Craig Rainey Hometown: Owosso, Mich. Position: Head Coach Experience: 16th year Alma Mater: Adrian College ('88)

Craig Rainey returns as the head coach of the Adrian College baseball team for his 16th season in 2009. Rainey and the Bulldogs accomplished a lot of positive things in 2008 and made a name for themselves on both a regional and national stage. The Bulldogs compiled a 36-13 overall record and received an at-large bid into the Mideast Regional hosted by Rose-Hulman Institute in Terre Haute, Indiana. Adrian made history by becoming the first MIAA team to advance to the NCAA Nationals in Appleton, Wisconsin by winning the regional. The Bulldogs then compiled two wins in the nationals over Linfield and Kean on their way to finishing fourth in Division III after a third-place game loss to Wisconsin-Whitewater. Rainey was named Mideast Regional Coach of the Year and senior Bobby Rickstad was selected as Mideast Regional Player of the Year and Third Team All-American by the ABCA.

In 15 seasons at the helm, Rainey has become the program's winningest coach while leading the Bulldogs to back-to-back MIAA championships and appearances in the NCAA Tournament in 2005 and 2006. In 2006, the Bulldogs won their second-straight MIAA crown, sharing the title with co-champion Hope College. Ranked fifth in the Mideast region at season's end, the `06 squad was 25-15 overall and 21-7 in the conference.

The 2005 squad won the MIAA title and made the school's first NCAA Tournament appearance. The `05 Bulldogs set school records for wins (27) and ended the season ranked fourth in the Mideast region. Rainey has mentored 20 all-region performers, as well as 38 first-team All-MIAA players. He has also produced three conference MVPs and one league most valuable pitcher. Two of his former Bulldogs have gone on to play professionally with Keith Bozyk `94 and Greg Sieszputoski `99 both playing for the Chillicothe Paints of the Frontier League.

With experience coaching at both the Connie Mack and Poly League level, Rainey has been a guest speaker at the Michigan High School Baseball Association coaches' clinic and the Illinois High School Baseball Coaches Association coaches' clinic.

Prior to serving as the Bulldogs head coach, Rainey was an assistant coach under former coach and athletic director Henry Mensing. In 1993, Rainey helped AC to its first MIAA baseball championship. A 1988 graduate of Adrian College, Rainey started for three years at catcher for the Bulldogs and won the MIAA batting crown as a senior, hitting .467 in league games.

Rainey later earned a master's degree in sports administration from the United States Sports Academy. A product of Owosso, Rainey and his wife Jeannie have two children, Gunner and Kia, and reside in Adrian.

Rainey's Record at Adrian