SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Missouri State University head coach Keith Guttin announced today that former Bear Matt Lawson has been elevated to the position of assistant coach to complete MSU's 2017-18 baseball staff. 

A two-time All-Missouri Valley Conference honoree during his MSU playing career, Lawson will serve as MSU's lead hitting instructor and recruiting coordinator after filling a variety of roles on the Bears' staff over the last four seasons. He joins assistant (pitching) coach Paul Evans on MSU's full-time staff for the 2018 campaign, which will mark Guttin's 36th year as the Bears' bench boss.

"We expect Matt to bring the same things to our program as a full-time assistant that he did as a player, volunteer assistant, graduate manager and student assistant," Guttin stated. "He is fiercely loyal to Missouri State and  possesses a great work ethic, as well as a tremendous ability to connect with our student-athletes."

Lawson has served as a volunteer assistant and student assistant coach, as well as a graduate manager since his return to his alma mater, playing a pivotal role in one of the most successful stretches in Missouri State baseball history while working with the Bears' hitters and infielders. Over the last three seasons alone, the Bears have claimed two MVC regular-season titles, as well as two of the program's three NCAA Super Regional berths with Regional crowns in 2015 and 2017, while racking up 130 overall victories—the best three-year win total in the 54-year history of the program. 

"I am grateful for the opportunity to work alongside Coach Guttin and Coach Evans, two of the best in the game and people for which I have tremendous respect," Lawson said. "Being a Bear has always been a privilege that I do not take for granted and I am eager to get to work. I'm just as passionate about coaching hitters as I am infielders, so this is a dream come true for me."   

As part of the Bears' recent run of success, Missouri State has hit .287 overall while averaging 6.9 runs per game and shattering the club's single-season record for walks in both 2015 (317) and 2017 (351). MSU has clubbed 160 home runs as a team over the last two seasons, including four different individual season totals of 20 or more homers, paced by 2016 NCAA Division I home run leader Spencer Johnson's 24 round-trippers.

On the defensive side, Lawson has helped mentor a Missouri State infield that has set new program standards for excellence as well. The Bears have posted the top three cumulative team fielding percentages in MSU history over the last three seasons, including an all-time best of .976 during the Bears' school-record 49-win campaign in 2015. MSU infielders have also turned 142 double plays while committing just 176 errors in 183 games, marking their best three-year fielding clip since 1976-78.

Individually, Lawson has aided in the development of a pair of infielders who have earned MVC Defensive Player of the Year laurels, as well as two first-team All-Americans and USA Baseball Collegiate National Team selections in Jake Burger and Jeremy Eierman during his time with the Bears.

In addition to his time on the Bears' coaching staff, Lawson has logged a pair of head coaching experiences leading summer league programs since his return to Springfield. Most recently, he served as field manager and third base coach for the Kalamazoo Growlers of the prestigious Northwoods League in 2016, overseeing game management and player recruitment. Lawson also spend two summers working with the Branson Nationals of the MINK League.

A native of Carl Junction, Mo., Lawson initially returned to Missouri State to begin his collegiate coaching career as a volunteer assistant in 2011, before returning to professional baseball for the 2012-13 seasons to complete a successful seven-year playing career. A 14th-round draft choice of the Texas Rangers in 2007, Lawson advanced as far as Triple-A Columbus with the Cleveland Indians organization, hitting a career-best .327 in 2012 with Class AA Akron. He was named the Spokane Indians' team MVP as a rookie in 2007 and a California League (Class A) All-Star in 2009, batting .293 with career highs in home runs (10) and RBIs (57) for Bakersfield. He followed that performance with an effort that earned him a spot in the Texas League (Class AA) All-Star Game the following year before being packaged as part of a trade to the Seattle Mariners that included American League Cy Young Award-winner Cliff Lee in July 2010.

Lawson was a three-year letterwinner at second base for MSU from 2005-07, picking up second-team All-MVC honors and MSU's Willis Award as team MVP in 2006 after hitting .330 and leading the club in runs scored (43), doubles (19), triples (3) and stolen bases (20). He added an honorable mention all-conference nod in 2007 and still ranks 10th on the Bears' all-time assists list.

Lawson graduated with his bachelor's degree in psychology from Missouri State in 2015, before finishing a master's degree in sports management from MSU this past spring. He and his wife, Mallory, reside in Springfield with their son, Luke.

Lawson's promotion is pending formal approval by the Missouri State Board of Governors at its next regularly-scheduled meeting.