COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri baseball pitching coach Brian DeLunas passed away on the evening of Jan. 16, 2022, after an extended battle with kidney disease. He was 46 years old.
“Words cannot describe how heartbroken we are in the loss of our friend, Brian DeLunas,” head coach Steve Bieser said. “In the months since his return to Mizzou, he has made an indelible impact on our team through his love of the game and his players along with his inspirational courage off the field. Brian was a tremendous husband, father, brother and coach, and our hearts go out to Johannah, Rory, Maren and the entire DeLunas family as we ask everyone to keep them in your thoughts and prayers.”
DeLunas was in his second stint at Mizzou, having previously served as a volunteer assistant and pitching coach for the Tigers from 2007-09. During that tenure, DeLunas helped Mizzou to three-straight NCAA regionals, 116 wins and over 400 strikeouts in each season.
A highly-regarded mind in the pitching field, DeLunas returned to Columbia after a four-year stretch in the major leagues. He served as a bullpen coach and director of pitching development and strategies for the Seattle Mariners 2018-2020 before joining the New York Mets as a special projects coordinator for the 2021 season.
The Missouri native played baseball at Oakville High School in the St. Louis area before continuing his career at Missouri Baptist University. In 2014, he co-founded Premier Pitching and Performance (P3) in St. Louis.
DeLunas is survived by his wife, Johannah, son Rory and stepdaughter Maren. His nephew, Austin Cheeley, is currently a pitcher for the Tigers.
