Radford University Highlanders
Funk joined the Radford Baseball coaching staff as an assistant coach in August 2022. He serves as the program’s hitting coach.
“Billy defines our culture and what we want our program to be about,” noted Guerra. “Billy is someone who I admired and respected during my time as an assistant. He is blue collar, has a passion for developing players, and is one of the most well-respected coaches in our region. He is relentless on the recruiting trail and will work tirelessly to find players who will fit our program. I could not be more excited to welcome Billy and his fiancé Sarah to our family.”
Funk joined the Highlanders following multiple years as a member of the coaching staff at NJCAA Louisburg College where he led recruiting efforts and coached infield players.
“Words cannot describe how grateful I am for this opportunity,” said Funk. “Virginia has been and will always be a special place to me. I am excited and eager to work with an outstanding staff, administration and university. I would like to thank Athletic Director Robert Lineburg and Head Coach Alex Guerra for giving me the opportunity of a lifetime.”
Funk gained valuable experience at Wingate during the 2016 and 2017 seasons, serving as the outfield coach and assisting with the offense. He also supervised academic affairs and recruiting.
He made the move to Wingate after spending two years on the Shippensburg coaching staff and before that, he was an assistant coach at Rappahannock Community College.
He began his collegiate playing career with the Gulls, winning the 2008 Virginia Community College System Championship as a First Team All-Conference selection, and then transferred to Bluefield State (Va.) where he finished his playing career. Funk spent two seasons as a player for Bluefield and helped lead the Rams to the 2009 National Christian College Athletic Association National Championship.
Funk’s additional experiences include work as a hitting instructor for the Baseball Performance Academy and holding various positions at the minor league level within the Toronto Blue Jays and Baltimore Orioles organizations.
Funk graduated from Bluefield in May of 2011 with a bachelor’s degree in Sports Management.
“Success is sometimes measured by what you do for others,” added Funk. “To the coaches and players that have helped me get to this point, thank you for your guidance and support and I will always be grateful for the relationships that have been created. Go Highlanders!”
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Funk joined the Radford Baseball coaching staff as an assistant coach in August 2022. He serves as the program’s hitting coach.
“Billy defines our culture and what we want our program to be about,” noted Guerra. “Billy is someone who I admired and respected during my time as an assistant. He is blue collar, has a passion for developing players, and is one of the most well-respected coaches in our region. He is relentless on the recruiting trail and will work tirelessly to find players who will fit our program. I could not be more excited to welcome Billy and his fiancé Sarah to our family.”
Funk joined the Highlanders following multiple years as a member of the coaching staff at NJCAA Louisburg College where he led recruiting efforts and coached infield players.
“Words cannot describe how grateful I am for this opportunity,” said Funk. “Virginia has been and will always be a special place to me. I am excited and eager to work with an outstanding staff, administration and university. I would like to thank Athletic Director Robert Lineburg and Head Coach Alex Guerra for giving me the opportunity of a lifetime.”
Funk gained valuable experience at Wingate during the 2016 and 2017 seasons, serving as the outfield coach and assisting with the offense. He also supervised academic affairs and recruiting.
He made the move to Wingate after spending two years on the Shippensburg coaching staff and before that, he was an assistant coach at Rappahannock Community College.
He began his collegiate playing career with the Gulls, winning the 2008 Virginia Community College System Championship as a First Team All-Conference selection, and then transferred to Bluefield State (Va.) where he finished his playing career. Funk spent two seasons as a player for Bluefield and helped lead the Rams to the 2009 National Christian College Athletic Association National Championship.
Funk’s additional experiences include work as a hitting instructor for the Baseball Performance Academy and holding various positions at the minor league level within the Toronto Blue Jays and Baltimore Orioles organizations.
Funk graduated from Bluefield in May of 2011 with a bachelor’s degree in Sports Management.
“Success is sometimes measured by what you do for others,” added Funk. “To the coaches and players that have helped me get to this point, thank you for your guidance and support and I will always be grateful for the relationships that have been created. Go Highlanders!”
Bourne joined the Radford Baseball coaching staff as an assistant coach in August 2022. He serves as the program’s pitching coach.
“Christian and I have had a history that started during my time as an assistant at Radford during the recruiting process,” noted Guerra. “Since then, we have developed a very special relationship. I had the pleasure of coaching him at JMU and have seen him grow into one of the brightest young coaches in our profession. He has a unique way of getting the most out of players, his personality is infectious and he has a passion for developing players. Christian is a rising star and we are lucky to have him and his wife Lindsay be a part of Radford Baseball”
Bourne joined the Highlanders from Georgia Southern where he was the Director of Baseball Operations and Player Development for coach Rodney Hennon last season.
“I want to thank Alex Guerra for the opportunity to be a part of such a special program,” said Bourne. “Having grown up in the area, I know firsthand how tight knit this community and university both are. My wife and I are so excited to be coming back to southwestern Virginia and to become members of the Radford family. I look forward to enhancing the student-athlete experience at Radford and bringing a championship home to the NRV. Go Highlanders!”
Over the course of a 41-20 season that resulted in the hosting of an NCAA Regional, Bourne oversaw all aspects of Georgia Southern player development, using technology and innovation to design and research player development models in the assisting of coaches. He also directed day-to-day operations of the baseball program, overseeing the overall management of the baseball budget and team travel, as well as involvement with Eagle Baseball Camps.
Prior to joining the Eagles, Bourne was with his alma mater JMU as the Director of Pitching Development alongside Alex Guerra. The Dukes finished the 2021 season with three players named to the All-CAA teams. Recent first round MLB draft pick Chase DeLauter earned first team and rookie nods, while fellow pitcher Liam Grubbs made second team.
Following his playing career at JMU, Bourne returned to Nashville, Tennessee to coach at Mount Juliet High School. Before the COVID-19 pandemic ended their season, Bourne guided an undefeated Mount Juliet staff to a team ERA of 2.50 and threw a no-hitter three games into the season. He helped coach nine players that are committed or signed to play at the collegiate level.
Bourne played for the Dukes from 2016 to 2019, making 55 appearances for the purple and gold.
Lancaster joined the Radford Baseball coaching staff as an assistant coach in August 2022.
“Seth is huge addition to our coaching staff,” said Guerra of his first hire. “He had a storied career as a player winning a National Championship at Coastal Carolina. Seth’s mentality as a player has carried over to the way he coaches. He is a tremendous teacher and can relate very well with players. I have had the opportunity to see Seth evolve as a coach over the years and I believe he has a tremendous future in the coaching profession. I am very excited to welcome Seth and his fiancé Sydney to Radford.”
Lancaster comes to the New River Valley from Longwood where he served as a graduate assistant and hitting coach. Prior to that, Lancaster worked at Georgia Southern as a volunteer assistant coach for one season. He helped the Eagles to a 34-23 record in 2021 and then capped his tenure in Statesboro with a 41-20 season that resulted in the hosting of an NCAA Tournament regional.
The Hanahan, S.C. native is very familiar with the Big South Conference, having played at Coastal Carolina from 2015-2018. Lancaster was named to four different All-American teams as a senior after hitting .305 with 20 home runs and 57 RBI. He was Coastal’s top hitter in the postseason of their championship run, batting .444 with a team-high .744 slugging percentage.
Lancaster won a National Championship with the Chanticleers in 2016 and was drafted in the eighth round of the MLB First-Year Player Draft in 2018 by the Philadelphia Phillies. He went on to play in the New York Penn League with the Williamsport Crosscutters and South Atlantic League with the Lakewood BlueClaws.
During his winters in Conway, Lancaster was a baseball instructor for 3B Baseball, helping with offensive and infield development. He assisted the coaches and staff with all aspects of player development and helped facilitate Carolina Teal team travel, practices and camps.
Lancaster also helped Coach Gary Gilmore with his baseball camps as a lead baseball instructor. While working with coach Gilmore, he helped set up and tear down the field, as well as assisted the recruiting coordinator with on-campus recruiting.
Singh joined the Radford Baseball coaching staff as a graduate assistant in August 2022. He will work primarily with hitters and infielders.
“First of all, I want to thank Alex Guerra for offering me this unbelievable opportunity,” said Singh. “Coach Guerra coached me and taught me so much when I was a freshman on the James Madison University baseball team. It’s great to be back together with him in this environment! In addition, I get to work with and learn from three other outstanding coaches. I’m honored to be a part of the Radford University baseball program. It’s exciting to help build a championship culture where everyone has the same end goal. Let’s get to work!”
Singh comes to Radford from Norfolk State, where he spent the past four years playing for the Spartans. As a junior in 2021, he hit a team-high seven home runs while collecting 28 RBI. For his career, Singh totaled 104 games in a Spartan uniform, driving in 58 runs.
In the classroom, Singh was named to the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Academic Honor Roll, as well as the Norfolk State Athletic Director Honor Roll and Dean’s List. He graduated from Norfolk State in 2021 with a bachelor’s degree in Mass Communication, and is currently pursuing a Masters of Arts in Media and Communications.
A native of Sangre Grande, Trinidad and Tobago, Singh started his collegiate career at James Madison, where he played under Alex Guerra, who served as the Dukes’ assistant coach and recruiting coordinator. He redshirted as a freshman in 2017 before transferring to Patrick Henry Community College the following season, batting .291 with eight home runs and 29 RBI.
In the summer of 2022, Singh worked as an assistant coach with American Legion Baseball, an amateur organization that gives players an opportunity to develop skills and leadership qualities.
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