The University of Minnesota Crookston baseball program announced the hiring of Kaiden Zacharias as assistant coach. Zacharias will serve as the hitting and offensive coordinator for the program. He joins Steve Gust’s staff after spending one season as an assistant coach at Asbury University in Wilmore, Ky. Zacharias previously was a graduate assistant at Salem University in Salem, W.V. He is a native of Lloydminster, Alberta, and joins the assistant coaching staff alongside Rich Loomis, Clarke Peterson, and Scott Mortenson.
“We feel very fortunate to have Kaiden on staff,” said Head Coach Steve Gust. “He comes highly-recommended from several different veteran coaches. His passion, desire and work ethic stood out in the hiring process. Kaiden’s background and experience in hitting and base running aligns with what we are looking for in our program. We are excited for him to give us a new, fresh look at things.”
Zacharias spent the 2024-25 season as an assistant coach at Asbury, a National Christian College Athletic Association affiliate. He served as the hitting/baserunning coach, and third base coach. In addition, he coached outfielders and recruited outfielders and covered all prospective student-athletes in Canada. He also helped with equipment, developing practice plans, and helped Kaden Dugle earn Second team All-Region honors. In addition Quinn Nobles was named All-Mideast Honorable Mention. He also assisted Andrew Billington, and Aaron Beaman to Mideast All-Gold Glove honors. Asbury hit .256 in 2025, with 14 home runs, and 158 RBI.
During the 2023-24 season, Zacharias was a graduate assistant baseball coach at Salem, a United States Collegiate Athletic Association and NCAA Division II affiliate. He aided Salem to a 32-18 mark in 2024. Zacharias served as the hitting/baserunning coach, and also coached first base. He assisted with the defense, coached first basemen, and managed equipment for the program. Zacharias also coordinated player meals and hotels, and assisted in recruiting. He also helped manage data, analytics, video, and social media. Zacharias coached Mackenzie Wainwright to USCAA All-American First Team honors. He also had two players named to the All-Region team, three to the All-Region Gold Glove team, and the D2 Baseball Freshman of the Year Wainwright. He helped Salem to a .319 batting average in 2024, with 46 home runs, 337 RBI, and 373 runs scored.
Zacharias helped coach the Appalachian Aces, overseeing all aspects of the team, and helping high school student-athletes improve on and off the field during the 2023 season, and helped the Hoptown Hoppers of the Ohio Valley League of summer baseball in 2022. Zacharias also coached the AAA 18-U Northwest Prairie Pirates in his hometown of Lloydminster, Alberta in 2020.
Zacharias played both at Asbury University and Salem University. He was a NCCAA Second Team All-American in 2022 with Asbury. Zacharias was named NCCAA Mid-East First Team All-Region as an outfielder in 2022, and was also named to the Gold Glove Team. He was the 2022 Hank Burbridge Award Winner, and the 2022 Walker/Gamble Outstanding Senior Award winner. At Salem, he earned multiple Conference Player of the Week accolades, and was selected Second Team All-New South Athletic Conference. He served as a team captain at both Salem and Asbury. Zacharias’ sister Briza Zacharias played two seasons of softball at Minnesota Crookston from 2024-25. At Salem, he coached under former NSIC assistant coach and player Kassidy Gaines, who coached at Bemidji State, and St. Cloud State. Gaines played at Northern State University.