New assistant coach Anthony Gilich’s impact on ASU baseball

TEMPE, Ariz. — Arizona State baseball hired Anthony Gilich as its third paid assistant coach prior to the 2024 season. Gilich came from Central Arizona College where he had been the head coach since 2015.

New NCAA legislation allowed teams to hire a third paid assistant coach before the start of the new season. Gilich and head coach Willie Bloomquist grew up near each other and had been in touch for the last couple of years. That coupled with Gilich’s undeniable success at CAC, Gilich fit perfectly for the new role.

New assistant coach making an impact on ASU baseball

Gilich served as the associate head coach with the Vaqueros for seven years before being promoted to head coach. During his head coaching tenure, Gilich won two NJCAA National Championships and earned the best winning percentage in program history (.749). He was named the ABCA National Coach of the Year in both of his National Championship runs, and has seen 47 of his players get drafted.

Now as part of the ASU coaching staff, Gilich’s main responsibilities are catching, outfield, base running, and helping pitching coach Sam Peraza with recruiting.

“(He) takes a lot of stuff off all of our plates you know, there’s been times in the past where I’ve been stuck on a phone call up there and trying to build this program and racing down here for a bullpen,” Peraza said. “Now I’m able to sit there and talk to the boys, especially these early young arms right before they’re getting their throwing program in, and it just helps all the way around.”

Gilich looks to win

Gilich also works on a lot of the detailed skills with his players. This takes a lot off of Bloomquist’s plate and allows the head coach to spend more time with his players daily.

“Anthony Gilich has been great. He’s energetic, ready to work,” Bloomquist said. “Allows me to roam around and get intermixed with the pitchers, you know once in a while, or the catchers once in a while, which in the past I hadn’t had the chance to do that a whole lot. I think that having that third guy has just been extremely valuable for us.”

The new assistant coach has his responsibilities but is just looking to help the team in whatever other ways he can. Maybe Gilich can help Bloomquist bring the type of success he found at CAC.

“I’m going to try to be as valuable as possible. So, wherever I can help, I’m glad to,” Gilich said. “I want us to win. So, wherever I can add value, I’d like to do that.”

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