Wake Baseball Adds Valerio to Staff

Jay Jacobs Published: January 23, 2026 | Updated: January 23, 2026 3 minutes read

Read Time:2 Minute, 16 Second

Wake Forest head baseball coach Tom Walter announced the addition of Dan Valerio to the Demon Deacons’ baseball staff on Wednesday as Director of Recruiting.

Starting our climb 🧗‍♂️ pic.twitter.com/ttRY0JD7EL

— Wake Forest Baseball (@WakeBaseball) January 12, 2026

“The addition of Dan Valerio to our staff signifies another leap forward for Wake Forest baseball,” Walter said. “Recruiting high school players is still our lifeblood. Dan’s reputation in travel baseball and within training facilities is sterling. I couldn’t be more pleased with how our staff has come together.”

Deacs in Durham 🎩 pic.twitter.com/eoA4FDLxdh

— Wake Forest Baseball (@WakeBaseball) January 22, 2026

Valerio comes to Winston-Salem after spending the 2024 season with the Detroit Tigers organization, serving as a video coordinator and scout in the amateur scouting department. In that role, he captured video on targeted prospects across the country while assisting in the evaluation and coverage of amateur talent nationwide.

We ain't leavin' 🤝 pic.twitter.com/f4NB0MEhFz

— Wake Forest Baseball (@WakeBaseball) January 7, 2026

“I’m grateful for the opportunity to join the Wake Forest baseball family,” Valerio added. “Getting the chance to learn from experienced leaders in Coach Walter and Coach Cilento means a great deal to me, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to be part of a program that values development, accountability and success at the highest level.”

Driving our player development forward ➡️ pic.twitter.com/7uJsGfwM8V

— Wake Forest Baseball (@WakeBaseball) January 21, 2026

Prior to his time in professional baseball, Valerio worked as the assistant scouting director for Prep Baseball Report New Jersey, where he utilized advanced technologies, including TrackMan, Blast and video breakdown to evaluate prospects. His responsibilities included writing scouting reports, ranking top uncommitted players, providing statewide coverage and assisting with the organization and operation of technology at major scouting events.

Player Development U 📈 pic.twitter.com/wCQx3FOURn

— Wake Forest Baseball (@WakeBaseball) January 19, 2026

Valerio also brings collegiate coaching and recruiting experience, having served as recruiting coordinator at Rowan College of South Jersey–Gloucester. There, he managed all aspects of on and off-campus recruiting while assisting with talent identification and evaluation. He additionally coached in the Matrix ACBL Summer League, one of the premier NJCAA summer leagues in the Northeast region. A former professional player, Valerio spent three seasons in professional baseball, competing for the Somerset Patriots, Windy City ThunderBolts and Eastside Diamond Hoppers.

Dynamic duo 👊 pic.twitter.com/c4azApQFZs

— Wake Forest Baseball (@WakeBaseball) January 20, 2026

Collegiately, he played at Southeastern University, earning two All-Conference selections and NAIA All-American honors while helping lead the program to an NAIA World Series championship and two World Series appearances. He began his collegiate career at Gloucester Community College, where he was a two-time All-Region selection and made two College World Series appearances.