Drovers Name New Assistant

L.J. Powell, head baseball coach at the University of Science and Arts, announced the addition of Mike Ross as the team’s assistant coach Monday. Ross was a 1995 graduate of Union City High School, and he worked as a student assistant for Powell during the 2001-02 school year while earning a bachelor’s degree in history.

Ross has spent the past three seasons as the pitching coach for Vernon College in Vernon, Texas. In addition, Ross has coached a summer league, 18-and-under team in Burkburnett, Texas, for three years as well as the 2004 Junior Olympics Trials in Phoenix, Ariz.

Ross played two seasons at Redlands Community College where the team qualified for the Junior College World Series. He was then a two-time all-conference performer at Graceland University in Lamoni, Iowa, before joining the USAO staff.

Powell also announced Ryan Brunk as a student assistant coach. Brunk, an Ardmore native, pitched two seasons for Crowder College in Neosho, Mo., and one season at Southwest Missouri State University before joining the Drovers.