Western Michigan University Athletics

The eighth head coach in 113 years of Western Michigan baseball, Billy Gernon is set to begin his 16th season at the helm of the Broncos in 2026. 

Gernon has won the only two MAC Tournament Championships in school history, claiming the first tournament title in 2016 to give Western Michigan its first NCAA Tournament appearance in 27 years, and winning it again in 2024 with a dominant three-day run which saw the Broncos outscore their opponents 29-3 on their way to lifting the trophy and earning another NCAA Tournament berth.

During his 15-year tenure, Gernon has led the Broncos to the MAC Tournament eight times, and has a 13-13 MAC Tournament record. Had the 2021 MAC Tournament not been canceled due to COVID-19, the Broncos would've qualified for the seventh time with Gernon at the helm, after tying for third in the league standings with a 23-17 conference record. Prior to Gernon's arrival, WMU had a record of 4-18 in the MAC Tournament. During his 15-year stint, only two MAC teams have more postseason victories and have been to the MAC Tournament more than Western Michigan. The Broncos have beaten a higher seed in seven of the eight years they have qualified, including eliminating the tournament's top seeds both in 2014 and 2016.

Year by year glance:

2025

• The Broncos earned Power Conference victories over Michigan, Michigan State, Northwestern and Notre Dame
• Reese Gaber, DJ Thompson and Turner Doran combined to throw a no-hitter against The Citadel, WMU's first no-hitter since 1997
• The no-hitter was one of three shutouts for the Broncos, which tied for the MAC lead
• Western Michigan swept rival CMU, its first sweep of the Chippewas since 2008
• Dylan Nevar became the program's all-time leader in career RBIs and total bases
• Nevar also tied the career home run record in the Senior Day victory over Ohio
• Grady Mee led the conference in stolen bases with 26, tied for fifth-most in a season in program history
• Tanner Mally was named to the All-MAC Defensive Team
• WMU led the conference with 14 Academic All-MAC selections
• Reese Gaber, Tanner Mally, Michael Maloney, Ty McKinstry and Dylan Nevar were all CSC Academic All-District selections
• Brendan Harrity signed a professional contract with the Westside Wooly Mammoths of the USPBL
• WMU received the ABCA Team Academic Excellence Award for the eighth straight year

2024

• Won the second MAC Tournament Championship in school history, going 3-0 and outscoring the opposition 29-3
• Dylan Nevar became the second Bronco ever to be named the MAC Tournament MVP
• The Broncos won 32 games, their most since 1993, and returned to the NCAA Tournament for the second time under Gernon
• WMU finished second in the MAC regular season standings at 19-11, their highest league finish since 1990
• The Broncos posted an eight-game winning streak during the year, which was the longest active winning streak in the nation at the time
• The eight-game run was the team's longest since 2005 and included sweeps at Ohio and against Miami, as well as a win at Michigan
• The Broncos won the regular season series from the Wolverines, 3-2
• Gernon won his 300th game at the helm of the Broncos with a shutout of NIU on Senior Day
• Western Michigan led the conference in both batting average (.313, 13th in NCAA DI) and ERA (5.55)
• WMU's seven shutouts were one shy of the school record and tied for second-most in the nation
• The Bronco pitching staff set a single-season school record by recording 444 strikeouts
• The offense also set new team single-season records for runs scored (418), hits (597), RBIs (393) and tied the record for walks (287)
• Cade Sullivan became the first Bronco to win the MAC batting title since 1991 with a .387 mark
• Sullivan paced the MAC with 86 hits and 67 runs, both of which were new single-season school records
• Sullivan also broke the school's career home run record with a go-ahead blast in extra innings in a win over Michigan
• Dylan Nevar led the MAC and set a new single-season school record with 71 RBIs
• Sullivan and CJ Richmond were All-MAC First Team selections, while Nevar and Nolan Vlcek earned Second Team honors
• WMU tied for the league lead with 15 Academic All-MAC honorees
• Greg Budig, Dylan Nevar, Cade Sullivan, Luke Thelen and Nolan Vlcek were all CSC Academic All-District selections
• Nevar became WMU's first Academic All-American since 1995
• Luke Thelen was selected in the 15th round of the MLB Draft by Colorado
• Brady Miller signed a professional contract with the Chicago Dogs of the American Association
• WMU received the ABCA Team Academic Excellence Award for the seventh straight year

2023

• Despite playing fewer games than in 2022 and facing the 30th-most difficult non-conference schedule in the country, Western Michigan saw a three-win improvement over the 2022 season
• WMU finished fourth in the MAC (18-11) to punch its ticket to the MAC Tournament, giving the Broncos appearances in seven of the last 11 MAC Tournaments
• The 18 conference wins marked the second-highest total for the Broncos since 1999
• Western Michigan swept three conference series (BGSU, at Toledo, Ohio), its most sweeps since 2012
• The Broncos turned in a 10-4 home record (10-2 in MAC play), and posted an eight-game home winning streak
• Jimmy Allen, Brady Miller and Cade Sullivan all earned Second Team All-MAC selections
• Hayden Berg, Gavin Doyle, Will Morrison, Dylan Nevar and Sullivan were all CSC Academic All-District selections
• Cade Sullivan was named to the All-Tournament Team at the MAC Tournament
• Sullivan hit 18 home runs, tying the single-season program record
• The Broncos turned a conference-leading 49 double plays (27th-most in the nation), for an average of 0.94/game (8th nationally)
• WMU's .974 fielding percentage ranked second in the MAC and was the third-highest for a single season in program history
• The Western Michigan pitching staff's 380 strikeouts were the third-most in single-season program history
• 15 Broncos were named Academic All-MAC, second-most in the league
• WMU received the ABCA Team Academic Excellence Award for the sixth straight year

2022

• Connor Charping selected First Team All-MAC, ABCA/Rawlings All-Midwest Region Second Team and a semifinalist for the Buster Posey National Collegiate Catcher of the Year award
• Dylan Nevar named MAC Freshman of the Year and a Freshman All-American
• Cade Sullivan selected Second Team All-MAC and to the All-MAC Defensive Team
• As a team, WMU set a single-season program record with 131 doubles
• The 131 two-baggers ranked 22nd in the NCAA, with the 2.43/game average ranking 8th nationally
• The Broncos finished with a .396 on-base percentage, 44th in the NCAA
• WMU hit 57 home runs, its most since 2008
• Sullivan and Nevar became the first Bronco teammates to hit double-digit homers in the same season since 2001
• Western Michigan scored an 18-7 win at Michigan State in April which saw Nevar record 13 total bases (2 HR, 3B, 2B)
• 15 Broncos were named Academic All-MAC, second-most in the league
• WMU received the ABCA Team Academic Excellence Award
• Easton Sikorski was selected in the 17th round of the MLB Draft by Cincinnati
• Connor Charping was signed as a non-drafted free agent by the Seattle Mariners

2021

• 23-17 MAC record (tied for 3rd)
• Connor Charping and Drew Devine selected First Team All-MAC
• Sean O'Keefe named Second Team All-MAC
• Jimmy Allen selected to the All-MAC Defensive Team
• Connor Charping and Sean O'Keefe named CoSIDA Academic All-District
• Connor Charping broke the single-season program record for stolen bases, going 32-37
• Blake Dunn named Preseason MAC Player of the Year
• Blake Dunn drafted in the 15th round by the Cincinnati Reds
• Drew Devine signed a professional contract with the Lincoln Saltodgs of the American Association
• The Broncos stole 62 bases, tying for their most since 2004
• WMU boasted a 3.5 GPA for the 2020-21 academic year (recognized by ABCA)
• A league-high 17 Broncos were named Academic All-MAC

2020

• Season cut short due to COVID-19
• Finished with a record of 9-6
• Blake Dunn became the first Bronco and only sixth player from the MAC to be named to the preseason Golden Spikes Award that began in 1979
• Defeated USC in Los Angeles, Calif., during opening weekend
• Swept four-game series at Alabama A&M, shattering multiple offensive records
• Team finished with highest RPI (63) of any Division I team in Michigan and second-highest in the MAC
• Defeated Northeastern, who finished with an 11 RPI and 10-5 overall record
• Went 4-1 at the Snowbird Classic in Port Charlotte, Fla., defeating Villanova, Northeastern, Army West Point and St. Bonaventure

2019

• Posted double-digit MAC wins for the sixth year in a row
• Blake Dunn named First Team All-MAC, Brady Miller named Second Team All-MAC
• Brady Miller ranked nationally in fewest walks per nine innings
• Blake Dunn ranked 18th in the NCAA in stolen bases (30) and was one shy of the program record
• Defeated ACC foe Notre Dame in South Bend, the third time under Gernon WMU had beaten Notre Dame
• Swept Eastern Michigan for the first time since 2006 and first time at home in school history
• WMU's .975 fielding percentage was the second-best for a season in school history

2018

• Led WMU to sixth straight 22-plus win season 
• Had two players drafted in the 2018 MLB Draft, junior Nic Laio (20th round - Texas Rangers) and junior Connor Smith (30th round - Cleveland Indians)
• Connor Smith was the third shortstop under Gernon to be drafted in the past five seasons
• Smith earned First Team All-MAC honors for the third year in a row
• Nic Laio and Nate Grys each earned Second Team All-MAC honors
• Grys belted 10 home runs and cemented a spot in WMU's single-season record books for doubles and RBIs
• Lefty Jacob Piechota set career record for appearances with 87 
• Defeated two Big Ten teams in Northwestern and Michigan State, giving WMU six wins over the Big Ten since 2013
• WMU had a league-leading four MAC Distinguished Scholar-Athletes (Jesse Forestell, Andrew Reisinger, Andrew Stone, Jack Szott)
• The Broncos had eight named Academic All-MAC, second-most in the league
• Posted the 15th consecutive semester of a 3.0 team GPA or higher
• Missed the MAC Tournament for the first time in five seasons by only one game (12-13). After winning game one, the Broncos failed to get in the last two games of the Bowling Green series due to field conditions. BGSU finished last in the MAC at 6-19. 

2017

• Fourth consecutive MAC Tournament appearance
• Tanner Allison named MAC Player of the Year, winning two legs of triple crown with 68 RBIs and a .356 average. It was the first time WMU had the MAC POTY since 1991 and only the second time overall.
• Connor Smith and Nick Vogelmeier selected Second Team All-MAC
• Tanner Allison drafted in the 19th round by the Atlanta Braves (fourth consecutive year a junior was drafted and signed)
• Tanner Allison named ABCA All-American (1st time back-to-back All-Americans since 1994-95)
• Tanner Allison’s 68 RBIs broke the single-season record of 61 set in 1999
• 12-12 record in the MAC and 1-2 in the MAC Tournament
• Won Stetson Tournament defeating UCONN, Stetson and St. Joseph's
• Offense finished 20th in the nation with a .307 average
• Grant Miller and Jack Szott selected MAC Distinguished Scholar-Athletes
• Gabe Berman graduated as the career leader with 24 saves, which tied for sixth-most in MAC history
• Grant Miller set career record with 55 HBP
• Overall team grade point average above 3.0

• Western Michigan won its first MAC Tournament Championship, defeating seeds No. 1, 2, 3 and 6
• Broncos earned first berth to NCAA Tournament in 27 years
• Keegan Akin named MAC Tournament MVP (First in school history)
• Keegan Akin selected in the second round, 54th overall by the Orioles, WMU's highest draft pick since 1970, and earned the highest signing bonus in school history
• Akin’s 133 K’s broke single-season record of 99 set in 1999 and was second-most in MAC history
• Akin named Baseball America All-American (WMU's first since 2001)
• Connor Smith named MAC Freshman of the Year (first in school history)
• Defense recorded the highest fielding percentage in school history (.978), 11th-best in the nation 
• Ranked first in the nation in fielding percentage for three straight weeks (first time in school history)
• Hunter Prince hit the first walk-off grand slam in MAC Tournament history in a dramatic 10-6 victory over Miami 
• Keegan Akin selected First Team All-MAC and Connor Smith selected Second Team All-MAC
• Kyle Mallwitz set single-season record for appearances with 34
• Four Broncos named to All-MAC Tournament Team
• Overall team grade point average over a 3.0

• Broncos posted a 13-14 conference record and made a return trip to MAC Tournament
• Defeat No. 2 seed Kent State 5-0 before losing in 11 innings to MAC Tournament Champion Ohio, 4-1
• 2012 Michigan Gatorade Player of the Year and WMU junior Brett Sunde drafted in the 18th round by Oakland A’s
• Junior Kurt Hoekstra drafted in the 21st round by the Atlanta Braves
• Jared Kujawa’s 17 triples breaks career record of 15 set in 1980
• Hunter Prince leads MAC with 18 doubles
• Mitchell Ho named Second Team All-MAC
• Overall team grade point average of 3.0

• Reached semifinals of MAC Tournament, team's best run since 1998
• 2-2 record in MAC Tournament, eliminated top seed Ball State (most tournament wins since 1998)
• Theo Picirrilli named to the All-MAC Tournament team (WMU's first since 1998)
• Junior Andrew Sohn drafted in the sixth round by the St. Louis Cardinals (highest draft pick since 2008)
• Andrew Sohn and Chad Mayle named Second Team All-MAC
• Broncos defeat #7 Louisville 4-2, highest victory over ranked opponent since 2001
• Overall team grade point average of 3.0

• Andrew Sohn named First Team All-MAC
• Signature wins over Minnesota, Northwestern and Notre Dame
• Narrowly missed qualifying for MAC Tournament after making postseason previous two years
• Overall grade point average of 3.25

• Qualified for MAC Tournament for second consecutive season
• For the first time in school history, won games in the MAC Tournament in back-to-back seasons
• 14-12 record in conference was the first time over .500 in league play since 2006
• Ryan McMillin named First Team All-MAC
• Monty Porter sets single-season record for appearances with 29
• Overall Grade point average of 3.0

• Qualified for MAC Tournament for first time since 2008
• 14-win improvement from previous season ranked as greatest turnaround in program history
• Won first MAC Tournament game since 1998 by defeating No. 2 seed Central Michigan
• 3-4 record against Big 10 opponents, with two wins over Michigan State and one over Ohio State
• Brian Stroud drafted in the 31st round by the Detroit Tigers
• Eric Heckaman drafted in the 33rd round by the Detroit Tigers
• Brian Stroud selected Second Team All-MAC
• Zach Thoma finished as the national statistical leader in sacrifice bunts, WMU's first national statistical leader since Greg Brake led the nation with a 0.95 ERA in 1984

 
Gernon spent two years as an assistant for Jake Boss at Michigan State University in 2009 and 2010 before taking over at Western Michigan. In his first year, he helped Boss lead the Spartans back to the Big Ten Tournament for the first time since 2004. Prior to going to MSU, Gernon was the head coach at IPFW for nine seasons and was instrumental in helping transition the athletic department from Division II to Division I. IPFW was invited into the Summit League in 2008, and the baseball team picked up its first conference victory in school history with a win over Southern Utah in Gernon’s final season. Despite only being in a conference his first and last seasons, Gernon still managed to leave with more victories than any other coach in school history. He also coached the highest draft pick in school history in 2005, when Baltimore drafted shortstop Ryan Steinbach in the 20th round. As an independent, Gernon’s Mastodons racked up victories over Iowa, Boston College, Central Michigan, Bowling Green, Ohio, Miami (OH), NIU, Toledo and Wright State.
 
Gernon pitched for both Indiana Southeast and Indiana University, being named most valuable player during his sophomore year at Indiana Southeast. He moved from a starter at IUS to the closer for the Hoosiers. Gernon earned both a Bachelor of Science in Education and a Bachelor of General Studies from Indiana University.
 
He married the former Annie Recker from Auburn, Ind., in 1999, and they have a son, Jacob David, a former member of the Bronco baseball team and WMU graduate, and daughter, Abigail Taylor, who also graduated from WMU.