Ron Eastman was a 2015 National Finalist for PCA's National Double-Goal Coach® Award, and won the award locally for PCA-Houston. The Woodlands legendary baseball coach Ron Eastman added to his overflowing bag of awards with his recent induction into the National High School Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame. He received the award in December at the NHSBC venue in Tuscon, Arizona.
“I was very honored and humbled to be chosen by a group of my peers,” Eastman said, a three-time winner of the National Coach of the Year. “As an individual award, this is the highest honor I could possibly receive.
“This is a program award more than an individual award. Being inducted is just not for Coach Eastman, this is for The Woodlands baseball and all the players I’ve had the opportunity to coach.”
TWHS head coach Ron Eastman has led the Highlanders to multiple state championships.
Under Eastman’s guidance, The Woodlands Baseball has built itself into a dynasty of producing state titles and MLB-caliber players.
In his 24 years of coaching at Lamar High School and The Woodlands, Eastman has developed an astounding 49 All-State players, 15 All-Americans and 24 MLB drafted players.
“We’ve had great parental support, a great administration and great support from the school for this to happen,” Eastman said. “Not to mention a lot of great players as well.”
Three former players who are currently enjoying success at the pro level are Paul Goldschmidt (Arizona Diamondbacks), who finished third in the National League MVP voting this past season, Jamison Taillon (Pittsburgh Pirates) and Danny Amendola (New England Patriots).
“Amendola was an all-state player for us, Paul has been in the running for the NL MVP for the past few seasons and Jamison is performing well for the Pirates,” Eastman said.
The 2006 Highlander squad is widely considered the best high school team ever assembled, winning both the Texas 5A championship and the USA Today National Championship.
Along with the 2006 state championship, under Eastman, the Highlanders also captured a title in 2013.
“Winning a (baseball) state title in Texas is maybe one of the hardest things to do in high school sports,” Eastman, who was a varsity assistant for the 2000 state championship season at The Woodlands, said. “With all the talent we have here and with no home-field advantage, a lot of playoffs come down to a simple coin flip.
“We work tirelessly to develop men on and off the field to be champions,” he said.
Before his tenure at The Woodlands, Eastman coached at Lamar where he was named All Greater Houston Coach of the Year four times.
Since taking over The Woodlands, he has received district Coach of the Year 12 times and was inducted into The Woodlands High School Hall of Fame in 2011.
