Hempstead, NY – Hofstra University Baseball Coach John Russo today announced the hiring of former professional baseball player Blake Nation, who will join the Pride as an assistant coach.
“I am very excited about Blake joining our staff,” said Coach Russo. “He has a proven track record of teaching and coaching collegiate players. I feel he will be an outstanding addition to our program and continue the development of our pitchers.”
Nation spent three years in the Seattle Mariners organization, pitching for the Pulaski Mariners, Clinton Lumberjacks and High Desert Mavericks. Nation also spent three seasons playing professionally, spending one season each with the Rio Grand Valley White Wings (North American Independent League), the Fort Worth Cats (North American Independent League) and the Southern Illinoi Miners (Frontier League). His overall professional record was 29-17 with 11 saves, a 3.21 ERA and 302 strikeouts.
A collegiate pitcher at Georgia Southern, Nation has coached at multiple levels of the collegiate game. He started his coaching career at East Georgia College, where he served as an assistant from 2011 to 2013. From May 2014 to August 2017 he was the head coach of the Mohawk Valley Diamond Dogs of the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League, winning a pair of championships and earning 2016 PGCBL Coach of the Year accolades. During his tenure he coached one PGCBL Pitcher of the Year, five all-league players and eight all-star game selections.
Nation also served as an assistant coach at the University of Tampa from September 2015 to May 2017, and at Florida Southwestern State College during the 2017-18 academic year. This past summer he was the head coach of the Vermont Mountaineers of the New England Collegiate Baseball League.
A 2012 graduate of Georgia Southern with a degree in general studies; he also earned his masters in kinesiology and coaching from GSU in 2014. Nation and his wife, Molly, reside in Fort Myers, Florida.
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