Baseball Coach Taking the “Rains” at ECC

Baseball Coach Taking the “Rains” at ECC

November 9, 2020 | ,

East Central College has hired an experienced skipper to lead the Falcons Baseball team when they take the field in the Spring 2022.

Coach Brandon Rains is ECC’s first baseball coach in 20 years. Last year, the sport was reinstated at ECC beginning the 2021-22 academic year.

Rains has been a head coach in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) since 2010 when he began managing the squad at Brookhaven College, Dallas, Texas.

Coach Rains has been a member of the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) for the 20 years. He was selected as ABCA Coach of the Year in 2013, 2017, 2018 and 2019. In 2013 and 2019 he also was part of the coaching staff of the Texas New Mexico Junior College Coaches Association All-Star Game.

Rains will begin his duties at ECC by recruiting the entire squad over the next year, and preparing them to take the diamond in fall of 2021.

The ECC Athletic Department and Foundation will be raising funds to renovate the baseball field through the winter of 2020 to have the field playable in the fall of 2021.

Rains’ Background

Coach Rains took over head coaching duties at NJCAA DIII Brookhaven College in Dallas, Texas, in the Fall of 2010.

During his staff’s first season, the Brookhaven Bears cracked the top 10 in the NJCAA polls for the first time in school history coming in at No. 9. Over the next nine seasons, Brookhaven remained in the NJCAA top 10 polls every year with the exception of one.

The Bears were ranked 3rd in the nation to start the 2020 season. During Coach Rains’ 10 seasons at Brookhaven College the Bears won Metro Athletic Conference (MAC) championships in 2013, 2014, 2017 and 2018.

Rains’ team was in the Final Four in 2013 and took third place in 2019.

The Bears set school records for wins in 2017 with 35 and topped that with 42 in 2019. Brookhaven College had seven straight 30-plus win seasons dating back to 2013.

While at Brookhaven Coach Rains recruited and coached over 60 players with all conference or other post season awards including six NJCAA All Americans.

A native of Rotan, Texas, Rains came to Brookhaven College after spending eight consecutive winning seasons as the lead assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at the University of Texas at Dallas.

Coach Rains began his college baseball coaching career at the University of Saint Mary (NAIA) in Leavenworth, Kan. from 2000-2002

Coach Rains has coached summer travel teams in Italy, Amsterdam, Australia, Aruba, and the Dominican Republic.

Coach Rains has a bachelor’s degree from West Texas A&M University and attended graduate school at the University of Kansas and has a master’s degree from Nova Southeastern University.