Baseball Names Lee Tunnell Assistant Baseball Coach

SAN ANTONIO — St. Mary's University Head Baseball Coach Frank Kellner is pleased to announce the hiring of long-time coach Lee Tunnell as Assistant Baseball Coach for the Rattlers.
 
Tunnell brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to St. Mary's, spending 26 years as a coach, including 12 seasons in the Major Leagues. During his tenure in MLB, Tunnell coached eight major league All-Stars and two Rolaids Relief Award Winners. 
 
"First off, I'm really excited that someone with the caliber of Lee's credentials is taking the time to come to St. Mary's," said Head Coach Frank Kellner. "I'm super excited for our pitchers and the opportunity he's going to bring to them and us as a University. Lee has been developing big-league and minor-league pitchers his entire career. That experience and knowledge is unbelievable."
 
"Coaching baseball is a journey," said Tunnell. "It is a journey alongside each player as we find the tools necessary for them to be successful. It doesn't matter what level you're coaching at, and I've been everywhere from the high school ranks to the major leagues; the journey with each athlete and the relationships are what coaching is all about. Secondary to the baseball journey is the journey with my wife, Angie, without whose support the baseball journey would be impossible and empty."
 
As a player, Tunnell was drafted in the second round by the Pittsburgh Pirates and spent six seasons in the majors with Pittsburgh, St. Louis and Minnesota. In 1983, he led the National League with 29 consecutive scoreless innings pitched and finished third in the league in shutouts. In 1987, he posted a 2.08 ERA in two World Series games with the Cardinals.
 
For the past two years, Tunnell has worked as a national recruiting specialist for the IMG Academy/NCSA. Prior to that, he worked with the Texas Rangers, Milwaukee Brewers and Cincinnati Reds. He has used various technologies associated with baseball throughout his career and has helped create and monitor development plans for hundreds of pitchers. 
 
"I'm also personal friends with Lee," Kellner stated. "We were roommates on the road for the short time we played together in my first season. Lee loves coaching, loves investing in baseball players and should help move this program forward. Hopefully, that will carry into having a whole lot of success for St. Mary's Baseball."
 
"I'm looking forward to working with Frank," Tunnell said. "We played together for one season and have remained in touch throughout. Helping him rebuild the program at St. Mary's and bring it back to the rich history it's had is a good challenge."
 
Tunnell graduated from Wisconsin Lutheran in 2018 after going back to conclude his degree after playing at Baylor in 1979-81. He has the unique ability to blend a lifetime of baseball experience and knowledge with data, technology and analytic fluency to accurately interpret and translate the data to help players learn the game and develop their abilities to succeed.
 
He will begin his duties at St. Mary's on August 1, 2024.