Mizzou baseball pitching coach Brian DeLunas dies Sunday evening at age 46

Missouri baseball pitching coach Brian DeLunas passed away Sunday evening after battling kidney disease, the program announced.

He was 46.

DeLunas joined the Missouri staff last June and was set to coach in the program for a second stint this season. DeLunas' nephew, Austin Cheeley, is a pitcher for the Tigers.

“Words cannot describe how heartbroken we are in the loss of our friend, Brian DeLunas,” head coach Steve Bieser wrote in a statement. “In the months since his return to Mizzou, he has made an indelible impact on our team through his love of the game and his players along with his inspirational courage off the field."

DeLunas was previously a volunteer assistant and pitching coach for the Tigers from 2007 to 2009. During his first tenure with Missouri, DeLunas helped the Tigers advance to three straight NCAA regionals. During that time, the program won 116 games and Tiger pitchers recorded over 400 strikeouts in each season.

DeLunas came back to Columbia after being the bullpen coach and director of pitching development and strategies for the Seattle Mariners from 2018 to 2020, and a special projects coordinator for the New York Mets in 2021.

An Oakville High School alum, DeLunas played college baseball at Missouri Baptist University.

DeLunas is survived by his wife, Johannah, son Rory and stepdaughter Maren.

"Brian was a tremendous husband, father, brother and coach," Bieser wrote. "Our hearts go out to Johannah, Rory, Maren and the entire DeLunas family as we ask everyone to keep them in your thoughts and prayers.”

Chris Kwiecinski is the sports editor for the Columbia Daily Tribune, overseeing University of Missouri and Boone County sports coverage. Follow him on Twitter @OchoK_ and contact him at CKwiecinsk@gannett.com, or 435-414-3261.

This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Mizzou baseball pitching coach Brian DeLunas dies of kidney disease