Fond du Lac Baseball Adds Hitting Coach and Pitching Coach
FOND DU LAC, WI – Manager Zac Charbonneau has added to his staff for Fond du Lac’s new Northwoods League franchise. Devin DeYoung will be the new hitting coach and Charlie Thielmann will be the new pitching coach. Fond du Lac Baseball will begin play in 2017.
“We are excited to have both Devin and Chuck be a part of our 2017 coaching staff,” said Fond du Lac General Manager Ryan Moede. “They both have experience in the Northwoods League and have a passion for developing young players.”
DeYoung, a native of South Holland, Illinois, was the hitting coach for the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters, the Northwoods League Champions, in 2016. He played collegiately at the College of Lake County in Grayslake, Illinois and with Cumberland University in Lebanon, Tennessee. DeYoung, who resides in Saint John, Indiana with his wife and daughter in the offseason, also played and coached for the Rockland Boulders of the Can-Am League before moving to the Northwoods League.
“I am ecstatic to have Devin on our staff this summer,” said Charbonneau. “He is regarded as one of the top hitting coaches in Northwest Indiana. He is someone I know who will bring positive energy every day. There is no doubt our hitters will be prepared mentally and physically every night.”
“I’m very excited about the opportunities for baseball in Fond du Lac,” said DeYoung. “The city will be able to experience top level talent, as these players are the next wave into professional baseball. There’s no better preparation for professional baseball than the Northwoods League. Seventy-two games in 75 days, while playing two-game series, can make it a grueling season. It’s our job as the coaching staff to help these players prepare themselves every single day.”
Thielmann is familiar with both Northeastern Wisconsin and the Northwoods League. The native of Piscataway, New Jersey pitched in a pair of NCAA Division III College World Series for Kean University at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium. He also pitched for the Thunder Bay Border Cats in 2014. Thielmann was on Charbonneau’s staff with the Springfield Sliders of the Prospect League in 2016.
“Being able to have a pitching coach like Chuck is a true asset. He is a true up-and-comer in the coaching field,” said Charbonneau. “He does a great job communicating with the pitchers and working with them on mid-game adjustments. There is no doubt that Chuck will have our staff ready to compete night in and night out.”
"I really hope to come in and continue the success we had last summer as a staff and to help these talented young men reach their potential,” said Thielmann. “I couldn’t be more thankful to the front office of this new organization and I can’t wait to be a part of this special season.”
The Fond du Lac Baseball Club is a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. The 23-year-old summer collegiate league is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 20 teams, drawing significantly more fans, in a friendly ballpark experience, than any league of its kind. A valuable training ground for coaches, umpires and front office staff, more than 160 former Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (WAS) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (CWS), Jordan Zimmermann (DET), Curtis Granderson (NYM), Lucas Duda (NYM) and Ben Zobrist (CHC). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League portal. For more information, visit www.fonddulacbaseball.com or download the new Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store or on Google Play and set Fond du Lac as your favorite team.
