University of Minnesota Athletics
Baseball
- Title:
- Assistant Coach & Recruiting Coordinator
- Phone:
- 612-625-3568
| The Casey File |
| PERSONAL INFORMATION Hometown: Bloomington, Minn. High School: Academy of Holy Angels College: University of St. Thomas, B.A. in English and Literature Arts, 2010 PLAYING CAREER University of North Dakota, Catcher COACHING DUTIES Hitting, Catching, Baserunning and Recruiting COACHING CAREER University of Minnesota Assistant Coach, 2016 - Present Volunteer Assistant, 2014-16 Butler University Hitting Coach, 2013-14 Waterloo Bucks (Northwoods League) Hitting Coach, 2012-14 Major League Baseball Scout School Minnesota Twins, 2012-13 University of St. Thomas Assistant Coach, 2008-12 Volunteer Assistant, 2007-08 CERTIFICATIONS IFPA Biomechanics of Sports Specialist K-Baseball Level I Volodalen Motor Preferences for Sport Professionals Level I BY THE NUMBERS 3 First Team All-Big Ten Catchers 4 seasons leading Big Ten in hitting 6 First Team All-Big Ten Position Players 9 position players selected in MLB Draft 17 All-Big Ten Position Players 34 batters with .300 avg. and Big Ten honors |
Packy Casey put a bow on his 11th season with the Gophers in 2024, after previously serving as the volunteer assistant from 2014 to 2016. Casey has been promoted twice during his tenure, most recently to recruiting coordinator in the summer of 2018. He's helped bring in several outstanding recruiting classes and his 2021 class ranked in the top-50 nationally. He is the Gophers hitting coach, oversees the development of the catchers and also serves as the lead in recruiting for the program. One of the bright young minds in college baseball, Minnesota has 266 wins since his arrival in 2014 with two Big Ten Championships, a Big Ten Tournament Championship in 2018, two NCAA Regional appearances and the program's first NCAA Super Regional berth in 2018.
Since Casey has donned the Maroon and Gold, Minnesota has turned into an offensive juggernaut which led the Big Ten in hitting, overall and in conference play, for three straight seasons from 2016 to 2018, and again in 2020. His offensive units averaged over 600 hits per/season and averaged over 7 runs per/game in that span while finishing nationally ranked offensively, No. 3 in 2016, No. 17 in 2018.
During the abbreviated 2020 season, Casey coached the Gopher offense into becoming one of the best in the NCAA by season's end. Minnesota's 171 hits in 2020 ranked No. 25 in the NCAA and paced the entire Big Ten Conference. Meanwhile, the lineup exhibited gap-to-gap power, evidenced by a conference-leading 33 doubles that also finished in the top 50 in the nation. Both of the aforementioned numbers translated to 237 total bases, a mark that was also tops in the conference. The Gophers batted .284, which ranked fourth in the Big Ten, with six players concluding the year with batting averages above .300. Eight players finished with double-digit hits in just 18 games, while another three Gophers produced double-digit RBI.
In what was a challenging 2021 season, Casey continued to develop second baseman Zack Raabe into an all-league caliber player and a professional prospect. Raabe led Minnesota in batting average (.315), runs (18), hits (39), slugging percentage (.532), walks (20) and on-base percentage (.407) in 2021. Defensively, the second baseman held a .992 field percentage with just one error on the year while leading the 'U' with 85 assists. He made Second Team All-Big Ten and was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers with the 237th overall pick in the eighth round of the 2021 MLB Draft.
Under Casey's watch, the Gophers ranked fourth in the Big Ten in triples (13) and fifth in stolen bases (68) in 2022. Brett Bateman ranked seventh in the league with 21 stolen bases, which ranks 11th all-time for a Gopher in a single season in program history. Bateman (.312) and senior Jack Kelly (.324) each hit over .300 for the year. Senior catcher Chase Stanke proved himself as one of the most valuable backstops in the Big Ten, ranking second in runners caught stealing (16) and third in putouts (439). His .996 fielding percentage ranked eighth overall in the conference. Stanke also led the team with 13 home runs, the most a Golden Gopher has hit since 2009.
In 2023, Casey mentored and developed a young team (19.9 average age) and helped them continuously improve over the course of the season. The Gophers went 10-14 in Big Ten play, winning five of their final nine conference games, including series wins over Michigan and Rutgers, who were both top-five teams in the conference. Center fielder Brett Bateman led the team in batting average as a junior, hitting .354, a mark that ranked him eighth in the conference on his way to All-Big Ten Second Team honors. He led the way for the rapid development of true freshman Weber Neels, who clubbed .274 in his rookie year with seven home runs and 24 RBI on his way to Big Ten All-Freshman Team accolades. Junior Boston Merila showed continued growth under Casey's leadership, upping his average from .267 to .303 from his sophomore to his junior year. Second baseman Brady Counsell blossomed into an everyday starter as a sophomore, going from hitting .200 with one home run and 10 RBI to .248 with four home runs and 27 RBI in year two. in the final seven games of the year, the Gophers averaged over seven runs per game (4-3 record).
The 2024 offense slugged 68 home runs, which the most home runs hit in the BBCOR era and the fourth-most in school history. It was also the most homers slugged by a Minnesota offense in 25 years. Under Casey, the Gophers finished the 2024 season season as a top-five offense in Big Ten play in all major hitting categories. They led the Big Ten in doubles; were third in slugging, OPS, total bases and home runs; fourth in runs scored and hits; and were fifth in average, on-base percentage and the least amount of strikeouts. Against Big Ten opponents, the Gophers led the league in stolen base percentage (84%), average (.448), on-base percentage (.500), slugging (.655), wOBACON (.655)wOBA (.496) against pitches that were 95+ mph. The Gophers also led the league in slugging against breaking balls (.500), on-base percentage in two-strike counts (.242) and BABIP in two-strike counts (.362). The Maroon and Gold averaged 7.2 runs per game in 2024, the most by a Gopher offense in the BBCOR era and the most runs scored per game in 15 years. Four hitters finished the 2024 season with a .300 or better average under Casey's guidance. Additionally, four hitters finished with double-digit doubles and two players ended the season with double-digit home runs for the first time in 15 years. After missing the entire 2023 season with a bad knee injury, Josh Fitzgerald returned in 2024 to lead the Gopher offense. An All-Big Ten Second Team selection, Fitzgerald slashed .375/.457/.670 in Big Ten play with 27 RBI and seven stolen bases. His average ranked in the top-ten, while his RBI, stolen bases, OPS and slugging numbers all ranked in the top four in the Big Ten. Jake Perry's power numbers improved in 2024 under Casey and his 12 doubles in conference led the league. A unanimous All-Freshman team selection, Jack Spanier hit .361 in Big Ten play in 2024 which was the second-highest average of any freshman in the league. He slashed .361/.458/.410 with more walks than strikeouts against B1G opponents while also posting a .979 fielding percentage with 58 assists at shortstop.
In April of 2020, Casey became officially certified under the IFPA as a Biomechanics of Sports Specialist.
Since 2015, Casey has helped develop some of the finest offensive performers in the Big Ten, helping 18 different players eclipse the .300 mark and notch All-Big Ten honors, including Michael Handel (2015 2nd Team All Big Ten), Matt Fiedler (2016 Big Ten Player of the Year), Toby Hanson (2017 3rd Team All-Big Ten), Micah Coffey (2016, 2017, 2018 2nd Team All-Big Ten), Alex Boxwell (2016, 2018 NCAA All-Regional), Connor Schaefbauer (2016 1st Team All-Big Ten), Dan Motl (2016 2nd Team All-Big Ten), Austin Athmann (2016 1st Team All-Big Ten), Terrin Vavra (2016, 2017, 2018 1st Team All-American), Jordan Kozicky (2017 All-Big Ten Freshman Team), Jordan Smith (2016 NCAA All-Regional), Cole McDevitt (2017 1st Team All-Big Ten), Ben Mezzenga (2018 2nd Team All-Big Ten), Luke Pettersen (2017, 2018 2nd Team All-Big Ten), Zack Raabe (2021 2nd Team All-Big Ten), Jack Kelly (2022 All-Big Ten Honorable Mention), Brett Bateman (2023 2nd Team All-Big Ten), Josh Fitzgerald (2024 2nd Team All-Big Ten).
Casey was instrumental in the development of Matt Fiedler, the 2016 Big Ten Player of the Year, and catcher Austin Athmann during the Gophers magical run in 2016. Fiedler was drafted in the ninth round of the 2016 MLB Draft by the St. Louis Cardinals after finishing his career with a .337 average in 130 games with 163 hits, 12 home runs, 32 stolen bases and 72 RBIs. Athmann was selected in the 14th round of the 2016 MLB Draft by the Detroit Tigers, finishing his career with a .330 average in 117 games with 124 hits, 12 home runs, 22 doubles and 58 RBIs. In 2018, Casey once again oversaw one of the best seasons put together by a Gopher hitter when Terrin Vavra became the first Gopher position player since Derek McCallum to earn First Team All-American honors after leading the team with a .386 batting average to go along with 10 home runs, four triples and 59 RBIs. Vavra went on to be drafted in the third round, 96th overall, of the 2018 MLB Draft by the Colorado Rockies. In the last three seasons alone, Casey has already sent seven hitters onto professional baseball.
A strong proponent in analytics and modern technology, Casey has changed the approach of the offense for the Golden Gopher program. He had been instrumental in the improvement of the entire program adopting occlusion and pitch recognition training, designing overload/underload programs, integrating video analysis and developed a recruiting-based algorithm model. With the new-aged approach, Casey has unprecedentedly developed offenses that have led the Big Ten in hitting for three straight years while consistently finishing in the top five in major offensive categories, including on-base percentage, runs scored, total bases, extra base hits and least amount of strikeouts. His offenses have garnered national recognition, twice being named in the top-17 in overall hitting, while in 2016 peaking as high as No. 3 overall nationally with a final batting average of .327, which currently sits as the highest mark since 2003 and seventh all-time in program history. Minnesota finished the 2016 regular season leading the Big Ten in batting average, slugging percentage, hits, RBI, total bases and finished second in home runs. Seven hitters under the tutelage of Casey earned all-conference honors during Minnesota’s run to the Big Ten Championship in 2016.
In 2017, the Gophers offense once again established itself as one of the most potent units in the country, leading the Big Ten in average (.297), hits (592), least amount of strikeouts (263), while finishing in the top three in slugging percentage, on base percentage, total bases and runs scored. The Golden Gopher offense posted 17 games of 10 hits or more in the spring of 2017 (after posting 22 games of 10 hits or more in 2016) and averaged eight hits per/game, which was within the top 30 in the country.
In 2018, the Gopher offense made it a trifecta, leading the Big Ten in hitting for the third straight year leading the league with a .300 overall average while finishing first in on-base percentage (.397), runs scored (397), hits (606), RBI (356), and total bases (880). Minnesota finished ranked 17th nationally in 2018 while also finishing in the top 40 overall in hits, runs, and walks amongst all NCAA D1 schools.
Casey’s catchers have had equal success, with backstops earning 1st Team All-Big Ten honors three times in Austin Athmann, Cole McDevitt and Eli Wilson. McDevitt, a 2017 1st Team All-Big Ten selection, blossomed under Casey and became the first catching duo, along with Austin Athmann, to be named First Team All-Big Ten for the Gophers in consecutive seasons in program history. McDevitt posted a .983 fielding percentage with 27 assists, 206 putouts and threw-out 35% of would be base stealers as a sophomore. With Wilson's selection in 2019, Casey's catchers took home their third First Team All-Big Ten award in four years. In 2023, rookie catcher Weber Neels made the Big Ten All-Freshman Team after a stellar first year in the Maroon and Gold. Since 2016, Minnesota catchers have finished in the top five in throwing out base stealers while finishing in the top of the conference for fewest amount of passed balls and errors.
As the head of summer placement for the Gophers, Casey has developed one of the finest funnel systems in the country. In the summer of 2015, Casey placed 24 Gophers on the rosters of 11 different Northwoods League teams, one of the top summer leagues in the nation. Seven of those players were invited to the Major League Dreams Showcase and five ended up making the Northwoods League All-Star team. In 2017, 15 more Gophers were placed in the Northwoods League while three other Gophers were placed in the prestigious Cape Cod League. By 2018, the Gophers had branched out to the best of the best, sending players to USA Baseball, the Cape Cod League and the PerfectGame League while maintaining a stronghold on the Northwoods League.
Casey came to the University of Minnesota from Butler University in the Big East Conference, where he served as hitting coach from 2013-14. He also worked with infielders, catchers and base runners, assisted with recruiting and coordinated the Bulldogs' travel.
Prior to Butler, he previously spent five seasons as the recruiting coordinator at the University of St. Thomas, where he was part of five MIAC championships, five NCAA Regional appearances and two Division III College World Series, including winning the 2009 National Championship.
Casey coached three seasons with the Northwoods League's Waterloo Bucks. He was an assistant in 2012 before being promoted to hitting and third base coach in 2013. He was named 2013 Northwoods Coach of the Year after the Bucks won a league-record 51 games and made their first playoff appearance since 2002. During his time in the Cedar Valley, Casey helped develop the 2015 Big Ten Player of the Year in David Kerian and a 14th round pick in the 2014 MLB Draft in Chesny Young. His offenses finished in the top three in every season, leading the Northwoods League in total hitting in 2014.
In the fall of 2012, Casey was selected by the Minnesota Twins to attend Major League Baseball Scouting and Development School. He served as an associate scout for the Twins in the Midwest during the spring and summer of 2013.
A member of the National Baseball Coaches Association, Casey is a frequent speaker at Minnesota coaching clinics, recruiting seminars and presenter at SportsCon Analytics Convention every year. A native of Bloomington, Minnesota, Casey graduated from the University of St. Thomas in 2010 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Literature Arts with a Writing Emphasis.
Players to Hit .300 or Better Under Casey:
2024: Josh Fitzgerald, Weber Neels, Jake Perry, Drew Berkland
2023: Brett Bateman*,Boston Merila
2022: Jack Kelly, Brett Bateman*
2021: Zack Raabe*
2020: Zack Raabe*, Jack Wassel, Otto Grimm, Andrew Wilhite, Sam Ireland, Easton Bertrand
2018: Terrin Vavra*, Ben Mezzenga, Luke Pettersen*, Toby Hanson*
2017: Terrin Vavra*, Luke Pettersen*, Jordan Kozicky, Micah Coffey*, Jordan Smith, Toby Hanson*
2016: Matt Fiedler*, Terrin Vavra*, Austin Athmann, Micah Coffey*, Toby Hanson*, Dan Motl, Alex Boxwell
2015: Michael Handel, Matt Fiedler*
* Hit > .300 multiple times.
All-Big Ten Honorees Under Casey:
2024: Josh Fitzgerald (2nd), Jack Spanier (Freshman)
2023: Brett Bateman (2nd), Weber Neels (Freshman)
2021:Zack Raabe (2nd)
2019: Eli Wilson (2nd)
2018: Terrin Vavra (1st), Ben Mezzenga (2nd), Micah Coffey (2nd), Luke Pettersen (3rd)
2017: Cole McDevitt (1st), Micah Coffey (2nd), Toby Hanson (3rd), Jordan Kozicky (Freshman)
2016: Matt Fiedler (1st), Austin Athmann (1st), Connor Schaefbauer (1st), Micah Coffey (2nd), Dan Motl (2nd), Riley Smith (Freshman)
2015: Michael Handel (2nd)
