University of Wisconsin, Superior Men's Baseball

TJ Oakes embarks on his sixth season as head coach of the UW-Superior baseball team in 2027. He was named to the position on July 21, 2021. Oakes's Yellowjackets had a historic year in 2026. With an overall record of 27-14, the highest win total in program history, the 'Jackets posted a 7-1 record during their spring break trip to Florida and rolled to a nine-game winning streak shortly after. UWS won 13 of its last 15 games prior to the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) Tournament, ultimately leading to its first regular season championship and just the second title in program history. UWS took three-of-five major postseason awards, including Oakes being named UMAC Coach of the Year by his peers. UW-Superior capped the 2025 season with an overall record of 18-21, coupled with a UMAC mark of 12-9. Postseason honors were bestowed upon seven Yellowjackets, including five players on the All-UMAC First Team. Additionally, Kevin Rahe garnered regional recognition, being named to the D3baseball.com All-Region 9 First Team.  The ‘Jackets compiled a conference record of 14-7 and an overall record of 22-19 under Oakes in 2024. This marks the second straight season with a winning percentage above .500 and over 20 wins in program history. Additionally, UWS earned the first tournament berth across the conference, ultimately earning a spot in the UMAC championship for only the third time in program history. In the 2023 season, the Yellowjacket skipper led his squad to an overall record of 21-15, coupled with a 16-5 record in the UMAC. During the month of April, UWS went on a five-game winning streak with the pitching staff hurling 39-consecutive innings of shutout baseball, which is a Yellowjacket program record. It was also the first time in program history where the Yellowjacket baseball team won 20 games in a season, and the first time since 1975 UWS finished a baseball season with a record above .500. Oakes led the Yellowjackets to a 19-21 overall record in 2022, including a 13-8 mark in Upper Midwest Athletic Conference play. UWS defeated Minnesota Morris, 8-2, on the final day of the regular season to sew up the final berth in the UMAC tournament, and beat the top two seeded teams, Northwestern and Crown, 11-5 and 9-3, on consecutive days, to earn a place in the UMAC championship for just the second time in program history.  Under Oakes' tutelage, Superior improved its earned run average by more than 2.5 runs from 2021. Additionally, Oakes guided six players to All-UMAC recognition, including left-handed pitcher Ryan Rodriguez, catcher Isaac Fugere, utility player Bryce Flanagan and infielder Ben Rhodes to first-team honors. Rodriguez (7-5, 2.99 ERA, 102 strikeouts) and Fugere (.353, 11 doubles, 34 RBIs, .563 slugging percentage) also earned second and third team all-region honors, respectively, from the American Baseball Coaches Association. The Yellowjackets were also recipients of the ABCA's Team Academic Excellence Award, posting a 3.32 team GPA for the 2021-22 academic year.  Prior to his arrival at UWS, Oakes spent six seasons as the pitching coach and recruiting coordinator at Saint Mary's in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) from 2016-21. During that time, the Cardinals had a record of 121-91-1 (.570), and in 2021 Saint Mary's won the MIAC tournament championship, qualifying for the NCAA tournament. Before joining the staff at Saint Mary's, Oakes coached a pair of high school seasons at Legacy Christian Academy, where he spent one season as an assistant coach before becoming the head coach in 2014.   Oakes had a storied playing career. He was a three-year starting pitcher at Minnesota, earning All-Big Ten Third Team honors as a freshman and a sophomore and All-Big Ten First Team honors as a junior. He was drafted by the Colorado Rockies in the 11th round of the 2012 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft and played two seasons in the Rockies organizations before embarking on his coaching career. In his Gophers' career -- with whom he threw the first pitch in Target Field history on March 27, 2010 against Louisiana Tech -- Oakes was 16-11 with a 3.03 ERA in 270 innings over 44 appearances, including 42 starts. He finished 30th nationally in strikeout-to-walk ratio as a junior in 2012 at 5.2. Oakes went 10-10 with a 4.34 ERA in 37 starts in two minor league seasons with Tri-City of the Northwest League (2012) and Asheville of the South Atlantic League and Modesto of the California League (2013).   A native of Jordan, Minn., Oakes graduated from Minnesota's College of Education and Human Development in 2014, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in sports management.      Oakes at UW-Superior Year W L Pct. 2022 19 21 .475 2023 21 15 .583 2024 22 19 .537 2025 18 21 .462 2026 27 14 .659 Total 107 90 .543

Jeff Allen is in his first year as an assistant coach under TJ Oakes in 2026. He was named to the position in August of 2025 and will assist the Yellowjackets in all facets of the program.  Allen's coaching background is rooted in defensive development and hitting instruction but also spans across vision training, baserunning, scouting, and recruiting. Allen came to Superior after assisting Lansing Community College in the 2025 season. There he oversaw their defensive efforts, implemented a vision training program, and developed scouting reports and spray charts for all opponents. The Stars captured the Michigan Community College Athletic Association (MCCAA) championship, ending the year with a 44-13 record while garnering a No. 9 national ranking. Additionally, LCC posted offensive numbers that ranked in the top-five nationally, raised their fielding percentage to .951, and produced an NJCAA All-American and the MCCAA Player of the Year. A native of Watervliet, Mich., Allen began his collegiate coaching career at his alma mater, Bay College. He joined the coaching staff prior to the 2021 season and coached through the 2024 season. There he spearheaded outfielders' practice plans, assisted with recruiting, and guided their sophomores to furthering their careers at four-year institutions. In his final season on staff with the Norse, he led both the infield and baserunning units, setting a program record with 83 stolen bases.  Collegiately, Allen was the second player to sign to the Norse's inaugural baseball team and started in the middle infield for the 2019 and 2020 seasons. Allen was honored with the Norse Award, given to a student-athlete who left a strong impact on the program and displayed quality leadership. Allen graduated from Bay College in 2020 with an Associate of Applied Science in water resource management. He would return to complete his Associate of Arts degree in business administration in 2023. After graduation, Allen worked for NCSA as a recruiting specialist, helping student-athletes and families navigate the recruiting process across multiple sports. He also works as a mural painter with Cap Creative Co., collaborating on creative projects across different communities outside of coaching. Allen, along with his girlfriend Olivia and their dog Kash, reside in Duluth, Minn.

Ryan Castaneda is in his third year working in UW-Superior's athletic marketing and communications office in 2025-26, serving as the sports information manager. He was named to the position June 1, 2023 in the role of sports information specialist. Castaneda is responsible for overseeing the maintenance and function of the athletics website, facilitating home gameday operations, serving as the main contact for all 20 varsity sports and two club sports sponsored by UW-Superior, spearheading the department's sports information student staff, assisting with social media oversight and serving as the public address announcer at various Yellowjacket Athletics home events.  In addition to his department duties, Castaneda is in his fourth season as an assistant coach with the UW-Superior baseball team in 2026 under head coach TJ Oakes. He specializes in infield and hitting development.  A native of San Pedro, Calif., Castaneda graduated from UW-Superior in 2022 with a Bachelor of Science degree in exercise science. During his time as an undergraduate, he was a member of the Yellowjacket baseball team as a first baseman and designated hitter. He appeared in 99 career games, with his best season coming in 2021, earning an honorable-mention All-UMAC citation as a junior. After graduation Castaneda spent a year in the Office of Admissions. Serving as an admissions counselor, he recruited students from the western portion of Wisconsin. He also served as the international admissions assistant. Castaneda was a student worker in the athletics department since the fall of 2017, beginning as a volunteer working in hockey. He would progress into the role of lead student worker, and finally into a student supervisor role while sharpening his skills in all of the varsity sports UW-Superior offers, including all of the auxiliary roles that come with the position.  

Isaac Fugere is in his second season as an assistant coach under TJ Oakes in 2026. He is the team's primary catching coach while assisting with hitting. Fugere comes off of a five year career with the Yellowjackets. As a three-year starter behind the dish, Fugere earned All-UMAC honors, including being named an ABCA/Rawlings Third Team All-Region honoree for Region IX in 2022. He ended his Yellowjacket career with 814 total putouts and a fielding percentage of .987. Earning a Bachelor of Arts' degree in transportation and logistics management in 2023, Fugere continued his studies at UWS, enrolling in the sustainable management graduate program. Outside of coaching, Fugere works as an operations assistant at Jeff Foster Trucking. Fugere resides in Superior. 

Tanner Bauman is in his first season with the Yellowjackets under head coach TJ Oakes in 2026. He specializes in infield and hitting development. A native of Willmar, Minn., Bauman was a four-year member of the Cardinals baseball team at Saint Mary's (Minn.). He garnered his best season as a senior, earning postseason honors from the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) as a second baseman.  Following graduation, Bauman joined the Cardinals coaching staff in a volunteer role. Bauman is currently enrolled in the Doctor of Physical Therapy Graduate program at the College of St. Scholastica. Bauman graduated from Saint Mary's (Minn.) in 2024 with a Bachelor's Degree in biology. He currently resides in Duluth, Minn.  

The 2026 season will mark the 13th that Shaun Marshall has been the top assistant coach under head coach TJ Oakes and former skippers Frank Pufall and Nick Bursik. Marshall's duties with the Yellowjackets include primary outfield and assistant hitting coach. In addition to his coaching duties, Marshall works on campus as the Director of Business and Financial Services. A native of Stillwater, Minn., Marshall played three years for UW-Superior after transferring from Iowa Western Community College. During his time with UWS, he made the switch from outfield to infield defensively. Marshall also received many team accolades while a member of the Yellowjackets, winning the Sportsmanship Award in 2010 and being named the Team Offensive Player of the Year in 2011. He was also named All-WIAC honorable mention in 2011. Marshall's coaching experience outside of UW-Superior includes various youth programs in the Stillwater and Duluth areas. Marshall graduated from UW-Superior in 2012 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in business marketing, then completed his Master's Degree in business administration at the College of St. Scholastica in 2018. Marshall, along with his wife Brynn and their two daughters Amelia and Adeline, reside in Duluth, Minn.