Over the hectic summer, the Greenville University Baseball squad had a few changes for the coaching staff. Joining Coach Lynn Carlson, the team welcomed a new coach, John Lagerfeldt. Lagerfeldt is the new Graduate Assistant (GA) for the team. Lagerfeldt will coach as well as study here at Greenville for his masters. In Lagerfeldt’s case, he will be pursuing his MBA. The role of a GA is very important and an amazing opportunity. It gives many fresh graduates from college a chance to complete their master’s and gain experience as a coach. Lagerfeldt grew up in the east coast town of Stratford, Connecticut. In Stratford, he lived with his parents, Bruce and Lorene Lagerfeldt, and also his younger brother Bruce. Stratford is roughly 15 hours away from Greenville. To put that in perspective on how far that is, Greenville is about 13 hours away from Florida. Lagerfeldt recently graduated from Gordon College which is located in Wenham, Massachusetts. At Gordon, Lagerfeldt was a double major in Sport & Wellness and Business Administration. He also played second base for the baseball team. Lagerfeldt played for the school for four years and had career stats of .273 batting average, 98 hits, 54 RBI’s, and an on-base percentage of .356, playing in 113 games and having the starting role in 109 of them.
Lagerfeldt also shared his thoughts about some things concerning the present and future of the baseball program. “We have a good opportunity to improve as a team over the next couple of years. We have some young guys who I believe can develop over time along with upperclassmen who will make a strong impact on the team. I want to help our players develop and improve their skills on the field, while also helping them grow as people off the field and turn these guys into respectable young men.” Connecticut is quite the haul to Illinois, so why would an east coast man come all the way to the Midwest? Lagerfeldt said, “I was given a great opportunity to come to Greenville’s baseball program by Coach Carlson and learn from him. I also want to help the team grow on and off the field. I’ve always wanted to be a baseball coach, especially at the collegiate level. I couldn’t pass up this opportunity to be a part of this program as well as pursue an MBA.” Lagerfeldt is very excited to help this team grow and develop. The new GA is looking to make a positive impact not just for the program but also for the guys on the team. As the fall season comes around the corner, Coach Carlson is looking forward to working with his new partner in crime as they strive for a great season. Being the new guy on campus is always hard, but Coach Lagerfeldt is ready to tackle the role he has been given. The Greenville community is super excited to welcome the newest member of the Panther family.
Media by Dustin Phelps.
