While some of his Lee University classmates are going on to professional baseball, Lee University pitcher Dave Mason is just going home.

Mason has been hired as the new head baseball coach at his high school alma mater, Meigs County. And he won't even graduate from Lee until December. He'll do his student teaching at the Decatur school this fall semester while completing requirements for his degree in physical education and health and earning a teaching certificate.

"I'm excited. I guess it was a matter of being in the right place at the right time," Mason said in a Lee release. "Things just fell into place. I appreciate the opportunity I've been given and look forward to getting started."

The 2004 Meigs graduate will be the third man from the Lee baseball program to be the Tigers coach in as many years. Flames assistant coach Kyle Jackson took over the Meigs team in 2008 after Clint Baker moved up to principal at Meigs, and former Lee player Chris Shepherd coached this past season after Jackson resigned to pursue other interests.

"I think we've got a keeper this time," said Baker, who coached Mason in high school. "Dave is a local boy with ties to the community and an understanding of the baseball program at Meigs.

"Dave is a true leader and always has been, even as a player, whether it was for the football or baseball team," Baker added. "We're happy this all came together, because we believe Dave's the right man for the job."

Mason noted that he has kept up with his high school program the past four years, and he and some Lee teammates helped make improvements to the Tigers' field.

"The facilities have certainly improved since my playing days, and we're going to put them to good use," Mason said.

He was a key starting pitcher for the Flames teams that finished second and third in the last two NAIA World Series. He went 10-3 this past season and pitched 71 innings, second most on the staff.