Chris Raymond replaces John Freitas as Liberty baseball coach
Chris Raymond, an assistant baseball coach for 13 years at Peoria Sunrise Mountain, won't have to travel far for his first head coaching job.
Raymond is replacing John Freitas at Peoria Liberty, a program well-stocked in talent.
Freitas, a former Arizona State baseball player, recently stepped down after three seasons leading Liberty's program, but he said he will continue leading his club program, All-Star Baseball Academy.
Liberty reached the state semifinals in 2014 and the state final in 2015 with pitcher/first baseman Tyler Wyatt leading the way.
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"Coach Freitas did an excellent job continuing the winning tradition here at Liberty," Athletic Director Aaron Coughanour wrote in an email. "The program is in great shape from all of his efforts. We are thankful for his time here."
Liberty returns its pitching staff and most of its position players from a team that went 11-17.
Raymond is the third head baseball coach in Liberty's history. Liberty captured the 2010 state championship under Mark Ernster, who left after the 2013 season to become an athletic director at Prescott Valley Bradshaw Mountain.
Raymond played baseball at Phoenix St. Mary's in the late 1990s with Andre Ethier. Raymond made All-Arizona before moving onto Grand Canyon University, where he played for David Stapleton from 2000-03.
"This is a team with talent, a lot of quality young men who are going to be good leaders," Raymond said of Liberty. "And we are going to compete."
Raymond said his time at Sunrise Mountain, working with both baseball coach Eric Gardner and former basketball coach Jason Pasinski helped prepare him to lead a program.
"My years with Eric prepared me with the challenges of becoming a head coach," Raymond said. "He was a coach, a mentor, a visionary. My time with him was well-spent. I learned a great deal from him on how to run a program, how to get excellence from his players both on the field and in the community.
"The same Jason Pasinski. I was with him in the basketball program. He was instrumental in developing me as a coach, as well. How to be patient, how to treat people."
Coughanour believes Raymond will have the Liberty competing for championships.
"He is a passionate coach, who will continue the excellence that Liberty baseball has been known for since its inception," Coughanour said.
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