Chico Lombardo is one of two Limestone College coaches with over 400 wins. He has 22 years of coaching experience, 16 with Limestone. After taking 21 wins in 2007, his coaching record with the Saints now stands at 411-385 (.516).

Lombardo led the Saints to their first ever CVAC Championship in 2005 with a record of 17-7 (31-24-1 overall). He was named Carolinas-Virginia Athletic Conference Coach of the Year following the season.

Lombardo is a 1979 graduate of Frances Marion University, where he was a two-time All-District selection and earned All-State as well as Honorable Mention All-American honors as a shortstop. Lombardo completed his playing career in the Cincinnati Reds organization. He began his coaching career as the Head Coach at Mar Hill College. He later served as an assistant coach at Winthrop College before coming to Limestone. In 1999, Lombardo was named South Carolina Coach of the Year.

Originally from Chattanooga, Tenn., Lombardo now resides in Shelby, N.C., with his wife Crystal, daughter Lindsay (16), and son AJ (10).

Matt Hayes
Assistant Coach

Matt Hayes enters his sixth season under Head Coach Chico Lombardo. Hayes is currently the hitting instructor and works with infielders and outfielders. Hayes also is the heads up the Junior Varsity program. He has seen three players garner all-region honors offensively for the Saints, and multiple all-conference performers. Hayes was also part of the 2005 regular season conference championship at Limestone. He works closely with the compliance office at Limestone, dealing with both academic and athletic eligibility requirements mandated by the NCAA.

Hayes has been part of the Coastal Plain League for the past three summers. The coastal plain league is the largest league in the country. It is comprised of 15 teams and is spread over three states. He served the Gastonia Grizzlies as an assistant in 2005. The Grizzlies won the second half western division title that summer and advanced to the playoffs.

Hayes became a head coach with the Spartanburg Stingers in the summer of 2006. Last summer Spartanburg tied its franchise record with 31 wins. The team finished fifth in the league during the regular season and advanced to the playoffs. During his two year stint in Spartanburg he coached six CPL all stars.
He will serve his third team next summer in the CPL as the head coach for the Forest City Owls in their inaugural season.

Hayes served three seasons as the head coach for American Legion Post 23 in Gastonia, NC. The summer of 2004 saw Post 23 win the Eastern division of Area IV.
Hayes played one season at Danville Area Community College in Illinois. He then finished his career at Mars Hill College in North Carolina.

Hayes graduated from Mars Hill in 2002 with a degree in Sports Management.

Hayes resides in Gaffney, S.C.

Mike Ranson enters his second season under Head Coach Chico Lombardo.  Ranson serves as the Pitching Coach, Recruiting Coordinator and assists with the Junior Varsity program at Limestone.  Prior to joining Lombardo’s staff, Ranson spent the 2006 season as the Pitching Coach at Wingate University.  Ranson began his coaching career as a Graduate Assistant at Lynchburg College.  During his time at Lynchburg, the team was awarded NCAA Statistical Champion Trophies in 2006 leading the nation in Team Batting Average (.380) and Runs Scored (10.8), as well as  4 All-Americans, 6 All-Region, and 11 All-Conference players.   

Ranson completed his playing career at Lynchburg College in 2003, tying the school record for career wins with 23.  Ranson also ranks atop several categories including Career Innings Pitched (313), career strikeouts (250), Single-Season Strikeouts (92) and Single Season Innings Pitched (91).  He earned Rookie of the Year in 2000, and Pitcher of the Year in both 2002 and 2003.  Upon graduation, Ranson completed his M.ED in Leadership in the Fall of 2006.

Ranson has coached in various summer leagues.  He led the pitching staff of the Fauquier Gators from the 2004 – 2006.  His staff led the Clark Griffith League in Team ERA in 2004 (2.59) and 2006 (2.54).  Recently, this past summer Ranson coached the Harrisonburg Turks in the Shenandoah Valley League, finishing in second place with a 28-18 overall record.  His pitching staff ranked 2nd nationally in team ERA (2.37), finishing atop the Valley League and ahead of teams from the Cape Cod, Coastal Plains, and Alaskan Leagues.

Ranson resides in Spartanburg, S.C.

If interested in private lessons, contact Coach Ranson at 864-809-6534 or call the Baseball Office at 864-488-8352.