Nick Zaleski is entering his second season on the Tarleton State Baseball staff in 2025. He was announced to join the Texans as an assistant coach on July 17, 2023.
Serving as the hitting coach and recruiting coordinator, Tarleton State thrived with Zaleski on staff in 2024, as the Texans became the first baseball program to win a conference tournament title by a reclassifying D1 institution. The Texans won the WAC Tournament in Mesa, Arizona, on May 25, as 5-seed Tarleton State knocked off 4-seed California Baptist in dominant fashion 9-1 in a winner-take-all nightcap at Hohokam Stadium. This marked the third conference tournament championship by the Texans in their NCAA era (2018, 2014), and they became the first team to win the WAC Tournament in a team's inaugural appearance since UTSA did so in 2013.
Tarleton State posted their most postseason wins since 1992, going 5-1 throughout the WAC Tournament, all of this with Zaleski and a first-year head coach, Fuller Smith. In 2024, Tarleton State was one of just two programs nationwide to win their final game of the season in the postseason, along with Tennessee, who won the College World Series.
The Texans finished 32-29 after their WAC Tournament championship, their most wins in a season since 2018 (35).
Within 14 years of college baseball, Zaleski has won nine championships as a coach and player. Zaleski began his collegiate coaching career in 2013 as a volunteer assistant coach at UTSA. After two years with the Roadrunners, he began his eight-year run at McNeese State in 2016 where the Cowboys had tremendous success.
In 2016, Zaleski began his stint at McNeese as an assistant coach for four seasons, then was promoted to associate head coach and offensive coordinator for his final four seasons. Throughout his eight years as a Cowboy, the baseball program appeared in two NCAA Regionals, won two Southland Conference regular season championships and earned two league tournament titles.
Zaleski has also been a part of the two longest winning streaks in Southerland Conference tournaments, the first being during his time as a player at Sam Houston and the second time as a coach for McNeese.
The former Cowboy stands alone as the only person to win three consecutive championships in the history of the Southland Conference as a player and a coach. During his eight seasons in Lake Charles, Louisiana, McNeese led the Southland Conference in total hits, total doubles, total home runs, total bases, batting average and fielding percentage. The Cowboys ranked second in the conference in total runs, total triples, total RBI and total stolen bases.
Zaleski had a hand in the success found by the top two hitters within the history of Cowboy baseball, Payton Harden and Joe Provenzano as well as the leader in all-time steals for McNeese, Reid Bourque. During his time coaching in the Southland Conference, he assisted in guiding players to receive awards such as; SLC Pitcher of the Year (2023), SLC Player of the Year (2022), SLC Relief Pitcher of the Year/Louisiana Pitcher of the Year (2022), SLC Pitcher of the Year (2022 and 2021), Rawlings Gold Glove winner (2019), SLC Hitter of the Year (2017), and the National Stolen Bases Leader (2017).
Prior to his career at McNeese, Zaleski spent three seasons with the Roadrunners of UTSA working with the infielders and offense. During this time, his coaching efforts led to some of the top offensive numbers in the Western Athletic Conference as well as Conference-USA and one of the top-10 offenses within program history at UTSA.
In Zaleski's first year at UTSA in 2013, the Roadrunners had their most successful season since 2008 with an overall record of 35-25 and advanced to the Corvallis Regional hosted by Oregon State after taking the Western Athletic Conference Tournament Championship title. The following year, the blue, white and orange transitioned into Conference USA and finished the season seated in the top five in most major offensive statistical categories.
The Sugar Land native spent his collegiate playing career as a Sam Houston Bearkat from 2006-09.
During his time in Huntsville, Zaleski played a large role in their three Southland Conference Tournament Championships and three NCAA Regional appearances, including the Oxford Regional Championship game in 2007. In 2009, Zaleski claimed the single season batting average record at Sam Houston after hitting .419 and still holds the title. During this time Zaleski received a Ping! Baseball honorable mention All-American and was named the Bearkats' Most Valuable Player.
Zaleski played a year professionally in the Toronto Blue Jays organization in 2009-10.
Over the past 10 years, Zaleski has assisted in coaching or recruiting 28 players that were drafted and four players that signed Free Agent contracts. Out of the 31 athletes that went on to play at the next level, 15 are still actively playing and three made their way into the majors. Also in his resume of successful athletes are 54 All-Conference players, 50 Academic All-Conference players, 29 All-Tournament players, four Academic All-Americans, four Freshman All-Americans and three All-Americans.
In 2009 Zaleski received his bachelor's degree in marketing from Sam Houston State and went on to earn a master's degree in human performance with an emphasis in sports management two years later from Alabama. Zaleski is married to the former Amy Brown, and they have a daughter.
Team Accomplishments (Player/Coach)
Tarleton State – Assistant Coach
2024 Western Athletic Conference Tournament Champions
McNeese - Associate Head Coach
2022 Southland Conference Champions
2021 Southland Conference Tournament Champion
2021 NCAA Fort Worth Regional Appearance
2019 Southland Conference Tournament Champion
2019 NCAA Nashville Regional Appearance
2017 Southland Conference Champions
UTSA - Volunteer Assistant Coach
2013 Western Athletic Conference Tournament Champion
2013 NCAA Corvallis Regional Appearance
Sam Houston - Student-Athlete
2009 Southland Conference Tournament Champion
2009 NCAA Houston Regional Appearance
2008 Southland Conference Tournament Champion
2008 NCAA Houston Regional Appearance
2007 Southland Conference Tournament Champion
2007 NCAA Oxford Regional Appearance
