NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Vanderbilt baseball head coach Tim Corbin announced the addition of Tyler Shewmaker to the Commodore staff on Wednesday. Shewmaker comes to Nashville after spending the previous four seasons with Campbell.
“Tyler comes from a very good college baseball program in Campbell,” said Corbin. “His head coach (Justin Haire) is an outstanding developer of players and coaches.”
Shewmaker spent the past two seasons as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for the Fighting Camels after serving as the volunteer assistant coach for one year and the director of baseball operations in his initial season.
In addition to supervising the recruiting efforts for the Fighting Camels, Shewmaker oversaw the development of the Campbell catchers, while working primarily with the hitters and assisting with offensive game planning.
Prior to his time in Buies Creek, Shewmaker served as an assistant coach at his alma mater, Kentucky Wesleyan, in 2017. He assisted heavily with recruiting for the Panthers and helped lead them to their first NCAA Division II Regional.
In addition to recruiting, Shewmaker worked full-time with Kentucky Wesleyan’s catchers and assisted with hitting and base running. He also created and monitored the Panthers’ strength and conditioning program for position players.
Shewmaker has coached and assisted with recruiting student-athletes from all three NCAA divisions, NAIA and NJCAA.
Shewmaker spent the summer of 2017 as an assistant coach for the Fayetteville SwampDogs of the Coastal Plain League. He helped lead the team to the first-half division title and a league playoff berth. Since 2017, and including once that season, eight players that Shewmaker coached in Fayetteville have either been drafted or signed by an MLB club.
As a student-athlete, Shewmaker was a career .306 hitter in three seasons at Kentucky Wesleyan. Between 34 hits, he tallied four doubles and three triples. He also drove in 17 runs and drew 17 walks. Off the field, he was a member of the student athletic advisory committee and member of “Who’s Who in American Universities and Colleges.”
“Tyler gained a lot of responsibility in recruiting and teaching, and his overall coaching development played a big role in his hiring,” Corbin added. “Our entire staff is excited to have Tyler at Vanderbilt.”
A native of Corydon, Indiana, Shewmaker has two sisters, Brittany and Bethany. He also has three nephews, Lincoln, Ryker and Bentley, who all still reside in his hometown.
Vanderbilt is set to return to the diamond following a 49-18 season in 2021 that featured the Commodores advancing to their fifth NCAA College World Series, concluding the campaign as the national runner-up.