Albion College Men's Baseball

Coach Rix Hometown Mattawan, Mich. College Kalamazoo '00 - B.A. Michigan State '04 - J.D.     High School Mattawan (Mich.) '97 Family Wife, Melissa, son, Noah Playing History     1997-00 Kalamazoo (Pitcher) Coaching History     2005-06 Kalamazoo, Assistant Coach     2007-12 Kalamazoo, Head Coach     2013-24 Albion, Assistant Coach     2025-pre. Albion, Head Coach Career Head Coaching Record     2007 Kalamazoo, 12-26 (9-19 MIAA)     2008 Kalamazoo, 12-20 (8-20 MIAA)     2009 Kalamazoo, 8-28 (5-23 MIAA) 2010 Kalamazoo, 14-25 (7-21 MIAA) 2011 Kalamazoo, 17-21 (10-18 MIAA) 2012 Kalamazoo, 16-24 (10-18 MIAA) 2025 Albion, 17-19 (10-11 MIAA) Totals Kalamazoo, 6 seasons (79-144) Albion, 1 season (17-19) 7 seasons (96-163) Matt Rix was named the Interim Head Coach in July of 2024 after 12 seasons as an assistant on staff at Albion.  Since Rix took over the pitching staff in 2014, multiple hurlers have placed their names in the school record book and Craig Conway was an all-Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association second team pick in 2014. He also mentored Drew Olszewski, Mitch Shedlowsky, Sean Cooper, Brayden Raether and Cole Giesige to recent All-MIAA seasons.  Rix enjoyed great success as head coach at Kalamazoo College, guiding the Hornets to the second-most wins in school history in 2011 and its best finish in the MIAA in more than a decade in 2012. He first served as an assistant coach at Kalamazoo in the 2005 and 2006 seasons and he helped lead the program to 20 wins, the most in school history. The team went from 3-32 before his arrival to 20-20 during his second year on staff, marking the second-best turnaround in NCAA Division III over that span. In addition to coaching several single-season record holders, Rix coached Kalamazoo's career leaders in hits, runs, doubles, runs batted in, stolen bases, walks, games played, shutouts and complete games. Rix was a four-year letter winner on the mound for the Hornets. He was team captain in 2000. In 1998 he earned team most valuable player and team most improved player honors. He also was placed on the list of honorable mention players in the MIAA in 1998. Rix was on the Dean’s List and the MIAA Academic Honor Roll all four years. Rix, who holds a degree in philosophy and history from Kalamazoo, earned a law degree from Michigan State University College of Law in May of 2004. He passed the Michigan Bar exam and formerly worked part time as a lawyer with Business Intelligence Associates. Matt and his wife, Melissa, reside in Kalamazoo and have a son, Noah.

Coach Theisen Hometown Waterford, Mich. College Siena Heights '82 - B.S. Siena Heights '10G - M.A.     High School Our Lady of the Lakes (Waterford, Mich.) '78 Family Son, Eric, daughter, Tess Playing History     1979-82 Siena Heights Coaching History     1983-84 Mamaroneck High School, Assistant Coach     1985 Lansing Catholic High School, Assistant Coach     1986-87 Our Lady of the Lakes High School, Head Coach     1988-93     1995-03 Siena Heights, Head Coach 2004-13 Adrian, Pitching Coach 2014-21 Hillsdale, Recruiting Coordinator/Pitching Coach 2022-23 Grand Valley State, Pitching Coach 2024-25 Newberry, Pitching Coach 2026-pre. Albion, Assistant Coach Gordie Theisen completed his first season as assistant baseball coach at Albion in 2026. Theisen (pronounced 'tyson') arrived in Albion after a two-year stint as pitching coach at Division II Newberry College in South Carolina from 2024-25. In 2025, Theisen helped mentor freshman Chansen Cole, who was a first-team All-South Atlantic Conference pitcher and now plays for West Virginia. Cole was ranked top-35 in Division II in strikeouts (97), strikeout-to-walk ratio (4.62) and WHIP (1.08). Additionally, Theisen helped guide two third-team All-SAC pitchers in 2024. Before Newberry, Theisen served as pitching coach at Grand Valley State University for two seasons from 2022-23 where the Lakers tallied back-to-back 30-win seasons and made the GLIAC Tournament, including the championship game in 2023. Three pitchers made the All-GLIAC team in 2023, including starter Nick Rutowski who was a first-team honoree and finished the season with a 2.57 ERA and five complete games, which both ranked in the top-35 in Division II. In 2022, Theisen coached closer Nick Shaw who was an honorable mention All-America, first-team All-Region and first-team All-GLIAC selection. Shaw posted a 2.84 ERA and finished fourth in Division II with 11 saves. Three other pitchers earned All-GLIAC honors that season as well. Prior to GVSU, Theisen was the recruiting coordinator/pitching coach at Hillsdale College under his son, Eric, from 2014-21. Theisen helped the Chargers 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.  No stranger to the MIAA, Theisen produced a successful tenure as the pitching coach at Adrian College for 10 seasons from 2004-13 full of unprecedented success. During his time with the Bulldogs, the team won or shared seven MIAA titles, including five straight from 2009-13. In 2008, Adrian captured the Mideast Regional championship and advanced to the Division III World Series, where they went 2-2 and finished fourth. Theisen coached four MIAA Pitchers of the Year, and in 2011, the pitching staff posted an ERA of 2.56 which ranked second in all of Division III. From 1988-93 and 1995-2003, Theisen served as the head baseball coach at Siena Heights University and finished with 341 career victories, the most in program history. During his time with the Saints, Theisen produced three players who were drafted by Major League Baseball clubs and three more who signed professional baseball contracts. His 1989 squad claimed the NAIA District 23 championship and made it to the regional finals that season. Theisen was inducted into the Siena Heights Athletic Hall of Fame in 2021. Prior to Siena Heights, Theisen was the head coach at his alma mater, Our Lady of the Lakes High School in Waterford Mich., from 1986-87. While with the Lakers, he coached pitcher Mark Smith who was inducted into Albion's Athletic Hall of Fame in 2011 and threw the only perfect game in MIAA history. Theisen got his start in coaching as an assistant coach at Mamaroneck High School in New York from 1983-84. He was also an assistant coach at Lansing Catholic High School in 1985. While in New York, he coached 10-year MLB veteran and 1991 World Series champion Scott Leius on a summer baseball team. Theisen graduated from Siena Heights in 1982 with a degree in social science and an English minor. He earned his master's in 2010 from Siena Heights as well in counseling. Theisen's son, Eric, currently serves as hitting coach for the MLB's Milwaukee Brewers and his daughter, Tess, is finishing her law degree at Barry University in Florida.

Coach Spangler Hometown Rensselaer, Ind. College Albion '25 - B.A.     High School Rensselaer Central (Ind.) '21 Playing History     2022 Albion Collegiate Coaching History 2023-25 Albion, Student Assistant Coach/First Base Coach 2026-pre. Albion, Volunteer Assistant Coach Grant Spangler enters his first season as a volunteer assistant coach for the 2026 season. Spangler is no stranger to Albion, as he graduated in 2025 with degrees in history and anthropology. Currently, he is an admissions counselor at Albion and is responsible for Indiana and the southern counties of Michigan as his regions. The Rensselaer, Ind. native played baseball for the Britons as a freshman in 2022 and earned a spot on the MIAA Honor Roll. From 2023-25, he served as a student assistant coach and was also the first base coach. As an undergraduate, Spangler was a campus tour guide and was on the admission's executive team. He presented at the 2025 College Information & Visitor Services Association (CIVSA) annual Student Development Institute on behalf of Albion's admissions department. Their presentation covered “Embracing the Awkward,” which detailed internal and external responses to uncomfortable situations on tour, as well as how to maintain professionalism and confidence as those situations arise. He also graduated summa cum laude with an overall GPA of 3.9 or higher and received an honor from Phi Beta Kappa for graduating in the top 10% of the graduating class. Spangler is the son of Michael and Cristine Spangler and graduated from Rensselaer Central High School in 2021. He played travel baseball for the Indiana Nitro and was a pitcher and infielder.

Scott Carden was promoted to the position of head baseball coach at Albion College on May 7, 2003, and he turned the Britons into Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association champions in his first season. Carden currently has an overall record of 324-444-1. On March 20, 2022, he reached the 300 win mark with a 5-2 win over Ohio Northern.  The 2004 baseball team posted a 14-4 record against MIAA foes to clinch Albion's first league title since 1996 and its first NCAA Regional Tournament appearance since 1982. Two Britons were selected to the all-MIAA first team, while another three earned a position on the all-MIAA second team. The 2004 team set seven team single season records and won the most games in school history with 25.  The 2006 squad narrowly missed winning the MIAA title, finishing a game behind the league co-champions. Derek Tracy shared the MIAA's Position Player of the Year award, and Matt Cook and Bryan Smith joined Tracy as first team all-league selections. The 2006 team set the second highest win total for a season with 24 wins.  Carden has coached four MIAA most valuable players, nine All-Mideast Region selections, and the 2006 and 2014 MIAA batting champions. He has coached 20 All-MIAA first team selections and 17 season record holders. At the end of the 2013 season, Mike Schypinski was picked as the MIAA's Most Valuable Pitcher, Brendan Diamond set the single season record for stolen bases and joined five other former Britons to record a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage. Michael Fischbach achieved Mideast Region and all-MIAA first team distinction in 2014 after finishing the season as the league's batting champion. He was an American Baseball Coaches Association/Rawlings second team All-American as well as the league MVP in 2015 after setting Albion single-season records for doubles (20), triples (six) and RBI 44. Fischbach was placed on the ABCA/Rawlings Gold Glove team in 2016. The D3baseball.com website included two Britons on the All-Region second team at the end of the 2016 season. Cardens teams have performed in the classroom as well and each of his teams have maintained a 3.2 GPA each season since he took over. In 2011, outfielder Tyler Millward was placed on the Capital One Academic All-America third team by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) and Schypinski was an Academic All-District pick in 2013.  Carden is a graduate of Macomb Lutheran North High School and Bowling Green State University.  At Bowling Green, Carden was a catcher on the Falcons' 1995 and '98 Mid-American Conference championship teams. He earned a bachelor of arts and sciences degree in comprehensive science/secondary education with a minor in chemistry in 1998. Carden has coached every position during his tenure with the Britons.  He currently works with the hitters and catchers. Carden lives in Albion with his wife Doreen, Albion's womens basketball coach, and two daughters Brooke and Addison.