By Dustin Semore
FHU Information Director
Two different men to have worn the maroon and white of Freed-Hardeman University as baseball players will don the jerseys again, but as coaches with the hiring of Dalton Lankford and Will McCall as assistant baseball coaches.
Head Coach Jess Trask said of his new assistants, “Both of these guys are tireless workers with tremendous attention to detail. With them both being former players, the insight and perspective they can give to our student athletes will enhance their student athlete experience. I look forward to working with these guys day in and day out to create a positive culture and experience for our student athletes. They will both be excellent role models to our guys; impacting our athletes in significant ways both on and off the field “
Lankford, a North Carolina native, suited up for the Lions from 2019-2021 where he participated in 49 games including a career-high 12 hits in the 2021 campaign. After graduating in 2021, Lankford immediately joined the prep coaching ranks by joining the staff at Florida’s Inspiration Academy where he was the Director and Analytics and coordinated the Lions’ infield. Adding to that post in 2022, Lankford was the head coach for the post-grad team that competed against junior colleges, NCAA D2 teams, in addition to NAIA programs. Adding a third job to his resume, Lankford joining the staff of the reigning World Series champion Texas Rangers as a data apprentice. With the club, Lankford researched and prepared advanced scouting reports, manned the TrackMan Stadium Unit, and translated that data to where players could understand and use it. Though an infielder at FHU, Lankford’s time with the Rangers was spent mostly with the pitching staff where he helped the hurlers develop pitch shapes, grips, and seam shifts.
Lankford graduated from FHU in 2021 with a degree in social work with a minor in marketing.
“”I am extremely blessed to join the Freed-Hardeman baseball staff and pour back into a baseball program that gave so much to me,” said Coach Lankford. “Coming back to Freed-Hardeman has always been a goal of mine, and I am thankful that Coach [Jess] Trask has given me that opportunity. Player development in baseball is a serious of passion of mine, and I am excited to be able to do that at a school that I love and care about greatly.”
Baseball skipper Jess Trask said of Lankford, “We are thrilled to add Dalton to the coaching staff. His background in analytics and recruiting will be a valuable asset to our program. He has a unique skill set of having the knowledge and experience to help develop our guys on both sides of the baseball. He was such a positive part of our culture when he was a player at FHU and we are excited about the impact he will bring.”
A mainstay of FHU baseball for the last six seasons, including five on the diamond is Will McCall. After serving the 2024 season as a graduate assistant, McCall was tapped to joining the staff on a full-time basis. As the GA, McCall scheduled team and individual activities, maintained equipment and the clubhouse, and maintained books and data to share with players to improve their respective games. Before that, McCall was a powerhouse third baseman, smacking a total of 254 hits (third most in FHU history), 46 of those being home runs to end in the No. 2 spot on the career leaderboard. His career total of 61 doubles set the program record in 2023. McCall was a first-team All-American after the 2023 season.
McCall is a 2022 graduate of FHU, first earning his bachelor’s degree in kinesiology in 2022 and is currently pursuing his master’s degree in teaching.
“I’m extremely blessed to be able to coach at a place where I was given an opportunity to extend my career as a player,” said McCall of his new role. “It’s an honor to be given the chance to help lead young men into becoming better players on the field and better men off of it.
Coach Trask said that he is “very excited to promote McCall from graduate assistant to full time assistant coach. McCall was a leader both on and off the field as a player and showed those same qualities as he began his coaching career with us last season. His willingness to take initiative and pour into the players was evident from the jump. He has a knack for elevating those around him and will continue to make our program better.”
