After a highly successful 16-year run at Waverly-Shell Rock High School, Casey Klunder stands ready to infuse new energy into the Central College baseball program as head coach. Dutch athletics director Eric Van Kley made the announcement Tuesday. Klunder replaces Matt Schirm, who resigned in late June after seven seasons.

Klunder is coming off Waverly-Shell Rock’s fourth state tournament berth of his tenure last week. He piloted the Go-Hawks to the 2015 Iowa Class 3A state title and has compiled a 386-185 career record. He was tabbed as the 2015 Iowa High School Baseball Coaches Association State Coach of the Year while receiving State Sports Spotlight Coach of the Year honors in 2014 and 2015. Klunder’s squads captured eight Northeast Iowa Conference titles and were in the IHSBCA rankings 14 consecutive seasons. He was an IHSBCA all-star coach in 2010 and 2016. He’s coached 44 players who competed collegiately, including several in the American Rivers Conference.

Klunder also gained collegiate experience as a volunteer assistant coach at Luther College from 2012-14 and at Wartburg College this past season as well as 2007-08.

An Allison, Iowa native, Klunder graduated from Allison-Bristow High School before earning a bachelor’s degree at Waldorf College in 2007, with an additional instructional endorsement from Upper Iowa University. Since 2008 he’s served as a special education teacher. While at Waldorf Klunder served as a baseball team captain. He received the Midwest Classic Conference Champion of Character Award and was a .320 hitter over four seasons.

Klunder will be joined in Pella by his wife, Kayla, and 3-year-old son Kyler.