Kutztown University of Pennsylvania Men's Baseball

Eric Folmar completed his sixth season as the baseball head coach at Kutztown University in 2025. Folmar led a resurgent 2023 season in earning KU's 2022-23 Dr. Dennis Roth Male Coach of the Year award. He helped put the program back on the map when it comes to PSAC and NCAA postseason talk and just overall receptiveness. Folmar led the Golden Bears to a 15-win turnaround from last season with a 26-19 record (most wins since 2014) and 12-12 mark in the conference, finishing tied for fourth in the East Division, despite being picked last in the preseason poll. They just missed qualifying for the postseason for the first time since 2014 due to a tiebreaker. Three Golden Bears earned spots on the All-PSAC teams and two were All-Region, most since 2014. In his first full season in spring of 2021, Folmar guided the Golden Bears to 17 wins overall and 11 in the PSAC, the most since 2018. KU also had its first All-PSAC selections since that year, as Collin Bishop earned First Team and Gavin Moretski was tabbed Second Team. In a shortened first season at the helm in 2020, Folmar led the Golden Bears to a 7-4 overall record, the program's first winning record to end a season since 2014. With nearly two decades of coaching experience at the NCAA Division I level, Folmar has paid his dues. Now, he’s getting the opportunity to lead a program for the first time.   Folmar, a native of Chambersburg, Pa., most recently spent three seasons as associate head coach at the University of Louisiana Monroe from 2015-17. He was responsible for working with the Warhawks' hitters and infielders on the field and took a lead role in many aspects of the program.   In 2015, ULM produced a .271 team batting average to rank fifth in the Sun Belt Conference. Under Folmar's watch, senior third baseman Keelin Rasch posted the league's second-highest batting average (.359) and was amongst its leaders in hits (78), slugging percentage (.571), on-base+slugging (.966), runs batted in (41) and total bases (124). The Warhawks' fielding percentage exceeded .960 in each of Folmar's three seasons and he coached seven players selected in Major League Baseball's First-Year Player Draft.   Folmar coordinated ULM's recruiting schedule, scholarships and prospect visits, while developing offensive and defensive scouting reports and daily practice plans. He also monitored student-athlete academic progress and served as lead instructor at prospect and summer camps.   Folmar was an assistant coach at Army during the 2014 season, helping the Black Knights to a 33-18 overall record and 15-5 mark in Patriot League play.   Prior to arriving at West Point, Folmar completed eight seasons as an assistant coach at Penn State, where he directed the program's recruiting efforts. He was the Nittany Lions' third base coach and focused on coaching infielders and base running.   Folmar recruited pitcher Drew O'Neil who held the program’s season and career saves records until 2016 and was drafted by the Chicago White Sox in the fourth round of the 2008 MLB First-Year Player Draft. He also brought catcher Ben Heath to Penn State. Heath belted a PSU single-season record 19 home runs in 2010, was an All-American and drafted by the Houston Astros in the fifth round of the 2010 MLB Draft.   Folmar coached or recruited 25 players who were selected in the Major League Baseball Draft, mentored 22 All-Big Ten selections and 54 Academic Big Ten student-athletes.   A standout infielder and catcher at Old Dominion University from 1996-99, Folmar led the Monarchs to three Colonial Athletic Association championship game appearances, the 1996 CAA championship and a spot in the NCAA Clemson Regional. He started 168 consecutive games and was a team captain. Folmar earned his degree in health and physical education from ODU in 1999.   Following graduation, Folmar got his coaching start with Young Harris Junior College in Georgia, where he worked with infielders and catchers, along with serving as camp coordinator. The Mountain Lions won 82 games and a pair of conference titles in his two seasons on staff. Nine players were taken in the MLB Draft, including Callix Crabbe, who reached the majors with San Diego in 2008.   Folmar returned to his alma mater, Old Dominion, from 2002-05, leading the infielders, outfielders, catchers and base running while also assisting with recruiting. Among the 16 players he coached or recruited that were chosen in the MLB Draft was Justin Verlander, 2011 American League Cy Young Award winner and Most Valuable Player. Verlander, an eight-time all-star and 2017 World Series champion with the Houston Astros, has racked up more than 200 wins and 2,800 strikeouts in his 15-year MLB career. Folmar has four sons: Bryce, Zac, Alex and Tyler, and a daughter: Mia.   All Games PSAC Games Year School W L T Pct W L T Pct. 2020 Kutztown 7 4 .636 0 0 .000 2021 Kutztown 17 21 .447 11 21 .344 2022 Kutztown 11 35 .239 4 20 .167 2023 Kutztown 26 19 .578 12 12 .500 2024 Kutztown 17 33 .340 10 22 .312 2025 Kutztown 14 33 .298 7 21 .250 Totals 92 145 .388 44 96 .314

Schafer enters his eighth season with the Golden Bear coaching staff in 2017.   Prior to Kutztown, Schafer spent two years at Alvernia College. He helped the Crusaders to a PAC Championship in 2006, while working primarily with pitchers and catchers. Prior to Alvernia, Schafer assisted at Fleetwood Area High School for six years. In that time, the Tigers experienced their first district championship appearance in school history and went on to reach the state quarterfinals.  He has also worked with college scouts and players to aid in recruitment for baseball at the collegiate level. Schafer has a strong background in all aspects of baseball, which he gained from all levels of the game. He played at Fleetwood High School and spent his summers with Berkshire Baseball before being drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1998, as a catcher. Schafer currently resides in Breinigsville with his wife, Katrina, and son, Bryce.  

Nate Reed, a standout pitcher for the Golden Bears in 2010, enters his fourth season as Kutztown University's pitching coach in 2025. Prior to his return, Reed led Oley Valley High School to a District 3 Class 3A championship and PIAA Class 3A runner-up finish in 2021, his only season as head coach. The Lynx went 21-6 and reached the Berks League semifinals before falling to eventual District 3 Class 6A champion Wilson. After graduating from Oley Valley in 2006, Reed went on to play collegiately at the University of Pittsburgh, but as fate would have it, he found himself back in Berks County as a member of the Golden Bears for his senior season in 2010. Reed established himself as the ace on the mound for the Maroon and Gold by compiling a 6-4 record with a 2.60 earned run average (ERA) in 72.2 innings of work. He led the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference in ERA and batting average against (.164), while ranking seventh with 71 strikeouts. Reed threw a no-hitter against Bloomsburg and had a season-best 10 strikeouts in the Golden Bears' win over IUP in the conference tournament. The Oley, Pa., native held West Chester scoreless for eight innings in the NCAA Division II Atlantic Region championship contest, which KU won 2-0. Over the course of the season, he struck out seven or more batters four times.