On Tuesday, SDSU Director of Athletics John David Wicker announced San Diego native Kevin Vance as the head coach of the San Diego State baseball program.

Vance is coming off an NCAA Men’s College World Series appearance as the pitching coach at the University of Arizona.

“This is really a dream come true for me,” Vance said. “This community means a lot to me, and my roots are here. I grew up going to games here and played in the CIF Championship game here. I am super grateful to be a part of this, and I understand that it is bigger than just me.”

“Kevin really stood out, not only for his baseball acumen and the success he has had collegiately, professionally, and then with coaching, but how he approached player development,” Wicker said. “Not just on the field, but off the field. Our goal is to graduate great human beings.”

Wicker received input from numerous alumni, most notably from Stephen Strasburg, Bud Black, and Tony Gwynn Jr.

“Kevin stood out to me because he was a guy with some local ties, and you could tell it was a dream job for him,” Gwynn Jr. tells EVT about the hire. “The passion he has for the game and the passion he has for getting back out in the community of San Diego and reattaching San Diego State baseball to the community—that was among the things he said that really resonated with me.”

Vance starred as a two-way prep player at Torrey Pines High School. He earned first-team all-CIF San Diego Section honors as a senior in 2008 and was named Palomar League Player of the Year before earning a spot on the Southern California All-Star team.

Following his high school success, Vance went on to play at the University of Connecticut. He received second-team NCBWA All-America recognition in 2011 and was a first-team ABCA All-Northeast Region honoree. Vance finished his career with 21 saves, second in program history.

The White Sox selected Vance in the 19th round of the 2011 MLB Draft. He played five seasons of professional baseball, posting a 3.81 ERA, 365 strikeouts, and 15 saves in 177 games played. 

After his playing career, Vance began coaching at the University of Rhode Island. He spent five seasons there, the last four as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator from 2018 to 2021.

He spent the next two seasons as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Boston College before accepting his position at Arizona.

Under Vance’s tutelage, Arizona went 80-44 (.645) and won three conference titles. More impressively, he helped lower the team’s ERA from 5.97 in 2023 to 4.46 in 2024, marking the 20th-best ERA improvement in the country and fifth among Power Five programs.

All three of Arizona’s weekend starters—Cam Walty, Clark Candiotti, and Jackson Kent—pitched to a combined 3.83 ERA, earning all-Pac-12 recognition in 2024.

Similar to his task at Arizona, Vance will need to reconfigure an SDSU pitching staff that led the Mountain West in walks, runs allowed, wild pitches, balks, and hit batters.

“I think it’s about getting down to what their routine is, and individualizing,” Vance said. “Not treating everyone the same from a developmental standpoint, understanding that every guy is different, and every timeline for development is different.”

Vance believes he can assemble a coaching staff “pretty quickly” and has already started looking at how he wants to build out the roster.

On the recruiting front, Vance emphasized a focus on retaining current players and seeking talent locally.

“I think keeping guys that want to be here, and then filling in with the portal and some junior college transfers,” Vance said. “Recruiting this area—it’s a gold mine of talent. I was one of them, and I got overlooked, so I don’t want that to happen again. The most important deal is to recruit in this area and get them fired up to come here.”

Not only were alumni part of the hiring process, but they are also bought into Vance’s vision. Wicker noted that Strasburg has shown interest in returning to The Mesa, and there will be contact with Black about a potential return.

Vance views SDSU baseball as a “sleeping giant” and has a goal of hosting regionals at Tony Gwynn Stadium and competing for national championships every year.

The 2025 Aztecs begin fall workouts in early September, with the spring season kicking off in February. If Vance’s early moves are any indication, a new chapter of SDSU baseball is underway—one built on local pride, national ambition, and a coach who’s come home to lead it all.

Ethan Penrod

Ethan is an aspiring sports analyst that has a passion for all sports. He was a collegiate baseball player and now is finishing up his schooling at San Diego State University. He is a rising senior and a journalism major. Ethan hopes to use his knowledge of sports and display it with his writing.