LEWISTON —Former Boston Red Sox minor leaguer Mike Leonard has been appointed as the new head baseball coach at Bates College, the college announced Tuesday.

Leonard succeeds Edwin Thompson, who left Bates after two seasons to become an assistant coach at Duke University. The Bobcats broke the school record for wins by going 25-11 and narrowly missing the playoffs last season.

Leonard comes to Bates from Elms College in Chicopee, MA, where he went 10-22 in one season as head coach. Prior to that, he was an assistant coach at St. Lawrence University in 2008 and 2009.

He was drafted by the Red Sox in 2004 following an all-Big East career at the University of Connecticut, where he earned a bachelor’s degreee in political science in 2004. He spent four years as a catcher in the Red Sox minor league system, including two months with the Double-A Portland Sea Dogs. He concluded his professional career as a player-coach under former Red Sox catcher Rich Gedman with the Worcester Tornadoes of the independent Can-Am League.

“I’m thrilled to become the head baseball coach at Bates College,” Leonard said in a school-issued press release. “This program has been moving in an outstanding direction, and I look forward to taking it to an even higher level.”

Leonard will assume his duties on Nov. 19. The Bobcats will return eight starters for the 2011 season, including all-NESCAC selections Chris Burke, Noah Lynd and Jake Simon.

“We are very pleased and excited about Mike’s appointment,” Bates athletic director Kevin McHugh said. “He is the person best suited to continue the arc of success that has been established with Bates baseball.”