Leverton to take reins of baseball program

Former assistant coach James Leverton is returning to the McLennan Baseball program as the next head coach following the departure of Tyler Johnson for an assistant coaching and recruiting coordinator position at Dallas Baptist University. Leverton was approved by the College's Board of Trustees last week.

Leverton began his coaching career in 2015-16 as a volunteer coach for the Highlanders before transitioning to pitching coach and recruiting coordinator. In his six years with the program, he helped lead the team to three conference championships, two regional championships, two JUCO World Series appearances and capped off his stint with the 2021 NJCAA National Championship. Those squads included eight all-conference pitchers, three Pitchers of the Year, two second-round Major League Baseball draft picks, Josh Breaux and Connor Phillips, and the 2021 NJCAA Division I National Pitcher of the Year, Logan Henderson.

Following the 2021 season, Leverton spent one year as the pitching coach with the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. During that season, his pitching staff recorded 385 strikeouts and allowed 269 walks in 442 innings.

In fall 2022, Leverton joined former Highlander head coach Mitch Thompson's staff at Baylor University for two years. In his first season with the Bears, the pitching staff tallied 492 strikeouts, the fifth-highest single-season total in Bears history, and recorded 20 double-digit strikeout games. The staff also notched a program-record in a Big 12 contest with 18 against Oklahoma State. In 2024, he coached a sixth-round draft pick and an All-Big 12 Honorable Mention selection.

Most recently, Leverton spent the 2024-25 season as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Blinn College. The Buccaneers recorded a 4.37 staff ERA last season, featuring two 10-game winners. The staff tallied eight complete games, 11 shutouts, 10 saves, and two no-hitters along with 557 strikeouts and 256. Blinn ended the season at the JUCO World Series with an overall record of 48-15.

Leverton attended Texas Tech University and was a three-year member of the Red Raider baseball team. He was drafted in the eighth round of the 2008 MLB Draft by the Chicago Cubs with the 251st overall pick and signed on June 26, 2008. He spent seven seasons in the Minor Leagues – three in the Cubs organization as a starting and relief pitcher and four with the Miami Marlins organization as a reliever.

Leverton received his bachelor's degree in general studies from Texas Tech through McLennan's University Center in 2016. He and his wife, Casey, have one son, Parker.