Freed-Hardeman University athletic director Jonathan Estes has named his replacement by handing the reins of the Lion baseball program to assistant coach Jess Trask.
"This is now my home," explained Trask. "My wife and I have fallen in love with the area, schools, and the people that make up this community. We have always felt very welcomed and we have established some roots in Chester County. Our work and church families are very special to us and we love the fact that we get to continue to grow and develop relationships with the people God has so graciously put in our lives."
Coach Trask has spent the last four seasons working with FHU infielders and baserunners. His tutelage was well-received, as over those four years the Lions saw three Gold Glove winners across the diamond while leading the Mid-South Conference in fielding percentage. The Lions' .972 fielding percentage was also the sixth-best mark in the NAIA. On the basepaths, his runners swiped more bases than any team in the MSC, while ranking eighth nationally with 145 steals.
"We are excited about elevating Jess to the head coaching position. He has been an integral part of our program since the fall of 2015," Estes said of his assistant's promotion. "He is a tireless worker and we are confident he will build on the tradition that has been established. He has great familiarity with the program and has big plans to keep developing the players that come through the program. Jess has been a part of several different programs and sees the value of a Freed-Hardeman education and respects the platform that being a student-athlete in this program gives you."
After playing every defensive position besides shortstop and pitcher for Lewis and Clark (Ill.) Community College and the University of Tennessee at Martin, Coach Trask spent four years as an assistant at LCCC before his first trip to Henderson. Trask spent two years as the Lions' graduate assistant, helping the team to their first appearance in the NAIA opening round. After spending one season as the assistant at Bethany (Kan.) College, the Jerseyville, Illinois native returned to Freed-Hardeman where he assisted the team to three berths in the NAIA opening round including one trip to the Avista NAIA College World Series in Lewiston, Idaho. Trask also helped lead Freed-Hardeman to regular-season championships in both the MSC and the American Midwest Conference, with an AMC tournament champion trophy.
Freed-Hardeman president David Shannon was pleased with the announcement, saying, "As a top program in the Mid-South Conference, it goes without saying that acquiring a new head coach is a significant moment in the FHU baseball program. The hiring process involved impressive candidates from several states being interviewed by a selection committee. This open and diligent process led us to our own field house. Coach Jess Trask knows baseball, the FHU way, and the Lord. Under his strong leadership, he will help our athletes develop into better baseball players and better men. We appreciate former coach Jonathan Estes for developing a high-performing program and doing it the right way. We look forward to continued success under Coach Trask. Both of these men will continue to develop athletes for His glory."
Despite Estes's successor coming from within the program, the search for the new Lion skipper was an exhaustive one that saw several qualified candidates from across the country endure the in-depth hiring process. After several interviews, the four-member search committee ultimately decided Trask was the right man to take over.
"It is an honor and I am humbled to be taking over a program that is in such a good place," said Trask of the shoes he has been charged with filling. "Coach Estes has built this program into a national contender through hard work, dedication, commitment, and surrounding himself with good people who shared his visions. I will not take one moment for granted in the belief he has in me to continue with what he has started. I believe in the processes and passions he has had and I look forward to building off of those. There is a fantastic foundation built here at FHU and I will work every day to continue to build us up. I will be standing on the shoulders of all the former players and coaches that have been a part of the FHU baseball program and I will respect and honor every positive action they have done for this program and university.
Trask holds an undergraduate degree in secondary education from the University of Tennessee at Martin where he graduated in 2011. In 2017, he graduated with a master's degree in education from Freed-Hardeman University.
Trask is married to Nicole and has two daughters - Piper and Landry.
More from Coach Trask:
"Several factors played a part in wanting to take over this program. The first factor is our guys. We have an amazing group of players that I love dearly along with a very strong group of guys we are bringing in this fall. I am so very excited and blessed to have the opportunity to continue to work with these great young men daily. Another large factor is that this university is a fantastic institution to be a part of. The leadership throughout campus is top-notch and it truly feels like we are all in this together. One of the biggest fears in coaching is if I am impacting these guys in a positive way. Here at FHU, I know that I am not going at that alone. President Shannon, the administration, Coach Estes, Coach Wallis, our graduate assistants, the athletic staff, and our fantastic faculty members all play a very large role in creating a special place for our student-athletes. We all work together to implement the school's mission of helping students develop their God-given talents by empowering them with an education that integrates Christian faith, scholarship, and service. The fact that we have such great resources and people on every level makes it an absolute honor to become the skipper of our program.
We have had a very successful formula here at FHU over the past several years. I look forward to continuing to provide our student-athletes with a positive college baseball experience. I believe we need to continue challenging ourselves with a competitive, non-conference schedule, allowing the guys to take part in as many competitive situations as possible through the course of the season. We pride ourselves in our extensive strength and conditioning program as well as throwing and hitting development that will continue to push our athletes forward. I will encourage our guys to continue to buy into being process-oriented and to continue to put the values of discipline, commitment, toughness, and effort at the forefront of how we go about our daily lives athletically, academically, and spiritually.
Coming to Freed Hardeman University is a lifelong decision. The experiences you have and the relationships you develop will last long after you walk across the stage to receive your diploma. I will lay out a vision for the recruits that shows a clear picture of what they should expect. We are in this to help you grow your mind, body, and spirit. The resources we have available to us and the belief I have in this university and baseball program will set us apart for the right type of student-athlete. Those student-athletes and the parents of those student-athletes that put stock into the values we have here will be confident in the decision they are making. I believe and am confident that if you choose FHU, you will be making the best decision of your life."
FHU is a member of the NAIA and competes in the Mid-South Conference. The university fields teams in men's and women's basketball, soccer, golf, cross country, and tennis, as well as women's teams in softball and volleyball and a men's team in baseball.
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