AVE MARIA, Fla.- The Ave Maria University athletic department announced Tuesday that associate head baseball coach Nicholas McCormick will be elevated to the position of head coach, effective immediately. Previous head coach Michael McCormick has accepted a position with the Boston Red Sox, and will depart AMU after elevating the program to national prominence during his tenure.
"The McCormick brothers have done a tremendous job developing the Ave Maria baseball program," Vice President and Director of Athletics Joe Patterson said. "They took the team from a 16-win season in 2021 to a 36-win season this past year, including a trip to the national playoffs. It is with much gratitude that we congratulate Mike on his new job, and it is with much excitement that we welcome Nick to his new position."
Nicholas McCormick expressed his gratitude for the chance to take over Ave Maria's nationally-ranked baseball program.
"I first want to thank Coach Patterson and the rest of the athletic department for this great opportunity to be at the helm of the baseball program here at Ave Maria University," McCormick said. "I am extremely excited to continue to build off the successes of the past couple years and continue to push the program forward."
Nicholas McCormick has been with the Gyrenes for four seasons, during which time his primary duty with the Gyrenes was as the hitting and infield coach. On game days, he also serves as the Gyrene third base coach.
Prior to joining the Gyrenes, he spent 2019 as a hitting and position player throwing trainer at Driveline Baseball in Kent, Wash. Nicholas also spent time as the hitting and infield coach at Lincoln Trail College in Robinson, Ill.
Before his coaching career, Nicholas was a utility infielder at Lincoln Trail College, Eastern Illinois University and Arizona Christian University. Nicholas graduated from Arizona Christian University in 2018 with a bachelor's degree in business administration and a minor in biblical studies.
Michael McCormick departs Ave Maria after three seasons at the helm, during which the Gyrenes turned from Sun Conference also-ran to national tournament qualifier. McCormick will join the Boston Red Sox as a pitching coach for the organization's Florida Complex League team in Fort Myers.
"I am excited to start a new chapter of my coaching career with the Boston Red Sox, and this opportunity would not have been possible without my time as the head coach at Ave Maria," McCormick said. "I want to thank the University and especially the guys I have built relationships with on and off the field. Nick is the perfect fit as the new head coach, and I'm excited to watch the success they have this season."
"The gains that baseball made over the last few years have been impressive," Patterson said. "What we have seen on the field has been the result of great gains off the field, including academic successes, Christian-service initiatives, and the support of other teams within the department. There is great momentum within the baseball program."
The 2024 Ave Maria baseball season is scheduled to begin this coming February. The Gyrenes enter the 2024 season ranked 15th in the nation, the program's highest-ever appearance in the NAIA's preseason coaches poll.
