COSTA MESA -- Vanguard Athletics and the baseball program welcome two additions to the staff as Head Coach Mitch Holland secured his assistants for the upcoming year.  Mathew Troupe and Ryan Johnston join Holland at VU, with Johnston working with the skipper with the positional players and Troupe tasked to the pitching staff.
 
"Mathew Troupe is an outstanding addition to our program because he brings years of Division I pitching experience, a championship pedigree as a national champion player, and a genuine passion for developing young men," said Holland. "What stands out most is his character—he's a devoted family man with a unique ability to build meaningful, lasting relationships with his players. His combination of baseball expertise, leadership, and Christ-centered approach will have a tremendous impact on Vanguard Baseball for years to come. Mathew and Rachel, welcome to Vanguard!"

Troupe brings 10 years of coaching experience to VU across a wide spectrum of levels.  He spent last school year at Golden West College, where he helped seven pitchers commit to NCAA Division I schools and four to DII programs.  At the NCAA tier, Troupe most recently coached at Loyola Marymount, where he led the staff to back-to-back record-setting seasons for strikeouts for the program.  The 2025 group paced the West Coast Conference in Ks, and three pitchers over those two years made the All-WCC Team and were drafted.  Before that, he was with the Rainbow Warriors of the University of Hawaii, where he again turned a staff around.  He got Hawaii to the top of the Big West Conference in ERA in both seasons, and his 2022 side had the most strikeouts since 2006 for the program.  Other successful stops include the summer Cape Cod Collegiate League team the Orleans Firebirds, which conquered the East Division in 2019.  He also had two stints as the lead pitching coach for Great Britain, which would have included the 2020 World Baseball Classic had it not been canceled. 

Johnston begins his first gig outside of Irvine, as his recent coaching history is comprised of stops at CUI and UC Irvine.  After playing for both schools, Johnston spent two seasons as a graduate assistant coach for the Golden Eagles, with the squad posting winning records each year.  He helped 10 players get All-Pacific West Conference honors over those two years, including two major award winners.  Finishing his degree at CUI, Johnston returned to UCI as a volunteer assistant coach where he guided the hitters, the outfield, and coached first base during games.  The 2024 and 2025 years are two of the most successful seasons for the Anteaters in recent memory, as both lineups won over 40 games and reached the NCAA Regionals, while the 2025 side won a Big West Championship.  Johnston saw over 20 All-Big West honorees come through the ranks during his stint at UCI, and over 10 players were drafted.
 
On Johnston, Holland offered, "Ryan Johnston is one of the brightest up-and-coming coaches in college baseball, and we're thrilled to welcome him to the Vanguard Baseball staff. His experience as both a player and coach at the Division I and Division II levels, combined with his relentless work ethic and relational coaching style, make him an exceptional fit for our program. Ryan is a servant leader who is passionate about investing in the whole person, mentoring our student-athletes in their faith, in the classroom, and on the field at Vanguard. We're very excited to welcome Ryan and Mari into the Vanguard family."