Evan Berliner promoted to full-time position with SDSU baseball

After two seasons serving as a volunteer assistant coach with the South Dakota State baseball team, Evan Berliner has been promoted to a full-time position, head coach Rob Bishop announced Wednesday.
 
“Evan has done an unbelievable job with our hitters in the volunteer role and I am excited to watch him continue to grow in our program,” Bishop said. “He is ready for an expanded role and we are fortunate to have him decide to do that here at SDSU.”
 
The Jackrabbits greatly improved their offensive numbers since Berliner’s arrival prior to the 2022 campaign. The 2022 squad more than doubled its home run output from the previous season with a Summit League-best 62 round-trippers, while the 2023 team set a school record with 89 home runs. The team’s batting average also jumped more than 50 points over the two seasons since his arrival and the Jacks’ slugging percentage increased by 160 points over the same span.
 
A native of Highland Park, Illinois, Berliner played collegiately at Elmhurst College. He previously spent two years each as an assistant coach at Ottawa University (Ariz.) and Hillsdale College in Michigan.
 
Berliner fills the coaching position previously held by Brian Grunzke, who retired after the 2023 season following a coaching career spanning 40 years.