LOS ANGELES - Mitch Holland has been named an assistant coach for the Lions baseball team under head coach Nathan Choate. Holland will coordinate recruiting efforts, coach infielders, and assist with the hitters.
 
Coach Choate said, "We are excited to add Mitch to our coaching staff. He will bring tremendous value to the program and understands the recruiting landscape in Southern California. We are all excited for the return of school and to begin preparing for the 2023 season."
 
Holland joins the Lions staff after serving as a volunteer assistant at UC Irvine. He oversaw catchers and assisted with the hitters. The Anteaters won the Big West Conference in 2021 and were runners-up at the Stanford Regional in the same year. This was Holland's second stint as a member of the Anteaters' coaching staff, serving as a graduate assistant for the 2017 season.
 
Holland says what sets him apart is the path he took to get where he is, "I was a terrible player in high school and wasn't recruited anywhere, so I ended up trying out and making the team at Saddleback. I eventually worked my way into a starting role for two years there and then walked on at UC Irvine. I've always had to battle more talented players for opportunity, and I think that has given me a chip on my shoulder that still motivates me today. That chip on my shoulder is a great connecting point with players because that's the kind of player we want at LMU."
 
Prior to his time at UC Irvine, Holland served as the recruiting coordinator at Saddleback Community College in Mission Viejo, Calif.
 
Holland's experience goes beyond traditional collegiate coaching as well. He managed the Rochester Ridgemen, a member of the New York Collegiate Baseball League, in the summer of 2017. The team was comprised of collegiate players from across the country looking to hone their skills during the summer.
 
Holland played baseball at Saddleback Community College where he was named the 2014 Saddleback College Male Scholar Athlete of the Year before transferring to UC Irvine where he captained the Anteaters while receiving back-to-back All-Big West Conference awards in 2015 and 2016. In his final year at UC Irvine, Holland hit .300 and recorded a .996 fielding percentage on 492 chances.
 
Holland has said that he has a ton of respect for the coaching staff at LMU and cannot wait to get started, "I'm just thankful for the opportunity and can't wait to keep building off last year's run. I love the purity of college athletics where student-athletes can work towards a world-class education at LMU while working towards a West Coast Conference championship as a group."