Missouri Western State University Men's Baseball

Verduzco begins his 18th season at the helm of the Missouri Western baseball team in 2017. Verduzco is just the second head coach in the history of the MWSU Baseball program and has an overall record of 501-368, winning his 500th game at the MIAA Tournament in a memorable 2016 season. Verduzco has led the Griffons to one MIAA Regular Season Championship (2013) and three NCAA Regional berths. Through his first 17 seasons leading the program, the Griffons have experienced just three losing seasons and only one since 2001. Verduzco was named MIAA Coach of the Year after the team won the 2013 MIAA Regular Season Championship. Eighty-eight Griffons have been named All-MIAA under Verduzco, including a program record 11 All-MIAA selections in 2016. Verduzco coached 2013 MIAA Pitcher of the Year Brandon Simmons and MIAA Player of the Year Michael Schulze. Schulze was also named the Daktronics National Player of the Year. Five different Griffons were named to All-American teams in 2013 and became five of the eight Griffons to be named All-American under Verduzco. Three of Verduzco's players have been selected in the MLB Amateur Player Draft, most recently Michael Schulze (19th round-St. Louis) and Grant Fink (23rd round-Cleveland) in 2013.  Countless student-athletes have also received Academic All-MIAA status under Verduzco with many more receiving Academic All-Region honors. His baseball team is regularly recognized for having the highest team GPA among Missouri Western Athletics teams.  A native of Stockton, California, Verduzco came to Missouri Western from Washington State University where he was an assistant for the Cougar program for over 10 seasons. He served as the Cougars hitting and outfield coach as well as the primary recruiting coordinator. Verduzco also directed the Cougar baseball camps and was the coordinator of alumni relations for the NCAA Division I program. Verduzco earned a bachelors degree in Psychology from Washington State in 1985. Verduzco played and coached under legendary coach Bobo Brayton at Washington State. Verduzco has previous coaching experience at the University of Nevada from 1987-90, working with the outfielders and hitters and assisted in recruiting and fund-raising. Verduzco earned a masters degree in Physical Education while at Nevada. In addition to coaching the Wolfpack, Verduzco was the head coach of Athletes in Action West Coast team in 1989. His St. Albert (Alberta) Tigers 1993 summer league team won the leagues zone championship. Verduzco became just the second head baseball coach in Missouri Western history on June 30, 1999, replacing long-time Griffon mentor Doug Minnis who had started the program in 1970. Verudzco and his wife Tracy have three children: Sara, Samantha and Chas and reside in St. Joseph.  

Michael Keeran officially became the fourth head baseball coach in program history in June 2025. Keeran joined MoWest after a successful two-year run as head coach at Northern Oklahoma College (NOC) in Tonkawa, Oklahoma, where he achieved an impressive record of 92-28 (.770) and a national ranking as high as No. 4. In 2025, he was honored as the Region 2 West Division Coach of the Year. During his time at NOC, Keeran developed over 20 players who advanced to compete at the NCAA Division I level, including several NJCAA Division II All-Americans. His high-octane offense contributed to the Mavericks' ranking in the top 10 nationally in hits (641), RBIs (536) and runs scored (606) in his final season. Before NOC, Keeran served for one season as recruiting coordinator at NCAA Division I Western Illinois. He was also head coach at Bismarck State College in North Dakota from 2020-22, where the Mystics won conference championships in both ‘21 and ‘22, along with a regional title in ‘22. Under Keeran’s guidance, BSC posted an overall record of 69-18 (.793) and were consistently ranked in the Top 25, achieving a high of No. 2 in NJCAA Division 2. From 2018-22, Keeran was a head coach in various summer collegiate baseball leagues, boasting a record of 171-38 (.818). His teams were crowned regular-season champions each year and clinched postseason titles in four out of five seasons (2018, 2019, 2020, 2022). Keeran earned Coach of the Year accolades in the Pioneer Collegiate Baseball League from 2018-20 and was Expedition League Coach of the Year award in 2022. In 2019, Keeran served as Recruiting Coordinator at NAIA Valley City State University (N.D.), leading the Vikings to a runner-up finish in the conference. In 2018, Keeran was an assistant coach at Grinnell College (IA), helping the Pioneers to a 24-14 record. From 2013-16, Keeran was an assistant at Clear Lake High School in Iowa, where the Lions claimed State Championships in 2013, ‘15 and ‘16, compiling an overall record of 129-27 (.827) in that time. Keeran earned his Bachelor's and Master's degrees from Waldorf University, where he was recognized as an All-Conference baseball player. Michael and his wife, Kaitlin, have two sons, Maddux and Jax.

Connery O’Donnell-Smith started at Missouri Western in July 2025. He was previously an assistant baseball coach at Walters State Community College in Morristown, Tennessee in the 2024-25 season, helping that team to a national runner-up finish at the JUCO World Series Championship, as the Senators posted a 59-8-1 record. “Connery came highly recommended and has been on staff with some of the best minds in college baseball,” head coach Michael Keeran said. “He has been to two college world series and a national championship game. He's a winner and a relentless worker." O’Donnell attended Southeast Missouri State, earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Sport and Fitness Management in 2023 before getting his Master of Business Administration from SEMO in 2025. O’Donnell played collegiately at Garden City Community College before transferring to SEMO in 2020.  

Christopher Monroe joined Missouri Western in June 2025. He spent time as a professional baseball player both in the Pioneer Baseball League and Atlantic League from 2022-2024, playing for the Great Falls Voyagers, the Idaho Falls Chukars and the Lexington Legends. He also spent time as the hitting coach for Parkland College in Champaign, Illinois in 2023-24, helping that team to a Midwest Athletic Conference Co-Championship and a 42-15 record. “Chris came to us from Parkland College - a very good program with a great tradition,” said head coach Michael Keeran. “His experience not only as a coach, but as a player and his ability to relate to players makes him an extremely valuable addition to the staff." Monroe earned his Bachelor of Business Administration from Illinois-Springfield in 2021 before completing his Sports Administration Masters Program at Central Michigan in 2022. He was a two-time first-team all-GLVC selection with UIS, and helped CMU to a conference title and an NCAA tournament bid in 2022.