Miners Hire Lau To Lead 2009 Squad

The Little Falls Miners of the New York Collegiate Baseball League have announced the hiring of Tim Lau as the team's field manager for the 2009 season. Lau, the third manager in franchise history, replaces Justin Gordon who skippered the Miners in 2007 and 2008.

Lau joins the NYCBL coaching ranks from Charleston Southern University where he spent two years as an assistant coach. Lau was the team's recruiting coordinator in 2008 and also worked with catchers and infielders. Last spring, three Buccaneers were named to the Louisville Slugger Freshman All-America team and freshman catcher Derek Smith was selected first-team All-Big South. Additionally, nine Bucs went on to be selected as all-stars in summer leagues across the country.

Before joining the Bucs, Lau was an assistant coach with the Rochester Honkers of the Northwoods League in 2005. The Honkers won the second-half South Division title and appeared in the Northwoods League playoffs for the first time since 2002. Rochester won a franchise-record 44 games and six players were selected to the Northwoods League All-Star Game.

Prior to working in the Big South, Lau was an assistant coach at Viterbo University in LaCrosse, Wisc. In 2002, the Wisconsin native began his coaching career at Holmen High School in Holmen, Wisc., as an assistant baseball coach. He helped guide the team to a pair of sectional titles and two appearances in the Wisconsin state tournament, one of which in 2002 resulted in a state runner-up finish. While working at Holmen, Lau also was the head coach of the Holmen American Legion team.

Lau is a 2001 graduate of Western Wisconsin University.

Lau is the Miners' third manager in the four-year history of the franchise. He takes over the helm from Justin Gordon. Gordon led the Miners to back-to-back playoff appearances in 2007 and 2008. Gordon is currently the pitching coach at Temple University. The Little Falls franchise has not missed the playoffs in three seasons of play.