Josh Rabe enters his first year as Quincy University's athletic director after completing his eleventh season as head coach of the Quincy University baseball program. Rabe, a two time All-American with the Hawks, guided QU to their sixth straight NCAA tournament in 2021.
Rabe ended his coaching career with 348 career wins, the most in program history. During the 2019 season, the head coach passed his former coach, Pat Atwell, for most career wins (288) in QU History. Rabe's current winning percentage sits at .629 with a career coaching record of 348-205.
During the 2018 campaign, senior shortstop Brynn Martinez broke multiple QU records under Rabe's guidance. Martinez holds the career records for at-bats (857), hits (274), runs (223), starts (220), wins (157), post season starts (36) and post season games (36).
Cody Birdsong was named a consensus 2nd-Team All-American after his junior season. This is the third straight season Rabe has coached a player to All-American recognition (Birdsong-2018, Jake Walters-2017, Ryan Snyder and Justin Blechle-2016). Brynn Martinez, JC DeMuri, and Nick Stroud all earned All-Region honors following the season. Eight Hawks earned All-GLVC honors in 2018 and won their second straight GLVC Conference Championship. The 41 wins during the 2018 season are the third most in program history and the second time that Rabe has won 40 or more games.
In 2017, the Hawks made the deepest post season run in school history under the direction of Rabe. Finishing with a 37-23 record the Hawks went undefeated in the GLVC tournament to claim the program's second GLVC tournament title since 2011. The Hawks went 5-1 in the NCAA Midwest Regional including two wins over Northwood University on the final day of the tournament to claim QU's first NCAA Regional Title. Jake Walters was the sixth All-American to play under Rabe. JC Demuri and Troy Wehde were each named All-Region performers and 8 Hawks were named to the all-conference team. Walters 18 home runs in 2017 were second most in school history (Ryan Snyder-23). Graham Spraker was drafted in the 31st round by the Toronto Blue Jays. Spraker was the second player selected in the amateur draft in the past three seasons that have played under Rabe (David Jacob-2016-Toronto Blue Jays). Rabe was named 2017 Midwest Region Coach of the Year.
In 2016, the Hawks were one of the best offensive teams in school history under the direction of Rabe. Hitting .334 as a team and breaking the school record for home runs (89) while scoring 517 runs. Rabe coached two All-Americans on the 2016 squad, Ryan Snyder (1st Team All-American) and Justin Blechle (2nd Team All-American). Snyder broke multiple single season school records during the 2016 season, including home runs (23) RBIs (88) and hits (92) while garnering Midwest Region Player of the Year and GLVC Player of the Year honors. The Hawks had 9 players named all-conference performers.
In 2015 Rabe led the Hawks to a 40-17 record , finishing as the runner-up in the GLVC Championship Tournament and hosting the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional Tournament as the top seed. Rabe was named the GLVC Coach of the Year after the Hawks won 40 games for the fourth time in school history and the first time since 2006.
Rabe has guided the Hawks to the GLVC Championship Tournament in all 11 of his seasons at the helm. QU won its second GLVC tournament championship in 2017 under the direction of Rabe. QU was the runner-up in the GLVC Championship Tournament in both 2015 and 2014. In 2013, the Hawks finished with a record of 27-19. The previous season (2012), Rabe led the Hawks to a 28-21 finish.
In his first season with the Hawks, Rabe led the 2011 squad to the program's second-ever GLVC Championship title, finishing with a 35-20 overall record.
Rabe was a member of the Hawk program from 1998-2000, where he was named the Great Lakes Valley Conference Freshman of the Year in 1998 and GLVC Player of the Year in 1999 while being named First Team All-Conference all three seasons. He helped the Hawks to the 2000 GLVC Tournament title and is still in the top 10 all-time in runs scored, career hits, doubles, and home runs, career batting average and runs batted in.
Following his junior season Rabe was drafted in the 11th round of the Major League Baseball draft by the Minnesota Twins, reaching the major leagues in July of 2006, hitting .286 and helping the team to the American League Central Division Title. Rabe was named and All-Star at each of his minor league stops and was named the Twins' Man of Steal Award in 2004 for leading the organizations minor league affiliates in stolen bases.
Rabe played professionally for nine seasons before retiring in 2008 due to injuries and entered the coaching ranks by joining the staff of fellow GLVC school Saint Joseph's College. Rabe spent two seasons with Saint Joseph's, serving as the program's recruiting coordinator and hitting coach. Under his direction the Pumas hit 51 home runs in 2009, the third most in school history.
Rabe has coached 67 all-conference players, 31 All-Region performers, seven All-Americans, and three Major League Baseball draft picks.
This includes two GLVC Players of the Year (Ryan Snyder 2016, Nick Tindall 2013) and two Midwest Region Players of the Year (Ryan Snyder-2016, Nick Tindall 2013). Under Rabe the six QU All-Americans include; Cody Birdsong (2nd Team, 2018) Jake Walters (2nd Team, 2018) Ryan Snyder (Consensus 1st Team, 2016), Justin Blechle (2nd Team, 2016), Nick Tindall (3rd Team, 2013), and Brian Thompson (Honorable Mention, 2011).
Graham Spraker (2017 Toronto Blue Jays), David Jacob (2016 Toronto Blue Jays), and Rich Ruff (2011 New York Mets) are the three draft picks to have played under Rabe.
Rabe graduated from Quincy University with a bachelor's degree in Political Science and a master's in Education. He was inducted into the GLVC Hall of Fame in 2007 and the QU Hall of Fame in 2011. Josh resides in Quincy with his wife Debby, daughter Paige, sons Cal and Cam.
The Rabe File
2011: 35-20. NCAA Tournament/GLVC Champions
2012: 28-21
2013: 27-19
2014: 30-26. GLVC Tournament Runner-Up
2015: 40-17. NCAA Tournament/GLVC West Champion/GLVC Tournament Runner-Up
2016: 39-18. NCAA Tournament (#1 Seed).
2017: 37-23. NCAA Division II World Series/GLVC Tournament Champions
2018: 41-18. NCAA Tournament/GLVC Tournament Champions.
2019: 32-20. NCAA Tournament
2020: 10-6. COVID-19 Shortened season
2021: 29-15. NCAA Tournament
Overall: 348-205
All-GLVC
2011
Brian Thompson - P
Gavin Meyer - OF
Mitchell Fairley - P
Mitchell Broughton - OF
2012
Aaron Priestes - OF
Drake Austin - UT
Curran Collins - 1B
Matt McDaniel - P
Brian Thompson - P
2013
Nick Tindall - C
Mitchell Broughton - OF
Kenny May - SS
Clayton Hicks - P
Tim Haley - P
2014
Kory Wisdom - 2B
Mitchell Broughton - OF
Jake Peterson - P
Cody King - P
Matt Fishman - P
Kenny May - SS
2015
Ryan Snyder - UT
Kory Wisdom - 2B
Graham Spraker - P
Mark Niebrugge - P
David Jacob - 1B
Brynn Martinez - SS
Teddy Rule - P
Tommy Hager - P
2016
Ryan Snyder - OF
Justin Blechle - UT
David Jacob - 1B
Matt Hilmes - DH
Dominic Miles - OF
Brandon Ley - P
Jake Walters - 2B
Brynn Martinez - SS
Jake Peterson - P
2017
Dominic Miles - OF
JC DeMuri - OF
Graham Spraker - P
Hunter Haynes - P
Mark Niebrugge - P
Brynn Martinez - SS
Troy Wehde - DH
Jake Waltes - 2B
2018
Brynn Martinez - SS
Cody Birdsong - 2B
JC DeMuri - OF
Chandler Purcell - OF
Nick Stroud - P
Cole Crawford - P
Karl Hirsch - P
Michael Nielsen - DH
2019
Cody Birdsong - 2B
Jeff Hightower - C
Nick Stroud - P
Riley Martin - P
Sam Stephens - P
2021
Dayson Croes - UT
Riley Martin - P
Gino D'Alessio - SS
Jacob Kalusniak - C
All-Region
2011
Brian Thompson - P
2012
Aaron Priestes - OF
2013
Nick Tindall - C
Kenny May - SS
2014
Cody King - P
Jake Peterson - P
2015
Kory Wisdom - 2B
Graham Spraker - P
David Jacob - 1B
Teddy Rule - P
2016
Ryan Snyder - OF
Brynn Martinez - SS
Justin Blechle - UT
Dominic Miles - OF
David Jacob - 1B
Jake Walters - 2B
2017
Jake Walters - 2B
Troy Wehde - DH
JC DeMuri - OF
2018
Brynn Martinez - SS
Cody Birdsong - 2B
JC DeMuri - OF
Nick Stroud - P
2019
Cody Birdsong - 2B
Nick Stroud - P
2021
Dayson Croes - UTL
Riley Martin - P
All-Americans
2013
Nick Tindall - C
2016
Ryan Snyder - OF
Justin Blechle - UT
2017
Jake Walters - 2B
2018
Cody Birdsong - 2B
2021
Dayson Croes - UTL
Riley Martin - P
GLVC Pitcher of the Year
2021
Riley Martin - P
Midwest Region Pitcher of the Year
2021
Riley Martin - P
GLVC Player of the Year
2013
Nick Tindall - C
2016
Ryan Snyder - OF
Midwest Region Player of the Year
2013
Nick Tindall - C
2016
Ryan Snyder - OF
Rawlings Gold Glove Awards
2014
Peter Cunningham - 3B
Kory Wisdom - 2B
2015
Kory Wisdom - 2B
2016
David Jacob - 1B
2017
Jack Klages - C
2018
Brynn Martinez - SS
TJ Tamaccio - 3B
2019
Nolan Snyder - CF
Academic All-Americans
2012
Drake Austin - 2B
2013
Drake Austin - 2B
2016
Ryan Snyder - OF
