Doug Walters Named Assistant Baseball Coach

MIDLAND, MICH. – Northwood University head baseball coach Jake Sabol has announced the hiring of Doug Walters as assistant coach.

"I am very excited for Doug to join us over at Northwood," said Sabol. "Having been in the Alma program for the past three years with me, he brings some familiarity to Northwood and is well aware of how we will operate and what our expectations will be from day one. Our program at Alma carried a team-first mentality with guys who cared about each other, and there's no reason why that will change here at NU. Coach Walters is a great example of that, and I look forward to him bringing that out in our players."

Walters was a member of the Alma College coaching staff under Sabol for the past two seasons where he also worked with the catchers and the hitters. He was also an assistant coach for the North Adams SteepleCats, a member of the NECBL, during the summer of 2018. 

Walters played collegiately at Alma College from 2012-16.  A four-year letter winner for the Scots, Walters helped lead Alma to one of the most successful seasons in program history in 2016, garnering First Team All-MIAA honors as a senior, hitting .353 with 37 RBI, which is second most all-time in a single season at Alma. Walters also lead the Scots in hits with 48, while starting all 43 games behind the plate. After the conclusion of the 2016 season, he was awarded the Team Captain Award and the Team MVP Award, voted on by his teammates and coaches.

Following his junior season, Walters was named Second Team All-MIAA with a .324 batting average. Doug was also awarded the Breakthrough Athlete of the Year Award from the Alma College Athletic Department for his 2015 campaign.

Prior to Alma, Walters played for the Ann Arbor American Legion summer team that competed in tournaments nationwide. Doug also helped lead Aristeo Construction to a Lansing League championship in the summer of 2017 as well as guiding the Flint Mustangs to a Flint League Championship in the summer of 2016.

A Brighton, Michigan native, Walters graduated from Brighton High School in 2012. He was voted team captain as a senior and led the program to its first KLAA title while also reaching the Division 1 Quarterfinals. Throughout high school, he worked in the after school program teaching and developing young children in various sports, such as baseball, basketball, and football.

Walters graduated from Alma College in 2016 with a Bachelor's degree in English.

Walters joins Nat Richter as full-time coaches on Sabol's staff. Richter, who has been an assistant at Northwood the previous four seasons, was promoted to a full-time this summer.  Sabol's staff will also feature graduate assistants Alex George and Ian Dimitrie.