2020 HOLIDAY YOUTH CAMP

The camp will cover the important and basic fundamentals of the game. It is designed to be instructional, informative and fun for kids ages 8-12.

FACILITIES
Camps will take place in our state of the art, $ 22 million dollar Seelye Indoor Center. Contains six drop cages and 8 indoor mounds.

LOCATION - SEELYE INDOOR CENTER
Kalamazoo, the home of WMU’s main campus, is located midway between Chicago and Detroit, approximately 2 hours (140 miles) from each, on Interstate 94. Seelye Center located off of Stadium Drive just past Waldo Football Stadium. GPS intersection of Stadium Dr and W. Main St in Kalamazoo.

EQUIPMENT NEEDED
Bat, helmet, turf/tennis shoes, molded cleats and baseball pants. An athletic trainer will be present.

WMU COACHING STAFF
BILLY GERNON - HEAD COACH
Coach Gernon enters his tenth season as head coach of the Broncos. Gernon has led the team to the post season six of his nine years and has a post season record of 9-10 including the programs 1st ever MAC Tournament Championship in 2016. 2019 saw sophomore Blake Dunn named 1st team All MAC outfielder with freshmen pitcher Brady Miller garnered second team accolades. Dunn had the most stolen bases since 1998 going 30-36 missing the school record of 32 by only two bags. The team finished with a record setting 3.43 grade point average marking the 17th semester in a row the Broncos have posted a 3.0 or better under Coach Gernon.

2018 saw juniors RHP Nic Laio and short stop Connor Smith both drafted following their junior year. Laio was a 20th round selection by the Texas Rangers while Smith was a 30th round pick by the Cleveland Indians.

In 2017, Tanner Allison became the first MAC Player of the Year since 1991 and was drafted in the 19th round by the Atlanta Braves. He was also honored with All American distinction making it the first time WMU had back to back All Americans since 1994-1995 with Keegan Akin earning the same honor in 2016.

Western Michigan won the MAC Tournament in 2016 for the 1st time in school history earn-ing a berth to the NCAA Regionals for the first time since 1989. Junior LHP Keegan Akin was a second round draft pick and the 54th selection overall to the Baltimore Orioles, making him the highest drafted player since 1970. Akin was also named an All-American, the first to receive the honor since 2001. Akin started the AAA All Star game in 2019. He was also selected as the AA Eastern League Pitcher of the Year in 2018 as well as the Balti-more Orioles Jim Palmer Co-Minor League Pitcher of the Year.

Nine players have been drafted under Coach Gernon in rounds, 2, 6, 18, 19, 20, 21, 30, 32, and 35. Akin inked the highest signing bonus in school history as the 54th pick in 2016.

ADAM PIOTROWICZ - HITTING/CATCHING
Piotrowicz enters his seventh season as the Broncos hitting coach and recruiting coordi-nator. In 2019 the Broncos posted an impres-sive .287 average led by sophomore sensation Blake Dunn who finished the year at .374 with 30 stolen bases. He was named 1st team All MAC. In 2018, Connor Smith was named All MAC for the 3rd year in a row and was the 3rd shortstop drafted in the last five years having been selected in the 30th round by the Indians. Slugger Nate Grys moved into the top 10 for RBI’s and doubles in a single sea-son. The offense posted the most walks since 2008 and had the most stolen bases since 2014. In 2017 his offense posted the 20th best batting average in the nation (.308) and the 26th best OB% at .390. Outfielder Tanner Allison broke the single season record for RBI’s and was also selected the first MAC Player of the Year since 1991.

WILL NIMKE - PITCHING
Nimke enters his second season as the Bron-co pitching coach. Will played all four years for Coach Gernon at Western Michigan and had a signature win at Notre Dame as part of an impressive career. He spent the last two seasons as the pitching coach at Concordia University in Ann Arbor, MI. During those two seasons Concordia went 76-35 and Will’s staff held an earned run average of 3.85.

MATT HANSEN - INFIELD COACH
Hansen enters his first season with the Bron-cos after a stellar career at the University of Toledo. Matt was a four year started and a three year captain for the Rockets. He also spent the 2019 season as an assistant at Tole-do. He will handle infield play and assist with hitting while coordinating baserunning.

MEMBERS OF THE BRONCO BASEBALL TEAM
Will be on staff to assist with the camp.