NEWBERRY – The Newberry College baseball team has announced the hiring of new Pitching Coach Gordie Theisen. Theisen joins the Wolves coaching staff after spending time at Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Michigan.
"I am extremely grateful to have this opportunity to be the Pitching Coach here at Newberry College." Theisen said, "This is a program that has had tremendous success in the previous handful of seasons, and is led by a fabulous, high character and hard working coaching staff. This is a chance for me to continue doing what I love to do, which is to make a positive impact on not only the pitchers, but the entire roster and everyone who is a part of the program. Being a part of enhancing their experience in turn enhances my own life in so many ways."
In his first season as assistant coach for the Lakers in 2022, Theisen helped guide GVSU to a 30-20 overall record, and 13-11 GLIAC mark. Theisen coached closing pitcher Nick Shaw who earned All-America honorable mention and first team All-Region and All-GLIAC honors. Shaw posted a 2.84 ERA and finished fourth in the country with 11 saves.
Previously, Theisen was tenured at Hillsdale College from 2014-21 where he served as a recruiting coordinator/pitching coach under his son Eric. Theisen helped Hillsdale set a program record with 32 wins while qualifying for the NCAA Division II Tournament for the first time in 2016. Two years later in 2018, Theisen helped lead Hillsdale to a GMAC Tournament championship and a NCAA Tournament appearance for the second time in two years.
Prior to his time at Hillsdale, Theisen produced a successful tenure as the pitching coach at NCAA Division III Adrian College in Adrian, Michigan, where he helped lead the program to the NCAA Division III national playoffs on multiple occasions. He coached three straight MIAA Pitchers of the Year, from 2009-11, and Adrian had a staff earned run average of 2.56 in 2011, which ranked second in all of NCAA Division III.
Theisen served as the head baseball coach at Siena Heights University in Adrian, Michigan from 1987-2003. During his time at Siena Heights, Theisen produced three players who were drafted by Major League Baseball clubs, and three more who signed professional baseball contracts. Theisen was inducted into the Siena Heights Athletic Hall of Fame in the fall of 2021 for his accomplishments with the Saints.
