Bobby Walmsley joined the Bronco coaching staff as volunteer assistant in August 2010. Walmsley was a two-year starting catcher at Grand Valley State after beginning his playing career at Michigan State. Walmsley works with the Bronco catchers and hitters, and helps organize WMU's youth baseball camps and clinics.
2011:
Working with the Bronco catchers, Walmsley helped Western Michigan make a 14-game improvement from 2010 to 2011, ranking the Broncos 10th among NCAA Division I institutions in terms of program turn around. The Broncos finished the 2011 season with an overall record of 26-31 after going 12-42 the season prior.
Western Michigan advanced to the MAC Tournament for the first time since 2008, securing the No. 7 seed, and recorded the program's first postseason win since 1998, upsetting No. 2 seed Central Michigan, 9-7, in the first round. It was just the fourth time since 2000 WMU had advanced to the conference tournament. WMU posted five shutouts, among those a three-game sweep over Akron, the school's first ever shutout series against a conference foe.
Walmsley had the task of working with catchers with no more than one year experience and helped the young group grow immensely. WMU showed vast improvement in controlling the opponent's running game. After allowing 100 stolen bases in 2010, the team surrendered just 57 in 2011, an improvement of 43 stolen bases against. After committing 26 passed balls the season prior, Bronco catchers allowed just eight passed balls in 2011.
PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE:
Walmsley served as a hitting and catching instructor at the Detroit Batting Academy from 2005-10 and was part of the L'Anse Creuse High School coaching staff in 2010, where he also worked with the hitters and catchers.
Collegiately, Walmsely began his playing career at Michigan State where he was an Academic All-Big Ten selection in 2006. After redshirting a season and undergoing reconstructive shoulder surgery, Walmsley left the Spartan program following his sophomore year. Walmsley made a stop at Mott Community College for the 2007 season, earning First Team All-MCCAA honors before transferring to Grand Valley State where he finished out his career. A two-year starter at catcher for the Lakers, Walmsley helped lead Grand Valley to back-to-back GLIAC championships in 2008 and 2009, as well as a trip to the Division II College World Series in 2009. In 2010, Walmsley signed a professional contract with the Kalamazoo Kings of the Frontier League.
PERSONAL:
A native of Harrison Township, Mich., Walmsley earned a bachelor's degree in business administration from Grand Valley in 2009. He is currently pursuing a master's degree from Western Michigan.
