KANSAS CITY, Mo. — University of Missouri baseball pitching coach Brian DeLunas passed away Sunday evening at 46 years old after a battle with kidney disease, according to a release from Mizzou Athletics.
“Words cannot describe how heartbroken we are in the loss of our friend, Brian DeLunas,” head coach Steve Bieser said. "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 returned to the Tigers' pitching staff in June after serving as a volunteer assistant and pitching coach from 2007-09.
During his initial tenure with the Tigers, DeLunas helped Mizzou reach three consecutive NCAA regionals, netting a total of 116 wins and over 400 strikeouts each season.
Before returning to the Tigers, DeLunas spent four years as a bullpen coach and director of pitching development and strategies with the Seattle Mariners from 2018-20. He also joined the New York Mets as a special projects coordinator in 2021.
“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," Bieser said.
