Baylor

Mitch Thompson was selected as the 20th head baseball coach in program history on June 15, 2022.

After nine seasons as the head coach of McLennan Community College and a previous 18-year stint as an assistant at Baylor, Thompson brings more than 30 years of coaching experience into his third season as Baylor head coach in 2024.

One of the most highly respected coaches and recruiters in college baseball, Thompson returned to Baylor Ballpark after spending nearly two decades in the green and gold as a Baylor assistant. He previously helped lead the Bears to three Big 12 Conference titles, 12 NCAA Regional appearances, three Super Regional appearances and the 2005 College World Series during the most prolific stretch in program history from 1995 to 2012. Between 2014 and 2022, Thompson built Waco’s own McLennan CC into one of the nation’s premier junior college programs, coming off back-to-back JUCO World Series appearances, including the 2021 national title.

Now in two seasons back at BU, Thompson has helped the Bears extend their streak to 52 consecutive seasons with 20 or more wins and racked up four victories over ranked opponents in his first two years at the helm.

RETURNING HOME
Despite a 22-31 overall record and 10-20 mark in Big 12 play, the Bears took steps forward in year two under Thompson with the emergence of several players. Thompson mentored junior designated hitter Wesley Jordan to All-Big 12 Second Team honors after the slugger hit a team-leading .351 in league action with five home runs and 17 RBIs and finished the year with a .331 batting average, .632 slugging percentage, nine home runs and 32 RBIs. Sophomore left-handed pitcher Ethan Calder (5-3, 3.23 ERA, 41 SO, 12 BB) and fifth-year senior infielder Cole Posey (.315 AVG, 5 HR, 20 RBIs in 35 games) were also tabbed All-Big 12 Honorable Mentions, while Thompson coached his first MLB draft pick since returning as the head man in junior right-hander Mason Marriott (6^th Round, Arizona Diamondbacks).

In a season that was riddled with injuries, Baylor lost four key contributors to season-ending ailments in the first week of the 2024 campaign and had a total of 17 players miss time due to injury at some point during the year. Still, Thompson and the Bears managed to climb out of a 1-7 start to the season and won 10 of 11 games from March 29-April 19, including home series victories against Cincinnati and Incarnate Word, as well as a road sweep at BYU, to pull even at 18-18.

Redshirt junior outfielder Enzo Apodaca, who led the Bears in nearly every offensive category, was named the Big 12 Player of the Week on April 15 after leading BU to the weekend sweep over the Cougars. Apodaca teamed with Jordan and junior Ty Johnson to form a formidable outfield trio in Thompson’s second season, setting the table with a combined 176 hits, including 33 doubles, seven triples and 17 homers, good for nearly 36% of the 2024 team’s total production.

In mid-March, Thompson led BU to a series win over No. 23 Texas Tech as part of the squad’s four-consecutive home series victory streak, its longest since 2015. Freshman southpaw Mason Green highlighted the weekend with a stellar start of six shutout innings, allowing just two hits with three strikeouts on his way to being named the Big 12 Newcomer of the Week.

On Opening Day, Marriott became the first Baylor pitcher since 2010 to strike out 10 or more batters in a season opener with 5.2 strong innings, allowing just one run on one hit with two walks and a career-high 10 K’s. Though the Bears would lose a 2-1 decision to Nebraska, Marriott picked up Big 12 Pitcher of the Week honors, marking the third time since 2015 that Baylor earned a Big 12 Player, Pitcher and Newcomer of the Week honor in the same season.

The Bears continued to find success off the field under Thompson as well, racking up 10 Academic All-Big 12 honors in 2024, four Academic All-Big 12 Rookie Team selections and earning the ABCA Team Academic Excellence Award for the ninth-consecutive season. Additionally, the team set a program record in the Fall 2024 semester with a 3.52 combined GPA.

In Thompson's first season at the helm of Baylor Baseball, the Bears reached the 20-win mark for the 51st consecutive season. Thompson collected his first-career win in thrilling fashion, a 6-5 Opening Day victory in 10 innings, over Central Michigan on Feb. 17, 2023. Under Thompson's direction, BU posted three walk-off wins and two wins over ranked opponents in 2023, and set a program record with 18 strikeouts in a Big 12 contest (vs. Oklahoma State, March 24). 

Thompson guided sophomore catcher Cortlan Castle to All-Big 12 Honorable Mention honors after he hit .393 in league play, the fifth-best average in the conference. Freshman infielder Kolby Branch was also unanimously named to the Big 12 All-Freshman Team after leading the team in most offensive categories, including batting average (.325), hits (69), home runs (6) and RBI (41). Branch's 17 doubles were one shy of the program's freshman record, set by Matt Williams in 1998.

On the mound, BU racked up 492 strikeouts, marking the fifth-highest single-season total all-time. Junior RHP Will Rigney was named the Big 12 Pitcher of the Week on March 20 after throwing five perfect innings and striking out 11 of the 15 batters he faced against Rice and Kansas State. 

HIGHLANDERS SOAR TO NEW HEIGHTS
Over the course of nine seasons at MCC, Thompson compiled a 372-138-1 (.728) record with postseason appearances each year. The Highlanders claimed four NJCAA Region V and Southwestern District Championships, four NTJCAC Championships, a second-place finish at the 2015 JUCO World Series, and the 2021 NJCAA Division I Baseball National Championship. Additionally, the Highlanders produced 16 MLB Draft picks, including the top NJCAA selection in three of the last four years. Under Thompson’s tutelage 108 players have gone on to play at four-year universities, including 87 at the Division I level.

In 2022, Thompson and the Highlanders eclipsed the 50-win mark for the second time by going 50-13-1 overall with a 28-4 mark in conference play. Cole Fontenelle and Wyatt Cheney were named NJCAA Division I All-Americans after leading MCC to another NJCAA Region V title, NTJCAC Championship and the program’s fourth trip to the JUCO World Series under Thompson.
 
The Highlanders notched a 27-7 record in NTJCAC play on their way to another run at the 2021 conference, regional and national titles. MCC went undefeated in the Region V North Tournament and the Region V Super Regional to earn the program’s third berth to the JUCO World Series. The Highlanders won all five games in Grand Junction to claim the second national title in program history and the first since 1983. McLennan ended the season on a 23-game winning streak and finished with an overall record of 47-16. Thompson was named the Bus Bergman Coach of the Tournament and the ABCA’s NJCAA Division I National Coach of the Year. Four of Thompson’s players earned all-tournament honors in Mason Greer, Miguel Santos, Blake Jackson and Logan Henderson, who was also named the Robert Purkey Jr. Memorial Outstanding Pitcher and Daily Sentinel Tournament MVP. Additionally, Henderson garnered NJCAA Division I Pitcher of the Year recognition and a spot on the All-America First Team, along with Dominic Tamez.
 
MCC opened the 2020 campaign on fire with a 19-5 overall record and 5-1 mark in conference play before the COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of the season by the NJCAA.

In 2019, the Highlanders opened the season ranked third in the NJCAA Preseason Poll, fourth in the Perfect Game Preseason Top 25, and 10th in the Collegiate Baseball Poll. McLennan remained in the top-10 throughout the season, working to a 24-8 record for another second-place finish in the NTJCAC. The Highlanders shined at the Region V Tournament, advancing to the championship game once again before falling to New Mexico and ending the year at 42-17.
 
Thompson continued the Highlanders’ winning tradition in 2018, beginning the year ranked sixth in the NJCAA Preseason Poll and remaining in the top-20 throughout the season. Perfect Game’s Top JUCO Prospect and NJCAA All-American Josh Breaux led the way at the plate and NJCAA All-American Grant Miller led the pitching staff, helping MCC to a 25-7 record and second-place finish in conference play. McLennan ended the season with an overall tally of 44-15 after being eliminated from the championship game in a ruling by the NJCAA.
 
2017 was an incredible season for the Highlanders, having entered the season ranked No. 16 in the NJCAA Division I Preseason Poll and climbing the ranks up to No. 1 throughout the season. The Highlanders went 26-6 in conference play, including an undefeated month of April, to claim a second-consecutive conference championship – MCC’s first back-to-back conference titles in over 20 years. Thompson again earned Coach of the Year honors and led the Highlanders to a 6-1 mark in the Region V Tournament to claim another regional title and secure a return trip to the JUCO World Series. The Highlanders went 1-2 in Grand Junction, finishing fifth and ending the year with an overall mark of 52-13, the second-most win total of any D-I team in the country.

MCC’s success continued in 2016, going 45-12 overall and 25-7 in conference play to claim the NTJCAC title and Coach Thompson’s second-consecutive Coach of the Year honor. McLennan won 13 of its final 14 regular-season games, including a nine-game winning streak. The Highlanders finished the season ranked No. 11 in the nation and posted a .342 team batting average with 80 home runs to average just under nine runs per game. Thompson’s squad was nearly unbeatable at home, going 24-3 at Bosque River Ballpark.

In 2015, Thompson guided McLennan to its first Region V Championship and JUCO World Series appearance in 32 years with a 41-20 overall record. His efforts were rewarded in being named the Region V Coach of the Year, as well as the Waco Tribune-Herald Sportsman of the Year. Thompson’s squad posted a .327 team batting average and scored more than seven runs per game. The season included a pair of six-game winning streaks and a stretch in which McLennan won 24 of 31 games. At the JUCO World Series, the Highlanders won three-straight elimination games before falling in the national championship.

In Thompson’s first season, the Highlanders finished 32-27 and earned a Region V bid for the first time in four years. McLennan ended the season as the Region V Tournament runner-up after posting a 17-15 mark in the North Texas Junior College Athletic Conference (NTJCAC).
 
ACADEMIC SUCCESS
Thompson’s squads also excelled in the classroom, as the Highlanders posted cumulative GPAs above 3.0 in 16 consecutive semesters. His teams earned NJCAA All-Academic Team Honorable Mention honors in 2015 (3.13), 2016 (3.19), 2017 (3.42), 2018 (3.51), 2019 (3.28), 2020 (3.29) and 2021 (3.53). Ninety-nine players earned NJCAA Academic Student-Athlete Awards. The 2017 and 2018 team GPAs were the third-best in the nation.

MAJOR LEAGUE PROWESS
Before being named McLennan’s head coach, Thompson spent one season as the South Texas area scouting supervisor for the Kansas City Royals organization. During that year, Thompson drafted the 1st-, 3rd-, 9th-, 13th- and 20th-round picks for Kansas City, two of which have advanced to play in the Big Leagues.
 
BUILDING UP THE BEARS
In his prior 18 years at Baylor, Thompson helped coach 10 teams to 40-win seasons and set team records in virtually every offensive category, including batting average, hits, runs, doubles, home runs, RBIs, total bases, stolen bases and slugging percentage. During his tenure as an assistant, Thompson guided 97 all-conference honorees, 16 All-Americans and 13 freshman All-Americans. Additionally, Baylor’s top-five winningest seasons came during Thompson’s tenure.

From ’95 to ’12, Thompson recruited 72 Baylor players who were drafted or signed with Major League organizations. The list includes several high-round draft picks, most notably first-rounders Kip Wells (Chicago White Sox, 1998), Jason Jennings (Colorado Rockies, 1999), Chad Hawkins (Texas Rangers, 2000), David Murphy (Boston Red Sox, 2003), Mark McCormick (St. Louis Cardinals, 2005) and Aaron Miller (Los Angeles Dodgers, 2009), as well as 2001 Johnny Bench Award winner and Red Sox second-round pick Kelly Shoppach.

Twelve players who Thompson recruited to BU eventually reached the Major Leagues. His recruiting classes were ranked among the nation’s top-25 six times, including a No. 1 ranking in 2005 that led to Thompson being named Baseball America’s American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) National Assistant Coach of the Year.

GETTING HIS START
Thompson began his coaching career as a graduate assistant for legendary coach Ron Polk at Mississippi State for the 1990 season, where the Bulldogs went 50-21 and reached the College World Series. Thompson spent the 1991 season at Radford (Virginia), before returning to MSU for the 1992 and 1993 seasons as assistant coach and director of baseball operations.

In 1994, Thompson was an assistant coach at Auburn under ABCA Hall of Famer Hal Baird, helping the Tigers garner 44 wins and a College World Series appearance. He worked with catchers and outfielders and was the team’s defensive coordinator.

PERSONAL
Thompson is a 1988 honors graduate of Fort Hays State in Kansas where he twice earned academic all-conference honors in baseball and served as a team captain as a senior. He began his collegiate career at Cloud County Community College before spending a year at Bacone College before transferring to Fort Hays State. Thompson toured Europe in the summer of 1987 with Athletes in Action, the athletic ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ. He earned a master’s degree in physical education from Mississippi State in 1991.

In 1998, Thompson produced an instructional video entitled “Contact Hitting and Plate Coverage” with Championship Books and Videos. In 1999, he again joined Championship Books and Videos to co-produce a six-tape series of videos designed to help youth league coaches teach the game of baseball.

Thompson is a native of Goodland, Kan. He and his wife, Amber, have two daughters, Mary Conley and Caroline, who are both Baylor graduates.