RICHLANDS, VA (WJHL)–Southwest Virginia Community College’s (SWCC) baseball team is facing an uncertain future after staffing shakeups triggered an exodus of players from the team.
On Tuesday, former-head coach Stephen Wagner took to Twitter saying he had been, “dismissed” from his position alongside two assistant coaches.
Wednesday, the college announced it had named Women’s Basketball Coach Thad Lambert as interim head baseball coach. Wagner’s name does not appear in the statement.
Sophomore Reed Underwood said the team was notified of the changes in a meeting with school administration Monday, but that they weren’t given any reasons.
“We just didn’t really get any answers,” said Underwood. “They just said that they couldn’t really tell us anything. It didn’t sit well with many kids on the team.”
While Wagner hadn’t been the Eagles’ head coach long, starting in July 2022, Underwood said he made a big impact–recruiting 24 students including all of the team’s freshmen.
He said under Wagner’s direction, the team improved and broke school records.
“I really felt the program was moving in the right direction,” Underwood said. “Whenever coach Wagner and (assistant coaches Ed Corniel and Alec Mathis) got let go, It’s not moving in the right direction anymore.”
Freshman Isaac Tuenge quit the team for the same reasons as Underwood. Now, he said, he feels uncertain about the rest of his baseball career.
Many players join a team like SWCC in the hopes of getting recruited to a four-year school.
“Next year I don’t know where I’m going,” said Tuenge. “I didn’t get to finish the rest of this season and get looked at, so I have no chance right now to go to a four-year college.”
Players said they want the best for the coach they trust.
“Hopefully he can get another coaching opportunity because he is a great coach,” Underwood said.
