PORTLAND, Ore. --- Connor Lambert, who pitched at Washington State and has spent the past seven seasons as the associate head coach/pitching coach for the Corvallis Knights, is the new pitching coach for the University of Portland baseball program, announced head coach Geoff Loomis. In addition to the position with the Knights, Lambert has been the director of baseball operations at the University of Utah since 2015.
 
"Connor is a bright and energetic coach who has worked with some great coaches and pitching staffs at Utah and in Corvallis," said Loomis. "He's a teacher first, which matches our style as a staff and makes him a great addition for our program."
 
"I'm excited to join the staff at the University of Portland," Lambert said. "This is a great opportunity for me to join a family-first community and first-class baseball program lead by Geoff Loomis. I'm also eager to work alongside Jake Valentine and David Tufo, who both have done a tremendous job during their time with Portland. I'm honored to be a part of a world-class university, its staff, students and our student-athletes.
 
"I would also like to thank the Corvallis Knights and the University of Utah for their continued loyalty to me over my years with both programs, specifically Dan Segel, Brooke Knight, Bill Kinneberg and Mike Crawford."
 
Corvallis is one of the premier summer collegiate wood-bat teams in the country, and Lambert helped lead the Knights to West Coast League Championships in 2011, 2013 and 2016. The Knights led the league in ERA in 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2016, and set a then-WCL record with 401 strikeouts in 2011. Lambert was also the pitching coach for the 2011 and 2012 WCL All-Star games.
 
Lambert was an integral part of the staff for the Utes, who won the Pac-12 Championship in 2016 to advance to an NCAA Regional. Lambert provided statistical analysis while at Utah, and he was responsible for a variety of essential tasks.
 
Lambert, who originally hails from Olympia, Wash., previously spent two seasons as the pitching coach at Tacoma Community College. TCC set a new school record for wins in 2014 (39) and at one point had a 27-game win streak with seven straight shutouts. The Titans were ranked as high as No. 17 in the Perfect Game JUCO Poll, their highest national ranking ever.
 
As a pitcher at Washington State (2007-10), Lambert made 60 appearances with seven starts, going 11-3 during his career on the mound. As a senior team captain, he went 5-1 with two saves and a 3.53 ERA. He earned Pac-10 Player of the Week honors as a freshman in 2007 after striking out 10 in a win over Air Force, which was his first collegiate start. Lambert helped lead WSU to NCAA appearances in 2009 and 2010, pitching in six games during regional competition. He worked as a graduate assistant coach for the Cougars in 2011, serving as the assistant pitching coach and bullpen coach.