A new face up to bat: VCU baseball welcomes new head coach

Thailon Wilson, Staff Writer 

VCU looked to Clemson, South Carolina to hire longtime assistant coach Bradley LeCroy to fill the baseball team’s head coaching position.

LeCroy is taking on the role after the team’s second consecutive Atlantic 10 win. 

“The administration support staff has been fantastic helping me get adjusted and answering my questions,” LeCroy said. “The current players have been outstanding.” 

LeCroy is a former Clemson shortstop who became a tenured coach with over 15 seasons of coaching experience with Clemson, as well as over two decades of total baseball coaching experience. 

Coach LeCroy worked under Hall of Fame coach Jack Leggett, when he first joined as an assistant, and he also worked with former Clemson head coach Monte Lee.

David Hood previously wrote about LeCroy for Tigernet.com, a website on all sports news revolving around Clemson.

LeCroy learned many different coaching techniques during his time at Clemson, and he was stellar at creating good relationships with players, according to Hood.

“He creates connections with players and he really gets to know them. He really likes to get to know his guys and work with them as baseball players, but also as young men,” Hood said.

LeCroy said he believes it is important to develop the team to win games, but also to develop the team for the players’ futures after baseball.

“We are here to develop young men into being successful past VCU. If they don’t get the chance to play professional baseball, we want to still be successful,” LeCroy said. “To do that you have to invest in people, and have good relationships.” 

Along with being known as a successful player and assistant coach, LeCroy is a highly regarded recruiter who has been in the top No. 25 in national recruiting for the last ten years during his time at Clemson, according to Clemson Athletics.

“Our goal is to recruit at a high level here at VCU, but as soon as we get them here, we have to develop them and get them better,” LeCroy said.

VCU senior outfielder AJ Mathis said he is already adjusting to the new coaching transition. Mathis said Coach Lecroy will be a good leader for the black and gold, and he is excited to play for him.

“Coach LeCroy is amazing and I think this university really benefits from getting him and not only him, but this coaching staff in general,” Mathis said.

Mathis said he believes that as long as everyone puts in the work and follows LeCroy’s system, everything will move forward fluidly for the team.

“I feel like if everybody buys into his process and the standards that he holds, we can go far,” Senior outfielder AJ Mathis said.

VCU baseball is coming off a 42-win season with another A-10 championship, making it their third conference title since joining the A-10 Conference, according to VCU Athletics.

VCU junior outfielder Cooper Benzin has big expectations for himself and the team to run it back this year and win the A-10 title again — and to make it further than the team did last year.

“Our first goal is winning the A-10 regular season and then of course winning the tournament,” Benzin said. “Our mindset is getting us further than we were last year, so going to the Super Regional and going to Omaha.”

The Rams have recently started their fall training since coming back to campus, and LeCroy said he believes the desire to perform at a high level is already instilled in the team.

“They have a great work ethic,” LeCroy said.“They have great attitudes and a championship-winning mindset.” 

Coach LeCroy said he is eager to take over the already established culture that VCU baseball has and work hard throughout the fall to prepare for the upcoming spring season later after winter break.

“I’m super excited. I think the players are as well even though it’s a long journey. We just started and we’ve got till February until opening day, but the work ethic, the culture and makeup of the team is outstanding,” LeCroy said.