Craig Ringe will begin his first season on the Lindenwood baseball staff in 2021, after spending four seasons as the hitting coach at Southeast Missouri State.
In 2019, Ringe coached a Redhawk offense which ranked among the top five Ohio Valley Conference leaders in on base percentage (5th, .377), triples (2nd, 17), walks (5th, 272), hit by pitch (1st, 77), sacrifice bunts (t4th, 29), and stolen bases (4th, 74). Individually, Tyler Wilber led the OVC in batting average (.383) and on base percentage (.480). Alex Nielsen led the league in sacrifice bunts (10).
Wilber led the team in batting average (.383), hits (80), doubles (19), triples (3), RBI (40), slugging percentage (.531), and on-base percentage (.480). He was one of two Redhawks who started every game this season. Wilber posted 27 multiple-hit games, which doubled anyone else on the team. He also reached base safely in 18 consecutive contests, with a season-high 20-game streak.
In 2018, the Redhawks finished with a 27-30 record with a 20-10 mark in conference play to earn the No. 2 seed in the OVC Tournament. Ringe coached a Redhawk offense that knocked off the #20 Tennessee Tech, who at the time was on the nation's longest (28) win streak.
A key part of that offense included the duo of Justin Dirden and Trevor Ezell. Ezell had a .377 batting average with 87 hits and a .558 slugging percentage. Dirden had a .340 batting average with 72 hits and a .665 slugging percentage.
In 2017, Ringe coached a Redhawk offense which ranked among the top five Ohio Valley Conference leaders in batting average (4th, .300), on-base percentage (.393), RBI (4th, 361), triples (1st, 19) and walks (5th, 243).
Before coming to Southeast, Ringe coached in the Prospects Baseball Program out of St. Louis, Missouri. More specifically, he was the head coach of the top 17 team since 2013. In 2016, his team included seven high school players with Division I offers and three with offers from Division II programs. The squad finished the season 25-5-2.
His collegiate coaching resume features two seasons at Kansas State University where he was the volunteer assistant coach from 2008 and 2009. Ringe and Sawyers coached one season together at K State in 2009, helping guide the Wildcats to the program’s first ever NCAA Regional appearance. Ringe worked primarily with the infielders while assisting Sawyers with hitting.
He also has experience in the summer collegiate level after serving as hitting coach in 2009 and 2010 for the Mat-Su Miners of the Alaskan Baseball League. With Ringe’s guidance, the Miners won back-to-back ABL championships both seasons he was there. In 2010, the team led the league with a .310 batting average.
Other coaching experience includes coaching Parkway South High School (St. Louis) to district and conference championships in 2010. He has also served the Meramec Valley (2010-12) and Team Missouri (2012-13) baseball clubs as Head Player Development Coach.
As a student-athlete, Ringe was a standout at University of Central Missouri from 1998-2002. He was a three-time All-Mid-American Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) selection, as well as being named the MIAA Player of the Year his senior season in 2002. He also earned recognition as NCAA Division II Region Player of the Year and was named Second Team All-American as a senior.
Ringe helped lead the Mules to a runner-up finish in the Division II National Championship in 2001 and a third-place finish in 2002.
In 2008, Ringe was inducted into the UCM Athletics Hall of Fame. He broke school career records for runs scored (297) and walks (181), and ranked second in career games played (240), at bats (807), hits (275), doubles (61), and field assists (583). His 297 runs scored stands as the NCAA Division II record.
The Texas Rangers drafted Ringe in the 2002 MLB Draft in the 23rd round. He played five seasons in the Rangers’ organization, reaching Double-A Frisco.
Ringe earned his Bachelor’s degree in Educational Studies from the University of Missouri – St. Louis in 2010.
Ringe has Southeast Missouri connections from his playing days with the Capahas from 1999-2000. He played for long-time manager of the Capahas Jess Bolen.
Craig and his wife, Sara, have two boys – Craig and Carson.
