Rayner Noble is back in the captain's seat.
The former University of Houston head coach has been the named the captain of Second Baptist School's baseball team.
Former Houston Astro star Lance Berkman resigned as the head coach at Second Baptist last week, leading the way for the Eagles' assistant Noble to take the head coaching job.
"This is a tremendously stable program," Noble said. "Our mission is to play the best brand of baseball we can and bring as many kids to know Jesus Christ. If we can do that, we are doing the job we were hired to do."
Noble is a Spring Woods grad, played his college ball at the University of Houston and was the head coach of the Cougars for 16 seasons. During that time, he reached the NCAA regional tournament seven times.
"College baseball and high school baseball is vastly different," he said. "In college baseball, you are getting elite athletes. In high school, you are doing the very best you can with the individual athletes here on campus. We can't make high school kids do things they just can't do. We want to see our athletes put forth their best effort, have discipline and do the small things right."
Second Baptist has won four TAPPS state titles, all in the 2000s (2016, 2014, 2006 and 2004).
"We are really putting and emphasis on right now are the kids who are coming in as incoming freshmen and really developing them," he said. "They could be the backbone of our future. They are difference-makers."