When Aaron Eshelman left Dordt University after graduating in 2022, he knew one thing with certainty: he wanted to coach.

Full Interview 

What he couldn't have predicted was how quickly the game would change once he moved from the batter's box to the dugout.

Now back at Dordt as the Defenders' assistant baseball coach, Eshelman returns with four years of coaching experience at successful NCAA Division II and NAIA programs—and a perspective shaped by postseason baseball, championship expectations and personal growth.

"It almost feels like I never left," Eshelman said of returning to Sioux Center. "The town has changed quite a bit, but it's still very familiar."

His coaching journey began immediately after graduation as a graduate assistant at Missouri Western State. After one season, he moved to the University of Texas Permian Basin, where the Falcons advanced to the NCAA Division II Regional Tournament. When head coach Gabe Grinder accepted a position at Southeastern University in Florida, Eshelman followed, spending two seasons with one of the NAIA's premier baseball programs and making back-to-back trips to the NAIA World Series.

Those experiences gave him a firsthand look at what separates good programs from championship-caliber ones.

"I really learned what it takes to win," Eshelman said. "The level of detail that it takes to sustain winning year after year really stood out. I was able to observe coaches who had won at multiple schools and different levels, and I saw how intentional they were in everything they did."

While the championships and postseason runs were valuable, Eshelman says his greatest transformation came much earlier—only weeks after his playing career ended.

He laughs when asked how long it took for his perspective to change.

"About three hours," he said.

After finishing his collegiate career, Eshelman began coaching in a collegiate summer league. Almost immediately, many of the lessons his own coaches had tried to teach him suddenly carried new meaning.

"As soon as I was in their shoes, a lot of the things my coaches had been telling me started to make sense," Eshelman said. "Things like controlling what you can control and being where your feet are. When you're responsible for someone else's success instead of your own, you see those things differently."

That shift fundamentally changed how he views coaching.

"I think that's part of the beauty of coaching," he said. "Your success is completely tied to someone else's growth. If you're going to reach your potential as a coach, you have to fall in love with helping other people succeed."

For Eshelman, coaching has become an exercise in servant leadership.

"You have to be willing to do whatever is best for your players, even if it's not what you would naturally want to do. You put your own feelings aside because their success becomes your success."

That mindset will guide his responsibilities at Dordt, where he serves as the Defenders' hitting coach, recruiting coordinator and infield coach.

"I want to help our offense take the next step while also building recruiting classes that can help us compete for championships," he said.

Returning to Dordt wasn't necessarily part of the original plan.

Eshelman expected to begin searching nationally for another opportunity after his graduate assistant position at Southeastern concluded. But when the opening at Dordt became available, it quickly rose to the top of his list.

"I've always known Dordt is a special place," he said. "The community cares about athletics. The university cares. People want you to succeed. That makes a difference."

Just as important was the opportunity to help elevate a program still chasing new milestones.

"I want to be part of doing something that's never been done before with Dordt baseball."

The transition back to northwest Iowa also brings practical adjustments. After spending two years coaching in Florida's year-round baseball climate, Eshelman now returns to winters that require creativity.

Rather than seeing limitations, however, he sees advantages.

"The Dome is a huge equalizer," he said. "We can do almost everything inside that we would do outside."

He also points to Dordt's HitTrax technology as a resource many warm-weather programs wish they had.

"At Southeastern we always talked about how nice it would be to have something like that. It gives our hitters immediate feedback and provides tools that are invaluable for player development."

Eshelman also embraces the challenge awaiting the Defenders in the increasingly competitive Great Plains Athletic Conference.

"The difference between the top teams and the rest of the conference has gotten much smaller," he said. "To compete, you have to win in the margins. You have to do all the little things well. That's what I enjoy about coaching."