After seeing success at every level of baseball, NIU baseball head coach Ryan Copeland has helped bring success back to NIU’s program, while continuing to rebuild a team that won just 10 games in 2023. 

NIU COACHING CAREER 

Holding a 42-66 record after his second season at the helm, Copeland coached the team to back-to-back 21-33 seasons in his first two years at NIU. The pair of 20-win seasons account for the most wins in a season since 2016. 

“Trying to find a way to develop your players, try to build and establish a culture, a set of standards that you want for your program to live by,” Copeland said. “I think in Year 2, we are definitely a little more comfortable. Overall, I would say I’m a little disappointed. I thought that after a solid start to our tenure at NIU last year, I thought we’d be in a better position, especially in conference. So, you’re always trying to learn from the mistakes you make and you’re trying to figure out how to be better as you go.”

The Huskies also broke NIU’s single-season home run record in Copeland’s second year. NIU broke the previous record of 70 home runs – set in 2003 – after slugging 82 long balls this season. 

The Huskies had five players hit 8 or more home runs over the course of the season, with junior catcher Logan Gregorio and senior outfielder Gavin Baldwin leading the charge. 

Gregorio and Baldwin, both transfers brought in by Copeland for the 2025 season, each made a run for NIU’s single-season home run record, with Gregorio sitting in second with 18 and Baldwin tied for third with 15. 

In addition to the 82 home runs hit by the Huskie offense, NIU also ranked top-four in the Mid-American Conference in RBIs, total bases, doubles and walks. 

In just two seasons at NIU, Copeland has created one of the MAC’s best offenses, sparking the resurgence of NIU’s program. 

“I think sometimes it gets difficult to step back and gain some perspective about where our program truly is because we focus so much on where we want to be,” Copeland said. “We want to have a team where people have high expectations for us because I’m not going to lessen my standards. I’m a winner, I’ve always won wherever I’ve been and I hope we have a group of players that expect to win and I think we do.”

TRANSFER PORTAL SUCCESS 

In addition to recruiting high-level talent from the high school level, Copeland has been successful in the transfer portal. 

Sophomore catcher Cooper Cohn and sophomore outfielder Charlie Parcell were both new additions in Copeland’s first year at NIU, each emerging as consistent contributors for the Huskies following their sophomore seasons. Redshirt junior pitcher Adam Brouwer transferred from the University of Illinois Springfield to NIU, following Copeland after he accepted the job in DeKalb.

“Someone like Adam (Brouwer) had a ton of options when he entered the portal after that 2023 season, some offers from some pretty good Power 4 programs, and he decided to stick it out with us,” Copeland said. “That loyalty is rare nowadays, and so we have a special bond.”

Since joining the team, Brouwer has become the Huskies’ best starting pitcher. Overall, Brouwer has produced an 11-8 record, a 5.14 ERA and 122 strikeouts in his time at NIU. 

The right-handed pitcher also saw improvement in his second season with the Huskies. This season, Brouwer finished with a 5.14 ERA and 67 strikeouts, ranking top-20 in the MAC in both categories.

Hailing from Benedictine University, Gregorio has been another great portal find for Copeland. Following an electric 2025 season, Gregorio sits second all-time in single-season home runs. 

Gregorio has also been one of the best hitters in the MAC, slashing .332/.400/.659. The lefty slugger was one of the best offensive players in the conference, sitting in third place for home runs and fourth for RBIs at the end of the 2025 season, with 18 and 69 respectively. 

“We attacked the portal pretty aggressively this past year, and we’re going to do the same again this year,” Copeland said about his strategy surrounding the transfer portal. “The one thing about this year’s team is we were a little exposed in areas we didn’t address as much last offseason. And I think the only mistake we can make is if we don’t learn from it. We need to find a way to be a little bit better.”

PREVIOUS COACHING EXPERIENCE 

Prior to coaching at NIU, Copeland spent eight seasons at Springfield, spending four years as assistant before being promoted to head coach in 2020. 

During his time as head coach at Springfield, Copeland led the program to a record of 131-38 over a four-year tenure at the helm.

The Prairie Stars went 280-108-1 over the eight seasons Copeland was a member of the coaching staff. 

Copeland appeared in the Great Lakes Valley Conference tournament three times as UIS’s head coach, winning the tournament in 2022. He also led the program to the NCAA regionals three times, including a run to the NCAA Division II Championship tournament in 2022.

Named the GLVC Coach of the Year in 2022, Copeland was also named the Midwest Regional Coach of the Year in both 2021 and 2022. 

“It felt like there wasn’t a whole lot of coaching you had to do, just let them go play, don’t get in their way,” Copeland said about his time at UIS. “It was kind of like managing the 90’s Bulls, we were so talented so we tried to stay out of those guys’ way, but it was a very special group and those feelings you have, the wins, the tough losses, that’s what we are trying to emulate here at Northern Illinois.”

Copeland also served as an assistant coach at his alma mater, Illinois State University, where he was a pitching coach and also assisted with administrative duties, spending two seasons with the team.

PLAYING CAREER 

Before finding success as a coach, Copeland enjoyed a successful playing career as a left-handed pitcher. 

Copeland spent four seasons at Illinois State, mainly as a starting pitcher. Copeland transitioned to the bullpen his senior year, a move that he credits as saving his playing career. 

“I remember Mark Kingston, our head coach, called me into the office and told me they were going to make a change, and they were going to put me in the bullpen,” Copeland said. “I walked out of his office thinking that was probably it for me, but it was actually the best thing that ever happened to me. My stuff got better, my velocity ticked up quite a bit and all those scouts that saw me as a freshman or sophomore, I think they started to realize I could pitch in pro ball.”

Copeland saw significant success at ISU, notably striking out the final batter of the MVC conference tournament and sending ISU to the NCAA Regionals in his senior year. 

Due to his success at Illinois State, Copeland was drafted in the 32nd round, 979th overall, in the 2010 MLB draft by the St. Louis Cardinals. Furthermore, Copeland left ISU as the school’s all-time leader in innings pitched. 

“I went to bed hopeful, very excited and then I got that phone call on draft day that you’re about to get taken and then to actually see your name pop up on your computer, it was a very special day,” Copeland said. “One of the top moments of my life, all the hard work, it finally felt like you were rewarded for it with the opportunity to go play at the highest level of baseball.”

Copeland spent three seasons in the minor leagues with multiple affiliates of the Cardinals. Copeland was notably named an Appalachian League All-Star in 2010, as well as earned the league’s Pitcher of the Year Award. 

Besides experiences from his playing career, Copeland credits his former pitching coach, Billy Mohl, as the inspiration for his coaching style. 

“I remember sitting and thinking, whenever I’m done playing and I want to coach, I want to be like Coach Mohl,” Copeland said. “I think all those experiences as a player with the people around you, your teammates and coaches, they kind of shape and mold you into who you are and who you might want to be later in life as a person.”