WBU alum Todd Weldon returns home as head baseball coach

Former Wayland Baptist player and pitching coach Todd Weldon has been named the Pioneers' new head baseball coach.
 
Weldon, who played at WBU in 2009 and '10 then served as pitching coach from 2013-18, returns to Wayland after spending the last three years as head baseball coach and athletics director of the Scotland Campus, a Christian boarding school in Pennsylvania.
 
"The opportunity to take over and lead a program that changed my life and I know has changed hundreds of other lives is an honor and very special to me," Weldon said of returning to Wayland. "I want to do what God wants me to do, and I feel like He wants me to use baseball as a platform to mentor and lead young men and have impact in their lives. That's what's been shared with me through my time in baseball. That's what brings me joy and happiness and gets me out of bed and gets me going every day.
 
"I'm happy to be coming home."
 
Weldon replaces Brad Bass, who served as the Pioneers' head coach for 26 years before leaving earlier this year for a similar position at Arlington Baptist College.
 
Weldon's first order of business was to promote Brett Cook to associate head coach. A former teammate of Weldon, Cook has spent the past 12 years at WBU as a graduate assistant and assistant coach.
 
"We are excited to have Coach Weldon returning to Wayland," WBU Sr. Vice President of Operations and Student Life Dr. Claude Lusk said. "He rejoins a program that has had tremendous integrity-filled leadership at the head coach and assistant coaching levels and ensures that we will see a continuation of that. He loves Wayland and this program and truly believes in what WBU stands for as a Christian institution. He will certainly honor and continue the Wayland baseball legacy of coaches Brad Bass and Tommy McMillan. His passion for the game, experience at all levels and desire to impact our student-athletes in a lifelong and eternal way provides a framework for what I believe will be an incredible journey into the future."
 
"Todd Weldon possesses all of the qualities that one would look for in a successful head baseball coach at the intercollegiate level. His prior experience as an assistant baseball coach and recruiting coordinator for the WBU baseball program as well as his most recent service as the head baseball coach and athletic director at Scotland Campus Inc., will serve him well as he assumes this important leadership role for Pioneer baseball," said Bill Weidner, WBU director of athletics.
 
A native of Carlsbad, N.M., Weldon played baseball at Garden City Community College (Kan.) and New Mexico Junior College before coming to Wayland. He helped the Pioneers to their most successful seasons at the time, back-to-back 43-win campaigns, national rankings of No. 13 and 18, and their first appearance in the opening round of the NAIA National Championships.
 
In just two seasons, Weldon – an Academic All-American – recorded 219 strikeouts, which ranks fifth in program history, and four shutouts, which ranks third. The All-Sooner Athletic Conference honoree was drafted in the 27^th round by the New York Mets in 2010. He spent time in Rookie League and Single-A ball then played independent professional baseball for a short time before deciding to return to Wayland in 2013 as graduate assistant coach.
 
"I felt like God was calling me to Wayland, to other opportunities," he said.
 
Weldon, who earned his Bachelor of Applied Science degree at WBU in 2013 and his Master's in Sport Management and Administration in 2015, served as WBU's pitching coach and recruiting coordinator until 2018 when he went to Scotland Campus to begin a baseball program.
 
"I wasn't looking to leave (Wayland), but that just felt like a great opportunity to minister and help a lot of kids," Weldon said.
 
At Scotland Campus, Weldon grew his program to 55 players in just three years as he recruited student-athletes from 12 countries and 15 states. A total of 88 Scotland Campus players went on to play collegiate baseball.
 
Weldon, who plans to begin his duties at Wayland on Oct. 1, said it will be difficult to leave Scotland Campus.
 
"The school is really special, and it wasn't easy trying to sort through this and make a decision. But when you know strongly in your heart that God is leading you to do something, you better do it."
 
Weldon went on to say he loves Wayland and its people.
 
"I owe it to the people at Wayland that I am the father, husband and coach that I am today. I grew in so many ways there and developed a relationship with Jesus Christ that carried me through some tough times.
 
"Coming back closer to home is exciting. That area is home to us. We have a lot of family and friends in that area."
 
Weldon and wife Devon, who is from Sublette, Kan., have two sons: Crosston, 7, and Asher, 4.
 
Weldon was excited about the chance to renew a working relationship with Cook.
 
"I think we will be a great team. I love Coach Cook and his family. We know the heartbeat of WBU baseball and the impact Coach Bass and Coach McMillan had here. They were huge in that regard and we want to carry that on.
 
"We want to do whatever we can to serve these kids and help them earn an education, enter their careers, maybe play professional baseball. We want to help those guys get where they want to go while at the same time build a support team that will move the program forward and win a national championship."
 
Weidner added: "As an alumnus of Wayland Baptist University who excelled on the diamond and in the classroom for the Pioneer baseball program during his playing days, Todd has a true understanding of what it takes to be successful as a student-athlete at the intercollegiate level in both the academic and athletic arenas. His outstanding accomplishments on the field of play at WBU provided Todd with an opportunity to experience playing at the professional level with the New York Mets baseball organization. His prior experience as an assistant coach with the WBU baseball program further enables Coach Weldon to have a personal appreciation for the core values of the program as well as the outstanding tradition and legacy of success that has been the foundation of Wayland Baptist University baseball.
 
"As a proven head coach with excellent coaching, administrative and organizational skills, Coach Weldon will provide a well-rounded approach in regards to his overall management of the baseball program. As a 'builder of programs,' Coach Weldon built the Scotland Campus Inc. baseball program from the ground up to one that has since helped 75 baseball players earn opportunities to play baseball at the collegiate level in the last three years. He is a tireless recruiter who successfully identified, evaluated and signed student-athletes from 12 countries and 15 states during his tenure at Scotland Campus Inc.
 
"Todd Weldon's commitment to the mission of Wayland Baptist University and the student-athletes that he serves is clearly demonstrated in his unwavering dedication to introducing Jesus Christ to young men through sport and educational opportunities. On behalf of Wayland Baptist University and our Department of Intercollegiate Athletics, we welcome home Todd Weldon, his wife Devon and their children Crosston & Asher as the newest members of the Pioneer Family. It's a great time to be a Pioneer!"