A former four-year collegiate pitcher who pitched professionally for eight years, Tommy Lawrence joins the staff of head coach Mike Odenwaelder.
A native of West Haven, Lawrence was a spot starter and reliever at Division I institutions Winthrop University and University of Maine between 2011 and 2014 before pitching for parts of eight years with five different independent and major-league-affiliated organizations.
After winning 18 games in 239 2/3 innings over 66 collegiate appearances (23 starts), Lawrence pitched one season in relief with the rookie league Gulf Coast League Rays after being signed as an undrafted free agent by the Tampa Bay Rays following his senior season under Eastern baseball alumnus Steve Trimper at the University of Maine. With the Rays, he was 1-0 with four saves and a 2.52 ERA in 25 innings over 12 relief appearances.
Following one season with the Rays, Lawrence spent the next seven seasons pitching with a variety of independent teams: the Old Orchard Beach Surge of the Empire Professional Baseball League, the River City Rascals (MO) and Rockland Boulders (NY) of the Frontier League, the Atlantic League-affiliated High Point Rockers and Sultanes De Monterrey of the Mexican Winter League.
In two years (2013-14) as a first-team America East all-star at Maine under Trimper, Lawrence appeared in 23 games with a 15-6 record and 2.62 ERA, ten complete games and three shutouts in 22 starts, with 134 strikeouts and 39 walks and just one home run allowed in 161 2/3 innings. As a senior captain, he was a pre-season Division I All-America by Louisville Slugger after being named ECAC and America East Pitcher-of-the-Year (7-1, 1.58 ERA) as a junior. In that final season, he repeated as a first-team America East selection and was named a New England all-star.
A resident of Seymour, Lawrence currently serves as a pitching instructor and coach at the Grind Baseball & Softball Training Facility in Orange. Prior to that, he served as director of pitching at Powerhouse Sports and as pitching coach at Winnacunnet (NH) High School for four years.
In 2009, Lawrence helped West Haven High School to the Class “LL” state championship and No. 1 state ranking by winning three games and saving a fourth in the tournament, including a six-hitter in the 1-0 title game victory.
Lawrence holds a B.A. Degree in Childhood Development from Maine and an M.S. in Special Education from Grand Canyon University.
