From Reports
GADSDEN – Gadsden State Community College head baseball coach and an infielder earned the highest recognition from the Alabama Community
College Conference.
Blake Lewis, head baseball coach, was named ACCC Coach of the Year. Aaron Wallace, a sophomore infielder from Hueytown, earned Player of the Year recognition and was named to the ACCC Division I All-Conference First Team along with teammate, Jayden Roberts.
In his second season as head baseball coach, Lewis has been instrumental in revitalizing the Gadsden State baseball program. Under his leadership, the Cardinals have experienced a remarkable turnaround, improving from a 13-37 record in 2024 to a 38-13 record in 2025 securing the No. 2 seed in the ACCC Division I Region Tournament.
Lewis was named the head baseball coach and athletic director at Gadsden State in 2022 following the reinstatement of the baseball and softball teams, which were disbanded in 2011 and 2016, respectively. He came to Gadsden State from Lawson State Community College in Birmingham, where he served two stints as the assistant baseball coach, the head baseball
coach and a physical education instructor.
A graduate of Pleasant Grove High School, Lewis attended Bevill State Community College from 2001 to 2003, where he was named an All-Conference Player by the ACCC. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology in 2006 from the University of Montevallo and a Master of Physical Education in 2008 from the University of West Alabama, where he also served as a graduate assistant and helped the team earn a Gulf South Conference East divisional title.
In 2009, Lewis was hired as an assistant baseball coach at Lawson State, and, within the year, he was named head coach, a position he held until 2012. During his first tenure at Lawson State, Lewis was named the Assistant Coach of the Year by the Alabama Baseball Coaches Association, became the all-time winningest head coach in Lawson State history and took his team to a 12th-place national ranking.
In 2012, Lewis accepted the position of assistant baseball coach and recruiting coordinator at the University of Montevallo, where he was instrumental in guiding the team to back-to-back 30-win seasons and two appearances in the Peach Belt Conference Tournament championship game. He returned to Lawson State in 2015 as the head coach, where he was named ACCC Co-Coach of the Year and the team won Baseball Academic Team of the Year in 2020.
Aaron Wallace has been a cornerstone of the Cardinal’s offense this season. Leading both his team and the ACCC with a .429 batting average, Wallace has demonstrated consistency and leadership on the field.
Roberts, a sophomore from Tuscaloosa, has also had a dynamic presence in the Cardinals’ lineup. Tied for the conference lead with 15 home runs, Roberts’ power at the plate has been a game-changer for Gadsden State.
“Aaron and Jayden are great student-athletes who take a lot of pride in being a Gadsden State student and a part of the baseball program,” Lewis said. “They worked extremely hard and laid a great foundation for future players who come to play at Gadsden State.”
