Click HERE to go to WIMA website and listen to interview with Todd Walker and Daniel Furuto.

Daniel Furuto takes over as Head Coach of Lima Locos

Lima, OH (TW) _ Daniel Furuto, a native of Birmingham, Ala., has accepted an offer to become the eighth Head Coach of the Lima Locos. He is the first man to helm the team after formerly playing for the Locos.

Furuto was a popular outfielder for the club in 2007, helping the Locos claim the Great Lakes League Regular Season Title with a record of 26-12. He was named Second Team All League, hitting .295 with 5 HR.

His season in Lima came in the midst of his playing days at the University of Montevallo in Alabama. As a four year starter (2005-08), Furuto was a career .330 hitter, finishing among the school's all-time leaders in career, season and single-game home runs and hits.

Furuto collected a pair of Second Team All-Gulf South Conference nods during his collegiate career, making the list as an outfielder in 2006 and as a first baseman in 2008.

Also a four-time academic all-conference performer, Furuto led Montevallo to its first Division II College World Series appearance and a No. 3 final national ranking in 2006. Furuto garnered South Central Regional Tournament MVP honors to propel the Falcons into the College World Series that season.

The following season, the Falcons notched a school record for wins, closing out 2007 with a 47-17 mark, and a South Central Regional championship game appearance.

Furuto received his B.S. in mathematics from Montevallo in 2008, with a minor in kinesiology.

Following his collegiate playing days, he joined the coaching ranks, returning to his Alma Mater, Briarwood Christian School. He coached the varsity and junior varsity as an assistant from 2008-10. Along side head coach Lee Hall, Briarwood recorded its best record in school history at 31-9, finishing as the 5A state runner-up with a .350 team batting average and a school record in home runs. In his second season as an assistant with Briarwood, the squad posted a 23-11 mark and captured the area championship.

Furuto also worked with the Diamond Club School of Baseball in Birmingham, working with professional baseball players Jarrod Patterson and Keith Whatley in the fall of 2008.

His latest stop is at Campbell Universtiy where he served as a Volunteer Assistant Coach in 2011. He will continue in that position this coming spring.

Furuto served as an assistant coach for the Locos in 2009 under Head Coach Rob Livchak. He was promoted by new Head Coach Gene Stechschulte, serving as associate head coach in 2010.

With the Locos, Furuto aided the team to a 46-29 record in two seasons, including a 28-8 2009 mark and a regular season championship. In the summer of 2010, Lima finished 18-21, closing the year with a 17-13 record over their final 30 games.

The Locos are coming off a Great Lake League Championship in 2011. After a 28-14 regular season, Lima entered the playoffs as North Division Champions and the #2 overall seed.

After losing Game 1 of the best of 3 semifinal series at Licking County, Lima took Games 2 and 3 at Simmons Field to advance to the Championship Series vesus top-seeded Southern Ohio.

Lima won Game 1, 9-2 at home and won Game 2, 2-1 in Athens to claim the franchise’s third GLSCL Championship (1993 and 2004).

Following the season, Gene Stechschulte stepped down as Locos Coach, citing the desire to free up his summer to spend more time with his young family.

Locos Head Coaches

1987               Fred Hattery

1988-89         Darren Mazeroski

1990               Roger Ingles

1991-1994     Rob Livchak

1995               David Martin (First Half)

                        Rob Livchak (Second Half)

1996               Rob Livchak

1997-1999     Erick Hagen

2000-2009     Rob Livchak

2010-2011     Gene Stechschulte

(Some Furuto biographical information contributed by Campbell University Sports Information)