Aaron Hepner

Title

Associate Head Coach/Recruiting Coordinator
Email

ahepner@wayne.edu
Phone

313-577-2443

UPDATED November 26, 2024

Concluded his 11th year at WSU in the spring of 2024
2024 was his 18th year coaching in the college ranks

Aaron Hepner concluded his 11th season on the Wayne State baseball staff in the spring of 2024 after coming to WSU in August of 2013 as an assistant coach/recruiting coordinator. He spent the five seasons prior at Eastern Michigan working with former Warrior head coach Jay Alexander.

Hepner has had a lot of success working with catchers. He has helped six catchers sign pro contracts and has aided in four catchers being drafted.

The 2024 squad compiled a 29-21 overall record, along with an 18-12 GLIAC mark.

In 2023, Hepner helped lead the Warriors to a program record 42 wins (42-13) as well as 24 GLIAC victories (24-6), which tied the school record. WSU captured both the GLIAC Regular Season and Tournament Championships for the first time since 2010 before making a second consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament.

In 2022, both regular backstops - Brett Zimmerman and Ryne Travis - threw out six base stealers as the duo combined to throw out over 26 percent of potential base stealers. The 2022 Warriors compiled a 37-19 record, winning two games in each the GLIAC Tournament and the NCAA Tournament. The 37 victories were a school record.

In addition, the squad posted the highest fielding percentage (.975) in program history with the seventh-most assists (508). The 379 strikeouts recorded by WSU hurlers in 2022 were the third-most in school history, while the ERA of 4.37 is the sixth best (at least 115 IP).

Offensively, the 2022 Warriors shattered the school records for walks (281), RBI (388), runs (446), while the 794 total bases rank second all-time. The 41 home runs were the most in 12 years (third all-time), while the 104 doubles rank fourth all-time.

He assisted the 2019 WSU team win the second-most games (35) in program history and set program records in strikeouts (440) and fielding percentage (.972). The Warriors played in the GLIAC Tournament for the 12th straight year and the NCAA Tournament for the sixth time overall.

Hepner helped the Warriors return to the NCAA Tournament in 2017 where WSU won three games, matching the most in program history since 2011. He helped the offense collect the fourth most home runs (37) in program history as well as the ninth most hits (468), third-most extra base hits (162), fourth-most total bases (712) and 10th-most walks (196).

As the hitting coach, Hepner aided in WSU's strong offensive production in 2016. The Warriors pounded out a program record 127 doubles and 167 extra base hits, while collecting the second-most total bases in school history (752). In addition, WSU drove in 296 RBI, which ranks fifth and scored 329 runs, which ranks eighth in program history.

He helped the Warriors clinch a berth in the GLIAC Tournament in 2014, while the 34 regular-season victories were a program record. The 10-game winning streak in 2014 is also a program record. The Warriors finished 15-1 at home, which is the best winning percentage in school history and matched the second most wins all-time at home in program history.

The Warriors finished with the then most wins in a season in program history (36) during the 2014 campaign, the second-best winning percentage and its fourth NCAA Tournament appearance in five years.

The Warriors knocked off #18 Drury to begin the regional tournament with a 1-0 victory before falling to eventual national champion Southern Indiana in the third round of the NCAA Regional.

Six Warriors were voted to the All-GLIAC teams including Jeremy Carrell, Alex Kinch and Kyle Zimmerman being named to the All-GLIAC First Team. Four student-athletes were selected to the Daktronics All-Midwest Region squads including Eric Cunningham being a First Team selection. Kyle Zimmerman was an NCBWA All-Midwest Region Gold Glove recipient, while Carrell and Zimmerman were CoSIDA Academic All-District Team selections.

Hepner took over as hitting coach at Eastern Michigan for the 2012 season, when the team hit .268 collectively and drew a MAC-high 278 walks. Under Hepner's guidance, Ben Magsig led the MAC in on-base percentage (.478) and walks (53). Magsig's walk total was the most for a single season in EMU history. Brent Ohrman also finished his final season in an EMU uniform with a .344 batting average and more than 20 stolen bases for a second straight year. Ohrman, along with Bo Kinder, received First Team Capital One Academic All-District nods. Ohrman also earned MAC Scholar Athlete of the Week accolades and received MAC West Player of the Week honors along with Magsig. Four of Hepner's hitters, Ohrman, Kinder, Tucker Rubino and Sam Ott, also hauled in Academic All-MAC nominations.

In addition, Hepner aided in the development of All-MAC Second Team catcher Adam Sonabend, who was also named to the 2013 Johnny Bench Award Watch List

In his first season with EMU, Hepner helped the EMU pitching staff develop into one of the top staffs in the MAC. Hepner led EMU to claim three MAC Pitcher of the Week awards during the regular season, while helping pitcher Corey Chaffins earn Second Team All-MAC accolades after coming off Tommy John surgery in 2008.

In 2010, the EMU pitching staff had one of its best seasons, as the staff combined for six complete games and two shutouts, including an 11-inning complete game shutout by Kendall Lewis, who would go on to earn four national players of the week awards and First Team All-MAC accolades. Hepner also helped develop several EMU freshmen into solid contributors in their first season, including Steve Weber, who earned MAC West Pitcher of the Week honors. In all, the freshmen pitching class combined for eight wins and 10 saves in 2010. As a whole, the 2010 Eastern Michigan pitching staff recorded 387 strikeouts – the most by any team in school history. The previous record was held by the 1975 EMU baseball team that finished fifth at the College World Series.

Hepner spent two seasons as an assistant coach at Michigan. UofM was the Big 10 regular-season champions in 2007 and 2008 and won the Big Ten Tournament title in 2008. The Wolverines won a regional championship in 2007.

A three-year letterman at the University of Dayton, Hepner served as an assistant coach for the Southern Ohio Copperheads in the Great Lakes Collegiate Summer League in the summer of 2006 before heading to UM. Noted for his defense, Hepner made more than 150 starts at catcher, while earning his three letters at Dayton (2003-05) and helped lead the Flyers to a school record 36 wins as a senior in 2005.

Hepner, who led the Atlantic 10 Conference in pickoffs twice, started his college career playing first base and catching at Edmonds Community College in the state of Washington. He transferred to Dayton after his team captured the NWACC championship during his freshman campaign. After graduating from Dayton, he played in the Frontier League for the Richmond Roosters in 2005.

Hepner, a native of Woodinville, Wash., played both football and baseball before graduating from Woodinville High School in 2001. He graduated from Dayton with a degree in sports management in 2006 and served as a student assistant coach for one season.