ROCHESTER, Mich. - Oakland University head baseball coach John Musachio has announced that former Eastern Michigan assistant coach Del Young has joined the Golden Grizzlies staff as an assistant coach. Young's primary responsibilities will be with the infielders and catchers, as well as recruiting.
"I want to thank head coach John Musachio for asking me to come aboard and be a part of the Oakland University baseball program," said Young. "I'm really looking forward to meeting the team in September and I'm excited about the chance to work with this year's team. We have a good group of returning players that will be bringing valuable experience to the team, along with a solid incoming freshman class this fall. I'm expecting good things this spring."
In four seasons at EMU, Young served as a top & 2nd assistant coach for the EMU baseball program. In Young's last season with the Eagles they were able to earn a NCAA Regional Tournament berth after winning the 2008 Mid-American Conference Tournament convincingly in four straight wins.
During the 2008 MAC Tournament the Eagles hitters carried a .371 batting average, with each Green and White player recording at least three hits and two RBI. As a team the Eagles hit a combined 10 homeruns, 10 doubles, 56 total hits and scored an average of 10 runs per game in the tournament. Four EMU players batted over .400 during the MAC tournament.
The Eagles won two consecutive MAC West Division titles during Young's time at EMU, with the Young mentoring primarily infielders and hitters. EMU improved statistically in virtually every offensive category under Young's leadership, saving the best for this last season when EMU raised its batting average by 24 points and scored 105 more runs, averaging nearly seven runs per game. The power output also increased over Young's time at EMU, as the team's slugging percentage has increased over 80 points in three seasons.
While working with EMU's infielders, Young mentored freshman Zack Leonard, who batted .348 and was named a Freshman All-America by Ping Baseball. Young also helped develop All-MAC infielder Josh Ivan, where he posted career high offensive numbers in every major category in his senior season batting .330, 35 runs, 70 hits, 12 doubles, 7 homeruns, 45 runs batted in, and a .505 slugging percentage.
In his third season, Young tutored junior shortstop Jeff Hehr, who led the team offensively in runs, runs batted in, homeruns and was drafted after that season in the 20th round of the 2007 MLB draft by the Cleveland Indians. Young, also developed and mentored first baseman Steve Bradshaw over the last four seasons who led the team in batting average 3 years in a row ending with a career batting average .358 and jumped to 4th all time career batting average & ended his career with a .990 fielding percentage.
Defensively the Eagles infielders have also consistently fielded at or above a .960 fielding percentage and have been ranked in the top five for team fielding percentage over last three seasons.
So far in Young's coaching career he has coached six players that have signed contracts to play professionally, including former MAC Pitcher of the Year Jeff Fischer and CoSIDA Academic All-American Jeff Hehr who were both drafted in 2007.
"We are very fortunate to have Del join the Oakland baseball family," said Musachio. "He has done a great job the past several years as an assistant coach at Eastern Michigan. Del is a proven recruiting coach, a good teacher on the field and has a firm grasp on all facets of running a college program."
Young was a two-year baseball letter winner for the Northwood University Timberwolves, after playing his first two seasons at St. Clair County Community College. He was a co-captain for the Timberwolves during his senior season.
Young is a native of Bad Axe, Mich. and played at Bad Axe High School. He earned a bachelor's of business administration degree in Management from Northwood University in 2004 and completed his master's degree in Sport Management from Eastern Michigan University in 2006. Young and his wife, Jenni, reside in Belleville, Mich. Young is also the nephew of current Oakland Athletics pitching coach Curt Young.
