Bounds joins baseball staff as pitching coach

VIDEO: Mark Bounds Interview

TWITTER: @MaBounds16

Bounds replaces Blake Herring, who left Mossy Creek to become the head baseball coach at Louisburg Community College.

"We are very excited having Mark join our staff," Griffin said. "He has been mentored by some outstanding coaches.  Mike Corn, Joey Seaver, Joel Mangrum and Heath Woods are friends of mine, who I know share similar philosophies on how to teach the game.  Mark has a tremendous work ethic and passion for teaching and will be a tireless recruiter.  He was very successful with the staffs at Columbia State developing and preparing pitchers."

At Columbia State, Bounds was in charge of the Chargers' pitching staff and played a significant role in recruiting potential student-athletes for Columbia State Community College.

Bounds helped coach the Chargers to TCCAA regular season and tournament championships in 2014 and a spot in the NJCAA World Series in Grand Junction, Colo. where CSCC finished sixth. The Chargers were ranked second in the final poll of the regular season while Bounds' best arm Scooter Hightower earned TCCAA Pitcher of the Year honors with a 10-1 record, 2.52 ERA and 86 strikeouts across 104 innings of work.

"This means a whole lot," Bounds said. "I get to come back to a location I'm very familiar. I'm grateful and blessed to be here. I want to bring a lot of energy, knowledge of pitching and the ability to get kids to compete on the field at a high level to this program,"

With Bounds help, Hightower was even better in 2015, averaging 13.52 strikeouts per nine innings pitched.

Bounds joined the Chargers for the 2013-2014 season, after spending the previous year at Murray State University as a volunteer assistant coach for the Racers. During his time there, Bounds worked closely with the pitching staff and assisted with hitting instruction. Bounds also held duties which included first base coaching responsibilities, field maintenance, and was in charge of the player placement to summer collegiate wooden bat leagues.

Bounds' collegiate playing career took him from Walters State to Milligan to Austin Peay from which he graduated in May 2012 with a B.S. Health and Human Performance – Physical Education K-12 Licensure.

In his two seasons at Austin Peay, the Governors captured back-to-back Ohio Valley Conference Regular Season and Tournament Championships.  APSU advanced to NCAA Regional in Atlanta, GA in 2011 and made it to the NCAA Regional Final in 2012 in Eugene, OR, facing the Oregon Ducks.

Bounds made 11 appearances on the mound over his two seasons. As a senior Bounds made his first career start against the University of Tennessee, April 24, 2012.  As a junior, he posted a 1-0 record in nine appearances.  He earned the victory by throwing two shutout innings against Illinois State.

In the summer of 2010, Bounds was selected as a Prospect League All-Star while playing for the Slippery Rock Sliders.

Prior to his time with the Governors, Bounds spent two seasons at Milligan College.  He tossed 11.1 innings in his sophomore season as he helped the Buffaloes to a school record 40 victories.  

During his only season at WSCC, the senators were the TJCAA Regular Season Champions, NJCAA Region VII Champions, and East Central District Champions, thus making it to the 2008 NJCAA World Series in Grand Junction, CO, where the Senators finished sixth, and finished the year ranked #2 in the final NJCAA Div. 1 Poll.

A Strawberry Plains, Tenn.-native Bounds graduated from Carter High School in 2007, at Carter High School, he was a three-sport standout for the Hornets as he lettered four years in baseball, three years in basketball and three years in football.

Bounds earned all-district honors in baseball as a junior and senior.  In his senior season, he hit .446 with five home runs and 23 RBIs.  He also went 7-2 on the mound, with a 1.83 ERA, striking out 105 in 57.1 innings.  On the gridiron, Bounds was named the 3A Region 1 Player of the Year as a quarterback.