Lopaze Joins Michigan State Baseball Staff
10/5/2005 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Oct. 5, 2005
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Daniel Lopaze joins Michigan State's baseball program as an assistant coach in his first year with the university, following a coaching position with the Petersburg Generals, in Petersburg, Va.
"I am happy to be here and join a great staff who are going to take Michigan State to the top," Lopaze commented. "This is the type of staff I wish I would have had the ability to play for when I was playing college ball. They work extremely hard, long hours and I love it. I am just very glad to be a part of it."
As an assistant for the Green and White, Lopaze will be working with outfielders, first basemen, hitters and pitchers, along with serving as the sports camp director.
"His strengths come from his playing experience both at the college and professional levels, and his athletic ability to play multiple positions," said head coach David Grewe. "Coach Lopaze is going to focus primarily on coaching our outfielders, first basemen, and help in all different regards with our pitchers and hitters because he has experience in all of those."
A Dumfries, Va., native, Lopaze attended Virginia Commonwealth University on a baseball scholarship. As a freshman he earned Colonial Athletic Association Rookie of the Year and Baseball America and Collegiate Baseball Freshman All-American honors. He helped lead the Rams to three NCAA Regional tournament appearances, and an all-time high in victories in 2003, with 46.
Lopaze was drafted and signed by the Chicago Cubs in the 40th round of the Amateur Baseball Draft in 2003. He spent a year and a half playing professional baseball with the Cubs organization, helping lead Lansing to a Midwest League Championship in 2003.
From 2003-05, Lopaze served as an assistant general manager, and assistant coach for the Petersburg Generals. In 2005, he moved into an assistant coaching position that involved working with the hitters and infielders.
During his time with the Generals, Lopaze also gained valuable experience with advertising, sales and sports management. The organization saw an increase in overall sales from $88,000 in 2004 to over $135,000 in 2005.
At Michigan State Lopaze will utilize his background in sports management, as camp director.
"One of Coach Lopaze's main responsibilities will be to oversee the organization of our baseball camps, which is a major part of a successful college program," said Grewe. "I'm confident Coach Lopaze is a perfect fit for this job, and our program."
Lopaze graduated from Virginia Commonwealth in 2004 with a degree in sports management/parks and recreation.
