2025 Blue Valley West
Coaching Staff
Joe Allison
Head Coach
Email: jballison@bluevalleyk12.org
Coach Allison is in his 7th year as head coach at BV West. Last season, the Jaguars finished with an overall record of 24-6, and finished as the 6A state runner up. BVW was ranked as high as #1 by the KABC, and #2 in the metro. 5 players from the 2024 team went on to play in college, 1 player was draftet, 10 were selected to the all EKL team, and 6 were selected to the All State team. Coach Allison's overall record at BVW is 96 - 28 over a 5 year span, winning 4 regional championships ('21, '22, '23, '24), 1 2nd place finish at state ('24), and 2 state championships ('22, '23). During that time, 26 players have gone on to play basebll in college, 2 players have been drafted, 34 players have been selected to the all EKL team, and 24 players have been selected to the All State team. Coach Allison has been selected to coach in the KC Metro All-Star game 3 X's (2012, 2018, and 2022), earned KABC coach of the year honores in 2022, and was named the 2022 KCA 6A Coach of the Year. Our program is built on discipline, effort, attitude, and leadership. These 4 attributes provide the foundation for a team made up of fundamentally sound, hardworking players, that learn to play for and trust one another.
Prior to BVW, Coach Allison spent 10 years as head coach at Leavenworth High School where he left as the all-time winningest coach in program history. During his tenure at Leavenworth, Coach Allison had 18 players go on to play at the collegiate level, to include 3 D1, 3 D2, 5 NAIA, and 7 JUCO players. He had 22 players earn 1st or 2nd team all-league honors, 14 player receive 1st or 2nd team all-state honors, and the 2012 5A player of the year. His teams reached 6 regional championship games, winning a regional championship in 2011, and earning a trip to the state tournament.
Coach Allison played high school ball at Leavenworth High from 1995 – 1999. In 1999, he received all-league and all-state honors as a catcher while leading the Pioneers to their 1st ever regional championship and state appearance. He then played his first 2 years of college football and baseball at Benedictine College before transferring to Washburn University to finish out his last 2 years of football. Coach Allison is married to his wife, Heather of 14 years and has 4 children – Chase 16, Brayden 13, Judson 9, and Sophie 6.
Jeff Ashen
Assistant Varsity Coach/Program Pitching Coach
Email Address: JAshen@bluevalleyk12.org
Coach Ashen is in his 38th year of coaching high school baseball. He has coached at all levels (Varsity, JV, C, & D) during his coaching career and is currently the pitching coach at BV West. Coach Ashen played baseball at SM South and graduated from there in 1981. His senior year the Raiders were State Champions.
Coach Ashen is married to his wife Traci for 30 years and they have two children, Kaleigh (28) and Cooper (26).
Alex Lahasky
Assistant Varsity Coach/Head JV Coach
Email: ALahasky@bluevalleyk12.org
Alex Lahasky is in his 9th year in the Blue Valley West baseball program. Lahasky graduated from Blue Valley West in 2009 and played college baseball at Johnson County Community College and William Carey University. He then served as an assistant coach William Carey University in 2014. Lahasky earned his master's degree from Pittsburg State University, where he served as an assistant baseball coach in 2015. He spent the 2016 season with Pittsburg High school before returning to Blue Valley West in 2015.
Coach Lahasky teaches AP United States History, Sociology, and Humanities. He also serves as the Social Studies Department Chair.
Matt Shipley
C/D Team Program Coordinator
Email: MBShipley@bluevalleyk12.org Matt Shipley
Coach Shipley and his wife Danielle have 4 boys: Rogan (3), Jagger (5), Camden (9), and Tommy (14). This is his 18th year coaching baseball in Overland Park. He coached at BVW for his first 14 years as an assistant coach spanning all levels, as well as the program pitching coach. He then spent 2 years as the head coach at Shawnee Mission South and now this is his 2nd year back at BVW. He is the head of our C/D programs and assists with our pitchers and infielders.
Coach Shipley played high school baseball at Shawnee Mission South from 2000-2003 where he earned all-league and all-state honors as a pitcher. He continued his career at William Jewell College from 2004-2007, where he was a 4-year starting pitcher while double majoring in Mathematics and Secondary Education. He earned his master’s degree in School leadership in 2011 from Baker University. He teaches mathematics at Blue Valley Academy.
Travis Holehan
C Team Head Coach
Email: TPHolehan@bluevalleyk12.org
Coach Holehan is in his 11th year coaching and 3rd year at BV West. Coach Holehan was a catcher in high school in Oklahoma and at the NAIA collegiate level at Oklahoma Baptist University and Central Christian College. Coach Holehan has been an assistant coach for 9 years and a head coach in Independence, Kansas for two years prior to returning to BV West coaching staff. He has also been a catching, pitching, and hitting instructor for the last 7 years. Coach Holehan is married to his wife, Kirstyn of 11 years and has one child – Jameson who is 4 years old.
Dana Harrison
Head D Team Coach
Email: DCHarrison@bluevalleyk12.org
Coach Harrison is in his 4th year coaching at Blue Valley West. Coach Harrison coaches the D team and spends most of his time coaching the outfielders during practice. Prior to coaching at Blue Valley West, Coach Harrison spent 5 years running a baseball organization called the Kansas City Monarchs where he was the head coach. The Monarchs competed at Blue Valley Gold Glove and 3 & 2 Baseball.
Coach Harrison has been around the game of baseball his entire life. He played his high school baseball in Southern California at St. Bernard High School. While playing there he earned several honors to include Westside Player of the Year and an invite to the 1994 United States Olympic Festivall where he played for the West team.
Coach Harrison attended Long Beach State University on a baseball scholarship. After two years Coach Harrison transferred to Los Angeles City College where he played for 1 year and was offered a free agent contract to play for the St. Louis Cardinals as well as a baseball scholarship to play at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Coach Harrison decided to attend the University of Nebraska- Lincoln. He finished his college baseball career there and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. Coach Harrison went on to attend graduate school where he earned a master’s in Education and a master’s in Criminal Justice.
After college Coach Harrison began his law enforcement career at the Lincoln Police Department in Lincoln, NE. Throughout his career he’s worked at various police departments to include the Clearwater Police Department and the Overland Park Police Department. Coach Harrison retired from law enforcement in January of 2022 after 23 years in the profession. He now works in the private sector.
Coach Harrison Harrison has been married for 21 years to his wife Andrea and they have two children, Sydnee and DJ.
