COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee Tech baseball head coach Matt
Bragga recently welcomed two new members to his coaching staff,
bringing along former collegiate pitchers Kyle Medley (Belhaven
University) and Cody Church (Lincoln Memorial University).
Church joins the Golden Eagles as an assistant after spending the last year as an assistant coach at Presbyterian College. Serving primarily as an infield and hitting coach, Church also held duties including first base coaching responsibilities, recruiting, field maintenance, academic progress and game operations.
During his time at Presbyterian, the team recorded its best record of 24-31 since becoming a Division I institution. Included in that record were key victories over Clemson, Duke, and #13 ranked UCF. As an infield coach, he helped guide an infield, which started two true freshmen, to a fielding percentage of .966. The mark was good enough for fourth in the Big South Conference. The team also finished second in the conference with 35 home runs.
Church first attended Roane State Community College during 2008. He started as a right fielder in addition to being one of the top pitchers out of the bullpen.
After transferring to Lincoln Memorial University in 2009, Church hit .263 as a sophomore outfielder, helping the team to a ranking as a high as #21 in the nation. In his junior season, he began his transition to becoming a full time pitcher.
The summer following his junior season, Church participated in the Southeast Collegiate Baseball League as a member of the Florida Oranges in Jacksonville, Fla. During that time, he led the team in every pitching category and threw the first no-hitter in league history. He wrapped up a stellar summer with a complete game shutout in the first round of the playoffs.
In his senior season, Church was voted team captain and led the team to its best conference finish since becoming an NCAA member. He also led the team with six victories and added two saves in over 40 innings of work.
Church attended Seymour High School in Seymour, Tenn., where he was an all-state utility player his senior season. He helped lead the team to a final four appearance and a school record 31 wins. He also led the state with a .546 batting average. Church was a three-time all-district selection and also earned all-region honors as a senior.
Medley arrives at Tennessee Tech to take the role of volunteer coach following experience as both an assistant and head coach at several different levels. Over the past year, he spent time as the assistant coach in charge of pitching at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College. In his time there, Medley helped coach a team that accomplished several different accomplishments.
Mississippi Gulf Coast earned a ranking as high as #22 in the nation during Medley's tenure. The team recorded an ERA of 3.10, good for a top-10 ranking at the DII JUCO level. The team was a participant in the Region 23 tournament as well as the MACJC state runner-up.
Medley also held a head coaching position in 2012, as well as the general manager position for the Lexington Hustlers of the Great Lakes Collegiate League. During his time as the head man, the Hustlers recorded their highest number of wins in program history as well as their smallest margin out of first place in program history.
Prior to his head-coaching job in Lexington, Medley served as the head coach and assistant general manager for the Marion Bobcats of the Ohio Valley League. In 2011, the team recorded its highest winning percentage, highest league finish, and smallest margin out of first place in program history.
Medley earned his associates degree in history and business from Saint Catharine College in 2007. He then transferred to Belhaven College where he earned his bachelor's degree in history. Medley earned his master's in teaching out of the University of the Cumberlands.
During his time at Belhaven College, Medley was a two-time Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Relief Pitcher of the Year. He attained NAIA All-American status as a relief pitcher in 2009 when he ranked fourth nationally in saves. He also stands as the all-time career leader in saves at Belhaven with 23. He finished the both second and third in single season saves with 10 and 13 in his two years at Belhaven.
