July 6, 2010

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LAURINBURG, N.C.—St. Andrews Presbyterian College Director of Athletics Glenn Batten has announced Matt Boykin as the Knights new baseball coach on Monday.

Matt Boykin (picture courtesy of ASU sports information department)

“Coach Boykin was a very attractive choice for St. Andrews throughout the hiring process,” said Batten. “His familiarity with baseball in the state of North Carolina at both the DI and DII levels and within Conference Carolinas; along with his proven ability to rebuild a baseball program by successfully recruiting and develop student-athletes were all qualities that attributed to our decision to offer him the position.”

Boykin joins the SAPC athletics department after spending the last six years as an assistant coach at NCAA Division I Appalachian State University in Boone, N.C. After a very successful tenure at ASU, Boykin is being rewarded with his first head coaching position while making his return to the league where he played his collegiate baseball.

“I would like to thank the St. Andrews administration and Glenn Batten for having trust in me and providing me with this opportunity to become a head coach,” said Boykin.

Boykin was an integral component of the Appalachian State baseball coaching staff, helping in all aspects of the program including recruiting coordinator, primary hitting & infield instructor, third base coach, strength & conditioning, practices, and compliance.

Mountaineer fans witnessed a transformation in the baseball program in his six seasons at ASU. Boykin helped guide ASU from a 10-43 season with a 261 RBI rating in 2004 (year before his arrival to Boone) to a 38-18-1 record with RPI rating of 50 in his final season of 2010. The 38 wins last year were the second-most in school history and the fourth consecutive 30-plus win season for ASU.

Coach Boykin will be looked upon to do the same over time at St. Andrews with a baseball program that has a history of success including winning the Conference Carolinas (formally CVAC) tournament title in 2000. The Knights have not had a winning season since 2005 (32-22).

Boykin added that he is, “…looking forward to building strong relationships with the current and former team members while bringing in and developing quality student-athletes as both players and young men. I plan to build the type of program that will make the St. Andrews community including alumni and the town of Laurinburg proud.”

The Apex, N.C., native played four seasons at Conference Carolinas rival Barton College (Wilson, N.C.). Boykin was a two-time Academic All-Conference and All-Tournament honoree for the Bulldogs before earning a pair of bachelor’s degrees in business administration and sports management from Barton in 2003. Boykin added master’s degree in sports coaching from the United States Sports Academy in 2005.

In addition to spending the 2004 season as an assistant coach at his alma mater, Boykin was the head coach of the Asheboro Copperheads of the Coastal Plain League and served as an assistant coach with the CPL’s Wilson Tobs in 2004. He has also gained experience working at several camps throughout the Southeast and has been an assistant coach for American Legion squads in Wilson and Apex, N.C.

“Matt [Boykin] has prepared very well for this opportunity and will be an outstanding head coach. Our student-athletes will be well served under his leadership,” concluded Batten.

If you are interested in being a member of the St. Andrews baseball program under Coach Boykin, please contact Admissions at 1-800-763-0198 or admissions@sapc.edu.