2011 Baseball

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2011 Baseball Coaches
Kurt Guldner Image
Kurt Guldner - Head Coach - 18th Season

guldner@marian.edu
 317.955.6310

Head coach Kurt Guldner is in his 17th season as the head coach of the Marian University baseball program.

Coach Guldner has led the Knights to eight Mid-Central College Conference championships and has been named MCC Coach of the Year on five occasions. In 2007-08, Guldner became the all-time winningest coach in Marian University history after he picked up his 419th career victory. He surpassed long-time head coach Dr. Lynn Morrell, whom he played for during his four years.

Guldner coached two-time NAIA All-American Wes Hayden and coached 2000 NAIA Region VIII Player of the Year in Craig Prifogle. He has coached four MCC Players of the Year and 44 All-Conference first team selections.

Guldner also coached the all-time leading scorer in women's soccer history, Rana Hoffbauer. She had one of the most dominant seasons on record in 2003 (30 goals). Most recently, he coached the women's soccer team to its first-ever MCC championship in 2008.

Guldner earned a bachelor of science degree from Marian College in 1981. He resides in Indianapolis with his wife.

The Guldner File
8 MCC Championships
5 MCC Coach of the Year awards
10 NAIA Region VIII appearances
2 NAIA All-Americans
2 NAIA Scholar-Athletes
1 NAIA Region VIII Player of the Year
5 MCC Players of the Year
44 All-Conference first team selections

 

Todd Bacon Image
Todd Bacon - Assistant Coach - 3rd Season

toddba@marian.edu
 317.955.6119

Todd Bacon is in his second season as assistant baseball coach after a five-year stint as the head men's and women's tennis coach. Coach Bacon is also the head coach for women's basketball and serves as the academic coordinator for the department of athletics.

As women's basketball head coach, Bacon has a 98-63 career record and has earned as high as a No. 11 ranking in the NAIA Division II National Top 25 Coaches' Poll (2005-06). Last season, coach Bacon led the Knights to the longest winning streak in school history (15 games) and finished with a 19-12 overall record.

During his tenure as men's and women's tennis coach, Bacon led his team to two Mid-Central College Conference championships in 2005-06 and 2006-07 (co). He also coached the all-time winningest men's and women's tennis players during his five years as head coach.

Bacon earned a bachelor of science degree from Earlham College in 1990 where he was a two-sport athlete in baseball and basketball.

Coach Bacon and his wife reside near Crawfordsville, Ind., with their four children.

 

Nate Underwood Image
Nate Underwood - Assistant Coach - 3rd Season
 
Nate Underwood is currently in his second year as an assistant coach at Marian University, working with Head Coach Kurt Guldner. At Marian, Underwood serves as the hitting instructor, while also working with the outfielders and corner defense. Nate also is in charge of the offensive strategies and team base running. On game days, he directs the offense from the third base coaching box. He also does scouting reports and defensive alignments on game day. Underwood is in charge of the Knights baseball fall program and maintains the athletic complex for all of the Knights sports teams.
 
In his first spring with the Knights, he saw the team batting average - along with eight other offensive categories improve from the 2008 season. Most notably the team scored 68 more runs, recorded 89 more hits, tacked on 35 more doubles and stole 40 more bases. The Knights saw their overall record improve by 11 wins in Underwood's first year with the program.
 
Before moving to Indianapolis, he served as the head varsity coach at Waggener Traditional High School in Louisville, Ky.
 
Prior to Waggener, Nate was the assistant coach / recruiting coordinator for NCAA Division II member Flagler College in St. Augustine, Fla. While at Flagler, he directed the offense that batted well over .300 and improved in six other offensive categories from the previous year, with nine players batting over .300. Defensively Nate worked with the outfielders and corner infield. He also directed the Saints strength and conditioning program. The Saints had two players drafted in the 2007 draft.
 
Before his experience in Florida, Underwood was an assistant coach for NJCAA member Kaskaskia College, in Centralia, Ill. Nate directed the hitters, who hit .344 as a team and worked with the corner infielders, while also directing the Blue Devils strength and conditioning. Kaskaskia finished second in the well-respected Great Rivers Athletic Conference and tournament. The Blue Devils set many school records during Underwood's tenure, including a record of 44 wins in a season. Underwood coached three players at KC that were drafted in the Major League Baseball draft.
 
While finishing up his degree at Purdue University, Nate was named the head coach at Harrison High School in West Lafayette, Indiana. While at Harrison he directed the Raiders and second round draft pick Josh Lindblom who was selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers. During the fall of 2003, Underwood was a volunteer assistant for Purdue University, before being named the head coach at Harrison.
 
Nate has coached over 35 players that have gone on to play at the professional level, most notably the 2002 No. 1 overall pick in the Major League Baseball Draft - Bryan Bullington (Blue Storm 1999). Nathan's younger brother, Daniel Underwood (Blue Storm 1999), was the 1st player in Big Ten history to be named Big Ten Player of the Week three times in one season (2003) and went on to play three professional seasons, one in the Colorado Rockies minor league system.
 
Coach Underwood graduated from Purdue University with a degree in Health and Fitness. He resides in Indianapolis.