Northwest Missouri State University Men's Baseball

Northwest Missouri State University head baseball coach Tony Jandron led the Bearcats to a berth in the 2025 MIAA Baseball Tournament championship game while securing the most ever wins by a first-year coach in program history. Jandron guided the Bearcats to a 27-25 mark in the 2025 season. Northwest went 19-17 in MIAA play and earned the No. 6 seed in the 2025 MIAA Tournament. Northwest picked up one-run wins over No. 3 seed Fort Hays State and No. 8 seed Washburn to reach the tournament title game against No. 4 seed Central Oklahoma. The Bronchos posted an 11-4 win in the championship game. In 2025, the Northwest baseball set the program record for home runs in a season (57). The Bearcats had five players gain all-MIAA recognition in the 2025 season led by third team selections Ryan Williams (UTIL) and Ashton Neuman (OF). Neuman was also awarded a spot on the MIAA's Gold Glove Team. Ben Haug (P), Jaren Guck (P) and Dylan Hufft (SS) tallied honorable mention all-MIAA honors. Director of Athletics Andy Peterson has announced the hiring of Jandron as the new head coach of the Bearcat baseball program June 3, 2024. "I'm thrilled to get Coach Jandron to campus and turn the keys to the baseball program over to him," Peterson said. "We had a ton of interest and qualified coaches reached out about running our team, and Tony quickly separated himself as a top candidate. As an assistant he has been a part of successful teams at every stop in his career and I'm excited to see what he can do as a head coach in building off the foundation here at Northwest Missouri State. We're excited to get Tony and his wife, Gabby, to town and start the next chapter of Bearcat baseball." Jandron became the 10th head coach in school history, and only the fourth different leader in the last 42 seasons of Bearcat baseball. This is the first head coaching job for Jandron after previously serving as an assistant coach at Illinois State, Central Michigan, Northwood and the College of DuPage. "I'm thankful to Andy for this opportunity," Jandron said. "I was impressed by the vision of the program and enjoyed getting to know more about the Bearcat culture. There is a commitment to the student-athlete experience and I'm excited to meet the standard of success both on and off the field. I'm looking forward to building relationships, sharing my experiences, and motivating players to become the best version of themselves. My wife, Gabby, and I are beyond excited to be in Maryville and join the Bearcat family." At Illinois State in 2024, Jandron served as the third base coach and ran the offense for the Redbirds. Illinois State gained its first winning season since 2019 when it posted a mark of 30-27 and went 16-11 in the Missouri Valley Conference in 2024. As a squad, the Redbirds batted .291 with 76 home runs and 54 stolen bases. Prior to Illinois State, Jandron spent five seasons (2019-2023) as an assistant at Central Michigan and amassed a 177-80 (.689) record as a Chippewa. In Jandron's time at Central Michigan, the Chippewas earned their first NCAA berth since 1995, tied the program record for victories in a season (47), and broke the programs stolen base record in a season (133). The 2019, 2021, 2022 teams won 132 games, marking the winningest three-year stretch in program history. Central Michigan was in the NCAA Tournament three straight times (2019, 2021, 2022) during Jandron's time in Mount Pleasant. The dramatic 6-5 victory over Miami (Fla.) in an NCAA Regional game in Starkville, Miss. was CMU's first NCAA Tournament victory since 1988. Jandron coached three seasons (2016-2018) at NCAA Division II Northwood. The Timberwolves won their first GLIAC title in their program's history and had a combined two-year total of 84 victories (2017, 2018) was the fifth-highest total in Division II. Both squads were ranked in the top 20 nationally and appeared in the NCAA Regionals. He began his coaching career at College of DuPage, a junior college in Glen Ellyn, Ill. At DuPage, Jandron helped lead a 16-win improvement as the Chaparrals finished 39-20 in 2015, their first winning season in five years. Jandron is a 2011 graduate of St. Norbert College in DePere, Wis., with a degree in business administration. Jandron was a two-sport athlete in college as he competed in baseball and basketball. The former All-American at St. Norbert College (De Pere, Wis.) led the NCAA in batting average .511 his senior campaign and is the program's all-time wins leader on the mound. Jandron played every position but catcher for the Green Knights. Jandron gained a master's of science degree in organizational leadership from Northwood in 2019. Jandron is a native of Negaunee, Michigan.   Jandron's Coaching Profile Illinois State - First winning season since 2019 ('24) Mid-American Conference (MAC) Champions ('22, '19) MAC Tournament Champions ('22,'19) MLB Draft Picks ('22', '21, '20, '19) NCAA D1 Regional Qualifier ('22,'21,'19) NCAA D1 Regional Finalist ('21) First NCAA Tournament Appearance in 24 years ('19) Tied program record with 47 wins ('19) GLIAC Champions ('18, '17) GLIAC Tournament Champions ('18, '17) NCAA D2 Regional Qualifier ('18, '17) 84 wins, 5th in all of Division II ('18, '17) Top-20 national ranking ('18, '17) Program Record 46 wins ('17) First ever NCAA Regional - #1 seed ('17) DuPage, 16-win improvement: 39-20 record ('15) First year at DuPage resulted in first winning season in five years ('14)   Northwest's Baseball Head Coaches 1956 - Bob Gregory, Career Record: 6-2-1 1957-58 - Neal Tremble, Career Record: 10-9 1959-60 - Marion Moss, Career Record: 9-9 1961-69 - Burton Richey, Career Record: 89-94 1970-72 - John Barnes, Career Record: 45-50 1973-81 - Jim Wasem, Career Record: 221-119 1982-92 - Jim Johnson 1993 - Steve Chor, Career Record: 9-18 1994-99 - Jim Johnson, Career Record: 369-330 2000-24 - Darin Loe, Career Record: 592-650 2024 - Tony Jandron, Career Record: 27-25  

Taylor Rogers is joining the Northwest Missouri State University Sports Medicine team as an assistant athletic trainer working primarily with baseball. Rogers will also work with the Bearcat football team. Rogers earned his bachelor’s degree in exercise science from Creighton University in 2020. He then went on to receive his master’s degree in athletic training from the University of Nebraska-Kearney in 2022 where he was a graduate research assistant. From 2022-24, Rogers was the head athletic trainer at Sulphur Springs High School in Sulphur Springs, Texas, where he oversaw all sports. Rogers holds a certification in Blood Flow Restriction training, is a certified American Heart Association BLS Instructor and is a certified personal trainer through the NSCA.

Theo Bartolomeo will serve as an assistant baseball coach at Northwest Missouri State University. Prior to Northwest, Bartolomeo worked two seasons as an assistant coach for the Charleston Golden Eagles. He worked primarily with the infielders and hitters, as well as assisting with recruiting, formulating scouting reports and summer ball placement. In 2023, Golden Eagle hitters achieved incredible success. Notably, the Golden Eagles set school and conference records in runs scored, runs batted in, stolen bases, extra base hits, and home runs. The Golden Eagles finished with MEC regular season and tournament championships, and an appearance in the Millersville NCAA Atlantic Regional. Bartolomeo came to Charleston after spending four years at Division I mid-major Central Michigan. He worked in various capacities for the Chippewas, beginning as a student manager in 2018-2019 and ascending to Director of Baseball Operations by 2021-2022. There, he was responsible for managing the behind-the-scenes operations of the program, such as assisting the coaches with practice planning and execution, equipment, travel logistics, small group sessions and scouting reports. Bartolomeo also played key roles in developing the student manager program and data analytics team at Central Michigan. During his four years at Central Michigan, the Chippewas won two MAC regular season championships, two MAC conference championships, and appeared in three NCAA Regionals. The Chippewas won 40 games or more in the three full seasons that were played when Bartolomeo was on staff, and each regional team won at least one game in the NCAA Tournament, including making it to the Regional Finals against Notre Dame in 2021. The Central Michigan program saw 8 Chippewas move on to affiliated professional baseball from 2019 to 2022. In previous summers, Bartolomeo has ventured out to the Cape Cod Baseball League in Massachusetts. In 2021, he served as a scouting/general manager intern for the Bourne Braves, who made it to the league championship series that year. In 2022, Bartolomeo served as an assistant coach for the Wareham Gatemen. For both teams, Bartolomeo was responsible for generating scouting reports, assisted with coaching the hitters, and assisted with player acquisitions. In his two years on the Cape, Bartolomeo has worked with a total of 46 MLB draft picks. Bartolomeo hails from White Bear Lake, Minnesota. He graduated Central Michigan University in 2022 with his undergrad in Sport Management and is pursuing his Master’s in Strategic Leadership from Charleston.

Javier Martinez will join the Bearcat coaching staff as a volunteer coach, acting as the hitting coach and camp coordinator with the program.   Martinez’ previous coaching stint was at the University of Chicago, joining in the fall of 2022 to assist in hitting and catching. He spent the previous three seasons (2018-2020) at his alma mater, College of DuPage (COD), working on developing hitters and catchers.    As a player, Martinez began his career at COD, eventually becoming one of the best hitters in the country in 2016. He led the nation with 74 RBI, while earning Region IV player of the year and NJCAA All-America honors. The slugger continued his career at Northwood University (NU), helping lead the Timberwolves to back-to-back NCAA regional appearances. The 2017 team broke a 52-year post-season drought at Northwood, capturing the regular season and conference tournament titles, along with hosting an NCAA Regional Tournament. In 2018, Martinez’s final season, he contributed to another regional and was an all-conference selection.    

Shane is in his second season with the Bearcats filling the role as Graduate Assistant. He played his college career at Central Michigan University under head coach Jordan Bischel (University of Cincinnati) and is excited to continue his coaching career post graduate school. 

Darin Loe has been the skipper of Northwest Missouri State's baseball program since 2000. Loe guided the Bearcats to a 13-26 mark in the 2021 season that saw five Bearcats earn all-MIAA accolades. Second baseman Peter Carlson notched second-team all-MIAA status as he led the Bearcats in home runs (10). First baseman Connor Quick secured third-team all-MIAA honors. Outfielder Ryan Koski and pitchers Spencer Hanson and Alex Slocum each tallied honorable mention all-league status. In a COVID-19 shortened 2020 season, Loe led the Bearcats to a limited mark of 7-13, including 2-4 in MIAA play. In 2019, Loe saw the Bearcats post their third consecutive above .500 mark in MIAA play for the first time since 2008. First baseman Connor Quick earned first-team all-MIAA honors. Qiuck led the Bearcats with a team-best .371 batting average to go along with a .577 slugging percentage and a .447 on-base percentage. Quick had an OPS of 1.054. Quick cranked out 72 hits, tying him for the fifth-most in a single season by a Bearcat in program history. Senior Derek Hussey set the program record for career walks (100) as he earned third-team all-MIAA status. Loe guided the Bearcats to the MIAA regular season title in 2018. It marked the first MIAA title for Northwest since the 1983 season. Northwest went 25-11 in MIAA play and earned the No. 1 seed for the conference tournament. The Bearcats had 11 players earn all-MIAA honors, including a trio of first-team selections. NW's first-team all-MIAA picks in 2018 were Hudson Bilodeau, Trevor Dudar and Joseph Hietpas. NW's three first-team selections is the most for the program since the 1989 season. Bilodeau and Dudar were named to the 2018 ABCA/Rawlings NCAA Div. II All-Region team. In 2017, Anthony Caenepeel became the program's first MIAA Pitcher of the Year. The right-hander set single-season records with 114 strikeouts and 106.2 innings pitched. The First-Team All-MIAA performer also broke the Bearcat career record with 267 strikeouts and 278 innings pitched. Northwest advanced to the MIAA Tournament for the second-straight year. Loe posted seven consecutive winning seasons from 2002-08 - the Bearcats' longest such streak in more than 25 years. The 2012 season also saw Loe capture his 500th career win on the final day of the regular season in a sweep over Lincoln on May 6. Loe has led Northwest to the MIAA tournament five times in his first six seasons. The 2010 squad gave Loe his seventh tournament berth and did so in spectacular fashion, winning 15 of its final 23 regular-season games and four of its final five series against league foes. Four Northwest teams have won at least 30 games under Loe including the 2003 squad which finished 36-17 and made the program's first appearance in the NCAA tournament since 1989. That Bearcat squad placed second in the league standings with a 20-8 record, went 1-1 at the MIAA tournament and beat Minnesota Duluth at the South Central Regional. Eleven Bearcats have earned first-team All-MIAA honors under Loe including David Dugan, who was a two-time first-teamer. Loe has developed 76 All-MIAA players overall which includes 10 two-time all-conference performers. Adam Bailey was named All-America outfielder in 2000 and is one of Loe's two-time, all-league performers. Bailey was the program's first All-America choice since 1989. PRIOR TO NORTHWEST Before arriving to Maryville, Loe served three seasons as the head coach at Baker University in Baldwin City, Kan. There, he led the Wildcats to HAAC tournament championships in 1997 and 1998 and to a third-place regional finish in 1998. Loe's first head coaching gig came at Missouri Valley College in Marshall back in 1994. He spent three years there and led the Vikings to their first HAAC tournament appearance in the process. Loe was a dominating collegiate pitcher at Valley City State University in Valley City, N.D. More than 20 years since his last pitch there, Loe still holds program records for career wins (28) and career strikeouts (380). He led the NAIA with 121 strikeouts in 1987, which still stands as a program record. Loe was also a standout quarterback for the Vikings and entered the Valley City State Hall of Fame in October 2001. At the culmination of his collegiate career, Loe was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the 26th round of the 1989 amateur draft. He played three seasons in the Mariner's organization before entering the coaching ranks. Loe attained his bachelor's degree from Valley City State University in 1991 and a master's degree from North Dakota State University in the spring of 1994 where he served as an assistant coach. He was inducted into the Valley City State University Athletics Hall of Fame in 2000. He was inducted into the Ada-Borup-West High School Hall of Fame in 2022. Loe and his wife, Lisa, reside in Maryville with their daughters, Abby and Macy, and son, Cooper.