China Spring’s successful baseball program is undergoing a change at the top.
Jesse Lopez accepted the head coaching position at Waxahachie this week. Lopez led the Cougar program for the past eight years, racking up 164 career wins. This year China Spring went 32-9 and reached the UIL state tournament for the first time in 22 years.
Lopez, who coached in Midway ISD prior to going to China Spring, said it was hard to leave the Cougars but that he was excited about the opportunity at Waxahachie.
Meanwhile, his successor is a familiar name at both China Spring and in Central Texas, as Cory Beckham will take over as Cougars’ head coach. Beckham spent the past two years at Lake Belton after a highly successful 13-year run at West that included back-to-back Class 3A state championships in 2015 and 2016. Beckham, who also had past coaching stints at Connally and Fort Worth Brewer, is a 1991 graduate of China Spring.
PHOTOS — China Spring, Abbott in state baseball tournament: June 8, 2022