COACHING STAFF |
Dalton Parks | Assistant Coach/Recruiting Coordinator
Dalton Parks, a former Golden Eagle baseball player, is entering his third season as an assistant coach for the University of Minnesota Crookston.
Parks returned to UMN Crookston after spending two seasons as a graduate assistant at NCAA Division II school University of West Alabama in Livingston, Ala. He will serve as the hitting/outfield coach at UMN Crookston. Parks oversaw outfielders, assisted hitters, on and off-campus recruiting, practice planning, field work, and other duties as assigned at West Alabama. Parks helped the Tigers to a combined 22-32 record in two seasons. In 2021, West Alabama hit .277 as a team with 195 runs, 53 doubles, four triples, 18 home runs, and 166 RBIs. They posted a .369 on-base percentage and a .751 OPS. The Tigers walked 137 times and had a .382 slugging percentage.
In 2023, Coach Parks had a major impact on the Golden Eagles. As the hitting/outfield coach, he saw those groups finish third in hitting and fifth in fielding. Parks' coaching played an extremely important role into one of the best seasons in the school's history.
"This position requires a person with a strong work ethic and knowledge of our program's offensive philosophy, and Dalton fits that description very well," Gust stated. "He has stayed in baseball since he left our program as a player. That shows the passion and desire we are looking for in a coach. His experience, knowledge of the program and hitting philosophy is exactly what we need."
Prior to West Alabama, Parks was an assistant coach at Clarendon College, a Division I junior college in Texas. During his time, he worked with hitters and also helped with practice planning, and recruiting. For the 2019 season, Clarendon hit .321, with a .426 on-base percentage, a .534 slugging percentage, and 47 home runs.
In addition, Parks served as the head coach of the Muhlenberg County Stallions, a summer collegiate baseball team in the Ohio Valley League. In addition, he worked as an assistant coach for the Derby Twins of the Sunflower Collegiate League during the 2019 summer season.
Parks' first job out of high school was as the assistant coach for Hunter H.S. in West Valley City, Utah. His responsibilities included running practice, setting the line-up, coaching third base, working infield and outfield, and field maintenance.
Parks played for the Golden Eagles during the 2015 and 2016 seasons, helping Coach Gust instill a strong culture in the program. Parks was a part of the first UMN Crookston baseball team to make the NSIC Tournament since 2001. He was an NSIC All-Academic Team recipient. Parks appeared in 33 games and started 14 as a senior as the Golden Eagles won 25 games during his senior year. As a junior, Parks started 49 of 50 games UMN Crookston played.
He received his Bachelor of Science in sports and rec management from UMN Crookston. He is currently pursuing a Masters of Physical Education from the University of West Alabama.
T.J. Hokanson | Assistant Coach
The 2023 season was Coach Hokanson's first as an assistant coach for the Golden Eagles. In his first year, Hokanson assisted the Golden Eagles by coaching them to third in batting, third in pitching and fifth in fielding.
Scott Mortenson | Assistant Coach
Rich Loomis | Assistant Coach
