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Baseball
Coaching Staff
| LOE'S YEAR-BY-YEAR MARK (442-383) |
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Northwest Missouri State (286-247) Baker (82-67) Missouri Valley (74-67) |
Darin Loe
Head Coach
Office: (660) 562-1352
E-mail: dloe@nwmissouri.edu
Darin Loe begins his 10th season at Northwest Missouri State and 16th as a head coach in 2009. He’s produced seven consecutive winning seasons at Northwest, the longest streak in program history since Jim Wasem’s 10-season streak from 1973-82.
Loe narrowly missed his fifth 30-win season in 2008 after the Bearcats went 29-22 in a fifth-place finish in the MIAA.
The 2007 campaign marked a 30-26 season that ended with a third-place finish in the MIAA tournament. Loe also passed Wasem for second in all-time wins with a 3-1 victory against Emporia State April 15.
In nine seasons, Loe has placed five players on the All-MIAA First Team and 26 players on the second team. Under Loe, 51 players have received first-team, second-team or honorable mention All-MIAA honors.
The 2003 season was Loe’s most successful as a Bearcat when he led the team to a second-place conference finish and a berth in the NCAA Division II South Central Regional Tournament. It was the first time the Bearcats had qualified for regional play since 1989.
When he came to Northwest in 2000, Loe took over a struggling program, turned it around and has since guided the Bearcats to two third-place and one second-place finish in the MIAA in his nine seasons as the Bearcat skipper.
Loe led Northwest to MIAA Tournament berths in four of his first five years at Northwest. In 2003, the team’s 36 wins was the second-highest victory total in school history behind the record 42 wins in 1989.
Before coming to Northwest, Loe was the head coach at Baker University in Baldwin City, Kan. While at Baker, he led the Wildcats to two Heart of America Athletic Conference tournament championships in 1997 and 1998 and a third-place regional finish in 1998.
Loe earned his first head coaching position at Missouri Valley College in Marshall, Mo., in 1994. In three seasons, he led the Vikings to their first HAAC tournament appearance.
Loe was a dominating pitcher at Valley City State University in Valley City, N.D., and holds program records in season wins, career wins (28), season strikeouts (121) and career strikeouts (380). He led the NAIA in strikeouts in 1987. He was also a standout quarterbacker for the Vikings and entered the Valley City State Hall of Fame in October 2001.
At the culmination of his college career, Loe was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the 26th round of the 1989 amateur draft. He played three seasons in the Mariner’s organization before entering the coaching ranks.
Loe attained his bachelor’s degree from Valley City State University in 1991 and a master’s degree from North Dakota State University in the spring of 1994 where he served as an assistant coach.
Loe and his wife, Lisa, reside in Maryville with their daughters Abby (9), Macy (6) and son Cooper (4).
Matt Johnson
Associate Head Coach
Office: (660) 562-1938
E-mail: johnson@nwmissouri.edu
Matt Johnson begins his seventh season with the Bearcat baseball program, but his first with the new title of Associate Head Coach. He coaches catchers, outfielders and hitters and serves as the program’s recruiting coordinator.
Johnson will also be starting his first season as the manager for the St. Joseph Mustangs, a collegiate summer team that competes in the MINK league throughout Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska and Kansas.
The Sawyer, N.D., native comes to Northwest after four years of playing professional baseball in the Northern League. He split his time between the Fargo-Moorhead Redhawks and Allentown Ambassadors as a catcher. He served as a relief pitcher for the St. Joseph Blacksnakes of the American Association in 2006.
Prior to professional ball, Johnson was a four-year starter at Valley City State in Valley City, N.D. He was an All-American and Dakota Athletic Conference Most Valuable Senior for the Vikings and a three-time all-conference selection.
Johnson is currently pursuing his doctorate as a faculty member for Northwest’s Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance Department. Johnson earned his Bachelor of Science in education degree from Valley City State in 2001 and his Master of Science in Education from Northwest in 2004. He is a certified Health and Physical Education instructor.
Johnson and his wife, Brenda, reside in Maryville. They have a four-year son Jase and a one-year old daughter Brynlee.
Mike Creason
Assistant Coach
Office: (660) 562-1658
E-mail: creason@nwmissouri.edu
Mike Creason enters his sixth season as an assistant coach for the Bearcats. He serves as the infield coach while assisting with the hitters.
The Moreno Valley, Calif., native began his career playing for Victor Valley Community College in Victor Valley, Calif., where he was a two-year starter.
In his two-year career at Northwest, Creason played in 98 games while starting 92. He collected 60 hits and 20 doubles. He compiled 45 RBI and scored 50 runs. As a middle infielder, he had fewer than 10 errors in two years.
Creason earned his bachelor of science degree in corporate recreation from Northwest. He also earned his master’s degree in recreation administration from Northwest.
Creason and his wife, Sarah, reside in Maryville. They have a two year-old son, Cannon.
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