St. Thomas University head baseball coach Jorge Perez has been named ABCA/Diamond Regional Coach of the Year by the American Baseball Coaches Association.
Perez won the award after leading St. Thomas to a 48-18 overall record and the first runner-up finish at the NAIA World Series in school history.
Under the guidance of Perez, the Bobcats defeated host Georgia Gwinnett in the NAIA opening round to qualify for the World Series for the fifth time in school history. At the NAIA World Series, the Bobcats staved off elimination four times in the 10-team double elimination tournament to earn a spot in the NAIA World Series Championship Game.
The Bobcats fell to host Lewis-Clark State 10-7 in the championship game and finished the year ranked No. 2 in the nation in the final NAIA Coaches Poll.
Five Bobcats were named to the All-World Series team and outfielder Jerry Downs, the highest selected NAIA position player in the 2015 Major League Baseball Draft, was drafted in the 15th round by the Boston Red Sox.
In six seasons as the head coach at St. Thomas University, Perez has compiled a 240-172 overall record and led the Bobcats to the NAIA World Series opening round in 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2015. In 2012, he also led STU to its first Sun Conference Tournament Championship.