Eric Cruise will take over the reins from Bob Gillespie. Ripon photo

After 11 years of serving as an assistant coach and the last two as associate head coach, Eric Cruise will shed that associate tag, as he has been named the new head coach of the Ripon baseball team. Cruise replaces Bob Gillespie, who retired after 23 years as head coach of the program with a record of 359-288-3.

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"I look forward to seeing Eric carry on the Ripon College baseball tradition," Ripon athletic director Julie Johnson said. "He should offer a seamless transition and a wonderful familiarity for the players after serving as an assistant coach for the last decade."

In addition to his time at Ripon, Cruise has spent two years managing the Oshkosh Giants in a semi-pro league and one year as an assistant varsity coach at Oshkosh West High School. Cruise earned his bachelors degree in mathematics statistics from UW-Oshkosh in 2002 and received his master's degree in educational leadership from UW-Oshkosh in 2008.

A native of Oregon, Wis., Cruise graduated from Oregon High School in 1995, where he received the Jack Statz award as a senior for the most commitment to the program through hard work and dedication.