.edu

Age: 40; Married (Susan L. Mace, Department Chair and Teacher at Buffalo Gap High School, Augusta County, VA); Children (one daughter and two step-sons); Parents (The Rev. Phillip D. Mace and Caroline H. Mace of Fairfield, Rockbridge County, Va.)

Education:

Rockbridge High School, Fairfield, Va.

Eastern Mennonite University, BS in Special Education, 1990

VA State Teaching Licensure, Special Education, 1990-Present