The Valparaiso University baseball team has rounded out its coaching staff for the 2019 season as head coach Brian Schmack has named Dylan DeBrouwer the team’s volunteer assistant coach.

DeBrouwer will serve as the infield instructor and will oversee the team’s strength and conditioning program.

“One thing that really attracted me to Valpo is the family atmosphere when you step in the clubhouse,” DeBrouwer said. “That drew me in right away. Coach Schmack is a great communicator and he makes it easy to work for him. He oversees what his assistants are doing, but when he gives you responsibility, he trusts you to do the job.”

DeBrouwer comes to Valpo after spending the last two seasons as a graduate assistant coach at Greenville University in Greenville, Ill., where he served as the recruiting coordinator, hitting coach, infield coach and strength and conditioning coach. In his first season on staff, DeBrouwer helped lead Greenville to the second conference championship in program history and a single-season program record for wins in 2017. The team ranked in the Top 25 nationally in Division III in home runs, stolen bases and double plays turned. In addition, DeBrouwer holds sports performance certifications in “speed & agility” and “sports nutrition.”

DeBrouwer also served as the head coach of the Chesterfield Vipers in the Mid Atlantic Collegiate League, recruiting and building a summer league team that won a championship in 2018. He earned his master’s degree in education and coaching from Greenville after receiving a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Whittier College, where he was a captain on the baseball team.

“I’m extremely excited to have Dylan work with our infielders,” Schmack said. “He brings a lot of knowledge with him and I believe our players will benefit from the development plan he has in place. He will also be an asset to the strength and conditioning aspect of the program.”

DeBrouwer inherits an infield that helped Valpo establish a program record for fielding percentage each of the last two seasons.

“They had a very good defensive season last year,” DeBrouwer said. “Those infielders are extremely talented; it’s not a group that needs much change. My plan is to fine tune some areas and keep them going in the right direction.”

Valpo’s coaching staff is now complete as DeBrouwer joins a group that consists of Schmack and assistant coaches Kory Winter and Casey Fletcher.