Mainers Hire New Manager

By Joe Skinner, Sanford Mainers Director of Broadcasting & Media

The Sanford Mainers announced today that former assistant coach Nic Lops has been hired as the team’s next manager for the 2021 season.

“It is an honor and privilege to be named the next head coach for the Sanford Mainers,” Lops said. “I look forward to working with highly talented players in an extremely competitive league.”

2021 will be Lops’ second season on the Mainers staff, as he served as an assistant coach for former manager Cejay Suarez in 2019, who will not be able to join the team this summer. Lops is currently an assistant coach at his alma mater, St. Joseph’s College of Maine.

“We are very excited about the hiring of Coach Lops,” Mainers General Manager, Aaron Izaryk said. “He’s a tremendous instructor of the game, and a coach who is committed to developing players, winning games, and providing an elite summer baseball experience.”

Lops was a four-year starter for the Monks where he played over 150 games and maintained a .357 career batting average and 130 RBI. After his graduation in 2015, Lops had stints playing independent-league baseball in the Empire Professional Baseball League and the Canadian American Association of Professional Baseball.

“Each staff that I have ever been a part of has always put a premium on trust and respect between players and coaches,” Lops said. “My players will know that they can count on me every single day.”

Following his playing career, Lops shifted to coaching where he was an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Daniel Webster College and an assistant coach at Cheverus High School in Portland. In 2020, which was an off year for the Mainers due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Lops managed the Lumberjacks of the Greater Northeast Collegiate Baseball League where he led the team to a 10-8 record in the regular season, before falling to the No. 1 seed in the postseason semifinals.

To stay up-to-date with the status of the 2021 season, please be sure to visit www.sanfordmainers.com.