BY ANDREW GIERMAK/SUFFOLK NEWS-HERALD
andrew.giermak@suffolknewsherald.com

SUFFOLK—Nansemond-Suffolk Academy named David Mitchell its new varsity baseball coach on Wednesday.

Mitchell comes to the Saints after winning four state championships in nine seasons at Portsmouth’s Alliance Christian School.

“We are very pleased to have a coach with David Mitchell’s experience join the Nansemond-Suffolk Academy family,” said Betty Jean Riddick, NSA’s athletic director.

Mitchell was the baseball coach, athletic director and a physical education and health teacher from 2003-11 at Alliance Christian.

The Falcons won the Virginia Independent Schools, Division II state championship in 2003 and VIS Division III state titles in 2004, 2005 and 2008. Mitchell’s record was 123-47 with the Falcons, and 21 of his players have gone on to play at NCAA Division I, II or III colleges.

Starting last summer, Mitchell’s been an assistant coach with the Peninsula Pilots in the Coastal Plain League, a league for top collegiate underclassmen. He’ll continue his role with the Pilots in the summers.

“As a former athletic director and instructor, coach Mitchell will bring a wealth of knowledge to our baseball and athletic programs,” Riddick said.

In his playing days, Mitchell was an All-American player at Christopher Newport, graduating in 1998.

The Saints went 10-14 overall and 4-5 in the Tidewater Conference last season.