Saturday, February 15, 2025

Around the Bases: Catching Up with VPCC Head Coach Shane Harrison

VPCC Baseball head coach Shane Harrison is back for another year at the helm of Gator baseball. (VPCC Athletics)

HAMPTON ROADS— Virginia Peninsula Community College baseball is ready to take to the diamond. In advance of Sunday’s home opener, members of Gators Baseball sat down with WYDaily to discuss the 2025 season.

Today, meet head coach Shane Harrison.

Harrison, who grew up in Poquoson, has played baseball for most of his life. After a short collegiate career, he turned to coaching the next generation of players.

During the 2024 season, VPCC struggled early, but started to gel towards mid-season. The team ultimately lost the play-in game for a shot at the DIII playoffs, ending the year with an 11-36 record.

“What we like to say is that we planted a seed. We watered that seed throughout last season. We had several guys who left here and went on to play at the next level. We’ve moved 23 guys up to higher levels and we had our first guy go DI at VCU. Obviously, we want to win games, but at the end of the day if we can help a player get to the next level, that’s my ultimate job,” Harrison said.

Entering his second season at the helm, Harrison is looking forward to changing the baseball culture at VPCC.

“I’m a players coach. I try to do what I can for them. We built this program on a family atmosphere. I build my recruiting around we don’t have a lot but we have each other. I want my guys to come to me for everything. It’s not all the bells and whistles that a major program has but we have each other and we get the job done,” Harrison said.

Looking ahead to the program’s 2025 schedule, Harrison says that the National Junior College Athletic Association’s Region 10 division will be tough.

“Our conference is always a fight. We play teams that have been to the JuCo World Series. We play against guys who get drafted to MLB. All of the teams in our conference are tough, but Camp Community College is a big rival because they are close to us. They are a great program and it’s one we don’t want to lose to,” Harrison said.

A motivator for both Harrison and the team is its new slogan: A New Breed of Gator in the Swamp.

“There was a team here, but there was never a program. Guys could come here and be part of team. When I took over, the program ideology became a lot more serious. I make my guys do study halls, we have practices, we have lifting, it’s an actual program,” Harrison said.

VPCC will host the College of Southern Maryland at War Memorial Stadium for a doubleheader on Feb. 9. For more information on VPCC Baseball, visit vpccgators.com.

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