Team Camp October

Jim Chester is entering his fifth year as the head coach of the Gardner-Webb baseball team after taking over the program in June 2019.

In his time at GWU, Chester has amassed a 92-92 record, 16 All-Conference award winners, one Big South Pitcher of the Year, and one All-American selection.

The 2023 season saw Gardner-Webb return to prominence, finishing 31-25 overall and 15-12 in the Big South conference. The Runnin’ Bulldogs captured nonconference wins over Big 10 foes Northwestern and Michigan State and winning back-to-back games over ranked opponents for the first time since 2005 with wins over no. 13 Campbell and no. 16 Duke. Chester helped coach Bobby Alcock, the Big South Pitcher of the Year and a Second Team All-American selection.

In 2022, the Bulldogs went 24-36, but overcame a rough start and closed the season 7-4, including 6-3 in the Big South Conference, to clinch the final spot in the Big South Conference Tournament. The Runnin’ Bulldogs upset the three-seeded UNC Asheville in the opening round, and then knocked off the rival Bulldogs again in an elimination game that same weekend before falling to number one seed Campbell in a 4-3 ballgame.

Chester led Gardner-Webb to 29 wins in 2021, his first full season at the helm. That included a 27-13 mark and a tie for second place in the Big South Conference standings, Gardner-Webb’s highest finish ever since joining the league prior to the 2009 season. Chester led GWU to an 8-8 mark during the 2020 campaign that was cut short by COVID-19.

Prior to his arrival to Gardner-Webb, Chester spent two seasons as the head coach at Barton College.  Engineering the biggest turnaround in all of NCAA Division II in 2019, Chester led the Barton Bulldogs to a 31-20 overall record, earning a second-place finish in the Conference Carolinas standings and also taking home 2019 Conference Carolinas Coach of the Year honors.

Barton was ranked in the top-10 in the NCAA Southeast Region for six weeks this and the Bulldogs had five players earn All-Conference honors.

Prior to his time at Barton, Chester spent three seasons as the head coach at Division II Lock Haven (Pa.) University, taking a program that was 13-28 overall prior to his arrival to a 32-18 overall record in 2017, a year in which the Bald Eagles had a tenth-round selection in the MLB Draft and five All-Conference selections.

Chester was the head coach at Penn State University-Greater Allegheny for seven seasons from 2008-2014, where he was 239-84-1 (.739) overall, leading his squad to six United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) World Series appearances.

He left PSUGA as the winningest coach in school history, earning Pennsylvania State University Athletic Conference (PSUAC) Coach of the Year honors on three occasions, as well as the 2011 Chuck Tanner Collegiate Manager of the Year Award.  He also produced 37 All-Conference players and 24 All-American selections.  He also served as PSUGA’s Athletic Director.

His first head coaching job came in 2006 at Mercyhurst North East College, spending one season there as the coach, compliance coordinator and financial aid liaison.

Chester began his collegiate coaching career in 2003 at Seton Hill University, where he was an assistant coach and admissions counselor for two seasons.

Overall, Chester has compiled a career record of 356-264-2 (.574), entering his 15th season as a collegiate head coach in 2021.

Chester graduated from Thiel College in 2003, where he was a four-year letterman for the baseball program, earning NCAA Region All-American honors in 2003.  He earned a Bachelor of Arts in psychology in 2003 and in followed with a Master of Business Administration from Seton Hill University in 2005.

An active member of the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA), Chester has served as the South East Region Chair, as well as being on two committees. He has also been heavily involved in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation, as well as several other charitable organizations.

Chester and his wife Lindzey, have two children, Marin and JJ.