Chip Hale continues to build his staff, adding Sacramento State's Toby DeMello as an assistant coach on Thursday afternoon. DeMello's hiring comes hours after the UA announced that former University of San Diego aide Will Gaines was joining the Wildcats' staff as the operations director.
DeMello spent the last two seasons as the Hornets' volunteer assistant coach, working with the catchers and coaching first base; before that, he was the team's director of analytics. DeMello is a graduate of St. Mary's, where he played four seasons as a catcher. He was a 29th-round draft pick of the Seattle Mariners in 2012.
Following his pro career, DeMello coached at Sierra College, Occidental and Southern Illinois before moving to Sacramento State. He joins a Hale staff that includes associate head coach/pitching coach Dave Lawn, assistant coach Trip Couch and Gaines.Β
"Coach DeMello is tremendous addition to our staff who will greatly advance the development of our student-athletes," Hale said. "His experience as both a Division I and professional athlete helps him connect with his players and build their skill sets for long-term success. Coach DeMello has won everywhere he has gone, and I expect that trend to continue as we look to make our push back to Omaha."
