Valparaiso University head baseball coach Brian Schmack has announced the addition of Casey Fletcher to his coaching staff.

Fletcher comes to the Crusaders after a two-year stint at Illinois, where he served as a volunteer assistant. The Fighting Illini went 33-20 and 15-9 in the Big Ten Conference this past season.

Prior to joining the coaching staff at Illinois, Fletcher played professionally for two seasons with the Joliet Slammers of the Frontier League. He enjoyed a prosperous collegiate playing career that featured two seasons as an All-Big Ten honoree at Illinois (2014-2015) and played a key role in Illinois’ program-record 50-win season in 2015. He helped the Fighting Illini advance to the NCAA Super Regional for the first time in program history by hitting .326 with 48 runs, three homers and 33 RBIs as a senior.

“Casey comes from a strong baseball background and has quality playing experience,” Schmack said. “His catching ability will pay dividends as he serves as our catching coach. He checked all the boxes of what I was looking for in this position. I believe Casey will fit in well within the culture of our program, and I’m looking forward to watching him make a positive impact on our team.”

Fletcher graduated from Illinois in 2015 with a degree in communication. He was an outfielder in college before moving behind the plate in the professional ranks, giving him a unique positional resume. Fletcher, who started his collegiate career with two seasons at Kankakee Community College, hit .318 with 60 RBIs over his two seasons playing for the Illini. During his time on Illinois’ staff, he served as the first base coach.

“I’m excited to be a part of a Valpo offense that has enjoyed great success over the years,” Fletcher said. “Coach Schmack is a great leader and has done an excellent job with this program. This position gives me the opportunity to go out and recruit, something that really attracted me to this job. I’m looking forward to learning more about what Valpo has been doing over the years, buying into the program’s philosophy and building relationships with our players.”

Fletcher, an Oakwood, Ill. native and graduate of Oakwood High School, comes from a strong baseball lineage. His father Darrin played in the big leagues from 1989-2002 with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies, Montreal Expos and Toronto Blue Jays. He was a National League All-Star in 1994 while playing for the Expos. Casey’s grandfather Tom also reached the big leagues with the Detroit Tigers in 1962 and his great grandfather Glenn spent 10 seasons in the minor leagues.