2008 Baseball
Rusty Thompson - Head Coach
Coach Rusty Thompson from Savannah, TN, enters his first year as head coach after 8 years as an assistant coach at Bethel College, as well as being Head Coach of Men and Women Cross Country teams for 6 years. Coach Thompson graduated from Hardin County High School before playing 4 years at Bethel College for Coach Glenn Hayes. While at Bethel, he earned Team MVP honors twice, was named All State as a second baseman, as well as All Conference honors in his senior season. Coach Thompson holds school records for saves in a season (11), hits in a season (72), and had a career batting average of .350. Coach Thompson helped coach two teams to the Dixie Youth World Series, finishing 4th and 6th in those years. Coach Thompson graduated from Bethel College with a Bachelor of Science and Masters of Arts in Teaching. He is the son of Richard and Kathy Thompson of Savannah, TN and is the brother to Pitching Coach Nick Thompson. He resides in McKenzie with his wife Amy and they are expecting their first child in August.
Long-time Assistant Coach named New Head Coach
After fourteen years at the helm, Bethel College Head Baseball Coach Glenn Hayes said it was time to make a change and has tapped his long-time assistant Rusty Thompson as the new Head Coach. Hayes will remain as the Athletic Director. “Coach Thompson has been very loyal to Bethel. He is a Bethel grad and has coached with me for the last seven years as an assistant,” said Coach Hayes. “It is a pleasure for me to leave our baseball team in Coach Thompson’s hands. He has been an integral part of the success we have had here.” Coach Thompson played four years under Coach Hayes and has spent the last seven as an assistant. He said when he got the news he was shocked. “To coach your alma mater is a dream come true,” added Coach Thompson. “There is no other place I’d rather be than to be Head Coach at Bethel College.” The Wildcats are coming off a successful season winning a school record 33 games. But, winning took the team some time. Coach Hayes reflected upon when he took the post fourteen years ago. “I had a huge challenge in front of me and our numbers were down. But, I tried to recruit the best student-athletes around the area and built from there. We won 18 games my first year and it was a lot of fun.” Hayes knows he is leaving the program in good shape. “We have a great TranSouth facility to play our games in. We have a good group of players returning and a good recruiting class coming in. How well Coach Thompson does depends on how well I taught him. I fell confident that he will be able to build on Bethel’s recent success.” Coach Thompson also serves as the school’s Cross Country coach and will remain in that capacity this fall. But, that position will be re-evaluated after this year. Coach Thompson is excited about his new position but very complimentary of his mentor. He said that Coach Hayes’ guidance and presence will be missed and realizes he has big shoes to fill. “It is my hope that we can keep this team on the same course that Coach Hayes has set it on. The core of the team is very strong, even though we are considerably young,” observed Thompson. “I’m thrilled and up for the challenge.”
Contact Information: rustmaker007@hotmail.com
Office Number: (731)-352-4226
2008 Baseball Roster
| # | Name | Cl. | Pos. | Ht. | Wt. | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Will Cripps | JR | OF | 5-10 | 185 | Nashville, TN |
| 2 | Craig Massey | FR | IF | 6-1 | 190 | Bells, TN |
| 3 | Blake Willis | SR | RHP | 5-11 | 175 | Newbern, TN |
| 4 | Patrick Aldrich | SO | OF | 6-1 | 165 | Lewisburg, TN |
| 6 | Jon Dyer | JR | OF | 5-10 | 195 | Paris, TN |
| 7 | Heath Sharp | JR | C/IF | 6-3 | 225 | Fayetteville, TN |
| 9 | Scott Dean | SO | IF | 5-10 | 160 | Jackson, TN |
| 11 | Johnathan Deberry | SO | OF | 5-10 | 205 | Lexington, TN |
| 12 | Jay Lowery | FR | OF/RHP | 5-10 | 160 | Jackson, TN |
| 15 | Seth Stanfill | SR | OF | 5-10 | 165 | Lexington, TN |
| 17 | David Rodriguez | JR | RHP | 5-10 | 175 | Mt. Pleasant, TN |
| 18 | Zach Tippitt | SO | IF | 5-11 | 190 | Corinth, MS |
| 19 | William Winfree | JR | OF | 5-10 | 165 | Lebanon, TN |
| 20 | Landon Wood* | SR | RHP | 5-10 | 170 | Lexington, TN |
| 21 | Jon Patterson | SO | LHP | 6-0 | 190 | Lexington, TN |
| 23 | Andrew Maddox | JR | IF | 6-3 | 210 | Huntingdon, TN |
| 24 | Joseph Bolen* | FR | IF | 5-8 | 145 | Clarksburg, TN |
| 25 | Shea Baumgartner | JR | OF | 6-1 | 190 | Seattle, WA |
| 27 | Jim Evans | SO | C/IF | 5-10 | 210 | Jackson, TN |
| 28 | Eric McLemore* | FR | C | 6-0 | 190 | Jackson, TN |
| 30 | Glenn Smith | FR | RHP | 5-11 | 170 | McKenzie, TN |
| 31 | Levi Scronce | JR | LHP | 6-4 | 225 | Seattle, WA |
| 32 | Chad Blanton | SO | IF | 5-10 | 170 | Hendsonville, TN |
| 33 | Chris Crenshaw | JR | LHP | 6-5 | 240 | Memphis, TN |
| 34 | Brian Nellett | JR | RHP | 6-3 | 240 | Huntingdon, TN |
| 35 | Blake Talbott | FR | RHP | 5-11 | 195 | Jackson, TN |
| 36 | Ron Plemons | FR | RHP | 5-11 | 165 | Jackson, TN |
| 37 | Rhett Hughes | SR | RHP | 6-0 | 220 | Harrisburg, IL |
| 38 | Jacob Hatchel | FR | LHP | 6-1 | 180 | Dresden, TN |
| 39 | Jake Ramsey | FR | OF/IF | 5-11 | 225 | Milan, TN |
| 41 | Jonathon Keck | SO | IF/LHP | 6-6 | 200 | Lexington, TN |
| 43 | Brandon McCormick | FR | IF | 5-10 | 195 | Huntingdon, TN |
| 44 | Josh Wharton | SO | OF | 5-10 | 150 | Herrin, IL |
Rusty Thompson - Head Coach | ||||||
Oakey Gaskill - Assistant Coach | ||||||
Aaron Johnson - Assistant Coach | ||||||
Eric Patton - Assistant Coach | ||||||
Nick Thompson - Assistant Coach | ||||||
Alex Whitmore - Assistant Coach | ||||||
* Redshirt
Today
Baseball
| University of Northwestern Ohio at | Rain |
| Bethel | Out |
| University of Northwestern Ohio at | Rain |
| Bethel | Out |
Sunday, Feb 12
Baseball
| University of Northwestern Ohio at | 12:00pm |
| Bethel | CST |
| University of Northwestern Ohio at | Game |
| Bethel | 2 |
