Junction City High School’s new baseball coach is ready to jump right in and get to work.

The high school announced earlier this week the hiring of Drew Biery as the next head baseball coach, replacing Heath Gerstner, who resigned in June after accepting a teaching and head baseball coaching position at McPherson High School in McPherson, Ks.

Biery said that he has already began preparing for next season and has been asking Matt Westerhaus, JCHS Athletic Director, a lot of questions.

“I like to be prepared, and so for one thing I’ve definitely been cleaning up on the rules, KSHSAA is a little bit different from the NCAA,” Biery said. ” This next week I’m going to meet with the strength and conditioning coordinator, Coach Zimmerman. Get kind of on the same page with him, make sure that I’m falling into line the way that I’m supposed to, and then from there it’s just little ideas that I’m just going to keep expanding on.”

Biery was a four year letter winner at Kansas State from 2006-2009, and was drafted in the 22nd round of the 2009 MLB Draft by the San Francisco Giants. He spent three years in the Giants organization where he reached the AA status. During his playing career he was an infielder, primarily first base but did make the switch to catcher during his minor league career.

Biery returned to K-State in 2012 to complete his Bachelors of Science in Education and was a Graduate Assistant Coach for the Wildcats during that time.

While a Graduate Assistant Biery was in charge of the team’s equipment and video operations, while assisting with other daily functions. Biery said that he does plan on integrating what he learned over the past three years into his coaching style, particularly the use of video.

“I think that we could use video as a great way to teach kids, especially in baseball, the swing is so intricate and one little thing can throw it completely off. Being able to use video, for even pitchers, it’s priceless. I really think so.”

Biery also mentioned that he hopes to help build upon the state run the team had last year.

“The idea that I kind of want to bring around this program, is to kind of build on what they did last year, and kind of have that little sour taste in your mouth, okay well don’t let this happen again. Let’s try to build a program that is about winning, and about character, and about the attitude. Everything that you want to have.”

Biery was just recently hired as a special education teacher by Geary USD 475, and will be teaching at JCHS. This will be his first head coaching position.