USA Baseball has announced California Polytechnic State University's head coach Larry Lee as manager of the 2023 Collegiate National Team ©USA Baseball

California Polytechnic State University's head coach Larry Lee has been named manager of the 2023 collegiate national team by USA Baseball.

Lee is entering his 21st season with the Mustangs, as California Polytechnic State University's baseball team is nicknamed, and is the most successful coach in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Big West Conference history.

He has amassed an impressive 614 wins with Cal Poly since joining them in 2003 and 1,074 overall in his career.

Lee returns to the United States coaching staff after serving as an assistant coach in 2017, when the team won 15 of its 20 matches with friendship series wins over Chinese Taipei, Cuba and Japan.

He succeeds the University of Mississippi's Mike Bianco, who held the role last year.

"Larry has been an extremely successful head baseball coach for over three decades and is a perfect fit to lead our team in 2023," said USA Baseball general manager of collegiate and professional teams Eric Campbell.

"Over the past 20 years, Larry has turned Cal Poly into one of the West Coast's perennial baseball programmes thanks to his tremendous baseball acumen and knowledge.

"We are confident that he will provide valuable leadership to the young men on our roster, which will feature college baseball's best once again this year."

Larry Lee previously served as assistant coach for the United States' Collegiate National Team ©USA Baseball
Larry Lee previously served as assistant coach for the United States' Collegiate National Team ©USA Baseball

The 63-year-old Californian is looking forward to his new role.

"It’s always an honour to be a part of the Collegiate National Team coaching staff," said Lee.

"I look forward to being surrounded by some of the best coaches and players in college baseball."

The highlight of Lee's coaching career came in 2014 when Mustangs broke the programme record with 47 wins to win their first NCAA Big West Championship. 

They have finished in the top four of the conference standings in 17 of Lee’s 20 seasons and recently notched three-consecutive second place finishes from 2017 to 2019.

The California Polytechnic State University baseball team have won more than 600 games under Larry Lee since he took over as head coach in 2003 ©Cal Poly
The California Polytechnic State University baseball team have won more than 600 games under Larry Lee since he took over as head coach in 2003 ©Cal Poly

Under Lee, the Mustangs have reached the NCAA Division I Regionals on three different occasions, including its first-ever appearance in 2009.

A group of 36 players under Lee at Cal Poly have been drafted in the first 10 rounds of the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft during his tenure, including his son Brooks.

He was selected with the eighth overall pick in the 2022 Draft by the Minnesota Twins.

Before taking the reins at Cal Poly, Lee spent 16 years as the head coach at Cuesta College in San Luis Obispo.