MACOMB, Ill. (NEWS3) — The Western Illinois baseball team has a new head coach. WIU Director of Athletics Danielle Surprenant named Andy Pascoe as the seventh head coach in program history on Thursday.
According to a press release from WIU Athletic Communications, Pascoe served as an assistant coach at Butler University from 2017-2019. There, he helped the team to reach the 2018 Big East Tournament for the first time in school history. Butler also broke the school record for winning percentage in a season (.630) that year, and it marked the first winning season (34-20) since 2003.
“I am very excited and grateful about this opportunity to become the next head coach at Western Illinois,” said Pascoe in the press release. “I know Ryan Brownlee well and have the utmost respect for him and what he has done at WIU. He has established a strong foundation and culture for this program. It is exciting not only to lead this program but also to be a part of an athletic department that is close-knit and family-oriented.”
His work helped Butler earn three All-Big East Selections in 2017, five in 2018 and two in 2019, including second-team All-American Harrison Freed, who was selected by the San Francisco Giants in the 13th round of the 2019 MLB Draft.
Before Butler, Pascoe began his coaching career as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Evansville from 2011-2015. Pascoe helped the Purple Aces to an overall record of 147-131, a regular-season conference title in 2014, and seven MLB draft picks. The program also amassed four All-Americans, a conference player of the year and 22 all-conference selections.
Pascoe is the seventh head coach in WIU program history.
