Larry Lee (baseball)

Larry Lee
Lee in 2011
Current position
TitleHead coach
TeamCal Poly
ConferenceBig West
Record670–533–2 (.557)
Biographical details
Born (1959-12-12) December 12, 1959 (age 65)
San Luis Obispo, California, U.S.
Playing career
1980Santa Barbara CC
1981Orange Coast
1982–1983Pepperdine
Position(s)Second baseman
Third baseman
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1984–1985Cuesta (asst.)
1986Cal Poly (asst.)
1987–2002Cuesta
2003–presentCal Poly
Head coaching record
Overall460–241–3 (.656) (junior college)
670–533–2 (.557) (NCAA)
TournamentsNCAA: 3–6
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
  • 3× WSC (1990, 1991, 1994)
  • 6× WSC North Division (1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002)
  • Big West (2014)
Awards
  • 8× WSC Coach of the Year (1990, 1994, 1997–2002)
  • Big West Coach of the Year (2014)

Larry Patrick Lee (born December 12, 1959) is an American college baseball coach, currently serving as the head coach of the Cal Poly Mustangs baseball team. He began this job prior to the 2003 season.[1]

Playing career

After graduating from San Luis Obispo High School in 1979, Lee played at two junior colleges, Santa Barbara City College in 1980 and Orange Coast College and 1981, before using his final two years of eligibility at Pepperdine.[2] He then played briefly as a professional, appearing with the Class-A Utica Blue Sox in 1983.[1][3]

Coaching career

Lee coached for sixteen years at Cuesta College, a community college in San Luis Obispo, California. He was named head coach at Cal Poly, also in San Luis Obispo, to replace Ritch Price, the school's first Division I coach, with the official announcement of his introduction taking place on July 22, 2002.[4]

Lee built on Price's success with the Mustangs, earning the school's first invitation to the NCAA tournament in 2009. As of 2023, he has coached 13 All-Americans and 79 players who would later sign professional contracts.[1]

Personal life

Lee and his wife, Liz, have a son and a daughter together. Their son, Brooks, played on the Cal Poly baseball team and was a first-round selection in the 2022 Major League Baseball draft.[5]

Head coaching record

CCCAA

The table below shows Lee's record as a junior college head coach.[6]

Statistics overview
Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Cuesta Cougars (Western State Conference) (1987–2002)
1987 Cuesta 20–14 13–11 2nd (North)
1988 Cuesta 22–18 13–11 4th (North)
1989 Cuesta 9–25 4–16 11th
1990 Cuesta 23–15–2 15–5 T–1st
1991 Cuesta 24–14 14–6 T–1st
1992 Cuesta 25–18 12–8 4th CCCAA Semifinals
1993 Cuesta 18–19 17–13 4th
1994 Cuesta 36–14 19–3 1st
1995 Cuesta 20–23–1 12–14 4th (North)
1996 Cuesta 33–14 20–6 2nd (North)
1997 Cuesta 44–11 23–3 1st (North) CCCAA Final Four
1998 Cuesta 33–8 19–5 1st (North) CCCAA Regional
1999 Cuesta 37–12 21–4 1st (North) CCCAA Regional
2000 Cuesta 34–13 21–6 1st (North) CCCAA Regional
2001 Cuesta 36–12 21–5 1st (North) CCCAA Final Four
2002 Cuesta 43–9 23–3 1st (North) CCCAA Final Four
Cuesta: 460–241–3 (.656) 267–119 (.692)
Total: 460–241–3 (.656)

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

NCAA

The table below shows Lee's record as a head coach at the NCAA Division I level.[7][8]

Statistics overview
Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Cal Poly Mustangs (Big West Conference) (2003–present)
2003 Cal Poly 27–28–1 9–12 4th
2004 Cal Poly 38–23–1 10–11 T–4th
2005 Cal Poly 36–20 14–7 T–2nd
2006 Cal Poly 29–27 10–11 4th
2007 Cal Poly 32–24 13–8 4th
2008 Cal Poly 24–32 8–16 T–7th
2009 Cal Poly 37–21 14–10 3rd NCAA Regional
2010 Cal Poly 23–32 10–14 T–5th
2011 Cal Poly 27–26 15–9 3rd
2012 Cal Poly 36–20 16–8 2nd
2013 Cal Poly 40–19 17–10 T–2nd NCAA Regional
2014 Cal Poly 47–12 19–5 1st NCAA Regional
2015 Cal Poly 27–27 14–10 4th
2016 Cal Poly 32–25 12–12 T–4th
2017 Cal Poly 28–28 16–8 2nd
2018 Cal Poly 30–27 15–9 2nd
2019 Cal Poly 28–28 17–7 T–2nd
2020 Cal Poly 5–11 0–0 Season canceled due to COVID-19
2021 Cal Poly 31–25 21–19 T-4th
2022 Cal Poly 37–21 22–8 2nd
2023 Cal Poly 21–35 11–19 8th
2024 Cal Poly 35–22 20–10 T-3rd
Cal Poly: 670–533–2 (.557) 303–223 (.576)
Total: 670–533–2 (.557)

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "Baseball Coaching Staff". gopoly.com. Retrieved May 12, 2018.
  2. ^ Hastings, Jon (June 14, 1986). "Cuesta hires Lee as new field general". San Luis Obispo Telegram-Tribune. pp. 1B.
  3. ^ "Larry Lee". baseball-reference. Retrieved May 12, 2018.
  4. ^ Milne, Brian (July 23, 2002). "Poly Has a New Leeder". The San Luis Obispo Tribune. pp. C1.
  5. ^ Baker, Dusty (March 19, 2021). "Father and son leading Cal Poly Baseball to elite level". KSBY.
  6. ^ "Western State Conference Baseball Standings 1981-2013" (PDF). Western State Conference. Retrieved May 12, 2018.
  7. ^ "NCAA Statistics".
  8. ^ Big West 2017 Record Book, pp. 12-14