Among his stops during 12 years as an assistant coach, Ryan Mau spent time at VMI and Navy.

Mau, the new coach at Longwood, expects to bring the structure and discipline he saw firsthand at those military schools to the Lancers, who are entering their third year as a member of the Big South Conference.

A former pitcher at the College of Charleston and a longtime pitching coach, Mau will be very involved with a pitching staff led by Aaron Myers (7-4, 1.76, 107.1 IP, 82 K).

He took time to answer questions from CBI.

First Inning – After serving as an assistant coach since 2003, how does it feel to lead your first program?

It’s a very exciting time for my family and I after being an assistant for the past 12 seasons. I have gained so much valuable experience at the four different stops along the way, learning from head coaches that I respect as some of the finest baseball minds in the game. I am blessed to have been given this opportunity, and my staff and I are eager to build Lancers Baseball into a Big South contender.

Second Inning – You’ve been around a military structure as an assistant at VMI and Navy. Does that help you in any way, and will you bring any of that mindset to Longwood?

I consider myself very fortunate to have been able to work at such prestigious universities that produce the finest young men and women who serve to protect our country’s freedoms. The structured military environment is infectious after seeing the success it produces. It helps develop self-discipline, attention to detail, time management and leadership characteristics. So yes, I will bring much of that mindset to Longwood as we challenge our players on the field, in the classroom and most importantly in life. Our goal is to help develop future citizen-leaders here at Longwood.

Third Inning – What attracted you to Longwood?

The state of Virginia is loaded with talent every year, and I know it well from a recruiting standpoint. Longwood University appeals to many student-athletes because of its central location in Virginia, historic campus and quality education. I am very familiar with the Big South having been in the league as an assistant for six years and believe it to be one of the best mid-major conferences in the country. The baseball program here has tremendous potential considering it is relatively new to Division I and only recently made the jump into the Big South Conference.  Ultimately, I believe the small town of Farmville is a hidden gem, and Lancers Baseball is a sleeping giant. We want to be the staff that wakes it!

Fourth Inning – What are some of the Lancers’ strengths heading into 2015?

Our strengths heading into the spring will be starting pitching and the middle of our lineup. We return our top two starters from last season in Aaron Myers and Brandon Vick. Offensively we return several key hitters that we expect to be big producers in Brandon Delk, Kyri Washington, Alex Lewis, in addition to Potomac State transfer Connar Bastaich.

Fifth Inning – What are some of your immediate goals and long-term goals for Longwood?

Our immediate goals are to change the mindset of the program to a championship mindset, develop our current roster to immediately raise the level of play, sign an impactful 2015 recruiting class and challenge our players daily to be better today than yesterday in all facets of life. Long-term, we will elevate our program through the recruitment and development of quality character student-athletes. The goal is to build a program that consistently competes for Big South Conference championships and most importantly produces successful young men that will go off and become citizen-leaders after graduation.

Sixth Inning – Describe yourself as a coach.

I am a hard-working, energetic competitor who loves to teach the game and develop players. I am a motivator that sets high expectations for our players and pushes them hard to try to unlock their full potential. I strive to get the most out of each player and each team athletically. My hope is that my players enjoy their collegiate athletic experience. I want them to graduate with a quality education and be successful in life.

Seventh Inning – What is your fondest memory as a pitcher at College of Charleston?

My first Division I appearance was Opening Day 1998 against nationally ranked South Carolina at Sarge Frye Field. I entered the game in the sixth inning with the score tied 6-6. I threw four scoreless and we produced a run in the eighth. It is my fondest memory because my parents were in attendance and it was C of C’s first victory in school history over the Gamecocks.

Eighth Inning – As a pitching coach throughout your coaching career, what involvement will you have with the pitchers now that you’re a head coach?

Having been a college pitcher and professional pitcher, along with coaching pitchers at the Division I level for 12 years, I believe my pitching knowledge is one of my biggest strengths.  I will continue to be fully involved in the development of our pitching staffs here at Longwood.

Ninth Inning – What are three things you look for when recruiting pitchers?