Martinsburg head baseball coach John Lowery, Jr. is stepping down.
The son of Jefferson baseball coach, John Lowery, Sr., says he has been thinking about it on-and-off for the past two years.
“Especially after this season, and the way it ended, you know the competition between us and Jefferson and really my father,” Lowery told Metronews affiliate WEPM. “My father and I decided it was time to stop doing that. Besides spending a little bit more time with my family in the springtime, I just didn’t want to compete against my dad anymore.”
“It almost became a lose-lose [situation],” Lowery continued. “You know, if we won it was great for our kids and our community, but it certainly wasn’t great to have to beat my dad.”
Lowery leaves the Bulldog baseball program in better shape than when he arrived. They won a state title in 2009 and are now winning consistently. Martinsburg won 30 games last season for the first time in school history and the baseball field has seen a host of upgrades including a new sprinkler system, new fencing and batting cages.
“I don’t think it’s the end of my coaching career. I think at some point I’ll have to get my fix of coaching somewhere,” said Lowery of his future. For now he’s helping coach his son’s travel team, “That’s a blast, just getting to coach your son and those guys want to learn just like the older guys do, so that’s where I’m getting my baseball coaching fix.”