ST. BONIFACIUS, Minn. – Crown College Athletics has announced the appointment of Jacob Van Dam as Interim Baseball Coach for the fall season.

"We are grateful to Jacob for stepping into this position and for his dedication to Polars Baseball and the Crown College community," said Vice President of Athletics Andy Lambert.

Van Dam brings strong leadership, high-level playing experience, and a deep understanding of the baseball program. Jacob will serve in the interim baseball coach role for the fall season. Jacob currently serves as the Assistant Athletic Director for Communications and Operations while serving as an assistant coach for both the Polars men's basketball and softball programs. 

"I'm really blessed and thankful that God has given me this opportunity. It's an honor to coach a program that I was once a part of and I'm grateful for the chance to pour into these players. I'm glad to help this department in any way I can and do my part to continue growing as a program," said Van Dam.

As a student athlete Jacob was a key member of the Polars baseball team as a part of the 2022 and 2024 UMAC Championship teams tabbing a 1st Team All-Conference Award in 2025 and an Honorable Mention All-Conference spot in 2024. Van Dam pitched 214.1 career innings totaling 179 strikeouts across 68 appearances with a career ERA of 4.49.

A nationwide search for Crown College's next Head Baseball Coach is underway as Crown has engaged a search firm to assist in identifying an outstanding leader who will continue to build a program that reflects the mission and values of Crown College.