Kip DeShields, a native of Northeast Ohio, enters his first season as an assistant coach with the Lake Erie College baseball program in 2021-2022.
DeShields most recently coached the 16U Knightline Class B baseball team out of Youngstown, Ohio after recently ending his playing career shortly before.
Kip attended West Branch High School Went 7-2 with 49 strikeouts and a 1.90 ERA as a junior… Went 6-2 with 52 strikeouts, three saves and a 1.85 ERA as a senior… Also batted .429 with three home runs his senior year… Named first-team All-Northeastern Buckeye Conference two times… Named first-team all-district two times… Played in the Mizuno Senior All-Star Series… Helped lead the Warriors to the Northeastern Buckeye Conference championship as a junior and senior… Also played football and basketball.
DeShields attended St. Petersburg College (Florida) his first two years… Pitched one season as a starter and one as the closer… Pitched in 19 games as a sophomore, 16 of which were out of the bullpen, in 2016-17… Went 2-2 with four saves… Struck out 30 batters over 29.2 innings… After allowing 17 earned runs in his first four innings, he surrendered just four over his final 25.2 innings… In 2015-16, started 12 games and pitched in two more out of the bullpen… Went 3-2 with a 3.38 ERA over 66.2 innings… held opponents to a .236 batting average… Was selected second-team All-Suncoast Conference.
Later to attend Youngstown State University where in his Senior year… Made a team and career-high 26 appearances, all of which came in relief… Finished with a 3-2 record and a 4.23 ERA in 27.2 innings… Finished the season ranked third in the Horizon League in appearances… Made 12 appearances in Horizon League play… Finished with a 2-0 record and a 2.84 ERA in 12.2 innings during league action… Did not allow an earned run in 17 of his outings… Recorded more than three outs in seven of his appearances.
Kip played collegiate summer baseball in the Coastal Plains League for the Morehead City Marlins and the Northwoods League for the Bismarck Larks. Deshields career came to an end after playing professionally in the Pecos League for the Santa Fe Fuego.Â
Kip earned his bachelor’s in business administration from Youngstown State in 2019 and is currently working toward his Masters in The Education of Coaching. Parents are Walt and Penny… Has two brothers Tyler who played football and graduated from Akron University, currently attending Sul Ross State University playing football… Dru who is currently a Junior in High School and plays football, basketball and baseball.
