Lakeland College

Lakeland College Baseball Coaches

Chris Thousand
Head Coach

Chris Thousand enters his second season as Lakeland's head baseball coach.

Thousand took the step up to the head coaching spot after serving as an assistant coach for four years following a stand-out four-year career with the Muskies as a pitcher. As a senior in 2002, he helped lead Lakeland to a fifth-place finish nationally after the only NCAA Division III World Series appearance by a Lake Michigan Conference program. He also closed out his playing career listed in 14 categories in the Lakeland record book.

A native of Barneveld, Wis., Thousand instructed Lakeland's hitters for three seasons and further helped re-write the Lakeland record books. Under Thousand's leadership, recent Lakeland teams are second and fourth in Lakeland history in runs scored, second and third in hits in a season, third and fourth in team batting average, second in home runs, second and third in doubles and second and fourth in runs batted in.

Off the field, Thousand has taken on significantly larger roles in the last several years in recruiting and scheduling for the baseball program and organizing fundraising and baseball camps.

In addition to his duties as a baseball coach, Thousand has been Lakeland 's athletic building manager since September of 2004. During the summer of 2004, he worked as an operations crew member for the Ryder Cup event at Oakland Hills in Michigan, then served on the crew for the PGA Championship at nearby Whistling Straits. He has also worked in operations at The Bull golf course outside of Sheboygan Falls.

The Thousand family has deep roots at Lakeland. Chris' sister Casey is a 2004 Lakeland graduate, a former Lakeland women's basketball standout and this past season was an assistant basketball coach at Carthage College. Another younger sister, Connie, also attends Lakeland.

Chris' wife, Danielle, is a 2002 Lakeland graduate. They live in Sheboygan with their daughters, Taylee (2) and Tatum (1), with another baby due in May.

Thousand graduated from Lakeland in 2002 with a bachelor's degree in sports studies/facilities management.

 

Mike Bachar
Assistant Coach

Mike Bachar returns for his fourth season on Lakeland's baseball staff. He will coach the infield positions and help with hitting.

A native of Berwyn, Ill. and a Lakeland graduate, Bachar transferred to Lakeland in 2003 from Morton Junior College. He helped the Muskies reach the NCAA regionals in 2003 and 2004, earning first team all-Lake Michigan Conference shortstop honors in 2004. During his senior year, he led the conference in walks (16), was fifth in runs scored (17) and was No. 4 in defensive assists (44) while being a vacuum up the middle. He also holds the Lakeland record for walks in a season (29).

Bachar is also Lakeland's Director of Intramurals.

 

Ed Michael
Assistant Coach

Coach Michael enters his second season as an assistant coach with the Muskies.

Michael is no stranger to the baseball field, as he was a relief pitcher for the Marine Corps. after a successful career at Woodrow Wilson High School in Xenia, Ohio.

Michael also coached baseball in the Sheboygan Falls recreation system for several years, and served one year as a varsity high school coach. His recreational teams won many grade school championships and compiled a winning record of 96-12 in four years. His varsity team won the Eastern Wisconsin Conference championship in 1985.

He graduated Magna Cum Laude from Lakeland with a degree in business administration and a minor in information systems in 1995.

He resides in Sheboygan Falls with his wife of 45 years, Shirley. They have three grown children and five grandchildren.

 

Matt Andrews
Assistant Coach

Matt Andrews returns for his second season as an assistant coach at Lakeland following a successful four-year career as a stand-out catcher for the Muskies.

During his senior year as a Muskie in 2006, Andrews started 37 games, led the team in RBIs with 33, tied for the team-high in hits with 46 and tallied five home runs. He also had an on-base percentage of .384 and a slugging percentage of .489.