Eastern Michigan University named Mark Van Ameyde its baseball coach Tuesday.
Van Ameyde is switching one green and white jersey for another, as he spent the last six years as the assistant coach for former EMU assistant Jake Boss at Michigan State University.
He is no stranger to Ypsilanti – having spent the 2008 season as an assistant for the Mid-American Conference champion Eagles.
“We are thrilled to welcome Coach Mark Van Ameyde as our next head baseball coach,” EMU Vice President and Director of Athletics Heather Lyke said in a news release. “From the time we first visited with Coach Van Ameyde, we saw a natural leader who is prepared to be our head baseball coach. His passion for teaching student-athletes life lessons and building championship teams through the game of baseball make him an ideal candidate to lead our baseball program.”
In Van Ameyde’s six years at MSU, the Spartans went 194-137, including a trip to the Big Ten Conference Championship in 2011 and a NCAA Regionals berth in 2012.
“I am excited, grateful and humbled to be the next Head Baseball Coach at Eastern Michigan University,” Van Ameyde said. “I want to thank Director of Athletics Heather Lyke, Senior Associate AD Chris Hoppe and all those on the search committee for this opportunity. I also need to recognize and thank Chris Czarnik who hired me at the University of Detroit, Pete Wilk who gave me an opportunity at Georgetown and of course Jake Boss at Michigan State. Lastly, I would be remiss if I didn’t thank my wife, Melissa, for her constant support throughout my career.”
Before his stints in Ypsilanti and East Lansing, and a stop at Georgetown University as an assistant coach, Van Ameyde was on the staff at the University of Detroit Mercy. He served first as the team’s hitting instructor, before assuming the duties of pitching coach and recruiting coordinator.
Van Ameyde said he hopes to bring back some of the successes the EMU baseball team has seen in the past.
“Advancing to two College World Series in the 1970s under the recently departed Ron Oestrike and continuing throughout the years, the baseball tradition here is very strong,” Van Ameyde said. “Having contributed to the championship tradition in 2008 with Jake Boss, I am confident we can bring that level of success back to the EMU program. I believe that the current players we have here plus the infusion of new leadership will allow us to make immediate improvement and pave the way for future success. “The program will be built on relationships and trust. I want our players to know what they are going to get from the coaching staff every day: a consistency in approach, attitude and work ethic. This type of atmosphere will allow for maximum growth in our student-athletes.”
Van Ameyde also has head coaching experience – he served as the coach at St. Mary’s College in Orchard Lake Village, Mich. from 1999-2000.
The Novi native graduated with a bachelor’s degree in communication from UDM in 1996. He is currently pursuing his master’s degree in sports administration from Wayne State University.
Van Ameyde earned two letters pitching for UDM, earning all-conference and team MVP honors in 1994. He also pitched at Henry Ford Community College for two years and helped the team to a regional championship in 1991.
He and his wife Melissa, have three sons – Chase, Cole and Cash.
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