Saint Mary's University of Minnesota Men's Baseball

Year at SMU: 18th (in 2026) / Year-by-Year Record Record at SMU: 310-309-1 Career Record: 310-309-1 Nick Winecke is the head baseball coach at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota, a position he has held since the beginning of the 2008-09 academic year. Along with his coaching duties, Winecke also serves as an associate athletic director and admission liaison. Winecke's 2021 squad set a single-season program record with 30 wins, won their first-ever MIAC Playoff title, and made its first NCAA Regional appearance since 1993, going 1-2 in regional play. Winecke — who collected his 200th collegiate coaching win with an 11-4 victory over 14th-ranked St. John Fisher on March 3, 2020 — has guided the Cardinals to eight MIAC Tournament appearances in the last 11 seasons — 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2021, and 2024 — earning the MIAC's Jim Dimick Coach of the Year honor after leading Saint Mary's to a third-place regular-season finish and the No. 3 tournament seed in 2014. The Cardinals’ 2012 squad earned Saint Mary’s first MIAC post-season appearance since 2002. The Cardinals closed out the 2012 season with a 22-20 record—marking the first time Saint Mary's has reached the 20-win plateau since 1996, when they finished 23-15. Saint Mary's notched its second 20-plus win season under Winecke in 2015, finishing 24-12—thier most wins since going 24-11 in 1995. And the wins kept coming in 2016, when the Cardinals finished 27-15-12, their highest win total since the 1992 season when Saint Mary's went 27-8. Winecke's 2016 team also reached the MIAC Tournament title game, falling to Saint John's 11-4. Winecke's 2019 club became the fourth under his direction to record 20 or more wins, finishing the year 20-18, and the 2021 team closed out its record-setting year at 30-16. Winecke was a four-year letterwinner and team captain during his playing days at Saint Mary's. He closed out his days as a Cardinal with a career year in 2007, culminated with his selection to the All-MIAC First Team. During his senior campaign, Winecke led the team in average (.374), runs (27), doubles (11), total bases (50), slugging % (.549), walks (19) and on-base % (.478). Not only were they all team highs — they were also career highs. He also reached base safely in 29 of SMU's 31 games. Winecke completed his undergraduate degree from Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota in Social Science Secondary Education in 2007, and earned his master's degree in Human Development from SMU in 2013.

Emilee Buringa joined the Cardinal staff during the 2025 season. In her first season, she was apart of the Region IX Coaching Staff of the Year and helped guide the team to the College World Series were the team placed seventh. A native of St. Charles, Minnesota, Emilee Buringa graduated from St. Charles High School in 2020 and went on to earn her Bachelor of Science degree in Health and Physical Education, along with a Coaching Certificate, from North Dakota State University in 2024. During her collegiate career, she played centerfield for the Bison softball team from 2021 to 2024. Throughout her time on the field, she earned numerous accolades, including: All-Summit League First Team (2023) Two-time All-Summit League Second Team (2022, 2024) Summit League Player of the Week (2022) Summit League Scholar of the Championship (2024) Two-time Summit League All-Academic Team (2022, 2023) Three-time CSC Academic All-District First Team (2022, 2023, 2024) Four-time Easton/NFCA All-America Scholar-Athlete (2021–2024) Three-time Summit League Commissioner’s List of Academic Excellence (2022–2024) Four-time Summit League Academic Honor Roll (2021–2024) Buringa's experience as a student-athlete has shaped her dedication to both academics and athletics.

Brother Frank Carr is the baseball liaison at Saint Mary's University of Minnesota, a position he has held since the start of the 2015-16 academic school year. Brother Frank has been a Christian Brothers for 55 years and is currently Director for Mission at Saint Mary's Press and a great fan of Saint Mary's athletics. He was athletic director at Hill-Murray High School in St. Paul, Minn., for 14 years, served for 20 years in the administration of the Midwest District, and is currently back at Saint Mary's Press, where he served for six years between 1985 and 1991. He has served on the Board of Trustees of Saint Mary's University and two other universities and several high schools in the Midwest District.  

Eli Morison is the Cardinal pitching coach at Saint Mary's University of Minnesota, a position he has held since the start of the 2021-22 academic school year. During hist first season, he helped guide the Cardinals to their first ever MIAC Conference Playoff Title and their first NCAA DIII Tournament Appearance since 1993.  He coached Addison Hochevar, the program's all-time leader in strikeouts. Prior to being named the Cardinals' pitching coach, Morison spent two years as an assistant on the Saint Mary's baseball staff.  Morison was a four-year member of the Cardinal baseball team, Morison made 34 pitching appearances during his time as both a left-handed starter and reliever for the Cardinals, compiling a 4.48 career ERA and 8-12 record in 34 appearances — including 27 starts. He tossed two career complete games — one each his junior and senior years — while striking out 82.   During his four years with the Cardinals, Saint Mary’s made three MIAC post-season tournament appearances.