NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. — The Merrimack College athletic department on Monday announced Jeffrey Mejia will take over as the head coach of the Warrior baseball program.
Mejia comes to Merrimack from Northern Essex Community College where he served as an assistant athletic director and head baseball coach.
Under Mejia's leadership, Northern Essex proved to be one of the most consistent programs in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) winning more than 70 percent of their games since 2012 (362-154). During his tenure, the Knights were nationally ranked 13 times, made the regional championships 11 times and advanced to the NJCAA World Series 10 times, concluding the 2016 season as the national runner-up.
His team's success resulted in well-deserved individual accolades for Mejia, who was recognized as the NJCAA New England Region XI Coach of the Year 11 times and NJCAA Northeast District Coach of the Year 10 times.
"I am incredibly honored and excited to be named the next head baseball coach at Merrimack College," Mejia said. "I want to thank athletic director Joe Foley, athletic administration and the leadership team for trusting me with the future of this program. Merrimack has a fantastic tradition of athletic and academic excellence, and I am eager to build upon that foundation."
Mejia will take over for Brian Murphy, who stepped down as head coach earlier this month.
"Jeff arrives at Merrimack as one of the most successful coaches not only in New England, but in all of college baseball," Merrimack athletic director Joe Foley said. "Throughout the search process, it became clear that his vision, leadership and commitment to student-athlete success align perfectly with what we're building at Merrimack."
Mejia has a proven track record of identifying and developing talent. He had 138 players transition from NJCAA to NCAA baseball, including 28 players who went on to play Division I. Mejia also coached two players who were drafted into Major League Baseball.
"Our goal from day one will be to develop high-character student-athletes who compete with passion, discipline, and integrity both on the field and in the classroom," Mejia said. "My family and I are thrilled to join the Warriors community, and I cannot wait to get to work with our players to compete for championships."
Mejia's arrival comes after Merrimack baseball had one of its most successful seasons in Division I. The Warriors concluded the regular season with the second-best record in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) and won their first conference postseason game.
