McCarty finalizes staff for 2023 season

9/14/2022 1:00:00 PM | Baseball

ABILENE — Abilene Christian head baseball coach Rick McCarty has finalized his staff for the upcoming 2023 campaign after another successful spring in 2022. The team welcomes Casey Demko as a new assistant coach, and announces that Luke Marbach will move to the Director of Operations. ACU has announced its full support staff as well, with Reid Miller as the strength coach, Nathan Carr in academic support, Kyle Nelson as the athletic trainer, Cal Strandt to the Director of Analytics / Player Personnel, as well as managers Tristan Saglime and Andrew Stovall.

I really like the makeup of our coaching staff. Blaze [Lambert] and Craig [Parry] have been here with me since 2019 and continue to raise the bar with the personnel and player development. I am fortunate to have two lead assistants on staff that are very good at what they do. They have been a huge piece to the turnaround within our program over the last few years. It starts with their work ethic and desire to take this place to another level. Craig and Blaze are both mission-minded men that lead from the front, which is exciting to watch.

Head Coach Rick McCarty

CASEY DEMKO - ASSISTANT COACH

Casey Demko comes to Abilene after most recently spending time on staff with Quincy University in Quincy, Ill. from 2020-22. With the Hawks, Demko served as the defensive coach, but also assisted with hitting, base-running, the mental game, recruiting, scheduling, and coaching first base. Demko was a part of an infield that was nationally ranked, and had the best fielding percentage and turned the most double plays in program history.

Prior to Quincy, Demko began his coaching career with the Front Royal Cardinals of the Valley Baseball League. While in Front Royal, Va., Demko served as the assistant coach to help with hitting, defense, base-running, recruiting, scheduling travel, and meals.

Demko began his playing career at Ohio State, where he was a part of a Big Ten championship team in his first two seasons with the Buckeyes. Then he moved on to graduate from Sinclair College with an associate of arts degree in liberal arts and sciences in 2018, and make a World Series appearance on the diamond. Demko then transferred to Coker University, where he earned his bachelor of arts degree in interdisciplinary studies and played baseball for two years. While coaching at Quincy, Demko finished his masters of science in educational leadership as well.

A native of Dayton, Ohio, Demko will work primarily with the infielders on the defensive side, and will assist the coaching staff in other areas as well.

We are excited to welcome Casey to our program. He checks all of the boxes we were looking for in this hire. He is growth-minded, has high energy, is creative, and has a passion for developing players. He has grown up in a baseball family and has a lot of experience to pull from as he helps our players, specifically our infielders, push to get better each day. He has playing and coaching experience at a variety of levels, which was very attractive. His energy and personality will be a huge asset to ACU and our baseball program.

Head Coach Rick McCarty

LUKE MARBACH - DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

Luke Marbach enters year two with the program, after joining in 2021 as the director of player development. Marbach moves to the director of operations role in 2023.

Marbach joined ACU after finishing up his highly decorated career at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in 2021. Marbach was a very well respected player at Corpus Christi, being named all-Southland Conference last spring, and was also great with the glove, earning all-defensive team honors at first base and the outfield.

Marbach was named all-Southland academic in 2019 and 2021, and continues to bring great playing experience as well as great knowledge of baseball to ACU.

Marbach hails from New Braunfels, Texas, and graduated from New Braunfels High School in 2016.

I'm very thankful to have Luke back. He adds so much to our staff and continues to provide insight that allows our staff to streamline all of our internal systems. From applying technology, to team travel, he adds value in a variety of ways in the office and on the field. He has such a high-level ability to connect with others and communicates very well.

Head Coach Rick McCarty

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