QUINCY, Ill. — Quincy University head baseball coach Matt Schissel has completed his staff for the 2024 season, adding three coaches with NCAA Division II or minor league experience who will help the Hawks maintain their place at the top of the Great Lakes Valley Conference.
 
Chandler Purcell, an All-GLVC outfielder during his playing days, returns for his fourth season on the coaching staff and serves as the program's recruiting coordinator, third-base coach and hitting coach.
 
Meanwhile, the Hawks have added an experienced pitching coach in Shane Herschelman, a pitcher who played on an NCAA Division II World Series team in Tyler Horvath as the bullpen coach, and former Triple-A infielder Brock Bond as the infield coach.
 
"We've had a run of really good assistant coaches over the years, so it was important for us to continue that with our 2024 staff," said Schissel, the 2023 NCBWA Division II National Coach of the Year. "This staff brings a variety of playing and coaching experience to the table. This group has four College World Series appearances, multiple stops at other GLVC programs, and MiLB AAA playing experience. This staff has hit the ground running these first few weeks, and the energy around the program is high right now."
 
The Hawks are coming off a 47-11 season in which they won the GLVC regular-season and tournament championships and an NCAA Division II sub-regional. The 47 victories established a new single-season record, while the Hawks set a new program record with 131 home runs, which led all of D-II.
 
The Hawks return two first-team All-GLVC selections in senior utility player Dustin DuPont and senior designated hitter Austin Simpson, as well as left-hander Griffin Kirn, who finished last season with a 7-2 record and a team-leading 96 strikeouts.
 
Here is a closer look at the QU coaching staff:
 
Chandler Purcell — Recruiting Coordinator
 

A 2019 graduate of QU, Purcell enters his ninth year with the Hawks program. As a mainstay in the lineup during his playing days, he was a part of four straight regional appearances, two conference titles, a regional championship, and a D-II World Series appearance in 2017. He hit .345 as a junior during the 2018 season when the Hawks won 41 games and he was named a first-team All-GLVC selection.
 
After four years of playing for former coach Josh Rabe, he joined the staff for the 2020 season. Purcell enters his fifth season on the staff and has seen his role grow over the years. He now serves as the recruiting coordinator and hitting coach while working with position players on a daily basis. After a historic season offensively in 2023, the Hawks look to continue that momentum at the plate in 2024.
 
QU set the single-season program record for home runs in 2023 with 131 dingers, which led all of NCAA Division II. The Hawks scored 529 runs and hit .329 as a team, leading the GLVC in both categories.
 
"Chandler knows this program inside and out. He knows what it takes to be a successful baseball player at QU and how important the tradition is here," Schissel said. "The offensive numbers the past few years speak for themselves, and he's had a direct impact on that. On the recruiting front, we are really excited about the talent we are bringing into the program, and he's had a direct impact on how players and coaches view our program."
 
Shane Herschelman — Pitching Coach
 

Herschelman enters his first year at QU as the Hawks' pitching coach following three seasons on the staff at Missouri S&T. Herschelman has been a part of the GLVC for the better part of a decade, serving on the staffs at both Truman State and Maryville, as well as NAIA member William Woods. He is a graduate of Maryville University, where he spent four seasons as a relief pitcher.
 
During the 2023 at Missouri S&T, Herschelman mentored a pitching staff that struck out a single-season school record 361 batters and averaged 8.89 strikeouts per nine innings.
 
Herschelman pitched for the Saints from 2011-2014 and broke the single-season and career records for appearances. As a junior in high school at Raymond-Lincolnwood, Herschelman helped the Lancers win the Class 1A state championship as he went 6-0 and pitched two scoreless innings of relief in the state semifinals.
 
"Shane is someone that Coach Purcell and I have gotten to know over the years just from being in the GLVC," Schissel said. "When we had the position open up this summer, Chandler and I sat down with Shane and we knew it was the perfect fit. He brings in a background of player development, which is highlighted in his previous coaching stops, and that was really important to us. Shane has made an immediate impact on the staff already, and we are excited about the future on the mound. He also will help on the recruiting front by continuing to bring in talented baseball players to our program."
 
Tyler Horvath — Bullpen Coach
 

Horvath enters his first year at QU after spending the previous five seasons as a reliever at the University of Illinois-Springfield. During his playing career with the Prairie Stars, Horvath made 65 appearances out of the bullpen with a career earned run average of 4.63.
 
He pitched three scoreless innings and earned a save in a 9-3 victory against QU during the 2023 season. He pitched 8 ⅔ career innings against the Hawks, allowing four earned runs. Horvath also pitched on the Prairie Stars' 2022 team that advanced to the NCAA Division II World Series.
 
Tyler will serve as the bullpen coach while earning his master's degree in educational leadership.
 
"Tyler joins us after a solid playing career as a relief pitcher. He's been on some really successful teams playing in four regionals, two super regionals and a World Series — those are the type of guys you need on staff," Schissel said. "He knows what it takes to win in this league, and that will translate in his coaching. As a pitcher who pitched solely out of the bullpen in college, he will be an asset to have in the bullpen during games. He's focused on player development as well, and I think he's already starting to have a positive impact on some of our young arms."
 
 
Brock Bond — Infield Coach
 

Bond enters his first year at QU after a nine-year professional playing career. A product of the University of Missouri, Bond was selected in the 24th round of the 2007 MLB first-year player draft by the San Francisco Giants and spent most of his career in their organization.
 
Bond reached the Triple-A minor league level in 2010 with the Giants' affiliate in Fresno, Calif. He spent three seasons playing at Fresno, and he hit .298 in 287 games at the Triple-A level. He was released by the Giants after the 2013 season. He spent the 2014 season in the American Association, playing for the Winnipeg Goldeyes — the same franchise where former QU standouts Brynn Martinez and Dayson Croes currently play.
 
Bond played in the Los Angeles Angels and Colorado Rockies organizations during the 2015 season before stepping away from baseball. He's made his way back to the game and will work with the Hawks' infielders and hitters while also earning his master's degree in educational leadership.
 
"Brock was a late addition to the staff but will have an immediate impact," Schissel said. "His playing experience as a utility infielder will be a great resource while coaching. As someone who played this game at a very high level for almost a decade, he knows what it takes to be successful. We are very excited to have Brock on staff and are looking forward to his impact on our position players."
 
 
Mason Metz — Director of Baseball Analytics
 
Metz enters his second year on staff with the Hawks. Mason holds various duties throughout the baseball program, highlighted by his work with video, data and statistics. He runs the pitch tracking system (FlightScope) during games and practices and handles all video work. Mason will finish his master's degree in business administration in May 2024.
 
"Mason was a big asset for us in 2023, and we are looking forward to having him around another year," Schissel said. "We focus a lot on player development, which includes video, stats, data and numbers. He's the person that puts that all together. To have someone on staff that can handle video work and tell us what all the numbers mean is very important. Mason was also a member on an NCAA Division III World Series team at Heidelberg University. So again, he knows what it takes to win at a high level."
 
 
Summer Ramsey — Student Manager


 
A graduate of Southeastern High School in Augusta, Ill., Ramsey understands winning culture. She was a junior outside hitter on the Southeastern volleyball team that finished as the state runner-up in Class 1A in 2021. During her final two years of high school, the Suns went 73-10 and won two regional and two sectional championships. She plans to study nursing at QU.
 
"Summer joins us for her first year with the baseball program," Schissel said. "She will help with recruiting visits, social media content and day to day operations. Summer has been around for a month now and she's already made a positive impact on the program. As a freshman at QU, we are excited about her help over the next few years."