Mitch Koester
Mitch Koester
Title: Head Baseball Coach
Phone: 618-545-3327
Email: mkoester@kaskaskia.edu

Mitch Koester is entering his 16th season as the Kaskaskia College Head Baseball Coach. A 2005 graduate of Purdue University and former Big Ten All-Conference player, Koester is looking forward to continued success with the Blue Devils.

During his 15 years as Head Coach at KC, Koester's teams have experienced a lot of success on the field and in the classroom. In his first year (2009), after spending 3 years as an assistant coach, he helped guide the program to its first Great Rivers Athletic Conference title in 21 years. Since then, the standard of winning has remained intact. During a 5 year span, the Blue Devils played for the Region 24 Championship each year and won 2 Region 24 Championships (2013, 2015). The 2013 team finished the season ranked 9th in the country (39-12) and played for a National Championship in the JUCO World Series. This was the programs first ever trip to Grand Junction, CO. In 2021, the Blue Devils once again won the Region 24 Championship. This was the 3rd Region Championship in the last 8 years.

Koester stands by the importance of moving kids on to the next level. "We stress to our players they need to earn one of our many Associates degrees so they have the opportunity to move on and play at the 4 year level or professional baseball" Koester said. Since his arrival at KC, 17 of his current or former players have signed professional contracts and over 75 have signed with D1 schools from the PAC 12, SEC, OVC, MVC, MAC and A-Sun.

Koester, 41, is a native of Teutopolis, IL. He and his wife, Megan, have 2 children, Grace (13) and Charlie (10).

Koester’s Highlights

2009 GRAC Champions

                - GRAC Coach of the Year

- 2013 Region 24 Champions, Northern District Champions, JUCO World Series

                - Region 24 Coach of the Year, ABCA Regional Coach of the Year

- 2014 Region 24 Runner-Up

- 2015 Region 24 Champions, Northern District Runner-Up

                - Region 24 Coach of the Year

- 2016 Region 24 Runner-Up

- 2017 Region 24 Runner-Up

- 2018 Region 24 Runner-Up

- 2021 Region 24 Champions

- 2023 Region 24 Runner-Up