After reportedly hiring Justin Parker just days ago, new IU Coach Jeff Mercer has reportedly added another new member to his staff — Dan Held.
On Monday night, Kendall Rogers of D1Baseball.com reported Held will come to Bloomington to serve as Mercer’s recruiting coordinator after several years with the Indiana Bulls organization.
Held has served as the executive director for the Indiana Bulls, one of the most notable travel baseball programs in Indiana, for more than a decade. The program has had over 100 players selected in the MLB Draft during the course of its existence, with recent IU alumni Logan Sowers and Luke Miller among them.
Prior to his time with the Indiana Bulls, Held played nine seasons of professional baseball – six with the Philadelphia Phillies organization, one with the New York Mets organization and two in an independent league. In that time, the highest level he reached was AAA.
Following his playing career, Held joined the Batavia Muckdogs coaching staff. The next year, he moved on to join the St. Louis Cardinals as an assistant bullpen coach. During his time with the Cardinals, the club reached two World Series, winning the championship in 2006.
Held’s ties to the Indiana Bulls could prove crucial to IU’s recruiting efforts, as the Hoosiers currently have commitments from five different Bulls players.
Auston Matricardi
