Thomas College

Ray Bernier was named Head Baseball Coach at Thomas College in the summer of 2023 and enters his third season at the helm of the Terriers. Since taking over the program, Bernier has transformed Thomas into one of the most dynamic and productive offensive teams in the North Atlantic Conference (NAC), while also fostering consistent individual success and record-breaking performances.

In 2025, Bernier led the Terriers to a 20–22 overall record and a 12–6 mark in NAC play. The team finished the season 12–5 down the stretch, earning the No. 3 seed in the conference tournament. They advanced to the NAC Championship game and came just short of an NCAA regional bid. Offensively, Thomas once again led the conference, marking the second consecutive season as the NAC’s top offense. The team finished first in batting average (.311), good for a top-85 national ranking in NCAA Division III, and also led the NAC in hits (402), runs (304), doubles (81), RBI (275), and total bases (569). They finished second in both home runs (24) and on-base percentage (.427). These numbers included several new program records: total runs, RBI, doubles, OBP, and strikeouts (286), while hits and home runs ranked top three in school history and were the best since Thomas joined NCAA competition. On the mound, the Terriers led the NAC in strikeouts and were second in opponent batting average (.296). Several players flourished under Bernier’s leadership. Elijah Morton earned First Team All-Conference and MCBSA First Team All-State honors. Sam Keblinsky captured the NAC batting title and was named First Team All-Conference, MCBSA Second Team All-State, and D3baseball.com Third Team All-Region. Cam Haynes earned First Team All-Conference honors, was the runner-up for Conference Player of the Year, and was named to both the MCBSA First Team and D3baseball.com Second Team All-Region. Andrew Pruell also received First Team All-Conference recognition and etched his name into the program record books as Thomas’ all-time leader in wins (17), appearances (62), and strikeouts (163). Single-season records were broken as well, including runs scored (45, Hayden Dippner), doubles (17, Cam Haynes), and walks (33, Hayden Dippner).

In 2024, Bernier’s first full season as head coach, the Terriers finished 16–17 overall and 12–8 in conference play. Thomas led the NAC in several offensive categories, including batting average (.320), runs per game (7.5), and hits per game (11.1). The team broke multiple program records, including total doubles (67), doubles per game (2.0), stolen bases per game (2.1), stolen bases in a single game (12), total walks drawn (145), hits in a game (23), and runs scored in a single game (27). Several players earned individual honors under Bernier’s guidance. Tony Meza was named Conference Player of the Week, received First Team All-Conference honors, and led all of NCAA Division III in strikeout rate (toughest to strike out). Jason Bartlett also earned weekly conference honors, First Team All-Conference selection, and was named to the MCBSA Second Team All-State. DJ Cagnina rounded out the group with a First Team All-Conference selection.

From 2019 through 2023, Bernier served as Thomas’ pitching coach and recruiting coordinator. In his first season (2019), the pitching staff recorded a 3.21 ERA in conference play—second-best in program history—while finishing with a 10–6 NAC record, the second-highest conference win percentage in program history. He was promoted to recruiting coordinator prior to the 2020 season, which was ultimately canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, Bernier played a key role in helping the program post another winning conference record and oversaw the development of NAC Pitcher of the Year Dylan Copeland.

Prior to his time at Thomas, Bernier served as the head coach and pitching coach at Messalonskee High School from 2010 to 2019. As head coach from 2016 to 2019, he guided the team to postseason appearances each year and developed numerous all-conference and all-state players. From 2010 to 2014, he served as the team’s pitching coach, helping lead the staff to a 59–37 regular-season record, a 10–3 postseason record, three Eastern Maine Class A Championships (2012–2014), and a Class A State Championship in 2012.

A 2012 graduate of Thomas College with a Bachelor’s degree, Bernier also earned his MBA from Thomas in 2013. He resides in Maine with his wife, Michelle, and their two children, Carson and Callie.