Craig Cozart, High Point Panthers

The 2018 season is head coach Craig Cozart’s 10th at the helm of the High Point Panthers. Cozart has a reputation for recruiting and developing pitching staffs. He has had 32 pitchers selected in the Major League Baseball draft under his guidance, including former Panther and current Cleveland Indian closer Cody Allen, who was drafted in 2011.

Cozart was named the High Point Panthers’ fifth head coach in June 2008 and has led HPU to program records in wins and nearly every offensive category. He has helped guide the Panthers to their four-winningest seasons in the program’s Div. I history and currently holds the HPU Div. I records for overall wins and conference wins. He has coached the team to its only six .500 or better seasons, including each of the last five.

HPU has won at least two games in the Big South Championship five times in eight seasons under Cozart and in 2012 became the first No. 7 seed to advance to the Big South semifinals since 2000.

With a great eye for talent and an outstanding ability to develop pitchers, 38 of Cozart’s pitchers have signed professional contracts. Eleven players have been drafted to MLB in Cozart’s nine years at HPU, headlined by an HPU-record four Panthers that were drafted in 2013.

The High Point Panthers won 30 games in consecutive seasons for the first time in the Div. I era by finishing 30-23 in 2017. The Panthers won five consecutive conference series during the course of the year, compiling an 11-4 conference mark through the five-weekend stretch.

High Point posted its second-best season since joining Div. I in 2016 as the Panthers finished with a 32-24 overall record and a second-place showing in the Big South. Three players from the 2016 squad were drafted as Andre Scrubb was selected by the Dodgers, Chris Clare was picked by the Orioles and Tyler Britton was drafted by the Astros.

The High Point Panthers won a program-record 33 games in 2014, finishing the season with a 33-22 overall record and an 18-9 record in the Big South. The 18 conference wins were also a program best for High Point. HPU set a new Div. I program-low with a 3.24 team ERA while also holding opponents to a .227 batting average. Conor Lourey posted an HPU Div. I record with a 1.48 ERA while going 9-0 in his first season with the team.

In 2010, Cozart led the program to its first winning season in the Division I era, posting a 31-29 mark (15-12 Big South Conference).