Baseball Michael Abdella, St. Olaf Assistant AD for Strategic Communications

Moriarty selected to lead St. Olaf baseball program

NORTHFIELD, Minn. - St. Olaf College Athletic Director Kelly Mahlum announced the hiring of Mark Moriarty as the head coach of the St. Olaf baseball program on Friday.
 
A former standout NCAA Division III pitcher, Moriarty comes to St. Olaf after four seasons as the associate head coach and pitching coach at the University of Nevada, where he helped the Wolf Pack to 103 victories from 2023-26. Moriarty has nearly two decades of coaching experience, including working at all three divisions of the NCAA and professionally in the Minnesota Twins organization. His first day at St. Olaf will be July 13.
 
"I'm grateful for the opportunity to lead the baseball program at St. Olaf," Moriarty said. "I believe the best teams are built on relationships, trust, and a commitment to getting better every day. I'm excited to work with our players as we build a culture of accountability, toughness, and excellence; one that helps our student-athletes succeed on and off the field. My family and I can't wait to be part of the St. Olaf community and get to work."
 
During his time at Nevada, four members of Moriarty's pitching staffs were selected in the Major League Baseball (MLB) Draft, as the Wolf Pack qualified for the Midwest Conference Championship (MWC) in each of his last two seasons on the staff. Moriarty led Nevada's pitching development and game-planning efforts, implemented data-driven player development programs, coordinated individualized throwing programs, assisted with recruiting, roster management, and player evaluation, developed scouting reports and advanced analytics strategies, and supported recruiting operations.
 
"I am thrilled to announce Mark as the next head baseball coach at St. Olaf," Mahlum said. "Throughout the interview process, it was evident that Mark embraces the holistic student-athlete experience that defines St. Olaf. His outstanding playing and coaching background will have a tremendous impact on our student-athletes, both on the field and in their personal growth. Coupled with his strong recruiting connections throughout Minnesota and across the country, Mark is well positioned to continue building our baseball program into a national contender while developing champions in sport, leadership, and life."
 
Prior to his time in Reno, Moriarty spent three seasons as a pitching coach in the Minnesota Twins organization from 2020-22. After being hired as the pitching coach for the Gulf Coast Twins, the rookie-level affiliate, before the 2020 season was canceled, he was the pitching coach for the High-A Cedar Rapids Kernels in 2021 and 2022. His 2021 pitching staff set the franchise record for strikeouts (1,303) and led all of High A with a 3.88 ERA.
 
In 2019, Moriarty was the head baseball coach at the NCAA Division II University of Mary, leading the program to a 12-win improvement overall and its highest Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) win total (12) since 2010. Before that, he spent two stints at fellow NSIC member Augustana University (S.D.) from 2008-12 and 2017-18, culminating in helping the Vikings to the 2018 NCAA Division II national championship with a 52-9 record. Moriarty also mentored 2017 D2CCAA National Pitcher of the Year Jacob Blank, who was drafted by the Minnesota Twins, as the Vikings won 89 games over his final two-season stint. In total, five members of his pitching staff at Augustana signed professional contracts.
 
Moriarty was a standout pitcher at the College of St. Scholastica from 2004-07 and was inducted into the CSS Hall of Fame in 2011. He earned Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) postseason accolades three times, including being named the 2006 UMAC Pitcher of the Year, and was a two-time American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) All-Midwest Region selection as a first-teamer in 2006 and a third-teamer in 2007. Moriarty, who also won a 2004 Northwoods League title in as a player in 2004 with the Madison Mallards, is St. Scholastica's all-time record holder in appearances (52), while ranking second in strikeouts (257) and tied for fifth in wins (23).
 
After graduating from St. Scholastica in 2007 with a bachelor of arts in business management and a minor in marketing, Moriarty played professionally for the St. Paul Saints of the American Association of Independent Professional baseball in 2009. He went on to earn a master of arts in sports management from Augustana in 2010.