The Fond du Lac Dock Spiders and field manager Sam Fonder are pleased to announce the coaching staff for the 2026 season. Pitching coach Ian Yunker will return for his second season on the staff while hitting coach EJ Taylor and assistant coach AJ Jones join the club.
Taylor will begin his first season as the Dock Spiders Hitting Coach in 2026. The Oklahoma native is entering his second season as an assistant coach at Northern Oklahoma College in Enid, Oklahoma, working with hitters and infielders. In his first season on the NOC-Enid staff, Taylor help lead Jets hitters to a .465 on-base percentage. The Jets offense ranked in the Top 5 nationally in that category and also ranked in the Top 5 nationally in doubles. Taylor also coached a national Gold Glove winner at first base. Prior to his position at NOC-Enid, he served as a graduate assistant at Southern Nazarene University (OK). Taylor was a standout player at Midwest City High School (OK) before joining NOC-Enid as a player in 2018. He set the NOC-Enid record for RBI in a season on his way to being named NJCAA All-American his freshman year. In 2019, he helped guide the Jets to a NJCAA National Championship, a first for the storied program. That same year, Taylor set the Jets record for walks in a season. He went on to play at the University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley, then transferred to Southern Nazarene University. While at SNU, he earned All-American honors for the second time and led the conference in batting average and on-base percentage. Taylor then went on to play one season for the Tucson Saguaros (Independent) and two seasons for the Williamsport Crosscutters (MLB Draft League).
Jones enters his first season as an Assistant Coach for the Dock Spiders in 2026. The Spring Hope, North Carolina, native is currently a Graduate Assistant at East Carolina University where he contributes to all aspects of the baseball program. Jones played collegially at North Carolina A&T State University in Greensboro, NC from 2023-25 and Gardner-Webb University in Boiling Springs, NC from 2020-22, where he as named to the 2022 Big South All-Academic Team. He was primarily an infielder, but appeared at every position on the field in collegiate career. Jones played with the Princeton Whistlepigs in the Appalachian League for two seasons (2021-22) and was named an Appalachian League All-Star in 2021 when he ranked in the Top 10 in the league in RBIs and doubles. He notably hit a home run in the All-Star Game that aired on MLB Network. Nicknamed “The Mayor,” Jones played for his hometown Wilson Tobs of the Coastal Plain League from 2023-25. He was a mainstay in the lineup for three years and won the 2025 Petitt Cup Championship. Jones also won the 2025 Coastal Plain League Sportsmanship Player of the Year Award, awarded to the player who exemplifies the best qualities on and off the field in the League. His father Andy Jones and uncle Ernie Jones won the 1999 Division III National Championship as a player and coach, respectively.
Yunker enters his second season as a Coach for the Dock Spiders in 2026 and first as Pitching Coach. The Troy, Ohio, native is the Assistant Coach and Pitching Coach at Parkland College (IL). At Parkland, Yunker works closely with the pitching staff while also contributing to recruiting and player development. Prior to Parkland, Yunker spent two seasons at Wheeling University (WV) as a Graduate Assistant and Pitching Coach, also assisting with infielders and hitters in 2024. During his time at Wheeling, he helped lead the program to back-to-back Mountain East Conference tournament appearances for the first time in school history. Yunker also coached two summers (2023-24) with the Grand Lake Mariners of the Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League, where his responsibilities included managing the pitching staff and coaching first base. A former pitcher, Yunker played collegiately at the University of South Carolina Upstate and Mars Hill University (NC), where he earned his bachelor’s degree in political science in 2023. He completed his master’s degree in sports administration from Wheeling University in 2025. Before his collegiate career, he was a standout at Tippecanoe High School in Tipp City, Ohio.
Fonder was named Field Manager of the club following the 2025 season after two seasons as Pitching Coach. The Green Bay, Wisconsin, native is currently working towards earning a doctoral degree in sport psychology from Florida State University.
The Dock Spiders will begin their 10th season of Northwoods League play during the spring of 2026. The promotions and daily special schedule will be announced in the coming weeks and will once again feature giveaway items, daily specials each day and night of the week, special appearances, live music, and gameday themes. Information about ticket packages is currently available at dockspiders.com or by calling the ticket office at (920) 907-9833. Visit the Dock Spiders ballpark Box Office and Team Store during normal business hours: Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
The Fond du Lac Dock Spiders are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. The Northwoods League is the proven leader in the development of elite college baseball players. Now in its’ 32nd season, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in history with 24 teams, drawing significantly more fans, in a friendly ballpark experience, than any league of its kind. A valuable training ground for coaches, umpires, and front office staff, nearly 2400 NWL alums have been drafted and over 400 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including three-time All-Star and 2016 Roberto Clemente Award winner Curtis Granderson, three-time Cy Young Award winner and World Series Champion Max Scherzer (TOR), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist and Brandon Crawford and World Series Champion Chris Sale (ATL). As well as 2019 Rookie of the Year and 2019/2021 Home Run Derby Champion Pete Alonso (NYM) and 2023 World Series Champion, MLB All-Star, MLB Gold Glove, two-time Silver Slugger winner and two-time All-MLB first team shortstop Marcus Semien (TEX). League games are viewable live on Northwoods League+ (at watch.northwoodsleague.com), ESPN+, and the Northwoods League Network. Learn more and find complete streaming schedules at watchnwl.com. For more information, visit dockspiders.com or download the new Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store or on Google Play and set the Dock Spiders as your favorite team.