LEWISTON —In two short years, Edwin Thompson elevated Bates College baseball from a Division III also-ran to a contender in the New England Small College Athletic Conference.

Apparently, someone has taken notice.

Thompson resigned from Bates this week to take a job at another unspecified college. He declined to say where or what the position is Wednesday because details of the new post had not been finalized.

“I’m leaving Bates to pursue other opportunities that have come out,” he said.

“I thank (Bates) president (Elaine Tuttle) Hansen and Mr. McHugh (Bates athletic director Kevin McHugh) for giving me the opportunity to be part of the Bates community for the last couple of years.”

In two years at Bates, Thompson compiled a 37-33 record. The Bobcats finished 12-22 in 2009, then set a school record for victories by going 25-11 (6-6 in conference) last spring. They missed their first ever NESCAC playoff appearance by one win.

McHugh said he was disappointed Thompson was leaving Bates but not surprised.

“Obviously, the last couple of years have been pretty terrific for the program and where we’ve gone, so you hate to see it on the one hand. But you also know when a guy has an opportunity like that, especially someone that’s young and talented, it’s not like it’s totally unexpected,” he said.

“I think it’s a positive comment not only on Edwin, but on our program and on Bates a little bit, too,” he added.

McHugh said Thompson did an excellent job communicating with alumni, players and parents to create an air of excitement for the program. He also used his recruiting connections, particularly in the South and mid-Atlantic, to expand Bates’ reach in college baseball.

“He brought an energy and enthusiasm that I think was a breath of fresh air, if you will,” McHugh said. “Certainly he brought a perception of being a baseball guy even though he had some other responsibilities, and that may not have been the case in previous positions, that we had a guy that was a baseball guy. That’s what we’re going to look to do with whoever we hire after this.”

“I think the program is in a much better spot now than when I took it over,” Thompson said. “The community, players and coaching staff all commited to change, as well as the administration, and we were able to do a lot of good things in a short period of time.”

Thompson, a 1998 graduate of Jay High School, joined Bates after serving as associate head coach and recruiting coordinator for University of Maine at Farmington baseball. Prior to that, he served a number of coaching roles in the Jay school district, including head coach of varsity boys’ basketball.

He played college baseball for Division I Howard University, University of Maryland and Webber University, then briefly played for the Bangor Lumberjacks of the independent Can-Am League before retiring in 2004 to pursue a coaching career.

Thompson submitted his formal letter of resignation to the college on Wednesday.

McHugh said the on-the-field improvements and the program’s heightened visibility brought about by Thompson will make the Bates baseball job “a more attractive position in terms of the applicant pool that I expect we’re going to get.” Dave Jordan, the Bobcats’ hitting coach under Thompson and former Poland Regional High School baseball coach, will serve as interim coach until a new one is hired. McHugh hopes to have a permanent replacement by Nov. 1.