Source: Eagles hire Kevin Vance as pitching coach

Vance has spent the last five years as an assistant coach at Rhode Island.

Boston College has hired Kevin Vance as its new pitching coach after the departure of Alex Trezza this offseason, per sources.

Vance, 30, has spent the last five seasons as Rhode Island’s pitching coach and recruiting coordinator. He joined the Rams’ staff in 2017 after wrapping up a six-year minor league career that saw him reach Triple-A with the Arizona Diamondbacks. It took Vance just a year to move into a full-time assistant role at Rhode Island and he additionally took on the job of recruiting coordinator.

Vance, a former relief pitcher, was drafted out of the University of Connecticut by the Chicago White Sox in the 19th round of the 2011 MLB Draft. He finished his undergraduate degree the following year, then later after wrapping up his professional baseball career he went on to attend graduate school at Northeastern to earn a Master’s degree in Sports Leadership.

Vance will succeed Trezza, who departed this offseason after five years with the Eagles. This past season, BC’s pitching staff was well below average, ranking 195th in the country in ERA (5.87). The Eagles struggled with control, issuing nearly five walks per nine innings, and had a 1.66 WHIP that was good for 211th in D-I baseball.

BC returns plenty of depth at the mound, though, with a core group of young pitchers that Vance will look to develop. This includes a group of rising sophomores in Charlie Coon, Joey Ryan, John West, and Joe Vetrano that combined for 80-plus innings in 2021.

Featured Image Courtesy of Rhode Island Athletics