Nike Baseball Camp at San Diego State University

Vance emerged from a national search that received valuable input from all-time Aztec greats Bud Black, Stephen Strasburg and Tony Gwynn Jr.

“I’m very excited to welcome Kevin Vance to The Mesa as our seventh baseball head coach,” Wicker said. “Kevin has a proven track record from his time as an All-American baseball player at the University of Connecticut followed by a coaching career that has seen him continue to find increasing success, including a trip to the College World Series this year with the University of Arizona. As a San Diego native, Kevin is very familiar with SDSU and our baseball program and is ready to lead our program back to the NCAA tournament.”

“This job means the world to me,” Vance said. “I’m coming back home and I’m excited to get to work and be a part of this San Diego and San Diego State community. I plan on winning and winning fast. We’re going to coach the guys hard and we’re going to prepare them for life. I can’t wait to get over there and get to work.”

During his tenure in Tucson, Vance oversaw the development of star reliever Tony Pluta, who was named the 2025 Stopper of the Year by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association, helping Arizona secure its 19th College World Series appearance, which is tied for eighth nationally.

Pluta also received first-team NCBWA All-America recognition after setting a single-season school record with 14 saves, which was tied for fourth in Division I. Additionally, the Wildcat staff featured Smith Bailey, a fellow right-hander who earned a spot on the Big 12 Conference all-freshman team and was invited to participate in the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team Training Camp this summer.

Not to be outdone, Vance helped direct one of the nation’s greatest pitching turnarounds in his first year at Arizona, as the Wildcats lowered their team ERA from 5.97 in 2023 to 4.46 ERA in 2024, which marked the 20th-best ERA improvement in the country that season and ranked fifth best among Power 5 programs.

All three of Arizona’s weekend starters—Cam Walty, Clark Candiotti and Jackson Kent—received all-Pac-12 recognition under Vance’s guidance in 2024 as the rotation finished the year with a collective 3.83 ERA, which ranked 13th nationally. Walty also garnered third-team NCBWA All-America accolades after logging an 8-2 record and a team-best 3.29 ERA, while Candiotti tied for the conference lead with 103 strikeouts.

Following the 2024 campaign, four of Vance’s pitchers were selected in the MLB Draft, including Walty, Candiotti, Kent and bullpen ace Anthony Susec, which marked the Wildcats’ highest number of arms chosen since 2013.

Prior to accepting the Arizona position, Vance spent two seasons at Boston College where he helped the Eagles compile a program-record 37 victories in 2023, capped an NCAA regional appearance, the program’s first since 2016. In addition, BC finished with its best team ERA since 2019.

Under Vance’s tutelage, right-hander Chris Flynn, a Division III transfer, earned second-team all-ACC honors that season after posting a 7-3 record to go with a team-best 4.34 ERA and 84 strikeouts.

Following the 2022 campaign, three Eagle pitchers mentored under Vance—Mason Pelio, Joe Mancini and Max Gieg—were selected in the MLB Draft.

Before his move to Boston, Vance worked five years at the University of Rhode Island, the last four of which he served as pitching coach and recruiting coordinator. He was elevated into the role after one year as the Rams’ volunteer assistant coach.

During Vance’s stint on the Kingston campus, URI ranked among top four in the Atlantic 10 Conference in ERA in all five seasons, highlighted by a 3.65 mark in 2017 which topped the league and ranked 31st nationally. In five seasons with the Rams, Vance coached one All-American, two all-A10 selections, and three conference Pitchers of the Week.

Prior to entering the coaching ranks, Vance enjoyed a successful playing career at the collegiate and professional levels. As a two-way star at UConn, he received second-team NCBWA All-America recognition as a junior in 2011 and was a first-team ABCA All-Northeast Region honoree after collecting 13 saves, which ranks fifth in school history. A two-time all-Big East performer, Vance finished with 21 career saves, which is slotted second on the program’s all-time charts.

Following his collegiate career, Vance was selected by the Chicago White Sox in the 19th round of the 2011 MLB Draft. The former pitcher played five seasons of organized baseball, reaching as high as the Triple-A level with the Reno Aces in 2015. He posted a 20-14 record during his minor league career with a 3.81 ERA, 365 strikeouts and 15 saves in 177 games.

Vance received his undergraduate degree in coaching and sport administration from Connecticut in 2012 before earning his master’s degree in sports leadership from Northeastern in 2016.

A heavily decorated prep player at Torrey Pines High, Vance garnered first-team all-CIF San Diego Section accolades 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. That season, he led the Falcons in batting average (.452), hits (38), runs scored (35), home runs (8) and walks (23) while posting 91 strikeouts.

Among his numerous responsibilities, Holt will serve as the Aztecs’ hitting coach and third base coach while assisting with the baserunning and outfield defense.

A former major league outfielder, Holt also spent three years as an assistant coach at his alma mater Florida State from 2019-21 and worked for one season at North Florida in 2024.

"Tyler is one of the best pure coaches in the country,” Vance said. “He played and coached under the legendary Mike Martin at Florida State, so he knows what it takes to win. He’s been to Omaha twice as a player and once as a coach. His attention to detail and energy carried him to the big leagues as a player, and he's the same way as a coach. He is passionate about developing players and young men. He will set up our program for sustained success.”

During his coaching tenure in Tallahassee, Holt helped the Seminoles reach the 2019 College World Series as well as earn a berth in the 2021 Ole Miss Regional.

Individually, Holt helped produce five MLB Draft picks at Florida State, including catcher Matheu Nelson (1st round, 2021), infielders Drew Mendoza (3rd, 2019) and Mike Salvatore (9th, 2019), along with outfielders Robby Martin (8th, 2021) and Elijah Cabell (17th, 2021).

Following his stint with the Seminoles, Holt spent two years at Boston College, serving as the program’s hitting coach while assisting with the outfielders and baserunners.

With Holt on staff, the Eagles tied a single-season school record for victories after compiling a 37-20 record in 2023, capped by an appearance in the Tuscaloosa Regional. That season, BC ranked second in ACC play in stolen base percentage (0.94, 29-31) and sacrifice flies (15).

Thanks in part to Holt’s tutelage, the Eagles boasted three picks in the first five rounds of the 2023 MLB Draft, including outfielder Travis Honeyman (3rd), first baseman/relief pitcher Joe Vetrano (5th) and infielder Luke Gold (5th).

A native of Gainesville, Florida, Holt starred at Florida State during his collegiate playing career, twice earning first-team all-ACC honors to go with second-team All-America recognition from Collegiate Baseball and Baseball America.

In his three seasons with the Seminoles, Holt hit .359 with 21 home runs, 59 doubles and 117 RBIs, helping his squad advance to the NCAA College World Series in 2008 and 2010. He garnered second-team NCBWA Freshman All-America accolades following his debut campaign in 2008 and was an ABCA/Rawlings Gold Glove recipient as a sophomore in 2009.

Not to be outdone, Holt is the last FSU player to bat .400 in a season, hitting .401 in 237 at-bats across 63 games in 2009.

Holt moved on to the professional ranks as a 10th round draft pick of the Cleveland Indians in 2010. He made his MLB debut in 2014 and played 156 games in his big-league career, splitting time with Cleveland (2014-15) and the Cincinnati Reds (2015-16).

Holt received his bachelor's degree in sport management from Florida State in 2019.

In his role, Heiss will coach the Aztecs’ infield defense and assist with hitting and baserunning while serving as the team’s recruiting coordinator.

"Kevin is a tireless worker and his attention to detail and passion for the game are what set him apart,” Vance said. “His advanced understanding of how the body works and how each player is unique will play a huge role in player development. He played under me for three years and he’s built different. His endless charisma and energy will be a huge asset for us on the field and the recruiting trail.”

With Heiss on staff, URI set a program record for victories in 2025, compiling a 38-22 overall mark, highlighted by Atlantic 10 Conference regular-season and tournament championships, along with an appearance in the Baton Rouge Regional. The team’s No. 3 seed was the highest in school history.

Numerous team records were also established during the Rams’ historic 2025 season, including hits (637), runs scored (539), RBIs (492), home runs (88), triples (24), walks (354), stolen bases (125), slugging percentage (.511) and fielding percentage (.973).

In addition, URI finished the year among the nation’s leaders, ranking fifth in runs scored (539), ninth in scoring (9.0 runs/game), ninth in on-base percentage (.428) and 20th in hits (637).

Individually, third baseman Anthony DePino received a trio of All-America honors with Heiss’ assistance, including second-team accolades from ABCA/Rawlings and third-team laurels from Perfect Game and D1Baseball.com, while outfielder Eric Genther earned a spot on the ABCA/Rawlings All-Northeast Region team alongside his Ram teammate.

Both DePino and Genther joined the professional ranks earlier this month. DePino was chosen by the Chicago White Sox in the seventh round of the MLB Draft, while Genther signed with the New York Yankees as an undrafted free agent.

Additionally, Heiss helped coach shortstop Addison Kopack to first-team all-conference and all-region honors in 2022. Kopack is currently playing for the Fort Wayne TinCaps, a High-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres.

Heiss began his coaching career in 2019 as a graduate assistant at McDaniel College in Westminster, Maryland, where he was elevated to interim head coach in October 2021 before returning to Rhode Island. While at McDaniel, Heiss coached a pair of all-conference performers in Joey Hublinger and Billy Wheatley.

As a collegiate player, Heiss appeared in 159 games at URI, serving as the Rams’ starting shortstop from 2017-19. He was selected as team captain as a senior, setting career highs with 44 hits, 30 runs scored and 21 RBIs while stealing eight bases.

During his freshman campaign in 2016, Heiss was a member of a Rhode Island squad that captured the Atlantic 10 tournament championship and earned a spot in the Columbia (S.C.) Regional, where the Rams upset the host Gamecocks in their regional opener before two straight losses ended their season.

A native of Silver Spring, Maryland, Heiss received his bachelor’s degree in communications from Rhode Island in 2019 before earning a master’s in kinesiology from McDaniel College.

A native of Santa Rosa, California, McDonald arrives in “America’s Finest City” after spending the 2025 campaign as a catching and hitting analyst at the University of Arizona, where he worked alongside Vance.

“Blake is a rising star in the coaching world,” Vance said. “His ability to connect with people and his advanced understanding of the mental game are second to none. He will play a huge role not only with the development of our catchers, but with implementing our mental skills curriculum as well.”

With McDonald on staff, Arizona compiled a 44-21 record this past season, winning the Big 12 tournament championship in its first year in the conference before punctuating a successful postseason run with berth in the NCAA Men’s College World Series.

Individually, McDonald worked closely with Wildcat catcher Adonys Guzman, who was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the fifth round of the 2025 MLB Draft after earning all-tournament honors at the NCAA Eugene Regional and College World Series.

McDonald played three years of collegiate baseball as a catcher, finishing his career at Arizona in 2024 after spending two seasons at Saint Mary’s College.

In his lone season with the Wildcats, McDonald started 26 of 27 games, batting .297 with two home runs, 18 RBIs and 15 runs scored, as the Wildcats captured the Pac-12 regular-season and tournament titles. Additionally, he registered a sparkling .996 fielding percentage, committing just one error in 225 total chances all season and did not allow a passed ball.

Prior to his move to Tucson, McDonald started 78 of 97 games at Saint Mary’s, where he combined to hit .297 with 16 doubles, four triples, one home run, 39 RBIs and 37 runs scored. With the Gaels, he led the squad with a .303 batting average in 2023.

McDonald began his career at Santa Rosa Junior College, where he garnered ABCA Rawlings All-America accolades in 2020 and 2021 to go with a pair of all-state and all-region honors. As a sophomore with the Bear Cubs, he hit .386 with three home runs and 21 RBIs.

McDonald graduated from Saint Mary’s in 2023 with a bachelor's degree in business administration before receiving a real estate development certificate from Arizona in 2024.