Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) Athletics Director B.J. McGinn has announced the hiring of Nic Mishler as the new DMACC head baseball coach.

Mishler, who was an assistant coach on the 2018-19 DMACC baseball team, replaces David Pearson, who resigned to become an assistant coach with the North Dakota State University (NDSU) baseball team. Pearson had served as DMACC's head baseball coach for the past three seasons.

"He's very experienced," McGinn said of Mishler. "He had seven years of (NCAA) Division I coaching experience before he got here so this is his ninth year of coaching. He's played a major role in all of the recruitments of our current and future incoming players and I thought that was critical in keeping that group together, especially coming off a conference championship."

McGinn said other considerations included Mishler's exceptional organization, which, he said, will be huge in terms of managing a program.

"I wanted to continue moving in the direction that we are and continuing the culture that we have," McGinn said.

Mishler, who served as the pitching coach and recruiting coordinator for Pearson, came to DMACC from Valparaiso University (VU) where he spent five seasons coaching catchers and pitchers in addition to assisting with recruiting.

Mishler said it was DMACC's rich baseball history that attracted him to the program.

"When coach Pearson called me, it was a no-brainer," Mishler said. "Once I was here, getting to know everyone in the athletic department and at the college - it's such a close family and I loved everything about that - so when the opportunity came to be the head coach I knew I wanted to be a part of that and help lead the team and continue the success we had with coach Pearson."

Mishler, a native of Shipshewana, Ind., played two seasons at Kellogg Community College (KCC) in Battle Creek, Mich., where he served as the team's closer and pitched in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division II Junior College World Series. Mishler finished his bachelor's degree in sports management at Grand Canyon University (GCU) in Phoenix, Ariz. Prior to joining the coaching staff at VU, Mishler spent two seasons as a student assistant at GCU, serving as the bullpen coach and assisting with the pitchers.

Mishler, who grew up as the son of a junior college baseball coach, said his dream was to play in the Major Leagues and that he realized as a youngster that that wasn't going to happen.

"The next way for me to stay in baseball was to be a coach and it's something I've always wanted to do," Mishler said. "I loved being an assistant coach, but being a head coach has always been a dream of mine. I didn't expect it to happen this fast."

Mishler admits that he got lucky becoming a head coach as quickly as he did.

"I got lucky that this (position) opened up and that B.J. gave me the opportunity to become the head coach," Mishler said.

Mishler said he will continue to work with DMACC's pitching staff, adding that he learned a lot working with the GCU and VU.

"Pitching is something I'm very passionate about," Mishler said. "I have coached other positions, but pitching is definitely my specialty."

Mishler has stayed in contact with the freshmen on the 2018-19 DMACC team and said he expects all of them to return to DMACC this fall. He is also pleased with the progress that has been made in recruiting.

"We have been able to put together a really good class of incoming freshmen, a very talented group, and we've very excited to get them on campus and get them in the mix with our new sophomores," Mishler said.

Mishler said he extremely pleased with the opportunity to be DMACC's head baseball coach.

"I want to thank B.J., (DMACC-Boone Campus Provost) Dr. Drew Nelson and (DMACC President) Robert Denson for the opportunity," Mishler said