GREENVILLE – Austin Baumgardner, a 2014 Greenville graduate and GHS multi-year letter winner and former three-year American Legion baseball player, and a college baseball career at Wright State Lake Campus, has been selected to take over the successful Greenville American Legion Post 140 Thunder Baseball program.
“It is going to be a lot of fun coming from a background of playing American Legion baseball to being involved the last 10 years in the program to now taking it over,” Baumgardner stated. “I am really looking forward to it.”
Current American Legion Post 140 and Thunder manager/head coach Chad Henry is stepping down, having been recently named the head baseball coach at Greenville High School.
“I’m thrilled to see Austin step up to lead the program,” said Henry. “His dedication, enthusiasm, and deep knowledge of the game have been invaluable in working with our 16U team. I have no doubt he’ll bring that same passion and leadership, helping our players grow both on the off the field. Wishing him success in this new chapter.”
Baumgardner, a Greenville hard-throwing right-handed pitcher, brings a wealth of experience to the position. He has 10 years of experience with the Thunder program, including six years as head coach of the 16U program.
“Watching Austin inspire and connect with players makes him the perfect fit to lead this program to new heights,” Coach Henry said. “I can’t wait to see him in his new role.”
Coach Baumgardner’s goal is to continue playing American Legion and Thunder games at Greenville and hold winter workouts there.
“We plan to have a good winter workout,” he said. “That is one thing we can offer as a program that a lot of other summer programs don’t offer. Our goal is to collaborate with other programs around here to build Greenville’s home base with the community involved.”
Legion Post 140 and Thunder play a mixture of Legion Baseball and select baseball, and participate in the Legion Baseball Tournament each year. The team travels around the state of Ohio as well as to out-of-state games, with trips in the past to Tennessee, Myrtle Beach, and others. The program closes out the summer season playing in the American Legion with an opportunity to go to state and nationals.
Post 140 American Legion Thunder baseball is holding tryouts this week.
“We have three tryouts scheduled for this week and weekend,” Baungardner noted. “We have a form on our Thunder Baseball Facebook. If you can’t participate this weekend, that is no problem, you can select a private tryout, and we will contact you and set up a time for that.”
