Veteran baseball head coach Hank Banner has seen the Highland Cavalier produce the most wins in two seasons in program history the past couple seasons.  The University of Virginia's College at Wise manager will look to continue building the momentum that has seen the baseball program increase its win total by 19 over the last three seasons.

    Banner's 2007 squad set not only the most victories in his tenure but in school history with a 32-17-1 mark.  The Cavs tied for fourth in the regular season, placed fourth in the Appalachian Athletic Conference tournament and made the first NAIA Region XII appearance in five years where they placed third.

    The 12th-year head coach became the winningest coach in school history when the team won the first game, 5-0, of a home twinbill over Alderson-Broaddus on last March 21st. 

    The Cavs have posted a 60-36-1 record over the last two years for a .624 winning percentage.  The record includes a solid 28-19 campaign for 2006.

    The 2008 UVa-Wise roster should provide no fall off in excellence with preseason NAIA  All-American designated hitter Brad Robbins,  All-NAIA Region XII outfielder Josh Verts and All-AAC players in short stop Jorge Laboy, pitcher David Jones and first baseman John Bigley anchoring a solid core of the roster.

    The 2002 Cavs' team posted a 27-19 record, their best finish under Banner of second in the AAC regular season standings and a trip to the NAIA Region XII playoffs.

    Banner is a 1992 graduate of UVa-Wise.  While a student, the coach was a four-year member of the Cavaliers' baseball squad and started at second base on the 1989 and 1990 conference championship teams.

    His wife, Bridgette, also graduated from UVa-Wise.  The couple and their daughter, Brooke, live in nearby Castlewood, Virginia.

For the seventh season, Doug Bates will handle the duties of the Highland Cavaliers' pitching coach duties.

The former standout hurler for J.J. Kelly High School in Wise, Virginia brings a wealth of experience to the coaching staff. Bates was selected in the 12th-round by the Atlanta Braves. He played four seasons in the Braves and St. Louis Cardinals minor league organizations.

He and his wife, Tammy, their son, Brandon -- who was a four-year pitcher for the UVa-Wise team -- and their daughter, Brianna, live in Wise.