SAINT LEO, Fla. – Saint Leo University head baseball coach Rick O'Dette has announced that he is stepping down from his position after seven years at the helm of the Lions baseball program.

"I can't thank Rick O'Dette enough for everything he has done for not only the Saint Leo baseball program, but also for what he has done for Lions athletics as a whole and the Saint Leo community," said Marcal Lazenby, Director of Athletics, Wellness & Recreation at Saint Leo. "Rick's positive impact on our student-athletes and the standard of Saint Leo baseball has been remarkable. I wish him the best in the next chapter of his career."

During his tenure at Saint Leo, O'Dette has amassed an overall record of 183-118, making him the second winningest head coach in Saint Leo baseball history and has boasted a winning percentage of .607 with the Green and Gold. The Lions have finished in the top-three of the Sunshine State Conference (SSC) standings the last three seasons under O'Dette in addition to earning hosting rights for the NCAA Division II Baseball South Region 2 in two of the last three years. Saint Leo is also coming off the heels of three consecutive 30-or-more win seasons.

"First, I want to say how thankful I am for Saint Leo as it welcomed my family and I with open arms seven years ago," said Rick. "I'm forever grateful for my professional relationship and friendship with Fran Reidy and Marcal as they have supported the baseball program in so many ways. I know that Saint Leo athletics will continue to build on its success in the future with Marcal at the helm."

In O'Dette's first season with Saint Leo in 2018, the Lions notched a record of 38-11 which stood as the most wins the Green and Gold tallied since the 2000 season. Additionally, prior to O'Dette coming to Saint Leo, the baseball team did not make an NCAA Tournament appearance since 2001, however, in 2022 the Lions punched their ticket to the tournament for the first time in 21 years with a 36-17 regular season mark under the guidance of O'Dette.

O'Dette added, "I would also like to thank the athletic administration department and the fellow coaches for helping make Saint Leo such a special place and the great relationships I was able to build with them while here. I want to thank my assistant coaches for their dedication and commitment to the players and the program over the years, they truly are a key to helping run a successful team. Lastly, I would like to thank all the players that I have coached while at Saint Leo. I'm extremely proud to have coached so many terrific young men while representing the Green and Gold."

In his seven years, O'Dette was named the SSC Coach of the Year in 2022 and helped the Lions garner 22 All-SSC honorees as well as an SSC Player of the Year recipient (Bobby Sparling, 2022). Nine Saint Leo Lions have been tabbed All-South Region under the tutelage of O'Dette along with an American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) and Division II Conference Commissioners Association (D2CCA) South Region Position Player of the Year in 2022 (Bobby Sparling). Additionally, O'Dette has produced three All-American selections during his time with the Green and Gold which featured recent graduates Luke Lashutka and Nick Jennings along with Sparling from the 2022 season.