Glen Oaks Community College recently welcomed Tucker Waddups as the seventh head baseball coach in Viking baseball history. 

Waddups comes to Glen Oaks after spending the 2023 season as the pitching coach at Reinhardt University in Waleska, Georgia (NAIA – National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics), under head coach Jonathan Burton. In Waddups’ only year at Reinhardt, his staff posted a 34-20 record while finishing second in the Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) and capturing a post-season bid into the NAIA opening round of their National Tournament. The Eagles pitching staff featured an NAIA Honorable Mention All-American, and AAC Pitcher of the Year, Andrew Herbert, as well as a Second Team All-AAC Pitcher, Ethan Foley.

Prior to Waddups’ time at Reinhardt, he spent the 2022 season as the pitching coach at Mount Vernon Nazarene University (NAIA), under legendary head coach Keith Veale. Mount Vernon Nazarene posted a record of 39-19 and captured the regular season Crossroads League Championship, granting them a birth to the NAIA opening round. 

Waddups’ Cougars pitching staff was anchored by Honorable Mention All-American and First Team All-Crossroads League closer, Cruz McFadden, who led the entire NAIA in saves. Two other hurlers, Jake Glover and Jarin Bertke, also earned Second Team All-Crossroads League honors. The Cougars finished with a league leading team ERA of 4.97 while striking out 432 batters, breaking the school record for strikeouts in a single season. Their team earned run average (ERA) was over half of a percentage point better than the second-place team in the league.

Waddups currently serves as an associate scout for the Kansas City Royals organization. He has served in the prestigious Northwoods League as a pitching coach in each of the past three years as well, spending seasons with the Kokomo Jackrabbits (2021), the Traverse City Pit Spitters (2022), and is currently with the Kenosha Kingfish (2023). While coaching in the Northwoods League, Waddups coached several players who eventually moved on to play professional baseball. Waddups also spent two years coaching at the high school level with the Indiana Chargers and Indiana Nitro travel baseball organizations.

In college, Waddups pitched for current Indiana University Pitching Coach Dustin Glant, while attending Anderson University as a freshman. With Glant’s departure from Anderson, Waddups transferred and finished his playing career at perennially strong Taylor University for head coach Kyle Gould’s Trojans from 2018-2021. 

While at Taylor, Waddups logged 127 innings on the mound for pitching coach Justin Barber and finished with a career ERA of 4.01. He was also part of a team that qualified for the opening round of the NAIA National Tournament and was ranked as high as 20th in the nation at one point. Waddups later pitched for the Kokomo Jackrabbits in the summers of 2018-2019.

Originally from Logansport, Indiana, Waddups graduated from Pioneer High School in 2016. There, as team captain, he earned area accolades all four years as an infielder and pitcher. In his senior season, he was named an Indiana North All-Star and set numerous Pioneer baseball records, including ERA (0.33 in 2016, 0.86 in career), home runs (17), wins (11 in 2016, 31 in career), amongst other school bests.

Waddups graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Sport Management and Coaching from Taylor University in 2021, and will graduate from Mount Vernon Nazarene University with a master’s degree in organizational management.

“We are excited to welcome Tucker Waddups into our Glen Oaks coaching family,” said Glen Oaks Athletics Director Joel Mishler. “His character and drive to model excellence and command accountability, in himself and his players daily approach, will bring big benefits to our baseball program and our educational institution – and most importantly, to our student-athletes as he emphasizes excellence in being good people, students, teammates, and baseball players. 

“As you observe Tucker’s playing and coaching resume, you will notice he has been a part of, and been influenced by winning people and programs throughout his career! At a young age, he educated himself in coaching people first, but also in coaching baseball analytics, mechanics, and the game itself. We feel this is a recipe for future success for Glen Oaks baseball and are happy to have Tucker on board.”

Waddups added, “I am incredibly honored for the opportunity to serve as the head baseball coach at Glen Oaks Community College. I look forward to building a strong program and culture that revolves around the development of young men and baseball players. I feel blessed to be at Glen Oaks and the St. Joseph County community, where I believe in the mission and the people that embody the college. I am excited for the future of Glen Oaks baseball.”