July 28, 2011

Beverlin named head coach at Bethune-Cookman

Jason Beverlin has been named head coach at Bethune-Cookman.

Beverlin, 37, replaces Mervyl Melendez, who became head coach at Alabama State after leading the Wildcats for 12 seasons.

For the past two years, Beverlin was pitching coach at Tennessee. He coached at Georgia Southern prior to his time in Knoxville.

A native of Royal Oak, Mich., Beverlin was an All-America pitcher at Western Carolina from 1992-94. The Catamounts won two regular-season Southern Conference titles and a pair of tournament crowns. The 1994 SoCon Pitcher of the Year, Beverlin was 27-9 in three seasons at WCU with a 3.79 ERA in 285 innings. He was 12-2 with a 3.93 ERA as a sophomore before going 11-4 with a 2.39 ERA during his All-America junior campaign.

Beverlin spent 13 years playing professional baseball. Beverlin was a fourth-round pick of the Oakland Athletics in the 1994 MLB Draft. After one year in the Oakland system, he was traded to the New York Yankees. Beverlin pitched in the Anaheim Angels organization in 2001 before reaching the major leagues a year later with the Cleveland Indians. He also pitched for the Detroit Tigers in 2002. Beverlin spent three years pitching in Japan for the Yakult Swallows and Yokohama Baystars of the Nippon Professional Baseball League. He was an All-Star pick in 2004.

Bethune-Cookman was 36-25 this past season. The Wildcats went 18-0 in the MEAC, their second straight undefeated conference mark. B-CU won its sixth straight MEAC Tournament crown and 15th overall. The Wildcats return Freshman All-American Scott Garner and former Freshman All-American Ali Simpson to their pitching staff.

Click here for list of 2011 Division I head coaching changes.