By: Vermont State University Castleton Athletics
CASTLETON, Vt. – The Vermont State University Castleton baseball team has found new leadership, as the athletic department announced the hiring of Tony Deshler as head coach on Wednesday.
"We're thrilled to welcome Coach Deshler as the new head coach of our baseball program. Tony's 15 years of coaching experience combined with his energy, leadership, and deep understanding of the game made him the clear choice. He brings a fresh perspective, success in recruiting high-caliber players, and demonstrates a passion for developing young men of character both on and off the field. We're confident he's the right person to lead this program into its next chapter," said Director of Athletics Tim Barrett.
Deshler begins his head coaching career with the Spartans after spending the past three seasons as Assistant Baseball Coach at Salve Regina University, where he served as the team's defensive coordinator. During his tenure, the Seahawks achieved new milestones, setting a program record with 40 wins, earning a program-best No. 3 national ranking, and making their first-ever College World Series appearance.
No stranger to New England baseball, Deshler was an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator with the Bates College coaching staff from 2016 to 2022. While with the Bobcats, the team qualified for three consecutive NESCAC Tournaments and Deschler was recognized as part of the 2019 Coaching Staff of the Year.
Prior to his time at Bates, Deshler was hired as the first assistant baseball coach at Elmira College in 2014 where he helped build its inaugural roster in his role as recruiting coordinator. He was one of the key reasons the team doubled its win total from eight 2015 to 16 in 2016.
Deshler began his collegiate coaching career in 2012 at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), helping the program capture its first-ever NEWMAC title and qualify for back-to-back NCAA Regionals.
From 2019 to 2021, Deshler served as the Field Manager for the Westfield Starfires in the Futures Collegiate Baseball League. During these two years, he mentored numerous pro prospects including Reggie Crawford '22 MLB 1st round selection and Cole Bartels 2021 FCBL MVP.
Deshler earned a degree in American Studies with a minor in Business from Brandeis University. A two-year team captain, Deshler was a three-time All-UAA Conference Team honoree and was named the UAA Conference Rookie of the Year in 2008. Deshler exited Brandeis ranked second in program history in career hits with 207 and was the program's all-time leader in games played and started with 157.
"I couldn't be more excited about the opportunity to lead the Castleton Baseball program into the future," said Head Coach Deshler. "I want to thank Tim Barrett and the rest of the search committee for entrusting me with the vision of building a premier Little East program — the Spartan Way. I'm also incredibly grateful to my fiancée Sara, my family, and the coaches who have supported me throughout the years. I can't wait to get up to the 802 and get to work at Spartan Field!"