EUGENE, Ore. – University of Oregon athletic director Rob Mullens announced today that Mark Wasikowski has been named the head baseball coach for the Ducks. Wasikowski has served as the head coach at Purdue University for the last three seasons (2017-19) and was an assistant coach at Oregon the previous five seasons (2012-16).
“We are excited to add a high-energy and experienced coach in Mark to lead our baseball program,” Mullens said. “He has an outstanding work ethic and a track record as an excellent recruiter, and we expect to compete for championships under his leadership. Mark has a wide breadth of experience in both the Pac-12 and beyond, and we are confident that the success on the horizon as well as his high level of engagement will provide a first-class experience for our baseball student-athletes.”
Wasikowski led Purdue to a 39-win season in 2018, leading the Boilermakers to only the third NCAA Regional appearance in school history and only the second since 1982. The 2018 Purdue team won 22 of its last 27 regular season games, including a 13-game winning streak, and finished second in the Big Ten both during the regular season and the postseason conference tournament.
“I am honored and humbled to have this opportunity from Rob Mullens, Eric Roedl and the University of Oregon administration,” Wasikowski said. “Roughly 12 years ago, a dream and a vision from Pat Kilkenny, Joe Giansante, and Hall of Fame coach George Horton started the Oregon baseball program. The program literally started from scratch and is now in a solid position moving forward. We will not shy away from the goal of playing for and winning a National Championship, as challenging as that will be. My family and I are thrilled for the opportunity in Eugene, and I can’t wait to get to work. Go Ducks!”
During his first season at Purdue, Wasikowski led the Boilermakers to 29 wins, a 19-win improvement from the 10-44 campaign the team had the year before his arrival. Wasikowski is 87-82 (.515) in his three years as the head coach at Purdue, and the three years before his arrival saw the Boilermakers post a combined winning percentage of .272 (43-115). His consecutive winning seasons with Purdue from 2017-18 marked only the second such occurrence for the school since 2003-04. In his first season at Purdue in 2017, the team was 8-3 in one-run games after posting a 2-13 record in those games the year before.
During Wasikowski’s five seasons as an assistant at Oregon, the Ducks compiled a 205-106 (.659) record and advanced to postseason play four times, including the 2012 Super Regionals. UO averaged 41 wins during that stretch, with three seasons of 40-plus wins that included a school-record 48 victories in 2013. From 2012-15 the Ducks won 176 games, tied for the sixth-most in the nation during that four-year span.
The starting third baseman and a captain of the 1992 Pepperdine national championship team, Wasikowski began his coaching career as a student assistant for the Waves in 1994. In addition to his stint with the Ducks, he served as an assistant coach under Andy Lopez at Arizona for 10 seasons (2002-11) and at Florida for three years (1999-2001). Wasikowski also spent two seasons (1997-1998) at Southeast Missouri State. The teams for whom he has coached have appeared in a Regional Tournament in 15 of his 23 seasons.
Wasikowski is married to Lori Jo, and the couple has two daughters, Joelle and Kelsey.
