CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Parkland College Athletics and Cobras Baseball are proud to announce former player and assistant coach Zack Pych has been named the next head baseball coach at Parkland College. Pych brings four years of playing experience at both the NJCAA and NCAA Division II levels and three years of coaching experience, including serving as hitting coach and recruiting coordinator at Parkland College this past year. A member of the Cobras' 2017 NJCAA DII Third Place baseball team, Pych received his bachelor's degree in physical education in 2020 and his master's degree in organizational leadership in 2022.
 
"I am extremely thankful for the opportunity Brendan McHale has given me to lead this program," Pych said after the promotion. "Parkland College Baseball carries a rich tradition of excellence, and I am honored and humbled to continue that success into the future."
 
"Some of my favorite memories as a player came in a Cobra uniform, and my goal is for each student-athlete to create life-long memories playing the game they know and love."
 
Zack Pych, from Homer Glen, Illinois, attended Parkland College from the fall of 2016 to the spring of 2017, transferring to Joliet Junior College to finish his associate degree before continuing his academic and athletic career at Missouri Western State University from 2018 to 2020. While attending graduate school at Lewis University from 2020-2022, Pych served as the hitting coach and assistant infield and outfield coach as a graduate assistant. While Pych was there, the Lewis offense produced batting averages above .290, on-base percentages above .385, and slugging percentages above .400 in both seasons.
 
Pych joined the Parkland staff as an assistant coach before the 2022-23 season, serving as hitting coach and recruiting coordinator as the Cobras went 46-14 and 23-9 in conference play, both their best since 2018. Under Pych, the Parkland offense recorded a batting average of .336, an on-base percentage of .438, and a slugging percentage of .563, producing 610 hits (9th in the country), including 235 extra-base hits (5th), 509 runs (13th), 75 home runs (9th), 458 RBI (10th), and 1021 total bases (8th), all improvements over the year before.
 
"Cobra Athletics couldn't be more excited to announce the hiring of Zack Pych as the next head coach for the Parkland College Baseball team," Parkland College athletic director Brendan McHale said in a statement. "Zack has been a member of the Cobra coaching staff for over a year and was a former Parkland baseball player as well. Zack takes great pride in the Cobra baseball program and wants his players to achieve their goals both in the classroom and on the baseball field. We are fortunate to have Coach Pych leading the Cobras baseball team both now and in the future."
 
"Ultimately, as a team, the goal is to get to Enid, Oklahoma, and continue the hard-working, competitive, and energy-driven culture set forth by those before me," Pych added. "I look forward to developing confidence in every player and motivating them to reach new heights on the field, in the classroom, and out in the community."