Kyle Krustangel was Yakima Valley College’s head baseball coach on July 7, 2015 and is entering his seventh season as skipper of the Yaks. During his tenure, he has amassed an impressive record of 173-77 and includes winning the 2016 NWAC championship.
2021 saw the program return to the field after the 2020 campaign was abruptly cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Yaks finished with a record of 27-7 and while the NWAC didn’t host a championship tournament, YVC finished the year on an 18-game winning streak.
In 2019, YVC once again qualified for the NWAC championship tournament, the third time in his tenure. The Yaks collected 30 wins on the year and punched their Longview ticket by hosting a Super-Regional and sweeping Bellevue for the spot.
in 2018, the Yaks were 44-11 and finished second overall in the NWAC. The Yaks won the East Region, their second title in the three years. YVC finished the season being ranked 16th in the country, the second time in three years that they finished in the top 16 nationally for all community colleges (14th in 2016.) The 2018 Yaks offensive stats will go down as one of the greatest offensive teams in NWAC history. YVC led the NWAC in runs, hits, 2B’s, 3B’s, RBI, BB, SB, OPS, OBP, and second in batting average. Also, the Yak pitching staff led the NWAC in strikeouts for a second consecutive season. On the base paths, the Yaks led the country in stolen bases with a total of 143 for a second consecutive season.
In 2017, the Yaks went 33-18 and finished second in the East Region. YVC hit .304 as a team, which placed the Yaks in the top-3 for the whole NWAC. The Yaks swiped 133 stolen bases, which was 30 more than the next highest NWAC team. The Yaks collected 530 hits as a team, again was the most in the NWAC. On the mound, the Yaks pitching staff struck out 367 opponents, good for second best in the NWAC. YVC also led the NWAC in fielding percentage with a .976 clip, tops in the whole country.
In 2016, the Yaks won the NWAC title for the 21st time in the program’s history and posted a 34-17 record. They also won the NWAC East crown with a 20-8 conference record. For his efforts, Coach Krustangel was named "Coach of the Year" for the overall NWAC and the East Region. Additionally, he was selected Regional "Coach of the Year" by the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA).
In total, more than 100 of Krustangel's players at YVC have signed to the four-year level during his tenure with many of those being to the NCAA D-1 level. He has also coached multiple NWAC East Region Most Valuable Players and multiple All-Region and All-American selections.
In addition to his YVC duties and since 2020, Krustangel is also the head coach for the Yakima Valley Pippins in the highly regarded WCL, a collegiate summer league featuring some of the best Division 1 talent in the country. From 2017-19 he was the head coach for the Wenatchee Applesox, also in the WCL.
Prior YVC, Krustangel was an assistant baseball at Whitworth University from 2014-15, where his duties included being hitting coach and helping out with baseball operations. He also served as the team’s camp and tournament director as well. From 2011-14 Krustangel was the head varsity baseball coach at Bridgeport High School. Under his leadership, Bridgeport had two playoff appearances and in 2014 he was voted Coach of the Year.
As a student-athlete, Krustangel was a four-time baseball letter winner at Ferris High School and two-time All-GSL baseball selection. He played one year at Big Bend CC before transferring Whitworth University where he was two-time All-NWC selection.
Krustangel has earned a Bachelor’s degree in history and secondary education with a minor in ESL from Whitworth University.
