After 11 seasons with the Hillsdale College baseball program, including eight successful years as head coach, Eric Theisen is moving on.
Theisen is stepping down from the head role with the Chargers to take a position as a Hitting Coach with the Carolina Mudcats, the Milwaukee Brewers' Low-A Minor League affiliate based out of Zebulon, North Carolina, a suburb of Raleigh.
A search for a new head coach for the baseball program is underway.
"I'm excited for the new challenge and new opportunity, but I'm also deeply grateful for my time at Hillsdale and every one of these past 11 years," Theisen said. "Hillsdale helped make me the coach I am today, and a major reason I'm getting this chance is because of the experiences I've had at this school that have shaped me as a person and as a leader."
Theisen came to Hillsdale in 2011 as an assistant coach under long-time Charger skipper Paul Noce. After three years under Noce, Theisen succeeded him as the head coach of the Hillsdale College baseball team in 2014, and helped raise the program to never-before-seen heights.
In eight seasons in charge, Theisen compiled a 164-204 record and guided the Chargers to the first two NCAA Division II tournament appearances in program history in 2016 and 2018, as well as the first conference tournament title in program history in 2018. His 32-24 season in 2016 was Hillsdale's first winning season in 13 years, and set a school record for wins in a single campaign, an achievement that helped Theisen become the first Charger baseball coach in nearly 20 years to win GLIAC Coach of the Year honors.
On top of team success, Theisen also recruited and developed excellent individual talent at Hillsdale. All four of Hillsdale's All-Americans at the Division II level came to Hillsdale under Theisen's watch, including Luke Ortel, who led Division II in hits in 2016, and two-time All-American Steven Ring, who rewrote every power-hitting record the Chargers had on the books in his four-year career.
Theisen also recruited and coached Hillsdale's first MLB Draft pick since 1997, shortstop Jake Hoover, who was drafted by the Texas Rangers in the 28th round of the 2019 draft and is currently playing for the Round Rock Express, the Rangers' Triple-A Affiliate in the minor leagues, just one step away from becoming the Chargers' first ever Major League Baseball player.
As gratifying as individual and team accolades have been, it's the relationships he's built at Hillsdale that will stick with Theisen the most.
"Everyone around this program carries themselves with love, loyalty, commitment and pride in Charger baseball, and getting to know all of the people who make this place what it is has been a highlight of the last decade," Theisen said. "From our current team, former players, parents, alumni, and friends of the program, they've all been so good to me and to our program, and I will treasure my time here with them for the rest of my life."
It's that support that has Theisen optimistic about the future of Charger baseball, even as he passes the reins of the program to another.
"I was the face at the front of the program, but in reality, I'm a very small part of what makes this team successful," Theisen said. "The program exists as it does today because of the commitment of our players and the support of alumni, donors, families and friends who help keep it moving forward, every day.
"The fact that so many of those people are still in place here is why I'm confident that the best days are still ahead for Charger baseball."
Interested and qualified applicants for the Hillsdale College baseball head coaching position are encouraged to apply here.