Mark Van Ameyde - Baseball Coach - Michigan State University Athletics

Mark Van Ameyde

Title:
Assistant Coach/Pitching Coach
Email:
vandy@ath.msu.edu
Phone:
355-3419

Mark Van Ameyde will be entering his eighth season back on the Spartan bench and 14th overall in 2025.

Michigan State baseball head coach Jake Boss Jr. announced on Dec. 14, 2017 that former Spartan assistant coach Mark Van Ameyde (pronounced VAN-uh-mead) would be returning to Boss' staff as the MSU pitching coach. Van Ameyde was previously on the MSU bench from 2009-14, including associate head coach from 2011-14, before becoming the Eastern Michigan head coach in 2015.

"We are all excited that Mark and his family have decided to come back to Michigan State," Boss said at the time. "Mark is an outstanding coach and did a great job at Eastern Michigan, leading them to the MAC Tournament championship game a year ago. Mark has done an awesome job with pitching staffs everywhere that he has been, including our 2011 Big Ten Championship and 2012 NCAA Regional appearance. We couldn't be more excited that he and his family are back in East Lansing and a part of the Spartan family."

Under Van Ameyde's tutelege, four Spartan pitchers were selected in the span of five Major League Drafts: Riley McCauley (2018), Mitchell Tyranski (2019), Indigo Diaz (2019) and Mason Erla (2021), and two more have signed non-drafted free agent contracts: Mike Mokma (2019) and Sam Benschoter (2021).

Van Ameyde underwent a successful kidney transplant on March 20, 2024, with his wife, Melissa, as his donor. During his recovery, Van Ameyde kept in constant contact with the team and worked on scouting reports. He returned to full action with the team on the evening April 26, 2024, re-joining the team in Columbus, Ohio ahead of their weekend series at Ohio State and was warmly greeted by the team.

On the mound in 2024, the MSU pitching staff logged 420 strikeouts, tying for No. 3 in program history and the second-straight season with 400+ Ks and the third in the last four full and completed seasons, as well as the 21st season with 300 strikeouts.

Van Ameyde coached sophomore pitcher Joseph Dzierwa, who earned Second Team All-B1G honors after ranking second in the B1G in both innings pitched (84.0) and strikeouts (91) during the regular-season, along with third in the B1G overall in WHIP (1.19), third in B1G only in IP (48.2), sixth in B1G only in strikeouts (43). Dzierwa was also eighth overall in K/9 (9.7), ninth in the B1G overall in ERA (4.07) and tied for 14th in the B1G overall in BB/9 (2.9).

The 2023 Spartan pitching staff rang up 403 strikeouts, becoming the 20th time the top 300 punchouts, and just the fifth season in program history to reach 400 Ks.

Individually, Van Ameyde coached senior reliever Wyatt Rush, who earned Second-Team All-Midwest Region recognition and Second-Team All-Big Ten accolades after finishing third in the B1G and tied for 19th in the NCAA in saves with 10 in 2023. The Spartan closer led the MSU pitching staff by posting a 5-0 record with a 3.61 ERA, with 43 strikeouts in 26 appearances. With the 10 saves, Rush became just the fourth Spartan pitcher to finish with double-digit saves, finishing fourth on MSU's single-season saves list, as well as tied for No 12 on the single-season pitching appearances list. Rush ended his Spartan career with 12 saves, good for tied for No. 5 on MSU's career saves list.

In 2022 under Van Ameyde, the Spartan pitching staff posted 376 strikeouts, marking the 19th time in program history to reach the 300-K plateau and moving up into the Top 10 on MSU's single-season strikeouts list at the No. 10 spot. Individually, graduate senior relief pitcher Kyle Bischoff garnered All-Big Ten Third Team accolades, while freshman pitcher Ryan Szczepaniak was tabbed to the All-Freshman Team.

Bischoff had a standout season in his one season for the Green & White, transferring to MSU from Toledo. He led MSU and the Big Ten with 12 saves, ranking No. 2 on MSU's single-season saves list behind Jeff Kinley's school-record 13 saves in 2014. Bischoff had a 2-1 record, leading MSU with a 3.51 ERA, tallying 36 strikeouts in 41.0 IP. During a span of just over a week during the season (April 19-27), he earned three saves and a win. Bischoff was named to the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Stopper of the Year Award Midseason Watch List.

Szczepaniak posted a 4-3 overall record in 2022, sharing the team lead in wins, while ranking fifth on the team in both innings pitched (42.1) and appearances, (16), making eight starts and eight relief appearances. He finished with 35 strikeouts, ranking sixth on the team. Szczepaniak also earned Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors on March 9 for his performance on March 6 against nationally-ranked West Virginia, firing 5.0 IP with four strikeouts, allowing just three hits and one earned run in stymieing the WVU bats.

Van Ameyde mentored Spartan pitchers Mason Erla, Sam Benschoter and Nick Powers in 2021. Erla was selected in the 17th round of the 2021 Major League Baseball Draft, picked in the 17th round (pick number 501) by the Los Angeles Angels. Benschoter signed a non-drafted free agent contract with the Cincinnati Reds. Powers earned Big Ten All-Freshman Team honors.

Erla posted five wins in 13 starts in the 2021 season, leading MSU in 79.2 IP, ringing up a team-leading 80 strikeouts, which ranked tied for 10th in the B1G. He also ranked 10th in the conference with a 3.50 ERA. Erla was the Robin Roberts Most Valuable Pitcher MSU team award recipient for the second-straight season.

In 2021, the right-hander fired six or more strikeouts in 11 of his 13 starts, including seven or more in his first three starts. Erla rang up his season-high eight strikeouts in three different games, including two of his first three outings, highlighted by his match-up vs. Illinois on March 20 at the Ann Arbor pod weekend, firing 7.0 IP and eight strikeouts without a run, yielding a season-low of four hits, all singles, and only walking two. He had two appearances without allowing an earned run, with an outing on April 17 vs. Purdue joining the aforementioned outing vs. Illinois, as well as two appearances with only one earned run (April 9 vs. Penn State; May 21 at Rutgers).

Benschoter earned the Craig Hendricks Spartan Spirit Award in 2021, receiving the award given to the most positive team player who is enthusiastic, trustworthy, conscientious, hard-working, and good humored in honor of Spartan Baseball alum Craig Hendricks. In true selfless fashion, Benschoter gave up the opportunity to start on Senior Day vs. Iowa in favor of coming out of the bullpen so that fellow senior Jarret Olson could make his one and only start of the year because of an injury suffered before the season began.

For the 2021 season, Benschoter was second on the team and tied for 12th in the B1G with 79 strikeouts, posting three wins in eight starts in 69.1 IP. Benschoter finished eighth in the B1G in strikeouts per nine innings (10.3).He opened the season in explosive fashion, firing a then career-high 10 strikeouts in a 6-0 shutout Victory for MSU over Maryland in the 2021 season-opener on March 5 at Fluor Field in Greenville, South Carolina, going a career-high 8.0 innings. In MSU's first game since March 8, 2020, before the rest of the 2020 season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Benschoter didn't show any signs of layoff, as he provided much of the excitement on the night, and was dealing, scattering just five hits to a Maryland offense that hit .258 as a team, and the Spartan hurler stymied the Terrapin offense, shutting them out after they led the Big Ten last year with 111 runs in 15 games (7.4 runs per game, including striking out well-decorated Preseason Award winner Maxwell Costes twice as part of holding him to 0-3.

Benschoter had another smashing outing on April 25, striking out a modern day school record 17 batters vs. B1G-leader Nebraska in 9.1 IP of relief. The 17 strikeouts is the most in modern day school history, bettering Mark Mulder's 16 Ks against Campbell on March 7, 1998. He was named to Collegiate Baseball National Players of the Week list on April 26, and was named the Big Ten Conference Baseball Co-Pitcher of the Week on April 27 for his performance.

Coming into game to start the third inning, Benschoter struck out the side in the third and fifth innings on the way on the way to stymieing Nebraska bats, as they entered game leading the Big Ten in batting average, and Benschoter did not allow a hit until the eighth. Benschoter racked up two strikeouts in the fourth and sixth innings, and after yielding a leadoff single in the ninth, chalked up three strikeouts. The 17 Ks matched the most in the B1G this season and was tied for the second-most in a game in the NCAA this season, while the 9.1 IP is the most in the B1G and second-most in NCAA.

His 10 Ks vs. Maryland and 17 vs. Nebraska were two of his three double-digit strikeout outings on the season, also with 10 vs. Indiana on March 27, also in a relief role.

For his career, Benschoter finished with 143 strikeouts in 45 career appearances.

Powers burst onto the scene, before suffering a season-ending injury at Penn State on May 1. At the time of his injury, he was leading MSU and ranked tied for fifth in the B1G with four wins, logging a 4-3 record with a 4.87 ERA in 44.1 IP with 35 strikeouts. Powers also ranked 24th in the B1G in innings pitched, 28th in ERA and 33th in strikeouts at the time of his injury.

The first-year Spartan hurler chalked up five or more strikeouts in four outings, led by a career-high of seven Ks vs. Purdue on April 11 in a career-long 7.2 IP.

The All-Freshman Team selection is Powers' second Big Ten award this season, as he was named the B1G Co-Freshman of the Week on March 30, for his performance against Indiana on March 28, as the Hoosiers were leading the B1G at the time. In his first-ever game at McLane Stadium at Kobs Field, Powers fired 6.2 IP shutout innings in earning the win against Indiana, running his scoreless inning streak to 15-straight innings, before yielding a run with two outs in the seventh. He finished with three strikeouts, and did not allow an Indiana runner past second base until the seventh, his final inning, in limiting the Hoosiers to a season-low four hits while tying a season-low with just one run, after Indiana entered the game among the B1G leaders in hits and runs.

At the time, the Spartan southpaw was the only pitcher in the Big Ten to defeat the top two teams in the league standings in Indiana and Michigan. He accomplished the feat in his last two starts over the span of less than a week, beating Michigan on Monday, March 22, and Indiana on Sunday, March 28. Powers collected MSU's first Big Ten Freshman of the Week award since March 12, 2018 when current teammate Mason Erla earned the accolade.

In 2020, MSU got off to a 9-6 start after the first four weekends away from home, including opening the season 4-0 and later having another four-game win streak, before the rest of the season was canceled due to the ongoing COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic.

Despite the shortened season, pitcher Mason Erla was named a Second-Team All-American by Collegiate Baseball. Erla posted a 2-0 record with a paltry 1.04 ERA in four starts, firing 42 strikeouts with only four overall runs allowed, with three earned, and just six walks in 26.0 IP. He ranked second in the B1G and 10th in the NCAA with 42 strikeouts, along with being tied for sixth in the conference with eight strikeouts looking. Erla also ranked second in the league and 49th in the nation with a 1.04 ERA, and ranked 16th in conference with a .211 batting average against. Additionally, Erla ranked fourth in the B1G and tied for 30th in the NCAA with 14.54 strikeouts per nine innings, along with ranking tied for fourth in the league and 74th in the nation with a 7.00 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

Through the first 15 games, MSU's pitching staff ranked third in the Big Ten and 24th in the NCAA in strikeouts per nine innings (11.0), as well third in the B1G in strikeouts (167), along with fourth in batters struck out looking (42). The Spartan staff also ranked third in the league in both ERA (3.35) and opposing batting average (.224).

In 2019, the Spartan pitching staff posted 445 strikeouts, marking the fifth-consecutive season that MSU surpassed 400 strikeouts. Junior pitcher Mitchell Tyranski received the Robin Roberts Most Valuable Pitcher Award for the second-straight season, after he led MSU and ranked sixth in the B1G with 89 strikeouts overall in 78.0 IP total. The 89 strikeouts is tied for eighth on MSU's single-season strikeouts list, matching Ron Perranoski (1958). Tyranski was one of three Spartan pitchers from 2019 to move up to the Major League Baseball ranks, as he selected in the 12th round (pick number 371 overall) by the Los Angeles Dodgers, while junior pitcher Indigo Diaz was selected in the 27th round (pick number 871 overall). Junior pitcher Mike Mokma also signed a pro contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

In his first season back with the Spartans in 2018, MSU’s pitching staff rang up 407 strikeouts for the season under Van Ameyde's guidance, marking the fourth-straight season that the Spartans have topped the 400 K plateau, ranking No. 4 on MSU's team strikeouts list. Redshirt-freshman pitcher Mason Erla earned All-Freshman Team accolades, after leading MSU and ranking tied for eighth in the Big Ten with six wins. Erla was also second in the B1G in opposing batting average (.216), as well as tied for 14th in the league in innings pitched (79.2 IP) and tied for seventh in games started (15), along with tied for 10th in B1G only games with 11 batters struck out looking.

Another Van Ameyde coached Spartan pitcher was Riley McCauley, who was was selected in the 14th round (pick number 428 overall) of the 2018 Major League Baseball Draft by the Chicago Cubs.

McCauley tied for seventh in the Big Ten with five saves in 2018, which all came in conference action, ranking him fifth in the B1G only stats. McCauley also made seven starts, including firing a career-high 12 strikeouts in his first collegiate start, at Fresno State on Feb. 16. McCauley’s 12 strikeouts was tied for the most in a single-game in the Big Ten in 2018.

At EMU, Van Ameyde posted a 70-106 record in his three seasons leading the Eagles. In 2017, Van Ameyde led EMU to a 27-35 overall record and a 14-10 Mid-American Conference mark, finishing third in the MAC standings before ending as runner-up at the MAC Tournament, which was the first time the Eagles reached the title game since 2008.

"It's a little surreal; it's very unexpected, certainly when I left a few years ago to take the head coach position at Eastern Michigan. You don't think that you'd ever be back. It was really tough to leave when I left the first time," Van Ameyde said. "I'm extremely grateful for all the good people at Eastern Michigan that I worked with. It was very hard to leave all of them.

"I have a lot of great memories from my time at Michigan State, I worked with a lot of great people and got to work with a lot of outstanding student-athletes and great teams. We did a lot of winning," Van Ameyde said. "The MSU Administration, and of course Coach Boss, were very supportive when I left, and I'm very grateful to all of them for the opportunity to come back. I've known Coach Boss for a long time, and I worked with Coach (Graham) Sikes for four years when I was at MSU the first time, and I coached Coach (Jordan) Keur, so I'm really comfortable with all of those guys, and I've won with them. So to get an opportunity to come back and work together again with a goal to win another Big Ten Championship like we did back in 2011, I thought `hey let's go do it.' I'm excited to work with the pitchers and that talented group. I've been at Michigan State more than I've been at any other school, so I sort of feel like a Spartan after being there for so long and winning a Big Ten title, even though I didn't go to school there. I'm fired up, and my family and I are excited to rejoin the Spartan family."

At Eastern Michigan, Van Ameyde coached five All-MAC honorees, including two in 2017 after two in 2016, marking the first time that EMU had multiple players selected for all-conference honors since 2011-12. Senior pitcher Sam Delaplane earned first-team All-MAC accolades in 2017, after leading EMU with a 3.27 ERA and a 4-3 record, with 92 strikeouts in 20 appearances. The 92 strikeouts ranked second in the MAC. Delaplane was selected in the 23rd round of the 2017 MLB Draft by the Seattle Mariners, becoming the first EMU player since 2012 to be drafted.

Off the field, 28 EMU players earned Academic All-MAC honors in the three seasons under Van Ameyde, with 10 accolades in 2017, the second-most in the MAC, including four MAC Distinguished Scholar Athletes.

During his six seasons at Michigan State, Van Ameyde was assistant coach for the 2009-11 seasons, before becoming associate head coach for the 2012-14 seasons. Van Ameyde was one of the key components to MSU's success, including helping the program to its first Big Ten Championship in 32 years in 2011 and a berth in the NCAA Regionals in 2012. Under Van Ameyde's tutelage, the Spartan pitching staff demonstrated significant improvement.

In 2014, the pitching staff ranked second in the Big Ten with a 3.09 ERA, which was also the 10th lowest in MSU single-season history.

In 2013, the Spartan pitching staff compiled a 3.22 ERA, the 10th lowest in program history. MSU also held opponents to a .240 batting average, which tied for the best in the Big Ten. For the second consecutive year, MSU ranked in the top 40 nationally in walks allowed per nine innings (22nd at 2.73), WHIP (14th at 1.18) and ERA (36th at 3.22).

During the 2012 run to the NCAA Tournament, the Spartans had one of their best seasons in school history on the mound. MSU recorded 389 strikeouts, second most in the school record book, and compiled a 3.28 ERA - the lowest for a Spartan staff since 1972. The Spartans led the Big Ten in opposing batting average (.249), saves (15) and pickoffs (12) while ranking second in strikeouts and third in ERA. Michigan State also ranked among the top 40 nationally in walks allowed per nine innings (22nd at 2.76), WHIP (33rd at 1.24) and ERA (35th at 3.28).

For the second straight year, Tony Bucciferro earned All-Big Ten honors (third team) while becoming MSU’s alltime leader in innings pitched (372.1) and games started (55). Bucciferro, who was drafted in the 14th round of the MLB Draft by the Chicago White Sox, also finished his career second in school history in strikeouts (272) and tied for third in wins (26).

The Spartans led the league in saves in part due to closer Tony Wieber, who collected a career-high nine saves in 2012. Wieber finished his career as MSU’s all-time saves leader (18) and was selected in the 33rd round by the San Diego Padres.

All three of Michigan State’s Big Ten starters - Bucciferro, Andrew Waszak and David Garner - were named Big Ten Pitcher of the Week during the 2012 season, a first in school history. Bucciferro won the award twice (Feb. 20 and May 14), while Waszak (April 16) and Garner (April 30) each earned it once. The four Spartan selections for Big Ten Pitcher of the Week was also a school record (previous: three in 2011).

In 2011, MSU had two first-team All-Big Ten starting pitchers (Kurt Wunderlich, Bucciferro) for the first time in school history. In addition, Wunderlich became the first Spartan to be named Big Ten Pitcher of the Year after setting a then-MSU single-season record with 101.2 innings pitched while winning a conference-high 10 games, the second most in school history. Wunderlich was drafted in the 20th round by the Oakland Athletics in the 2011 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft.

The bullpen was equally effective, ranking second in the Big Ten with 16 saves. Wieber led the way with a team-high eight saves, tying for third-most in an MSU season, to garner third-team All-Big Ten accolades. Van Ameyde also mentored Garner, who collected five victories on the mound and was named to the All-Big Ten Freshman Team.

Overall, the Spartans finished third in the Big Ten with a 4.08 staff ERA, the lowest ERA for the program since 1978. MSU also walked the third-fewest batters (172) in the conference and the 332 strikeouts were the fifth most in school history.

During MSU’s 34-win campaign in 2010, the Spartans ranked third in the Big Ten in ERA and allowed the fewest amount of runs and walks in the conference. Michigan State also recorded 335 strikeouts as a staff, the fourth-highest total in school history.

All three of MSU’s Big Ten starting pitchers - A.J. Achter, Wunderlich and Bucciferro - ranked among the top 11 in the conference in innings pitched. Achter, who was drafted in the 46th round of the 2010 MLB Draft by Minnesota, ranked second in school history and third in the Big Ten in 2010 with 98.2 innings pitched. A third-team All-Big selection, Wunderlich led the team and tied for fifth in the conference with eight wins. Six Spartans on the staff collected at least four wins on the mound, and closer Kurtis Frymier tied for third in school history with eight saves.

In Van Ameyde’s first season in East Lansing, MSU ranked fourth in the Big Ten in ERA and opposing batting average. MSU’s 326 runs and 537 hits allowed in 2009 were each the second-lowest in the conference. The Spartan pitching staff also totaled 302 strikeouts, which was the most by a MSU squad since 2004 and the ninth-highest single-season total in school history. The Spartan pitching staff also picked-off a league-high 19 base runners. Van Ameyde was also a part of the Spartans’ first no-hitter in over 16 years as on April 4, senior pitcher Nolan Moody nohit Northwestern in the first-ever game at McLane Baseball Stadium.

Prior to his time at Michigan State, Van Ameyde spent the 2008 season on Boss' staff as an assistant coach at Eastern Michigan, helping the Eagles to the MAC West Division title and the MAC Tournament championship, while earning a berth in the NCAA Tournament. His pitching staff showed steady improvement throughout the season, as the Eagles won 25 of their last 40 games heading into postseason play. In conference games, Robert Wendzicki led the league in saves with seven, while Matt Shoemaker posted a perfect 3-0 record.

Before his first stint at EMU, Van Ameyde was an assistant coach for three seasons at Georgetown, including serving as the associate head coach in 2007. He guided the pitching rotation to numerous team records, including most strikeouts in a season, fewest walks in a season and the lowest team ERA in 23 years. In 2006, the Hoyas posted the most Big East Conference victories since 1985. He also served as recruiting coordinator for the Hoya baseball program, was responsible for recruiting trips, and ran the annual Georgetown Baseball Camp.

Prior to joining Georgetown, Van Ameyde spent four seasons as the associate head coach at the University of Detroit-Mercy. He led UDM to the top of the Horizon League in batting average as the team's hitting instructor, in addition to serving as the pitching coach and recruiting coordinator. From 1999-2000, Van Ameyde was the head coach at St. Mary's College, where he was responsible for the implementation of the program. He led St. Mary's College to the NSCAA World Series in 2000.

Van Ameyde earned two letters pitching for Detroit-Mercy, garnering all-conference and team MVP honors in 1994. He also pitched at Henry Ford Community College for two years and helped the team to a regional championship in 1991.

Van Ameyde graduated with a bachelor's degree in communication from UDM in 1996.

Van Ameyde and his wife, Melissa, have three sons: Chase, Cole and Cash.

THE VAN AMEYDE FILE

YEARS AT MICHIGAN STATE: Eighth Season Back/14th Overall. Re-joined staff in the December of 2017, previous at MSU from 2009-14.

PREVIOUS COACHING EXPERIENCE: Head Coach at St. Mary’s College (1999-2000); Associate Head Coach at Detroit (2001-04); Associate Head Coach/Assistant Coach at Georgetown (2005-2007); Assistant Coach at Eastern Michigan (2008) Head Coach at Eastern Michigan (2015-17).

EDUCATION: Bachelor’s degree in Communication from Detroit in 1996.

PLAYING EXPERIENCE: Two-year letterwinner at Henry Ford Community College (1991-92) and Detroit (1993-94).

POSTSEASON EXPERIENCE: Head Coach - 2000 NSCAA World Series; Assistant Coach