Gibson Adds Justin Holmes to Mercer Baseball Staff
7/1/2010 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
MACON, Ga. – Justin Holmes, former assistant coach at the University of Georgia, will become an assistant coach on the Mercer baseball staff as announced by head coach Craig Gibson on Thursday afternoon.
Holmes will serve as the new hitting instructor for a Bears offense that posted the third-best team batting average in Atlantic Sun history last season, at .340. Holmes will also coach first base and work with the Mercer infield defense that posted an impressive .961 fielding percentage in 2010.
"We are very excited to be able to add a coach of Justin's quality to our program,” head baseball coach Craig Gibson said. “Justin comes from a great program over at Georgia and will bring a new sense of energy and experience to our team next season."
A native of Oviedo, Fla., Holmes spent four years playing professional baseball before returning to Georgia to begin his coaching career. Holmes was a 26th round draft pick of the Cleveland Indians in the 2004 MLB Draft. He played in the Indians organization for two years, spending time in Burlington, N.C. in the Appalachian League, and Eastlake, Ohio for Lake County in the South Atlantic League. He also played for the Traverse City (Mich.) Beach Bums of the independent Frontier League. Holmes was a two-time All-Star selection for the Bums.
Holmes was a three-year starter for the Bulldogs including Co-MVP of the 2004 squad that finished third at the College World Series with a 45-23 record. He earned second team All-SEC honors as a senior captain. He batted a team-best .332 with eight home runs and 56 RBI in leading the Bulldogs to the 2004 SEC title. As a junior, he hit .301 with one home run and 16 RBI and ranked second among SEC shortstops with a .971 fielding percentage. For his career, Holmes hit .319 with nine home runs, 94 RBI and had 34 stolen bases.
Holmes is a 2005 graduate of UGA with a degree in Classical Culture. He is married to the former Elizabeth Newsome of Washington, Ga. Elizabeth was a 2008 graduate of the UGA veterinary school and was a member of Georgia's 2003 and 2004 national championship equestrian teams.
“Justin has a great track record and was clearly our number one choice throughout the interview process,” said Gibson. “He has played pro ball and went to the College World Series in 2004 so he has a lot to share with our guys and I have no doubt that he will help our program both on and off the field.”
