Former baseball coach accepts role as hitting coach in Brewers’ system

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Eric Theisen is now working for the Carolina Mudcats in the Low-A Minor Leagues
Courtesy | Hillsdale College Athletic Department

Former Hillsdale Baseball head coach Eric Theisen accepted a new role this summer as a hitting coach of the Carolina Mudcats, a Minor League Affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers.

Prior to coaching at Hillsdale, Theisen played Division I baseball for the Illinois State University Cardinals. He went on to play professional baseball with the Traverse City Beach Bums, as well as the Brussels Kangaroos in Belgium. 

In eight seasons as Hillsdale’s head coach, Theisen had a record of 164-204 and led the Chargers to their first two NCAA Division II tournaments in program history in 2016 and 2018. He was also named the GLIAC Coach of the year in 2016, and helped produce the first MLB draft pick to come out of Hillsdale in more than 30 years when former Charger infielder Jake Hoover was drafted in the 28th round of the 2019 MLB draft by the Texas Rangers.

Although his responsibilities have shifted with his new role, Theisen is nothing but grateful for his time and experience at Hillsdale.

“Hillsdale certainly set the table for this opportunity,” Theisen said. “It’s a huge reason why I was in the position for the job like this.”

One thing Theisen said he’d miss as a Head Coach was coaching the current team, especially since he recruited many of the current Hillsdale Baseball players.

“I had no idea that this would happen, it sort of came up out of the blue and I was looking forward to continuing to work with those guys,” Theisen said. “However I’m really excited about the position that the program is currently in and can’t wait to follow the team’s progress this season and beyond.”

Current sophomore Cooper Peterson had nothing but positive things to say about his former coach,

“The thing I’ll miss the most is how much he cared about the well-being of his players. He was definitely more than just a coach, he was a friend to all of us on the team,” Peterson said. “He showed me how to take control of my own process and be able to work on things on my own without needing a coach looking over my shoulder.”

With the MLB Draft taking place last July, Theisen has been busy coaching players new to professional baseball, as they get assigned to his team.

“We’ve gotten a handful of guys who just got drafted a few months ago, and it’s been really fun to work with them and help them develop,” Theisen said.

Fellow sophomore, Catcher Sean Nemetz, was also extremely positive on the impact Theisen had on his baseball career.

“His commitment to his players’ development is unmatched. He was always doing research on how to make his players and the team better. I have been able to do things as a hitter that I never thought I would be able to do, and I owe that all to Coach Theisen. He saw the potential in me at times when I didn’t see it in myself.”