Austin Love enters his seventh season as the assistant coach of the North Carolina A&T baseball team. He became the first full-time assistant coach in the history of the Aggies baseball program on Oct. 3, 2005. Love played collegiate baseball under former Aggies head coach Keith Shumate. Before Love, Shumate used volunteer assistants to help him with the program.
For the 2012 season, Love will be responsible for overseeing the Aggie offense, and will be coaching third base. A&T has ranked first or at the top of the MEAC in every offensive category and have also ranked nationally in several offensive categories as well in the past few seasons. Love will help ensure that the Aggie offense remains productive this season. He will also be responsible for recruiting and helping to develop the A&T baseball program.
Love has made an impact on the Aggies baseball program through his tireless efforts in recruiting and helping to coach every facet of the game, from pitching to hitting to fielding in his tenure. In addition to his on-field duties, Love also handles all the logistics from the program such as travel and tracking the players' academic progress. Under Love, the Aggies produced 10-game winner Tim Johnson. Ron Phelps went from one of the best closer in the MEAC to one of the best starters. In 2010, Esterlin Paulino was named MEAC Pitcher of the Year.
Love earned four varsity letters under Shumate from 2001-04 as primarily a left fielder and first baseman. He was also a starting pitcher and a reliever during his career. In two of his four-seasons, he helped the Aggies break the school record for wins. In 2001 as a freshman, Love hit .300, with three homers, 40 RBI, and stole 27 bases. He earned second-team All-MEAC honors following the season.
He put together another superb season as a senior in 2004, and earned second-team MEAC honors again by leading the team in batting at .358. He also earned Team MVP honors in 2004.
During his N.C. A&T career, Love participated in summer collegiate wooden bat leagues, which serve as developmental leagues and opportunities for athletes to showcase their skills to Major League Baseball area scouts. He played for the Thomasville Hi-Toms of the Coastal Plain League in 2001. In 2002-03, he competed for Kernersville Bulldogs of the Southern Collegiate Baseball League. He participated twice in the league's All-Star Game.
The Statesville, N.C. native was a Dean's List honoree and a two-time MEAC Commissioner's Award Winner for carrying a 3.0 grade-point average. He earned a B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering in 2004.
