Published On: May 20th, 2016

 

Battle Creek, Mich. – The Battle Creek Bombers have announced the hiring of Gary McClure as field manager for the 2016 season. McClure will replace current field manager Bryan Moses. Moses was offered and accepted a head coaching position with a university, which will not allow him the time to coach the Bombers.

McClure, the former Austin Peay State University Head Coach, comes to the Bombers with almost three decades of division one coaching experience. “I am extremely excited about the opportunity to manage the Battle Creek Bombers this summer and to be a part of their organization in the prestigious Northwoods League,” said McClure.

Bombers General Manager Tony Iovieno commented on the hiring of McClure saying, “We couldn’t be more excited to get someone with the credentials and coaching experience of Gary McClure. I’m positive that he will be a huge asset to our players as they seek to play professional baseball.”

Then-Austin Peay State Athletic Director Bob Brooks appointed McClure as the interim head coach for Austin Peay State in 1987, and in his first season with the Governors, McClure coached the team to more wins than the previous two seasons combined. In 1994 the Governors won their first conference championship with McClure at the helm, and in 1996, they qualified for the NCAA Regionals.

In 2012, McClure won his 777th game to become the winningest coach in Ohio Valley Conference history, a year which also saw the Governors reach their first ever NCAA Regional final. With the Governors, McClure coached 38 players selected in the MLB Draft including A.J. Ellis and Shawn Kelly.

McClure added, “I know Battle Creek is a very nice city with a lot of baseball history, and I look forward to becoming a part of the community and getting to know folks there.”

McClure played collegiate baseball for Southeastern Community College for two seasons, before finishing his eligibility at Cumberland University in Tennessee, batting above .300 in both seasons. In 1987, McClure joined the Governors as student assistant, before eventually being named head coach. McClure completed Austin Peay’s graduate program in 1987 earning a degree in health and human performance.

McClure and his wife, Amy, currently reside in Clarksville, Tenn. They have been married for nearly three decades and have one son, Alex: an assistant coach at Arkansas State, who played in the Royals and Marlins farm systems. 

The Bombers will begin its tenth season of play in Battle Creek on May 31, 2016, as the Battle Creek Bombers play host to the Madison Mallards. Fans can guarantee tickets to the team’s top weekend dates of the season by locking in the Bombers new 5-game packs. 5-game packs include the best seats at the team’s five (5) best games with all-you-can-eat food and beverages with guaranteed giveaways and are $59 per package. Fans can order their 5-game packs online by visiting http://battle-creek-bombers.nwltickets.com/Ticket/Packages/ and choosing their seats. Fans can also call the team’s front office at (269) 962-0735, or by emailing tickets@battlecreekbombers.com.

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A valuable training ground for coaches, umpires and front office staff, 150 former Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (WAS) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (CWS), Jordan Zimmermann (DET), Curtis Granderson (NYM), Lucas Duda (NYM) and Ben Zobrist (CHC). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League website. For more information, visit www.northwoodsleague.com.

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