McLean County Times

Michael Kellar has been officially appointed as the head baseball coach at Illinois Wesleyan University (IWU) after six years of serving as an assistant coach. His promotion follows the retirement of Dennis Martel, who led the team for several decades.

"We are thrilled to have Michael Kellar as the new leader of our storied baseball program," stated Mike Wagner, Director of Athletics. "He is a proven recruiter, a true student of the game, and most importantly, just a wonderful person."

Kellar was announced as IWU's 13th head coach in January and is only the sixth person to hold this position since 1943. During his tenure with Martel's staff, he coached numerous honorees and was instrumental in developing Quinn Gudaitis, who was drafted by the Detroit Tigers in 2022.

"I cannot begin to thank Coach Martel enough for giving me the opportunity to coach alongside him for the last six years," said Kellar. He praised Illinois Wesleyan as a top Division III program due to its supportive community and resources.

Before joining IWU, Kellar served at Illinois State University and Siena College in various coaching roles. His own athletic career included being an all-conference player at Niagara University before signing with the Evansville Otters, where an injury ended his playing career.

Kellar holds degrees from Niagara University and Illinois. He is married to Lindsey Rosecrans and they have three children.