Bio

Former Major League pitcher Gene Stechschulte is in his 13th season as head baseball coach at Ohio Northern in 2024. He is the 24th head coach in ONU baseball history, but just the fifth head coach since 1971.

In 11 years at Ohio Northern, Stechschulte ranks second all-time in career coaching victories with a 254-189 (.573) record, trailing only legendary coach Herb Strayer who coached the Polar Bears for 31 seasons.

Under Stechschulte, ONU has posted seven OAC upper-division finishes.

In the 2018 season, Stechschulte guided the Polar Bears to their first OAC Tournament berth in 18 years, new individual and team single-season hit records, and a new record for doubles hit in a single season (83). ONU broke that mark for doubles in a season by tallying 90 in 2022.

During the 2016 and 2017 seasons, Stechschulte helped coach T.J. Storer to back-to-back All-American seasons. Storer was named a Third-Team All-American in 2016 before garnering Second-Team honors in 2017.

Under his guidance, the Polar Bears also set a school record with 79 victories from 2014-2016.

In 2023, Stechschulte guided pitcher Jack Hutchins to earning All-America recognition from D3baseball.com and saw Corey McMann become the program's all-time career hits leader with 207.

During his coaching career, Stechschulte has also been the head coach of the Lima Locos, a summer collegiate league team, and the Ottawa American Legion Post 63 team. He owns a 121-73-1 in five seasons overall as the head coach for the two programs.

In addition, he guided the Locos to a 32-15 record and the Great Lakes League title in 2011.

Prior to his coaching career, the Kalida native enjoyed a four-year career with the St. Louis Cardinals from 2000-03 after an All-American career at Ashland University.

Stechschulte made his major league debut on April 20, 2000, against the San Diego Padres. He started his career in style, striking out the first batter he faced, Mike Darr.

In four seasons, he posted an 8-7 record with six saves, a 4.58 ERA and 84 strikeouts in 116 appearances out of the bullpen.

He also owned a 0.00 ERA in two postseason appearances with the Cardinals during the 2001 National League Divisional Series.

His best season came in 2002 when he finished 6-2 overall with a 4.78 ERA in 29 games.

Stechschulte also has the distinction of being one of just 31 players in major league history to hit a home run on the first pitch seen in an MLB game. He hit a two-run home run off Armando Reynoso as a pinch-hitter in the bottom of the sixth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks on April 17, 2001, when he became the 18th player to accomplish the feat.

He was a three-time Minor League All-Star and earned the Midwest League’s Best Relief Pitcher Award after recording a 2.59 ERA and 33 saves for the Single-A Peoria Chiefs.

Stechschulte graduated first in his class from Ashland School of Business and Economics with Summa Cum Laude honors in 1996.

He was a First Team All-American and Academic All-American at shortstop. He was also a Regional Player of the Year and set school records for total bases, home runs and RBI, leading Ashland to its first-ever NCAA Division II World Series appearance in 1995.

His 15 home runs and 143 total bases from 1995 rank third and fourth, respectively, for a single season in AU history.

In addition to his extensive playing and coaching credentials, Stechschulte has either coached or instructed more than 40 players that have gone on to play professional baseball.

Gene and his wife, Krista, have a son, Andrew, and two daughters, Katelyn and Ava. He is a Kalida High School graduate and resides in Findlay.

Baseball under Stechschulte