Brian Raabe

Brian Raabe’s knowledge, passion and energy has the Bethel University baseball program soaring to new heights after seven seasons at the helm.

AT BETHEL
• Led the Royals to their first ever MIAC Tournament Championship and NCAA Regional berth in 2018
• Led the Royals to their first regular season MIAC Championship in 2015 and again in 2017
• Named the 2015 MIAC Coach-of-the-Year
• Recorded 182 victories in seven seasons with a .652 winning percentage
• Led the Royals to 30+ win seasons in three of the last four years (30-2015, 33-2017, 32-2018)
• Led the Royals to the MIAC Playoff Championship game in three of the last five seasons (2014, '17, '18)
• Led the Royals into the MIAC Playoffs in six of seven seasons as head coach (2012, '13, '14, '15, '17, '18)
• Bethel's defense has improved drastically under Coach Raabe, climbing from last place in the MIAC in 2011 (.934) to first in 2015 (.970)
• Posted the second highest fielding percentage in the history of NCAA DIII baseball (.980) in 2017
• Set a new MIAC record for fielding percentage (.985) in conference games in 2017
• Led the MIAC in fielding percentage in three of the last four seasons with percentages of .970 ('15), .980 ('17), .975 ('18)
• Bethel's offense led the MIAC in Home Runs (23) and Doubles (77) in 2018

PLAYER DEVELOPMENT
• Produced 20 All-Conference selections, 14 ABCA/Rawlings All-Region and 13 D3baseball.com All-Region award winners
• 14 MIAC All-Defensive Team selections
• Nine MIAC Player of the Week awards
• Matt Rowley named All-American and MIAC Most Valuable Player in 2012
• Shortstop Esteban Velasco named the 2015 MIAC Freshman of the Year
• Catcher Austin Ledin named NCAA Division III NCBWA National Hitter of the Week in 2017
• Two catchers, Jay Slick ('12) and Mike Schultz ('15), signed professional contracts
• 10 players have played in the summer collegiate Northwoods League for five different franchises
• Nik Anderson and Michael Bohlke earned the prestigious MIAC Elite 22 Award in 2014 and Bohlke twice in 2017 and 2018
• Matt Rowley named a semi-finalist for the Coach John Wooden Citizenship Cup in 2013
• 24 Academic All-Conference honorees

FOREST LAKE SUCCESS
• Turned the Forest Lake Rangers into one of the state's top perennial contenders in Class AAA in 11 seasons as head coach
• Made three consecutive trips to the state tournament (2009-2011) and four total (2001)
• Helped develop 49 players who went on to play college baseball

CLINICIAN
• Recognized as an excellent teacher of fundamentals and annually speaks at numerous clinics
• The lead hitting instructor for the Minnesota Twins Youth Training Academy
• Play Ball! Minnesota Ambassador for the Minnesota Twins Community Fund

PLAYING ACCOMPLISHMENTS
• Six-time minor league All-Star
• Won the Triple-A batting title (.351) in 1996
• Career professional batting average of .310, including .332 at Triple-A
• Played under legendary managers Tom Kelly (Minnesota), Lou Piniella (Seattle), Don Baylor (Colorado) and Joe Torre (New York Yankees)
• All-American and All-Big Ten at the University of Minnesota in 1990
• Won the Rod Carew scholarship award
• Member of 1989 Big Ten championship team
• Drafted in 41st round by the Minnesota Twins
• Played in Lions All-Star series in 1986 after senior year at New Ulm High School

PERSONAL LIFE
• Resides in Forest Lake with wife Valerie, daughter Brianna, and son Zach who plays baseball at the University of Minnesota

WHAT THEY'RE SAYING ABOUT COACH RAABE

"I have known Brian for a long time, as I followed him from New Ulm to the University of Minnesota and throughout the big leagues. Brian had an exceptional amount of passion for the game and I believe he is in his element coaching in the dugout. I have the utmost respect for Brian and believe his tenacity and wisdom will have these players and this team heading in the right direction for years to come."
--Terry Ryan, former Minnesota Twins General Manager

"When you put the heart, mind, and desire together like Brian did, you can tell why he was the best player Phil Roof (former Twins AAA manager) ever coached. I never coached him, but I always respected him. I coached against him, but I always thought he was a player that you wanted on your team. He was always a team guy and he will take those great attributes and transfer them over to college - attributes that are necessary in a college setting. Brian Raabe is a coach that I would love my son to play for because he's going to be a quality person, he's not going to put himself above the team, he's not going to have the ego that does sometimes permeate baseball organizations. Brian is a good man."
-- Bill Springman, former Hitting Coordinator for Minnesota Twins and former college coach

"When I hear Brian talk about hitting, I think to myself that it could have been words out of my mouth. He knows hitting and how to teach coaches and players, I'm very impressed with how he teaches."
-- Harmon Killebrew

“Coach Raabe believed in me as a player and as a person. Everyone needs that, whether in work, school, relationships, in all aspects of life. His passion for baseball is contagious and makes it much more exciting and fun to be a part of his team. I never imagined my experience at Bethel would have been so amazing.”
-- Matt Rowley, 2012 MIAC MVP and Rawlings All-American