Ryan Mau joined Longwood as the head baseball coach prior to the 2014-15 academic year. He has led the Lancers to the conference tournament three times while also helming a pitching staff that has broken the school strikeout record on two separate occasions. Under his direction, his pitching staff has had at least one pitcher has ranked in the top 10 in strikeouts in the Big South every season since he came to Farmville. In 2019, Mau picked up his 100th career win, all coming at Longwood, with a 5-3 win over Norfolk State.
In 2017 the Lancers set a new school record with 511 strikeouts, the fifth-highest single season total in the history of the Big South at the time. As a staff, Longwood compiled eight 10-strikeout games from starting pitchers in 2017.
Under Mau's guidance, senior pitcher Cody Wager became a second team All-Big South selection, receiving his first all-conference honors. Wager, who was a relief pitcher in his junior season in 2016, led the Big South with 91 strikeouts in 2017 and became Longwood's first-ever two-time Big South Pitcher of the Week. Wager finished the season with two complete games, six quality starts, and struck out at least 10 batters four times, including a 13-strikeout game in a complete game win against Presbyterian.
Starting pitcher Zach Potojecki also improved in 2017, following up on a season with 11 total strikeouts in 2016 to 82 strikeouts in his junior season, finishing third in the Big South.
In 2016, Longwood finished 32-27, making it to the semifinals of the Big South Championship for the second time in school history. Mau's third season was a record-setting season for the Lancers. The team set school records for wins as a Division I program (32), conference wins (14), home wins (21), and finished in second place in the conference, the highest conference finish in school history. Longwood set a school record with 540 hits in 2016 and also set a school record with a .966 fielding percentage. The Lancers had three all-conference performers in 2016, the most in a single season for Longwood, and three all-tournament selections for the first time ever. Longwood was a perfect 8-0 in the first game of conference series, including taking the first Big South game of the season against the eventual College World Series champion Coastal Carolina Chanticleers.
Several players made significant jumps in 2016 under Mau’s tutelage. Starting pitcher Travis Burnette finished second in the conference in ERA and became a First-Team All-Big South selection. Burnette had a 2.35 ERA as a senior and finished with the sixth lowest ERA in a single season in school history and the seventh lowest in a career. Alex Lewis, a Second-Team All-Big South selection in 2016, set the school record for hits in a season (86), good for third in the conference, after hitting .196 as a sophomore. Lewis did so while also adding power by hitting more doubles and homers and driving in more runs.
In 2015, Mau coached Longwood’s all-time strikeout and saves leader, Aaron Myers, in his final collegiate season. Myers finished with 319 career punchouts, including a Big South best 115 as a senior. Myers finished his career with a total of 17 saves and began his professional career in 2015 as a non-drafted free agent in the Milwaukee Brewers system.
Mau also coached Kyri Washington, who was drafted in the 23rd round of the 2015 MLB draft by the Boston Red Sox. Washington led the Big South with 15 home runs in 2015 and led the team with an OPS of .905.
Under Mau’s leadership in the 2015 season, the Lancers set a pair of school records as Myers and Washington powered the team to the postseason after missing the conference tournament in 2014. The pitching staff broke the school’s strikeout record by fanning 440 batters (only to be topped in 2017) while the offense racked up a school-record 86 stolen bases. In the regular season, the Lancers posted wins against No. 23 Coastal Carolina and on the road at Georgia while also winning an elimination game against in-state rival Liberty in the Big South Tournament.
Mau came to Longwood after serving as the recruiting coordinator and pitching and catching coach at Navy.
The Midshipmen went 33-25-1 (12-8) during 2011, including an NCAA Regional appearance after winning the Patriot League Tournament and regular season championships, while posting school records for strikeouts (423) and innings (501.1). Navy featured Patriot League Rookie of the Year and Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American, Taylor Cato.
Prior to Navy, Mau served as associate head coach at VMI. In 2010, Mau helped the program to the second-most wins in school history when the Keydets finished 33-22 and attained their highest-ever national ranking (No. 26). VMI was 25th nationally in strikeouts per nine innings (8.3), and the team featured Big South Rookie of the Year and future MLB first round draft pick, Cory Spangenberg (2011, San Diego).
Mau was an assistant coach at Marist College from 2004-05, helping the Red Foxes (33-19) to the 2005 Metro MAAC regular season and tournament titles, and an NCAA Regional appearance.
Mau got his start in collegiate coaching at Charleston Southern University, serving as the pitching and catching coach during 2003. The Buccaneers featured Big South Player of the Year, R.J. Swindle, and Robert Parnell, both MLB draft picks who played in the major leagues.
Mau was a standout pitcher for the College of Charleston from 1998-2001 (13-10, 3.66 ERA), after one year at Flagler College in Florida (1996-97). He played two seasons in the Florida Marlins organization (2001-02), before a year in the Independent Frontier and Southeastern Leagues (2003).
The Lake Mary, Fla., native earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications from the College of Charleston in 2000. Mau and his wife, Leslie, have a daughter, Grace and a son, Gabriel.
Career Record: 105-187
Record at Longwood: Same
2015: 22-34 (9-15 Big South, 8th) Big South Championship Second Rd
2016: 32-27 (14-10 Big South, T-2nd) Big South Championship Semifinal
2017: 19-34 (7-17 Big South, 10th)
2018: 17-38 (9-18 Big South, 8th) Big South Championship First Rd
2019: 11-41 (5-22 Big South, 10th)
2020: 4-13 (0-0 Big South) *Remainder of season canceled by Big South due to COVID-19 virus
