By: Jake Renie, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
CARY, N.C. – After making his managerial debut this past summer with the USA Baseball 15U National Team, Centre baseball head coach Drew Briese was honored with the 2022 USA Baseball Developmental Coach of the Year award, the organization announced on Tuesday.
Briese led Team USA to their second-straight gold medal this past summer in the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) U-15 Baseball World Cup down south in Hermosillo, Mexico. The world champions finished at the top by way of an 8-1 overall record, including back-to-back wins over Cuba in both the semifinal and gold-medal contests. Briese's instrumental role of developing the athletes' abilities and knowledge was a huge factor in Team USA's plus 69-score differential in the nine games that they played in the World Cup this past summer (99-30).
USA Baseball Developmental Coach of the Year History
- 2022: Drew Briese, 15U National Team
- 2021: Jason Maxwell, 18U National Team
- 2019: Troy Cameron, 15U National Team
- 2018: Jason Maxwell, 15U National Team
- 2017: David Sharp, 12U National Team
- 2016: Glenn Cecchini, 18U National Team
Briese and the Colonels coaching staff look to bring the same success to the upcoming 2023 Centre baseball season, the head coach entering his seventh season with the program. Last season the Gold and White upset host Berry in the opening round of the Southern Athletic Association Tournament with a 15-0 win, Briese also earning his 100th career collegiate win at Centre last season when the Colonels split a double-header with the Vikings. Centre will open up the season with a double-header on Saturday, Feb. 18, the first pitch being thrown at 12 p.m. ET at Gary Wright Field in Danville, Ky.
