Toby Gardenhire officially became the UW-Stout head baseball coach
on Tuesday (January 17).
In between those dates Gardenhire has a lot details to attend
to, both for the wedding and to begin to put his thumbprint on the
Blue Devil baseball program.
“I have always wanted to stay in baseball, but that is
harder than it sounds,” Gardenhire said. “When you are
playing, your career can end so abruptly.
“I had a good experience playing in college. I have wanted
to get into college (coaching) more than in the pros. I would like
to be a part of the college atmosphere.”
Gardenhire is not the only coach new to the UW-Stout baseball
coaching staff this season. Both head coach Seth Maier and
assistant coach Ryan Levondoski left the program this winter to
pursue positions in the private sector.
Adam Curynski, a former pitcher at Southern Illinois University
who also had stints playing independent minor league ball, joins
the staff as the assistant coach, working with the pitchers.
“It’s kind of funny, two new guys into the program
going off each other,” Gardenhire said. “Seth did a
really good job getting this program going in the right direction.
Now, we will get a chance to mold our own team and put in our own
systems.”
“In the short time frame we had to search for a replacement
for coach Maier, we had a number of high quality candidates
interview for the position,” UW-Stout athletic director Duey
Naatz said. “We believe Toby will do a great job to continue
to move this program forward.”
Gardenhire has a lot of baseball background to draw upon. The son
of Minnesota Twins manager Ron Gardenhire, Toby has been around
baseball dugouts and locker rooms his entire life.
“It’s not so much the talent level I was
around,” Gardenhire said. “But what I saw was the work
ethic from a lot of the players. My dad’s locker was next to
Kirby Puckett. I got to see a great player, a great teammate, what
a great worker and what a great person he was. The same was true
with Jim Thome. Here is a Hall of Fame player who is a genuine
person. I can take a lot out of that.”
But Gardenhire has plenty of his own experiences to draw upon.
He has been a hitting and fielding instructor with the Twins
Training Academy in Blaine, Minn., as a hitting and fielding
instructor from 2009-11, and was a defensive fielding instructor
with LPA Baseball in Roseville, Minn., from 2005-09.
Gardenhire, an infielder, played his college ball at the
University of Arkansas-Fort Smith Junior College, at Southwest
Missouri State and then finished at the University of Illinois when
the Illini won the 2005 Big Ten championship. While in college,
Gardenhire played summer ball for the Rochester, Minn., Honkers in
the Northwoods League, earning the most inspirational player award
in 2005.
Gardenhire was drafted by the Minnesota Twins in 2002 and again in
2005. He played with the organization's minor league teams from
2005-11. Gardenhire worked his way through the farm clubs, earning
the 10th Man award for the AA New Britain, Conn., Rock Cats and
received the Most Popular award with AAA Rochester, Minn., Red
Wings in 2011.
At Roseville, Minn., High School, Gardenhire was a four-sport
letter winner, playing baseball, basketball, football and soccer.
He was a two-time all-conference soccer selection.
“I am really looking forward to getting down to work and
have some fun,” Gardenhire said. “I am excited to be a
part of the university. I think we are set up in a good situation
because of what Seth and his staff did here.”
Gardenhire received his bachelor’s degree from the
University of Ilinois in community health in 2005. In addition to
serving as head baseball coach, Gardenhire will also be an
instructor in the UW-Stout Physical Education Department.
Gardenhire is the 28th coach of the UW-Stout baseball program,
which began in 1909.