MINERAL AREA COLLEGE

Baseball Coaching Staff

Head Coach - Stan Walden

High School:     Winnetonka (MO)

College:           Missouri State University   BS - Education

                       Southeast Missouri State (graduate hours in MEA)

Stan Walden begins his first year as head coach at Mineral Area College. Coach Walden was named head coach this past summer replacing longtime head coach Jim Gerwitz after serving for four years as his assistant.  Coach Walden has been instrumental in the team's success the past 4 seasons as recruiting coordinator and working with the Cardinals offense and defense. Mineral Area enjoyed one of their finest seasons this past year posting an impressive 31-18 record.

"I am very excited and honored to be the next head coach at Mineral Area College.  I would like to thank the school administration for the opportunity.  I look forward to the opportunity of bringing Mineral Area a MCCAC championship as well as a Region XVI title."  -- Stan Walden

Walden believes one of the biggest thrills he has with his job is seeing players from all over come together as a group to accomplish great things.  He added, “I enjoy seeing young people be a part of something successful.  It is important for people to have structure and discipline, and I enjoy being part of a program that focuses on that.  Our players not only become better baseball players, but people in general,”

Prior to coming to Mineral Area, Walden spent 30 years coaching baseball at all levels.  As a high school coach (at Caruthersville MO and Farmington MO) from 1981 to 2004, his teams had an overall record of 335 wins and 192 losses; winning 10 district championships and appearing in 4 Missouri High School state quarterfinals.  Walden has also been part of the coaching staff of Team Missouri, participating in the Junior Sunbelt series; and also the MSHBCA Senior All-Star series.  In addition to high school coaching, Walden spent three summers coaching in a collegiate wood bat league, winning a KITTY League championship in 2005 with a record of 42-8 with the Farmington Firebirds.  He has also run numerous instructional baseball camps and clinics for players and coaches of all ages.  Walden also served as an Associate Scout with the Kansas City Royals.  He was inducted into the Missouri High School Baseball Coaches Association "Hall of Fame" in 2001.

Assistant Coach - Blake Jones

High School:    Caledonia (MO)

College:     Mineral Area College (2005-2006)

                 Lincoln University   (2009) 

Former Mineral Area College pitcher Blake Jones will be in his third year as an assistant coach with the baseball team.  His duties include working with the pitchers, as well as assisting with recruiting.  Two seasons ago Blake started his coaching career at Lincoln University in Jefferson City where he helpled the pitching staff lower its earned run average by a over a run per game.  Andy Moss a former Mineral Area College baseball player was a member of Blake's staff and was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals.  Last season, two of Blake's pitchers signed with Division I schools.  Dustin Hunter decided to continue his playing career at Western Illinois and Tyler Beers signed with with Murray State.  Last season Tim Vonder Haar signed with Murray State and the Cardinals enjoyed one of their finest seasons in the program's history going 31-18. 

Blake played his high school baseball nearby at Caledonia H.S. where he was an all-conference, all-district and all-state pitcher.  He began his collegiate playing career at Mineral Area for Jim Gerwitz where he was a Region XVI All-Star his sophomore year.   He went on to play two seasons at Lincoln for head coach Jim Dapkus before taking over as pitching coach.  

Assistant Coach - Mike Overman

High School:  Union (MO) - 2004

College:                Southwestern Illinois College – AS – 2006

                            Lincoln University – BA – 2008

                            Lincoln University – MA – 2009-present (graduate hours)

Mike Overman begins his first season as an assistant coach for the Mineral Area baseball team.  His duties include working with hitters, the team’s defense, and assisting with recruiting.  Overman comes to MAC from after serving as an assistant coach at North Central Missouri College from 2009-2011. 

Coach Overman began his coaching career at Lincoln University in 2008 following a two year playing career there.  Along with working numerous camps and clinics, Overman was also the hitting coach for the championship winning Laramie Colts of the Mountain Collegiate Summer Baseball League in the summer of 2009. 

Overman played high school baseball at Union High School and was an all-conference and all-state player as well as being a part of a state playoff team.  He began his collegiate career at Southwestern Illinois College.  At SWIC, Overman was a starting pitcher and outfielder.  After graduating from SWIC, he moved on to play two seasons at Lincoln University under coach Jim Dapkus.  At Lincoln, he was an all heartland conference outfielder as a senior.