Brandon Costa will enter his second season at the helm of the baseball program at UVA Wise in 2023. A year ago, Costa earned UVA Wise Coach of the Year accolades after the Cavaliers posted 18 victories, the number represented a 13-win improvement from the 2021 club.
The 2022 season saw vast improvement in all facets of the game for UVA Wise.
Under Costa’s direction, the Cavs belted 42 homers last spring. The 42 homers were the most for the program since joining NCAA Division II as senior Tyler Campbell established a new single-season program record with 16 home runs. For his efforts, Campbell earned Third-Team All-SAC honors.
On the mound, Cavalier hurlers fanned 284 hitters while posting an 8.32 ERA. In 2021, UVA Wise pitchers struck out 118 batters and had a 14.41 ERA. Right-hander Garrett Stiltner made history by becoming the first UVA Wise pitcher to earn Southeast Region Pitcher of the Week after firing 11 innings of scoreless baseball in a week that saw him toss a complete-game, three-hit shutout.
The 2022 season was highlighted by the team’s play at home. Costa’s team posted an 11-8 record at Stallard Field to establish a new NCAA Division II era record for the most home wins in a season.
Prior to serving as head coach, Costa spent four seasons as an assistant with the program. In 2021, he was elevated to associate head coach.
During his time as an assistant, Costa has served as the team’s hitting instructor and recruiting coordinator in addition to working with the team’s catchers. Over his first two seasons, UVA Wise posted a 37-37 record with the coach on staff while posting a winning record in conference play for the first time since joining NCAA Division II (2018) and advancing to postseason play for the first time as a NCAA Division II member (2019).
Former UVA Wise catcher Tyler Blaum became the first player in school history to earn a Rawlings Gold Glove in 2021. The catcher did not make an error behind the plate while throwing out 11-of-24 would be base stealers under Costa’s tutelage.
In 2021, a pair of Cavs earned All-SAC acclaim as Blaum picked up First-Team All-SAC and All_SAC Defensive Team honors and Gabe Wurtz earned Second-Team All-SAC status. Both men would move on to professional baseball following their season season.
Cavalier hitters posted 122 extra-base hits in 2019 while sporting a .371 on base percentage. A year later, UVA Wise was hitting .286 as a team with a .408 on base percentage while having scored six or more runs 14 times before the COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of the remainder of the 2020 campaign.
The season prior to Costa’s arrival, the Cavs posted an on-base percentage of .354; since his arrival, UVA Wise has posted an on-base percentage of at least .365 each season. The team’s OPS has also improved during his tenure with the program posting a NCAA Division II era high water mark of .803 in 2020.
The coach came to UVA Wise after serving as an assistant coach at NCAA Division I Radford University where he helped the Highlanders to the Big South Tournament Championship in 2017.
A native of North Wales, Pa., Costa was part of the 2013 Concord University team that set a school record for wins with 36. That year, the catcher aided Concord to the regular-season West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference crown.
He began his coaching career in 2014 as a catching coach and camp coordinator at Concord University.
Costa then moved on to the University of Charleston where he served as the program’s recruiting coordinator and assistant coach before his stint at Radford.
Costa obtained a bachelor’s degree in sport management from Concord before adding a master’s degree in strategic leadership from the University of Charleston.
