High School Baseball Coach Brings Big League Knowledge To Lafayette Commodores

David Renfroe is an assistant baseball coach at Lafayette High School. What you may not know about him is his journey before becoming a coach and why he enjoys his job so much.

Renfroe was a standout at both football and baseball at South Panola High School, playing quarterback and shortstop. After graduating in 2009, Renfroe was selected in the third round pick 107 of the 2009 MLB Amateur Draft by the Boston Red Sox.

Renfroe signed with the Red Sox and received a signing bonus of $1.4 million. He then spent five years in the minor leagues with the Boston Red Sox organizations. In 2014, Renfroe retired due to an injury, and moved back to Oxford where he enrolled at Ole Miss and began his coaching career. Renfroe, now 26, is a senior majoring in business management.

“In 2014, I came back to start my degree and begin my coaching career… to gain experience to be a collegiate or professional coach one day or a potential scouting job, and this experience would be helpful for that one day,” Renfroe said.

Renfroe’s roles include helping with a weight program, coaching infielders, working with the hitters, a third base coach in JV games, and is a first base coach during varsity games. Renfroe has been great at coaching in these aspects with his experience in professional baseball.

Austin Arrington, who played for Renfroe during the 2015 Commodore baseball season, spoke highly of Renfroe.

“Renfroe is a middle infield specialist, but what makes him so special is that he is knowledgeable in all aspects of the game,” Arrington said. “He knows more than most about all positions. Renfroe has taught me so much about baseball and life. I have used the knowledge I have absorbed from him the last years, and I have taught others. He is a great friend that I know I can always count on.”

Devon Thomas, who also played for Renfroe during the 2015 Commodore baseball season, said he was pleased with the hard work and knowledge Renfroe instilled in the Commodores during Thomas’ time at Lafayette.

“David Renfroe showed us what hard work could do for a person. He started as just a ball player at South Panola and turned that into a professional career,” Thomas said. “He really showed us the value of hard work and determination. He was able to show the middle infielders what the pros were taught, and it was a huge asset to the team. This expertise definitely showed on the field with the development of all the players, not just the starters. Rarely do you find someone with the baseball knowledge like Renfroe has at such an early age in his coaching career.”

By Tyler Bullard, a student of the Meek School of Journalism and New Media. He can be reached at tgbullar@go.olemiss.edu .