Southeast Missouri State pitching coach will join Bieser at Mizzou

Southeast Missouri State pitching coach and recruiting coordinator Lance Rhodes was announced as Steve Bieser's recruiting coordinator at Missouri on Tuesday morning.

Rhodes, a 2008 graduate of Southeast and former Redhawks pitcher, had spent the last four years on Bieser's staff at Southeast and was part of the Redhawks' three straight Ohio Valley Conference regular-season titles and the program's first OVC tournament title and NCAA regional berth since 2002.

The Sikeston native was also a volunteer assistant under Southeast Hall of Fame coach Mark Hogan.

"Being a guy who is from the state of Missouri, having an opportunity to [coach at] Mizzou, the state's flagship university, truly is a dream job for me," Rhodes said in a press release. "Being in the SEC is an opportunity to compete alongside the best programs in the country and it gives you a chance to work with the best talent in college baseball, and that excites me.

"I am also really happy that I get the chance to coach at Mizzou with Coach Bieser. I know how much this job means to him, and he is someone I am extremely comfortable with and that will allow for a smooth transition. We have a lot of work to do -- it is going to be exciting and I can't wait to get started."

Rhodes coached two winners of the OVC Pitcher of the Year -- Travis Hayes in 2014 and Joey Lucchesi in 2015 and 2016. Lucchesi became Southeast's highest draft pick when he was selected by the San Diego Padres in the fourth round in June. Rhodes also coached Alex Winkelman, who was drafted by the Houston Astros in the 21st round in 2015.

Bieser, announced as Mizzou's coach on June 30, hired Rice assistant Patrick Hallmark as his pitching coach.

"I am very excited to have both Hallmark and Rhodes join the Mizzou baseball family," Bieser said in the release. "Both of these guys bring a lot of passion, energy, and talent to our program. One goal I had from the beginning was to find guys who have been proven winners throughout their careers, and both of these guys have that track record. Another component was to find guys that are versatile and complement each other well."

Athletic director Brady Barke hopes to have Bieser's replacement in place by August 1.