Five NCAA DII North Central Regional title game appearances, three NCAA DII World Series appearances, one national championship game appearances and five straight Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference titles have solidified Steve Lyon as one of the top coaches in college baseball. As Lyon is set to embark on his 10th year at the helm of the Grand Valley State baseball program, the Lakers are poised for another outstanding year.

Lyon enters the 2008 campaign with a 341-139-1 (.709) mark at Grand Valley State and a 454-240-2 (.653) overall college coaching record. He is second on the GVSU all-time coaching victories list, needing 25 wins to become the Lakers' all-time leader. Lyon was named the 2007 FieldTurf DII National Baseball Coach of the Year following a 45-9 campaign. In addition, he is a three-time recipient (2003, 2004 and 2005) of the ABCA North Central Region Coach of the Year award. Steve has guided Grand Valley State to the fifth-best winning percentage of all DII schools (.724) since 2000 with a 311-118-1 mark. GVSU is 215-66-1 (.764) the last five years with three NCAA Division II World Series appearances (2003 (T-5), 2004 (2) and 2005 (T-3)). Lyon has guided Grand Valley State to six straight appearances in the NCAA Tournament and five straight North Central Regional title games. His 2004 squad played in the National Championship game where his Lakers dropped a 12-8 decision to Delta State. Lyon has tutored 33 ABCA All-North Central Region performers and three ABCA All-Americans.

Grand Valley State is 195-73-1 (.726) in GLIAC action under Lyon and has claimed five consecutive GLIAC titles heading into the 2008 season. The Lakers are 116-31-1 (.787) in GLIAC play the last five years with five consecutive GLIAC titles. Lyon has coached 79 All-GLIAC performers during his nine years as head coach, including 42 first-teamer's. In addition, Lyon has produced one Player of the Year, three Pitcher's of the Year and two Freshman of the Year. Lyon was named the 2003 GLIAC Coach of the Year.

The 2007 GLIAC crown was the Lakers' 12th in school history which tops all all league institutions. In addition, the Lakers' .833 winning percentage (45-9) a year ago was also the top single-season winning percentage in school history. GVSU won 18 straight games at one point during the season, 16 of which were GLIAC games. GVSU swept three straight games en route to the GLIAC Tournament title and was awarded the top seed in the North Central Region for the second straight year. The Lakers advanced to the title game, but dropped a 1-0 decision to Southern Indiana.

GVSU fell just one game short of its fourth consecutive North Central Regional title in 2006. The Lakers' 47 wins was the best in school history and the third highest winning percentage in all of Division II (.825). GVSU rolled through its GLIAC schedule with an all-time GLIAC single-season best 28-3 record.

In 2005, Lyon led the Lakers to their third consecutive appearance in the Division II World Series finishing third. Grand Valley State's 37 wins ranks third in school history behind the 2003 and 2004 sqauds. The Lakers went 8-3 in the post-season including a perfect 3-0 in the GLIAC Tournament to claim their third straight GLIAC title.

Lyon led Grand Valley State to one of the best seasons in school history in 2004, posting a 46-16 overall mark and a 23-7 record in GLIAC play. The 46 wins marked the highest win total in Laker annals. GVSU claimed its second straight GLIAC Championship with a 3-0 record in the GLIAC Tournament. The Lakers then went 4-1 at the NCAA North Central Regional Tournament, including a pair of wins over host Ashland on the final day to advance to the DII World Series for the second consecutive year. GVSU won three straight games at the World Series before dropping a tough 12-8 decision to second ranked Delta State in the National Championship game. Grand Valley claimed a 2-1 12-inning win over fourth ranked Chico State, a 5-2 win over eleventh ranked Bryant, and an 11-4 victory against third ranked Rollins en route to the title game.

Lyon has led the Lakers to an impressive home record of 134-26-1 in his nine years, including a mark of 92-19-1 since the 2001 campaign. GVSU was 20-1-1 on its home turf in 2003, followed by a 15-2 record in 2004, a 10-3 mark in 2005, 19-2 in 2006 and 14-3 in 2007.

Lyon has tutored 66 first or second team All-GLIAC performers in his 10 years at the helm of the Laker baseball program. 2006 Laker pitchers Grant Payton (2005) and Jeremy Dow (2006) were the second and third Lakers to be named GLIAC Pitcher of the Year. Matt Rafeld was named the GLIAC Pitcher of the Year in 2004. Lyon also saw over Dustin Vugteveen who was named the GLIAC Player of the Year in 2001. Casey Robrahn was named the GLIAC Freshman of the Year in 2006 to become the second Laker to earn the award under Lyon, joining Scott Allen who earned the honor in 2002. Payton was the latest Laker to earn American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) All-American honors when he earned second-team honors. Payton (2006), Rafeld (2004) and Vugteveen (2001) each earned ABCA All-American honors. GVSU has earned 33 ABCA All North Central Region honors.

Prior to his arrival at Grand Valley State Lyon served as the head coach at Oakland University for five years. The 55-year-old Lyon led Oakland to a 113-101 record during his five-year tenure. Steve coached the Grizzlies to the 1994 GLIAC Tournament title and a 30-win season in 1995. In addition, he guided OU to a second-place GLIAC finish in 1997. Lyon was an assistant coach at OU for five seasons prior to taking the head coaching reigns. His main responsibility as a Grizzly assistant was working with the pitching staff. OU hurlers broke virtually every pitching record during Lyon's tenure, including a school-record 3.32 ERA in 1995.

Prior to his coaching days at Oakland, Lyon served as a high school baseball coach in the Detroit area for nine years. He was athletic director and baseball coach at Pontiac Catholic High School from 1979 to 1985, before moving on to Harper Woods Notre Dame until 1987. He served as an assistant at Mott Community College in Flint prior to his arrival at OU.

Lyon, who earned a bachelors of science degree from Wayne State University in 1975, played two seasons of baseball for the Tartars and was an academic All-American nominee as a junior. He earned a Master's Degree in Physical Education with an emphasis in sports administration from Ohio University in 1981. While at Ohio University, Lyon served as a graduate assistant baseball coach.

Lyon and his wife, Sandy, have three children: Jon, Stephanie, and Katherine.

Year - Record (GLIAC Record)
1999 - 30-21 (19-15)
2000 - 32-17 (19-10)
2001 - 35-18 (22-10)
2002 - 29-17 (19-7)*
2003 - 41-14-1 (20-6-1)$
2004 - 46-16 (23-7)$^
2005 - 36-17 (19-9)$
2006 - 47-10 (28-3)*
2007 - 45-9 (26-6)*

$ - NCAA World Series
^ - NCAA National Finalists
* - NCAA North Central Region