WACO (August 20, 2009)--Long-time Baylor baseball assistant coach Mitch Thompson has been promoted to assistant head coach, Baylor head coach Steve Smith announced Thursday. Thompson is in his 16th season on Smith’s staff.

A 1989 Fort Hays State graduate, Thompson was named ABCA National Assistant Coach of the Year in 2006 after landing a recruiting class that was ranked first nationally by Baseball America. Thompson has worked with Smith for 18 seasons, also spending three seasons with the Bears’ skipper on Ron Polk’s Mississippi State staff in the early 1990s.

With Thompson’s promotion, assistant coach Steve Johnigan will take over duties as Baylor’s primary hitting coach. Volunteer assistant coach Trevor Mote will work with outfielders.

The Bears return five starters and nine pitchers from a 2008 squad that finished 30-26 and participated in the NCAA Baton Rouge Regional. Baylor is one of 18 Division I programs and one of two Big 12 Conference programs with at least 10 NCAA Regional appearances in the past 12 seasons.