Earlier this year, tragedy struck WIU when Head Baseball Coach Stan Hyman lost his battle with leukemia. Students, staff, faculty and community members all gathered at Alford D. Boyer Stadium to wish him a final farewell and to pay their respects. And while Coach Hyman will never be forgotten, the WIU baseball team must move on. In late November, a new man was chosen to lead the Leatherneck baseball program, and his name is Mike Villano.
While Villano has big shoes to fill, WIU has every right to believe he is the right man for the job. Villano was a student-athlete during his college days at Saginaw Valley State University. During his first year there, Villano was named “The Great Lakes Conference Freshman of the Year” in 1991. The following three years Villano continued his successful career becoming a four-time all-conference selection as a pitcher.
Once Villano obtained his degree from Saginaw Valley State University, he was drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the 24th-round of the 1994 amateur draft. Villano played professional baseball for a total of nine seasons. That experience alone would make Villano a great addition to WIU, but his qualifications do not stop there.
When Villano left the major leagues, he moved on to Central Michigan University. There, he not only acquired a master’s degree in Physical Education, he also became a member of the baseball coaching staff. For the past six baseball seasons, Villano has been an assistant coach, serving as pitching coach, hitting coach and recruiting coordinator.
Throughout his time at Central Michigan, Villano coached 27 players who went on to play professional baseball. Under Villano’s tutelage, his players improved their batting averages, pitching abilities and overall records. Leatherneck fans are hoping Coach Villano will help WIU players reach their personal bests as well.
WIU students are excited to welcome Villano to our athletics department. With all of his experience as both a player and a coach, we look forward to the knowledge and advise that he will surely provide for our players. Though it will not be an easy transition for players who were accustom to Stan Hyman, Villano will hopefully bring some of the same energy, enthusiasm, and faith in our players.
College students are always especially excited when baseball season rolls around. Not only does it mean the end of winter and walking to classes in cold weather, it also means the arrival of outdoor sports and all that can entail. This year, we will have an extra reason to be excited. WIU students and staff will be eager to see how our team plays under the authority of a new coach. Hopefully Coach Villano will live-up to our expectations, but until then, we will just have to wait until the start of the season to find out!
