Meet the Creighton Baseball Coaches

Get to know the Coaching Staff of the Creighton Bluejays baseball team These are the men who lead the team to success on and off the field.

Coach Ed Servais

Ed Servais enters his 16th season as Head Coach of the Creighton baseball program in 2020. He has led the Bluejays to 11 NCAA regional appearances, five Missouri Valley Conference championships and coached 41 All-Americans, 52 MLB Draft picks and four major leaguers during his tenure.

Assistant Coaches

In addition to the head coach there are three assistant coaches for the Creighton Baseball Team

The First assistant coach is responsible for coaching the hitters and infielders, coordinating recruiting efforts, and overseeing the budget.

The Second assistant coach works with the pitchers and catchers and is also in charge of game day operations.

The Third assistant coach is in charge of scouting both opponents and potential recruits.

Pitching Coach

Pitching coach Chad Kampen enters his sixth season with the program in 2019, having coached some of the best hurlers in school history during his tenure. Under Kampen’s guidance, Creighton pitchers have ranked among the nation’s best in strikeouts per nine innings four times (second in 2017, fifth in 2016, seventh in 2018 and ninth in 2015), while also finishing third nationally in strikeout-to-walk ratio in 2016.

Hitting Coach

The hitting coach is responsible for helping the team’s hitters improve their batting skills and technique. They work with the hitters on a daily basis, giving them batting practice and working on their swings. The hitting coach also works with the pitchers to help them better understand the hitters’ strengths and weaknesses.

Catching Coach

Catching Coach Sean Mcdermott is in his first season with the Creighton Bluejays Prior to joining the coaching staff at Creighton, McDermott spent two seasons as an assistant coach at his alma mater, Iowa Wesleyan University

As a player, McDermott was a four-year starter behind the plate for the Tigers. He was named an All-Conference performer three times and was also named Conference Defensive Player of the Year twice. He finished his career as Iowa Wesleyan’s all-time leader in catches (834) and led the team to four conference championships

Infield Coach

The Infield Coach is responsible for coaching and developing the team’s infielders. They work with the Head Coach to develop a practice and game plan that emphasizes the strengths of each individual player. The Infield Coach also scouts opposing teams to develop a game strategy that gives the team the best chance to win.

Outfield Coach

Infield Coach
The infield coach is responsible for the training and development of the team’s infielders. They work with the players to improve their fielding skills and help them to understand the nuances of playing infield. The infield coach also works with the hitters to develop their batting abilities.

Volunteer Assistant Coach

The Volunteer assistant coach for the Creighton baseball team is Ryan McMillan. McMillan, a former professional player and collegiate coach, rejoined the Jays’ staff in 2019 after serving as an assistant coach at Iowa Western Community College McMillan provides valuable experience and mentorship to the team’s hitters and also serves as the Recruiting Coordinator.

Staff

The Creighton baseball Coaching Staff is comprised of Head coach Ed Servais, pitching coach Steve Maurice, and Assistant coaches Joe Sorrow and Chris Kennedy. Coach Servais is entering his sixth season as the program’s skipper, and his staff has helped lead the team to new heights.

In 2018, the Bluejays made their sixth straight appearance in the NCAA tournament and won a school-record 40 games. The squad also captured Creighton’s first-ever Missouri Valley Conference regular season championship since joining the league prior to the 2014 campaign.

Alumni

Alumni

The Creighton Baseball coaching staff is made up of four former Bluejays who have gone on to find success at the highest levels of the sport.

Head coach Ed Servais was a two-time All-American catcher at Creighton before being drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in 1989. He spent five seasons in the Major Leagues including two with the Brewers, and also played for the Montreal Expos and Chicago Cubs Servais returned to his alma mater in 2000, and has led the Bluejays to seven Missouri Valley Conference championships and nine NCAA Tournament appearances in his 18 seasons at the helm.

Assistant coach John Halama also had a successful career in Major League Baseball pitching for 14 seasons with eight different teams. A native of Omaha, Halama was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in 1994 and made his Big League debut three years later. He went on to play for the Mariners, Oakland Athletics Boston Red Sox Tampa Bay Devil Rays Houston Astros New York Yankees Pittsburgh Pirates and Baltimore Orioles Halama joined the Creighton Coaching Staff in 2013.

Bret Wagner rejoined the Bluejays as an Assistant Coach in 2016 after spending six seasons as head coach at Midland University in Fremont, Nebraska. A former pitcher at Creighton, Wagner was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in 1999 and also played professionally for the Chicago White Sox organization. He has more than 20 years of coaching experience at all levels of baseball, from High School to Division I.

Rounding out the staff is volunteer assistant coach Dan Oppermann, who played collegiately at Iowa State University before embarking on a professional career that spanned eight seasons and included stops with eight different organizations. Oppermann has been with the Bluejays since 2019.