Ripon College Men's Baseball

Cruise couldn't have had a much better start as a head coach, as he was named Midwest Conference North Division Coach of the Year in each of his first two seasons. In his four years at the helm, Cruise has led Ripon to an 83-71 overall record, winning 24 games in each of his first three seasons. The Red Hawks have gone 51-13 in MWC games during Cruise's tenure as head coach, finishing first in the MWC North Division in each of his first three seasons. Under Cruise, Ripon has posted a home record of 34-14, and has hosted the MWC Tournament two times. In 2015, Ripon won their 21st MWC Championship in program history, advancing to the NCAA Midwest Regional in La Crosse, Wis. In their first game of that Regional, the Red Hawks defeated the defending national champion #3 UW-Whitewater. In that season, Cruise coached Michael Polcyn and Marshall Zahn to their second consecutive MWC North Player and Pitcher of the Year awards, respectively. Polcyn was also named All-American Honorable Mention and went on to sign an undrafted free agent deal with a St. Louis Cardinals minor league affiliation. In 2014, Cruise coached the Red Hawks to a 14-2 conference record and a first place finish in the MWC North Division. He also oversaw MWC North Player of the Year (Michael Polcyn) and MWC North Pitcher of the Year (Marshall Zahn). Polcyn also earned Central Region Player of the Year and All-American First Team honors. The 2013 season, Cruise's first as a collegiate head coach, was a rousing success. He led the program to its 20th MWC Championship and 11th appearance in the NCAA Regional Tournament, as the Red Hawks finished 14-2 in the MWC and in first place in the MWC North Division. Prior to his time at Ripon College, Cruise spent two years managing the Oshkosh Giants in a semi-pro league. He also spent one year as an assistant varsity coach at Oshkosh West High School. In 2001, Cruise served as a media relations intern with the Chicago Cubs.

Nick Tenny is in his first season as an assistant coach for the Ripon College baseball team.   Tenny joins the Ripon coaching staff after a highly decorated playing career with the Red Hawks that spanned from 2019-24. Tenny’s name is littered throughout the record books -- he is tied for sixth in school history in career games played (147) and career at-bats (529) while standing tied for tenth in school history with 25 career stolen bases. His seven RBI against Chicago on May 13, 2022 are the third-most RBI in a single game in program history. A four-time Academic All-Midwest Conference selection, Tenny was an All-MWC second-team choice in 2023.