Allegheny College Men's Baseball

Brandon Crum was named the 24th head baseball coach in Allegheny program history on August 28, 2017. He enters his ninth season at the helm of the Gators in the spring of 2026. Crum leads the Gators with a commitment to personal development, competitive excellence, and a team-first culture. Growing up just minutes from Meadville, Crum’s deep roots in northwest Pennsylvania have shaped his leadership style and his dedication to building a program grounded in commitment, toughness, and accountability. Crum first joined Allegheny’s staff as an assistant coach from 2010-16, where he was the recruiting coordinator, pitching coach, and third base coach. His impact and leadership led to his appointment as the 24th head coach in program history in August 2017. With his elevation came a renewed vision for the program – one built on work ethic, character, and the belief that baseball is a platform for developing young men of integrity. His teams reflect that vision: competitive, disciplined, and united by a culture in which every player has a role and every detail matters. Between his tenure at Allegheny, the Saegertown native earned his first head-coaching position at Mercyhurst University North East during the 2017 season. In his lone year leading the Saints, the 2017 NJCAA Region III Coach of the Year guided the program to a regional championship and an appearance in the NJCAA District Tournament. Since returning to the Gator dugout, Crum has emphasized a player-centered approach focused on skill development, academic achievement, and personal growth away from the field. Under his guidance, Allegheny’s competitive culture and commitment to success has provided a first-class student-athlete experience. His ability to develop strong leaders, derive consistency, and uphold high standards has prepared countless players for success during and after their collegiate careers. Crum treats player development as a holistic process. Whether he’s developing game-ready fundamentals, sharpening their competitive mental approach, or helping a student-athlete navigate daily life at a rigorous institution, he brings a steady presence and unwavering belief in the individuals in his program. Throughout his tenure, Crum has built a reputation for elevating player performance and maximizing individual potential. Under his leadership, numerous Gators have earned All-NCAC and All-PAC honors. His emphasis on fundamentals, competitive focus, and mental-game consistency has helped athletes thrive in two of Division III’s most respected conferences, reinforcing Allegheny’s standing as a destination for high-level development. A standout example of Crum’s recruiting and developmental impact is left-handed pitcher Sean Kealey, a 2020 graduate who transformed from collegiate standout into a professional athlete. Kealey earned NCAC Pitcher of the Year honors before signing with the St. Louis Cardinals organization, where he went on to pitch several seasons in the minor leagues, reaching as high as Double-A. Another success story is infielder Brett Heckert ’22. After earning his Allegheny degree, Heckert transferred to the University of Pittsburgh, where he stepped into ACC competition and continued to excel, hitting .300 for the Panthers. Their trajectories from Allegheny standouts to high-level performers exemplify the long-term development and competitive readiness Crum’s program is designed to produce. Crum’s recruiting acumen is equally evident in recent standout graduates Matt Jennings and Tyson Bryant-Dawson. Jennings grew into one of the program’s most valuable two-way contributors, embodying the competitiveness, toughness, and versatility Crum prioritizes. Bryant-Dawson elevated the program even further, emerging as an elite performer within the conference and earning all-Conference and all-Region attention for his advanced offensive skillset, defensive reliability, and game-changing presence. His immediate and sustained impact, paired with Jennings’s rise, highlights Crum’s consistent ability to identify elite talent nationwide and cultivate an environment in which top-tier recruits flourish in Meadville. Crum has also made a transformative impact off the field at Allegheny through his leadership in program advancement and community engagement. He maintains an active presence across campus and consistently supports departmental initiatives aimed at elevating the student-athlete experience. Most notably, he spearheaded a major fundraising effort that generated more than $750,000 in support of Allegheny baseball, culminating in the renovation and renaming of the program’s home facility, now proudly known as Robert M. Garbark ’32 Field. His ability to unite alumni, families, and community partners behind a shared vision has modernized the ballpark, enriched the program, and created a lasting legacy that will benefit generations of Gators to come. Before beginning his coaching career, Crum was a standout collegiate catcher at Gannon University, where he served as a two-year team captain. He earned All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) honors in 2010 and was recognized for his academic excellence with Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) All-Academic distinction in 2008 and PSAC All-Academic honors in both 2009 and 2010. Crum ranks among Gannon’s all-time leaders in multiple categories, including career putouts (444) and hit-by-pitches (24). Crum graduated from Gannon in 2010 with a bachelor's in Finance, before going on to earn a master's in Sports Administration from Lock Haven University. He and his wife, Ashley, have two children, Griffin and Zoe, and reside in their hometown of Saegertown. Allegheny Career Coaching Highlights 2026 Two D3baseball.com All-Region Selections: Ryan Cochran (2nd), Zach Miner (2nd) Once ABCA/Rawlings All-Region Selection: Ryan Cochran (2nd) PAC Championships Appearance PAC Newcomer of the Year: Zach Miner Eight All-PAC Selections: Ryan Cochran (1st), Zach Miner (1st), Noah Philson (2nd), Ben Shields (HM), Michael Alspaugh (HM), Nick Banez (HM), Liam Irving (HM), Connor Kunkle (HM) 2025 PAC Championships Appearance One ABCA All-Region Selection: Tyson Bryant-Dawson (3rd) Six All-PAC Selections: Tyson Bryant-Dawson (1st), Matt Jennings (1st), Walker Cunningham (2nd), Tommy Landsnes (2nd), William Wolff (2nd), JD Robinson (HM) 2024 PAC Championships Appearance One D3Baseball.com All-Region Selection: Tyson Bryant-Dawson (2nd) One ABCA All-Region Selection: Matt Jennings (2nd) One All-ECAC Selection: Tyson Bryant Dawson Seven All-PAC Selections: Tyson Bryant-Dawson (1st), Brady Nolin (1st), Matt Jennings (1st), Brent Herrmann (1st), JD Robinson (2nd), Mark Schweickert (HM), Dawson Thomas (HM) 2023 Six All-PAC Honors: Tyson Bryant-Dawson (1st), Sullivan Schueltz (2nd), Ryan Dougherty (2nd), Brady Nolin (HM), Mark Schweickert (HM), Brent Herrmann (HM) 2022 Received votes in national rankings D3baseball.com All-Region: Ben Kosbie (3rd) Four All-NCAC selections: Ben Kosbie (1st), Tyson Bryant-Dawson (2nd), Brett Heckert (HM), Bobby Kusinsky (HM) 2021 Four All-NCAC East Honors: Luke Chutko, Tyler Hettich, Ryan Dougherty, Conor Deasey 2019 Three All-NCAC Honors: Sean Kealey (1st), Austin Bristol (1st), Vincent Carone (HM) NCAC Pitcher of the Year: Sean Kealey NCAC Championship Appearance  Two NCAC All-Tournament Team selections: Tommy Cannon, Austin Bristol 2018 Two All-NCAC Honors: Tommy Cannon (HM), Sean Kealey (HM)

Chasen Claus enters his first season as an assistant coach for the Allegheny College baseball program during the 2024-25 academic year. A former Division II student-athlete, Claus joins the Gators after spending the past two seasons as a graduate assistant coach at Division I Western Illinois University of the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC). With the Leathernecks, Claus served as the team's hitting coach and worked directly with the catchers. He helped mentor five All-OVC selections, including one all-conference catcher. In his two seasons at Western Illinois, the Leathernecks flexed their muscle at the plate. Their 37 home runs in 2024 were the most in a season in 14 years and tied for the ninth-most in program single-season history. Catcher Adam Juran, an All-OVC selection in 2023, slugged the second-most doubles in school history as a senior in 2024, and his 20 two-baggers were the most by a Leatherneck batter in over two decades. Claus began his collegiate coaching career at Division II Coker University in Hartsville, South Carolina, during the 2022 campaign. In addition to his duties with the team's batters and catchers, he was responsible for breaking down video, coordinating team travel, and organizing camps. Following his spring at Coker, Claus managed the Marion Swamp Foxes of the Old North State League (ONSL), a summer collegiate league based in North Carolina. Claus led the Swamp Foxes to a 20-11 overall record and a berth in the ONSL playoffs. Originally from Oakdale, Pennsylvania, Claus was a four-year member of the baseball team at Division II Alderson Broaddus University. As a catcher and first baseman, Claus started 102 consecutive games from his sophomore to senior seasons. An All-Mountain East Conference (MEC) Honorable Mention as a senior, he helped the Battlers qualify for the MEC Tournament while batting a career-high .331 with 12 doubles, seven home runs, and 46 RBIs in the spring of 2021.  Claus graduated from Alderson Broaddus in 2021 with a bachelor's degree in sports management before earning a master's degree in the same discipline at Western Illinois in 2024.  

Richie Rowe enters his second season as Allegheny College’s pitching coach and recruiting coordinator in the spring of 2024. In his first year as pitching coach, the Gators had one of the best staffs in the Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC). Allegheny finished among the top three teams in the conference in ERA (4.99), strikeouts (299), and batting average against (.264), while leading all teams with the fewest hits allowed (313) in 36 games. Additionally, two pitchers, Brent Herrmann (Canfield, Ohio/Canfield) and Mark Schweickert (Glen Allen, Va./John Randolph Tucker) were recognized as All-PAC Honorable Mentions. Schweickert and then-senior Bobby Kusinsky (Harrison City, Pa./Penn-Trafford) led all qualified pitchers in the PAC in opposing batting average at .181 and .185, respectively, in 2023. Rowe, who serves as Allegheny’s first-base coach, helps with hitting, infield, and outfield duties, develops scouting reports, and organizes the team’s travel accommodations. On campus, he assists with game and facility management for home sporting events inside the David V. Wise Center. During the summer, Rowe runs camps and showcases at Allegheny’s Robert M. Garbark Field to help garner exposure for local high school players. He also coaches travel baseball teams in the Pittsburgh area, working with the TCT Tigers Elite. Before joining the Gators, Rowe spent two years at Division II Shippensburg University in a similar capacity under 2022 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division Coach of the Year Matt Jones. As pitching coach, he helped the Raiders reduce their ERA by more than a run between the 2021 and 2022 seasons. Two Raider hurlers were named All-PSAC performers, and one, Nick Zegna, was an All-Region selection. Zegna later signed a pro contract with the Glacier Range Riders in the independent Pioneer League. No stranger to the PAC, Rowe was a two-way player and senior captain at Geneva College. As a senior in 2018, he led the Golden Tornadoes and ranked among the top 10 in the PAC in wins (5) and strikeouts (41), as Geneva compiled its winningest season in seven years. As an outfielder and first baseman, he walked more than he struck out and logged a career .395 on-base percentage. A double graduate of Geneva, Rowe received his bachelor’s degree in sports and business management with a minor in coaching from Geneva in 2018. He then graduated with a master’s in higher education in 2020.