RICHMOND, Ky. —After several years helping other earn accolades and attracting some of the best young baseball players to his teams, Jay native Edwin Thompson has his own Division I ship to run.

Thompson, who in the past five seasons has recruited and coached 11 All-Americans and 24 players who went on to play professional baseball for Georgia State and Duke University, is the new head baseball coach at Eastern Kentucky University.

“I am extremely excited to welcome Coach Thompson to Eastern Kentucky University and the Colonel Nation,” Director of Athletics Steve Lochmueller said in a news release. “Edwin brings great energy, character and a set of skills that will elevate our vision for EKU baseball while maintaining the NCAA model for the student-athlete experience.”

Thompson spent the past three seasons at Georgia State University, the first two as the pitching coach before being promoted to recruiting coordinator/defensive coordinator before the 2015 season. His 2015 recruiting class is ranked by Perfect Game as one of the top-100 recruiting classes in the country.

Thompson helped Georgia State to a pair of 30-win seasons. The 2013 squad won 35 games, the third most in program history. This past season, the Panthers qualified for the Sun Belt Conference Tournament in just their second season in the league. GSU beat Georgia Southern in the first round.

“I want to thank (Lochmueller) and the entire search committee for this amazing opportunity to join the Eastern Kentucky University family and the Richmond community,” Thompson said in a release. “I am looking forward to meeting our current baseball players, alumni, and supporters and sharing my excitement about the program.”

In addition to coaching at Georgia State, Thompson spent the past two years working with USA Baseball. His roles have included evaluating players for the USA U-18 National Team and coaching the U-17 National Development Program.

“Thompson is one the top young recruiters in the nation,” Shaun Cole, director of the USA Baseball U-18 National Team Program, said. “His ability to work with hitters and pitchers makes him a well-rounded head coach. Coach Thompson has a high level of integrity and passion for college baseball. Edwin is a great hire.”

Before joining the Georgia State program, Thompson spent 2011 and 2012 at Duke as the assistant coach and recruiting coordinator. Following the 2012 campaign, Thompson served as the interim head coach for one month. While working with the Blue Devils, his 2012 recruiting class was recognized by Baseball America as one of the top recruiting classes in the South and rated among the top-35 in the nation by Perfect Game. The group included four future Major League Baseball draft picks.

Thompson compiled a 37-33 record in two seasons as the head coach at Bates College in Lewiston. He led the program to a school record 25 wins. Thompson’s coaching career began at the University of Maine at Farmington, where he served four seasons as the associate head coach and recruiting coordinator.

The Jay native played collegiately at Howard University and the University of Maryland before concluding his career at Webber University in Babson Park, Fla., where he helped the team to a school record 37 wins and its first regional appearance. He earned a bachelor’s of science degree in general business at Webber in 2003.