Hannibal, MO – The Hannibal-LaGrange University Athletic Department is pleased to announce the hiring of David Babcock as the new Head Baseball Coach. Coach Babcock comes to HLGU after being the head coach for three seasons at North Central University in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Interim Athletic Director Clay Biggs added, "Coach Babcock is a perfect fit for our Athletic Department and the culture we are trying to build at HLGU. He is an accomplished coach and recruiter who has a Christ centered mentality when it comes to leadership."

In his first two years at NCU, David brought in the largest two recruiting classes in school history. Six athletes have also committed their lives to Christ throughout his tenure as head coach. The team has also seen a program high in team GPA and number of players have achieved Athletic and Academic All-Conference awards. Before taking the head job in 2019, David spent four years as an assistant coach at NCU, focusing on hitting and defense. During that time, the Rams improved in both batting average and fielding percentage.

Before becoming a part of the North Central coaching staff in 2015, David played for the Rams for two seasons (2014 & 2015). During his playing career at NCU, Babcock achieved multiple conference honors including Conference Player of the Week, the only in program history, as well as being selected for the All-Conference honorable mention team both years. He was also awarded the UMAC Sportsmanship Award for North Central University in 2014. As a Senior, Babcock was selected for the NCCAA 1^st Team All-Region team for the North Central Region. He was voted team captain for the 2015 season after having spent just one year with the team. Before moving to Minnesota to join the Rams, David played for Reedley College and West Hills College in California.

Babcock has earned a bachelor's degree in sports management from NCU and is currently completing a master's degree in strategic leadership which is scheduled to be completed in the Summer semester of 2023. David married his wife, Jessica, in 2015 and they will be relocating to Hannibal with their daughter and son.

Coach Babcock stated, "I am honored to have the opportunity to coach at HLGU. The campus is beautiful and the people I have met so far have been very welcoming. It feels like a great fit for me, my wife, and our kids. As for the baseball program, I am excited to work with our coaching staff to give our players a great college baseball experience and honor the Lord through serving HLGU and the Hannibal community."