University of Minnesota, Duluth Men's Baseball

The 2025 campaign marks Bob Rients' 26th season with the UMD coaching staff and his 20th as the Bulldogs' head coach. During his head coaching tenure, Rients (pronounced "rents") has directed UMD to one NCAA II Tournament berth to date (in 2016), one Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference championship (also in 2016) and 10 NSIC/North Central Conference playoff berths (2015-17, 2010-11, 2006-08). In addition, he's produced three All-Americans, six All-Region selections and 32 All-Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference/All-North Central Conference honorees. Rients, the NSIC Coach of the Year  in both 2016 and 2010, took the Bulldog program to unprecedented heights three years ago. Not only did his troops capture their first NSIC crown since 2003, they also advanced to the NCAA II Central Region Tournament for the second time in team history.  The Bulldogs set a number of single-season records that spring, including marks for overall (39) and conference (29) victories, longest winning streak (18 games), hits, runs scored, doubles, home runs, runs batted in, batting average, slugging percentage, stolen bases, and pitching strikeouts. Six individuals secured spot on the All-NSIC first and second teams and three were named All-Americans. Headlining that list was unanimous National Player of the Year (across five organizations) and senior first baseman Alex Wojciechowski and senior third baseman Kyle Comer. Wojciechowski became the fifth Bulldog to ever be selected in the Major League Baseball Draft as the Philadelphia Phillies chose him with in the 15th round (437th selection overall). Senior lefthander Bo Hellquist agreed to a free agent deal with the Minnesota Twins that summer as well. Rients, who has compiled a 328-369 overall record and a 216-205 NSIC mark (UMD belonged to the now-defunct NCC his first three years at the helm), became just the third head coach in the storied history of Bulldog baseball on August 4, 2005, succeeding Scott Hanna, who stepped down three months earlier following a 27-season head coaching run. A native of Elysian, Minn., Rients first arrived on the Duluth campus in the fall of 1997 after transferring from the University of Minnesota-Crookston. He lettered two years (1998-99) with the Bulldogs as an outfielder before moving on to the coaching arena. Until his promotion to head coach, Rients was responsible for coordinating UMD's recruiting efforts as well as overseeing the pitching staff and monitoring practice sessions starting with the 2000 season. As an assistant coach, he was part of one NSIC championship team and NCAA II Tournament qualifier (both in 2003). Rients earned a bachelor's degree in physical education from UMD in 2000.   Season Overall NSIC/NCC 2006 18-31 9-12* 2007 15-34 5-12* 2008 20-25 6-14* 2009 24-28 16-16 2010 36-20 22-10 2011 21-25 16-15 2012 24-27 17-18 2013 14-26 14-10 2014 18-23 14-17 2015 35-16 26-10 2016 39-16 29-7 2017 26-28 18-19 2018 16-29 12-21 2019 16-33 12-24 2020 3-5 N/A (Season Canceled) 2021 17-23 14-20 2022 25-25 16-16 2023 19-28 12-22 2024 18-31 14-26 2025 26-27 21-19 Career 430-500 293-308 *UMD competed in the North Central Conference from 2005-08.

Kiel Kreidermacher, who was a fixture at shortstop at UMD during the late 1990s, reconnected with the Bulldogs in 2018 as an assistant coach. A native of Mendota Heights, Minn., Kreidermacher was member of the UMD baseball program from 1995-99 (he was redshirted as a first-year freshman) and handled a starting role during each of this final three seasons. As a senior, he helped lead the Bulldogs to the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference championship and was a teammate of current UMD head coach Bob Rients. Kreidermacher, who helped coach the Hermantown Legion/VFW teams from 2008-14, owns a B.S. degree in accounting from UMD (2009).  

Tosten Mann joins the coaching staff as an assistant coach with the Bulldogs after closing out a five-year playing career with UMD.   Mann finished his tenure with the Bulldogs with a .288 batting average in 173 games played – 165 of which the Fergus Falls, Minn. native started in. Over his career, Mann posted 172 hits and knocked in 79 RBIs, all the while holding down a fielding percentage of .973.    Mann’s primary focus will be to assist with recruiting.

Tyler Erickson, who enjoyed a record-breaking career on the UMD baseball diamond, returned to his alma mater in 2018-19 to take on an assistant coaching role. A native of Alexandria, Minn, Erickson started four years at shortstop for the Bulldogs and exited the UMD program in 2011 as its all-time leader in both hits (237, a mark that has since been eclipsed) and defensive assists (458). As a junior, Erickson topped the Bulldogs in hitting with a sizzling .452 batting average en route to attaining Daktronics All-America (honorable mention), National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association All-Central Region (second team), Rawlings/American Baseball Coaches Association All-Central Region (second team), Daktronics All-Central Region (first team), Rawlings/American Baseball Coaches Association All-Central Gold Glove (second team) and All-Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (first team) recognition. He also cobbled together a a school-record 29 game hitting streak that spring while playing in 56 outings (another program mark). Erickson, who graduated from UMD with a Bachelor of Science degree in criminology in 2011, is currently employed by St. Louis County as a Youth in Action program coordinator. He and his wife Mandy, have two children -- daughter Riese and son Tate.