Mark Mace, Head Coach (Fourth Season, EMU '90)

Mark Mace enters his fourth year at the helm of the EMU baseball program for the 2009 season after being hired on August 25, 2005.

In his first season, the Royals went 7-29 in what might be dubbed a rebuilding year as Mace tries to reestablish EMU baseball as a force in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference. EMU continued that rebuilding process during the 2008 season and finished the year with a 10-30 overall mark and a 6-12 record in the ODAC.

The EMU baseball post is Mace’s first opportunity as the head coach of a collegiate program. He has spent the previous seven years guiding Monticello High School in Charlottesville. He took the reins in the program’s first year of existence and guided the Mustangs to a 16-6 mark in their inaugural season. In seven seasons, Mace has guided Monticello to a 99-54 overall record with four regional appearances, and three Jefferson District Titles. He has won three Jefferson District Coach of the Year awards and in 2005 was named Central Virginia Coach of the Year after guiding the Mustangs to the State AA Final Four.

Prior to Monticello, Mace served as head coach for Parry McCluer High School in Buena Vista, Va. His teams made regional appearances in 1997 and 1998, marking the first regional showing for Parry McCluer in 15 years. Mace also spent two seasons as an assistant coach at Rockbridge County High School in Lexington, Va. and two seasons as head junior varsity coach at Lexington High School.

Mace is a 1990 graduate of Eastern Mennonite University where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Special Education. He played four seasons for the Royals and served as a captain in his senior campaign in 1990. Since graduation, he has been working as a special education teacher including the last seven years while serving as head coach at Monticello.

“I’m very excited to be back at Eastern Mennonite as a graduate of the school and the baseball program,” Mace commented regarding his new position. “It’s an honor and an opportunity that a lot of players don’t have. Since I played at the Division III level, I wanted to get back to that level as a coach. It’s a difficult path to travel, and I’m glad to be given the opportunity.”

“I’m glad to be back in a Christian community.” Mace added, “I learned a lot at Eastern Mennonite about values and living a Christian life. This is a dream come true for me to be back at EMU and give back to the university. I’m looking forward to the challenges that accompany this position.”

Bill Buracker, Assistant Coach (Third Season)

Bill Buracker will be back for a third season as an assistant coach under Mark Mace with the assignment of working with the Royals pitching staff.