Piedmont University Athletics

Josh Thomas enters his second season as a graduate assistant with the Piedmont College baseball program after his own storied four-year career on the mound for the Lions. 
 
Thomas helped mentor a staff in 2017 that earned the #8 seed in the USA South tournament and made a stellar run through the tourney winning four-straight elimination games to make it to the tournament championship. 
 
Walking off the mound in 2016 as perhaps the most decorated closer in a long history of powerful relievers, Thomas holds several coveted school records including career saves with 21 and most games finished with 57. 
 
Opposing hitters managed just a .224 mark against the right-handed reliever over his four seasons, the second lowest such mark in program history, while he also made the second most appearances of any Piedmont pitcher with 82 and posted a 2.40 career ERA, the third best showing by a Lions pitcher since 2003.
 
With the Lions posting a 21-19 overall mark in 2016, Thomas' final appearance was one which became common for the Canton native as he tossed a clean 9^th inning in a home win over then #7 Emory University. 
 
Making 18 appearances in his freshman year, Thomas started to work his way in as a mainstay of the Piedmont bullpen in his debut season recording three saves to go with one win on the mound in 2013.  Thomas posted the second lowest ERA on the team with his 2.05 mark and did not give up a home run in over 26 innings of work as a young arm for PC.
 
In his sophomore year, Thomas appeared in 20 games out of the bullpen for the Lions posting a 2-1 record with 22 innings of work to his name on the way to an All-Conference nod as an Honorable Mention. 
 
Thomas' success continued into his junior season as Piedmont's typical closer out of the bullpen picking up six saves in 24 appearances as he ranked statistically in that category as one of the best five in NCAA Division III. Thomas set a new NCAA Era program record in 2015 as well with his 1.53 ERA while the .183 average he allowed to opposing batters was a top-3 mark in that category. 

Thomas gave up just 22 hits on the season and only six earned runs, both team bests, in his 35-plus innings of work as he climbed into the top four all-time with ten saves for the Lions sending him into his senior season eight behind NCAA Era leader Tom Dimitroff's 18.   

His numbers from the 2015 season helped Thomas earn 1^st Team All-Conference honors from the USA South as well as a 3^rd Team selection on the ABCA/Rawlings NCAA Division III All-Region listing. 
 
Having seen his potential realized, Thomas continued to add to his legacy in his senior season right away picking up his second save of the season in an early showdown with top-25 Concordia-Texas, a performance that later helped him earn D3Baseball.com National Team of the Week honors. 
 
The final campaign for Thomas including several record-breaking performances as he eclipsed the program's career mark for saves finishing with 21 to take the top spot in a coveted column amongst a rich Piedmont pitching history.
 
Additionally, Thomas was at his best when it counted the most collecting four of his 11 saves against nationally ranked competition including two in a single weekend that helped thrust Piedmont into the National Poll themselves the following week. 
 
In over 28 innings of work in his senior season, Thomas gave up only 10 earned runs on 32 hits while striking out 27.  Closing out his career with impressive numbers, Thomas finished with over 112 innings thrown fanning 103 batters while giving up just 30 earned runs with only a single home run allowed.

Thomas' coaching experience began prior to his stint with PC however as the newly named graduate assistant got his start in summer travel ball with the East Cobb Patriots Collegiate Team. Thomas served as an Assistant Coach with the team in 2014 coaching under current Kennesaw State volunteer coach Clint Harrison before serving as Head Coach of the East Cobb Patriots 17u Travel Team in 2015 and the Head Coach of the East Cobb Patriots 16u Travel Team in 2016. 

The East Cobb Patriots Collegiate Team in 2014 was the Patriots' first Sun Belt College team and finished 2nd in the Prospect Division that season. Thomas has coached over 12 athletes who have already committed to play at the collegiate level including five Divison I commits from the 2015 17u team. 
 
A graduate of Piedmont with a degree in History Education, Thomas was honored as Piedmont's first-ever CoSIDA Academic All-District honoree in baseball following the 2015 season.  Thomas also was a USA South Academic All-Conference award winner in all four years and was a member of the Sigma Alpha Pi academic honor society.  
 
Serving as the graduate assistant with the Lions' baseball program assisting Head Coach Justin Scali in every facet of the program, Thomas will pursue his graduate degree from the School of Education at Piedmont College.