Jonathan Braund, a 10-year assistant who helped coach New Albany to the Division II state championship in June, is the Eagles' new head baseball coach.

New Albany Athletics announced the hire Aug. 11, one day after the school board formally recognized the state champion team at its regular meeting.

Braund replaces Michael Sandman, who led the Eagles to a 4-1 victory over Walsh Jesuit in the state final on June 13 at 717 Credit Union Park in Akron. It was New Albany's third state title. The first since 2021, and the program's first in Division II.

Braund has been with the program since 2016, first as an assistant and most recently as part of a staff that guided the Eagles to a dominant postseason. New Albany allowed just four total runs across six tournament games and outscored opponents 48-4 in that stretch, closing on a six-game winning streak.

The 2026 squad did it all without a home field, playing every game on the road. That could change: the school board approved a ground lease with the City of New Albany in July to build a new athletic campus on the former Discover site, a project that would give the baseball program a permanent home.

Braund also teaches wellness at New Albany-Plain Local Schools, where he has worked for approximately 16 years.

Key players return for the 2027 season. Juniors Mason Ackermann, an outfielder, and Bryson Gittins, a left-handed pitcher committed to the University of Denver, both earned first-team all-state honors in 2026. Gittins retweeted the coaching announcement on Aug. 11. The Columbus Dispatch named the Eagles its boys Team of the Year for central Ohio.

In a July 21 proclamation, Mayor Sloan T. Spalding commended the players and coaches for "their discipline, relentless drive, and tremendous heart."