BISMARCK, ND — Returning to his alma mater after leading a successful turnaround at Valley City State University, Alec DeMaria has been named the ninth head baseball coach in University of Mary history.

DeMaria, a right-handed pitcher for the Marauders from 2016 through 2019, led Valley City State University to its first winning season this spring in nearly a decade and the program's best conference finish in 30 years. In three seasons with the Vikings, DeMaria (pronounced deh MARY ah) coached two conference freshmen of the year and a pitcher of the year while developing a pitching staff that ranks among the nation's best in delivering strikeouts.

"We were looking for a leader who could continue the upward trajectory of Marauders baseball and move the program forward competitively while fully embracing the mission of the University of Mary," said UMary Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Marcus Wagner. "Throughout the search process, Alec consistently demonstrated that he was the right person for that responsibility. He has proven his ability to build and sustain competitive programs, recruit and develop scholar-athletes, and lead with integrity. His success in our region, knowledge of the landscape, and commitment to scholar-athlete formation made him an outstanding candidate to lead Marauders baseball.

"There is something especially meaningful about welcoming a Marauder back home. Alec's accomplishments as a coach speak for themselves, but what gives me confidence is his understanding of this institution and his commitment to the vision we have established in our Greatness Through Virtue athletics strategic plan. He knows the transformative role athletics can play in the lives of young people because he experienced it himself. We look forward to the leadership, relationships, and continuity he will bring to our baseball program and our university community."

DeMaria owns deep connections to the University of Mary. Alec's younger brother, Blake, was an outfielder for the Marauders and graduated from UMary in 2025. Alec's wife, Lucia (Bolibruch) DeMaria, played tennis for the Marauders and served as a team captain. A 2020 University of Mary graduate, Lucia has two sisters who competed for the Marauders track and field team.

"God has blessed our family with this amazing opportunity to return to the University of Mary," said DeMaria. "I am unbelievably grateful for the opportunity to lead the Marauders baseball program and would like to thank President Monsignor James P. Shea, Executive Vice President Jerome Richter, and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Marcus Wagner.

"The University of Mary is a special place to me and my family. I am excited to get to work immediately to help in advancing the mission of the university and to produce a competitive baseball program that will make my fellow alumni proud."
 

Named the head coach at Valley City State prior to the 2024 season, DeMaria directed the Vikings to an eight-win improvement from the prior season and a pair of postseason wins. VCSU cleared the 20-win barrier for a second straight season in 2025. The Vikings posted their most wins and first winning season in nine years in 2026. VCSU finished 26-24-1 overall, placed second in the Frontier League in both the regular season and conference tournament, and earned its first regional ranking in program history. The Vikings' tournament runner-up finish included a win over the No. 2 team in the nation, Bellevue University. The Valley City State pitching staff ranked second in the nation in strikeouts per nine innings and finished in the NAIA's top 10 in the category during all three seasons under DeMaria's leadership.

Prior to joining the Vikings, DeMaria helped lead a dramatic turnaround at Dakota State University in his two seasons as the pitching coach and recruiting coordinator for the Trojans. Over the course of the 2022 and 2023 seasons, DSU went 69-36, recorded its first winning seasons in more than a decade and set a league record for wins in a season at 24-4 in year two. His pitching staff broke program season records for strikeouts, strikeouts per nine innings, strikeout-to-walk ratio and saves. The Trojans led the league in earned run average, strikeouts per nine innings and strikeout-to-walk ratio while finishing as high as third in the nation in ERA and eighth in strikeouts per nine innings. Team and individual records were broken for strikeouts in a single game. Additionally, DeMaria recruited and developed the 2023 North Star Athletic Association Pitcher of the Year.

DeMaria started his collegiate coaching career at the University of Minnesota Crookston as the pitching coach, assistant hitting coach, assistant strength coach and director of operations for the 2020 and 2021 seasons. In 2021, the Golden Eagles finished 26-12 to set a program record for winning percentage and placed third in the Northern Sun tournament as UMC won a postseason game and series for the first time. The team twice broke the program record for strikeouts in a single game and set numerous hitting and pitching records.

A native of Fresno, CA, DeMaria has earned two degrees from the University of Mary, including a bachelor's degree in history in 2019 and a master's degree in athletic administration and physical education in 2021.

Alec and Lucia (Bolibruch) DeMaria are the parents of a son, Anthony.

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