Marc Rardin begins the 2020-21 season as the dean of Reiver coaches, set for his 19th year as head baseball coach at Iowa Western Community College.
While leading the tradition-rich Reiver baseball program, Coach Rardin’s teams have re-written the record books in every facet of the program. In addition, the Reivers have made NJCAA Division I baseball history by being the first Northern District team to win the World Series in 2010 in Grand Junction, Colo., and then repeating that historic act again in 2012 and 2014.
Along with winning the national title, the 2010 Reiver baseball team also lead the country in hitting with a .398 team batting average. The team also proved to be champions in the classroom, earning NJCAA Spring Male Scholar Team of the Year honors.
The Reivers played in their 4th National Title game in 2019, falling short in a runner-up finish to Central Arizona. During the series, Rardin moved into a tie for 4th all-time for wins in Grand Junction with 30 (Lloyd Simmons - Seminole State)
In 18 seasons at Iowa Western, Rardin’s Reivers have participated in 12 Junior College World Series tournaments, brought home three national championships, one national runner-up and won 14 Regional titles and 12 Northern District titles. In the past 17 years, no other Division I junior college baseball program has won more games and more postseason championships (regionals, districts, JUCO World Series) than Iowa Western for a total of 29 postseason titles combined.
While enjoying a tremendous amount of team success, Rardin has also seen many student-athletes achieve individual heights while in a Reiver uniform as well. Coach Rardin ushered in a winning attitude at Iowa Western since he took over the program back in 2003. His teams have averaged more than 48 wins per season and his overall record is 835-228 (an amazing .785 winning percentage) during his 18-year stint as the Reiver skipper. In that same period, the Reivers also have accumulated 386 wins to only 58 losses in regular-season conference and conference tournament play. In post-season play, Rardin has coached in 142 games in 16 years. Of those 142 games, the Reivers have won 107 and only lost 35 for a postseason winning percentage of .753
While enjoying immense team success in his 18 years as Head Coach, Rardin has also mentored many of the individual student-athlete accomplishments while playing in a Reiver uniform. While many players have contributed to the successes, some examples that shine in the all-time marks for Reiver Baseball include Brent Seifert’s program record .485 in 2010 and Tanner Krietemeier’s 1.78 ERA in 2012 stands as the ‘low water’ mark for Reiver pitching. Former Reiver Doug Kroll was named the 2008 Junior College Player of the Year and Vicente Cafaro, Ivan Hartle & Sam Bumpers have all been awarded Rawlings Gold Gloves for their outstanding performances in the field. While many players have gone on to continue their careers at the 4-year level, it’s a special moment of pride when former players make the trek to Omaha for the NCAA College World Series. Omaha native Grant Kay was the first to the pinnacle of D-1 College Baseball with Louisville in 2014. In 2016, two former Reivers were on rosters of teams that made it to the CWS. TCU Shortstop Ryan Merrill & Coastal Carolina C David Parrett both played in Omaha with Parrett’s Chanticleers team winning the Championship. Both players were named to the All-Tournament Team, Parrett’s post-season contributions a large reason his squad won the title.
Rardin has also been recognized by the National Junior College Athletic Association and the Baseball Coaches Association and has twice (2008 & 2010) been an assistant coach on the NJCAA/USA National Team. In the summer of 2014 Coach Rardin led the way as Head Coach of the USA Junior College Team that participated in the 80th year of the NBC Tournament in Wichita, Kansas. After being together as a team for only three weeks, the NJCAA team finished the tournament with a 3rd Place finish. Also in June of 2014, Coach Rardin was invited to Cary, North Carolina to coach and instruct for the USA Baseball Organization. In both 2014 & 2015, Rardin was selected to manage one of the teams and helped with the organization, practices, and evaluations with the 18 & under tryouts for the Tournament of Stars.
Off the field, Coach Rardin has had just as much success with the development of the Iowa Western Baseball program as he has had on the field with the performance of the student-athletes. Since Rardin’s arrival, the program has made tremendous strides in roster size, budgets, facilities, and staff members.
In 2005 Coach Rardin proposed and oversaw the introduction of the Iowa Western Junior Varsity program. The creation of the JV squad allows another 30 to 35 student-athletes to play the game of baseball at Iowa Western while furthering their education. With the introduction of the additional student-athletes on the JV squad, Rardin proposed that the new revenue stream be diverted to provide salaries for the addition of assistant coaches for the Reiver Baseball, Volleyball and Softball programs. Since that time, the IWCC Athletics Department has blossomed and now has full-time assistants for all of their programs.
The Reivers’ home park, ‘Doc Ross Field’, has seen numerous upgrades under Rardin’s oversight, changing and upgrading nearly every aspect of it.
Those include:
Aluminum grandstand seating and a press box.
9-inning scoreboard.
Spacious 3-car storage/equipment shed.
Enclosed batting cages directly behind the third-base dugout, serving as an all-season workout facility.
New 8-foot high wood fence down the left-field line and black synthetic chain link down the rightfield line.
A $370,000.00 synthetic turf infield (Ram Turf) was completed in December of 2010.
In March of 2011, a 40-foot wide by 80-foot long-hitting pavilion was completed down the leftfield line. The field turf surface is covered and protected from the elements. The entire pavilion was enclosed in the fall of 2019 and is netted in for one large batting practice area or can be divided for group hitting as well. It also houses the Reivers home side bullpen. All of these improvements have been made under the close eye of Coach Rardin and is now one of the finest facilities for Junior College baseball in the midwest.
Before his tenure began at Iowa Western, Coach Rardin had the privilege of working with some of the most highly respected coaches in the country. In the fall of 2003, Rardin worked under Scott Crampton at Lamar Community College in Lamar, Co. From 2000 through the 2002 season, Rardin was an assistant for Sky Smeltzer at Yavapai College in Prescott, AZ. Coach Rardin came to Yavapai from Big 12 baseball power Baylor University. Rardin worked under Head Coach Steve Smith two years as the volunteer coach and worked with the pitching staff. Coach Rardin began as the pitching coach in Bluefield, Virginia for Bluefield College.
Coach Rardin also has five summers of coaching experience in the Jayhawk and Northwoods League summer collegiate leagues.
A highly sought after clinician, Rardin has traveled across the country speaking at Baseball Coaches Conventions on various subjects of his program and or baseball drills and techniques. Rardin has had the honor of speaking at the ABCA National Convention and to groups in Illinois, Kansas, Iowa, Oregon, Minnesota, Alabama, Colorado, and Toronto to name just a few.
Coach Rardin spent his collegiate playing days at Indian Hills Community College in Centerville, Iowa and followed that 2-year stint with a transfer to Iowa Wesleyan in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa.
Rardin grew up in the northeast part of Iowa, just outside of Lamont. He graduated from Starmont High School where he enjoyed a successful athletic career, lettering 14 times in four different sports.
While directing Reiver Baseball teams to successful seasons
Rardin has received personal accolades as well
3x National Coach of the Year
10x Northern District Coach of the Year
12x Louisville Slugger Coach of the Year
Rardin's Reivers
835-228 Overall Record (.785% winning percentage)
383-59 Conference/Regional Record (.865% winning Percentage)
41-7 Northern District Tournament Record (.854% winning Percentage)
114-38 Total Postseason Record (.750% winning percentage)
30-20 World Series Record (.60% winning percentage)
17 Top 20 National Finishes 2003-19
3 NJCAA Division I National Championships
14 Regional Championships 2005-19
12 Northern District Championships 2005, 07, 08, 09, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19
12 College World Series Appearances, 2005, 07, 08, 09, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19
STUDENT-ATHLETE ACCOMPLISHMENTS UNDER RARDIN:
123 signees w/ NCAA Division 1 schools
91 All-Region 1st Team
44 All-Northern District 1st Team
18 NJCAA All-Americans
25 NJCAA Academic All-Americans
15 NJCAA Distinguished Academic All-Americans
NJCAA “National Player of the Year”
NJCAA Male “Scholar-Athlete of the Year”
8 NJCAA – Spring National “Academic Team of the Year”
10 Region XI “Pitcher of the Year” performers
5 Region XI “Defensive Player of the Year” performers
8 Region XI “Player of the Year” performers
4 Rawlings “Big Stick” Award Winners
3 NJCAA Rawlings Gold Glove “Defensive Player of the Year”
7 NJCAA – All-Star National Team Members
COACH RARDIN’S REIVER TEAMS YEAR BY YEAR ACCOLADES
2020 Season (20-4)
Finished abbreviated schedule undefeated at Doc Ross Field (10-0)
Finished season on a 10-game winning streak, dating back to road series split with #3 Cowley County in Top 5 NJCAA match-up
7 NCAA Division 1 signees
2019 Season (52-11)
Finished runner-up at JUCO World Series (4th National Championship Game appearance)
Set team record for runs scored during the JUCO World Series (74 total runs scored in 6 games)
Won Region XI Regular Season Title (16th time in 17 years)
Defeated #1 Wabash Valley to Win 12th Northern District Tournament under Rardin
12 All-Region Players
10 NCAA Division 1 signees
2018 Season (54-7)
Won Region XI Regular Season Title (15th time in 16 years)
Undefeated in Region XI Play (Regular & Postseason)
15 All-Region Players
12 NCAA Division 1 signees
2017 Season (44-16)
Won Region XI Regular Season Title (14th time in 15years)
5 All-Region players
10 NCAA Division 1 signees
2016 Season (52-15) 4th Place Finish at NJCAA World Series
Ranked No4 in final regular-season NJCAA D1 Poll
Northern District Champions
Regional Tournament Champions (12th consecutive year)
2 NJCAA All-Americans
4 All-District Selections
9 All-Region XI Selections
Region XI “Player of the Year”
13 NCAA Division I signees
2015 Season (54-7) 5th Place Finish at JUCO World Series
Northern District Champions
Regional Tournament Champions (11th Consecutive Year)
3 Academic All-Americans
3 NJCAA All-Americans
5 All-District Performers
7 All-Region Performers
Region XI “Player of the Year”
12 NCAA Division-1 signees
37-game win streak
2014 Season (56-11) *NJCAA NATIONAL CHAMPIONS*
Northern District Champions
Regional Tournament Champions (10th Consecutive Year)
7 Academic All-Americans
1 3rd Team All-American
1 Honorable Mention All-American
4 All-District Performers
6 All-Region Performers
2nd nationally w/ .354 team batting average
2013 Season (45-15)
Final Ranking - #10
Regional Tournament Champions (9th Consecutive Year)
3 Academic All-Americans
2 Exemplary Academic Achievement Award Winners
1 Pinnacle Award for Academic Excellence
1 All-American
4 All-District Performers
11 All-Region Performers
Region XI “Player of the Year”
NJCAA World Series “Tournament MVP”
15 NCAA Division-1 signees
2012 Season (62-6) *NJCAA NATIONAL CHAMPIONS*
Program record 62 wins
Northern District Champions (6th Consecutive year)
Regional Tournament Champions (8th Consecutive Year)
3 Distinguished Academic All-Americans
2 1st Team All- Americans
1 3rd Team All-Americans
8 All-District Performers
12 All-Region Performers
Nation's best .403 team batting average
Region XI “Player of the Year”
Easton National Defensive Player of the Year
Rawlings “Gold Glove” award winner of the year
NJCAA World Series “Tournament MVP”
16 NCAA Division-1 signees
2011 Season (43-20) 3rd Place Finish at JUCO World Series
Northern District Champions (5th Consecutive year)
Regional Tournament Champions (7th Consecutive Year)
National Spring Male Scholar Team of the Year
1 Distinguished Academic All-American
3 All-District Performers
6 1st Team All-Region Performers
Region XI “Pitcher of the Year” (9 years in a row)
Region XI “Defensive Player of the Year”
2010 season (51-12) *NJCAA NATIONAL CHAMPIONS*
Northern District Champions (4th Consecutive year)
Regional Tournament Champions (6th Consecutive year)
National Spring Male Scholar Team of the Year
6 Distinguished Academic All-Americans
1 1st Team All-American
1 Honorable Mention All-American
4 All-District Performers
5 1st Team All-Region Performers
Nation's best .397 team average
Region XI “Pitcher of the Year” (8 years in a row)
Region XI “Player of the Year”
Easton National Defensive Player of the Year
Rawlings “National Gold Glove” Award Winner of the Year
NJCAA World Series “Tournament MVP”
2009 season (39-24) 10th Place Finish at JUCO World Series
Northern District Champions (3rd Consecutive year)
Regional Tournament Champions (5th Consecutive year)
2 All-District Performers
3 Distinguished Academic All-Americans
18 Academic All-Region Performers
4 1st Team All-Region Performers
Region XI “Pitcher of the Year” (7 years in a row)
2008 season (54-12) 6th Place Finish at JUCO World Series
Northern District Champions (2nd consecutive year)
Regional Tournament Champions (4th Consecutive year)
Hit .381 / 97 Homeruns (Top 5 in the country in every offensive category)
4 All-District Performers
6 1st Team All-Region Performers
1 Distinguished Academic All-American
2 Academic All-Americans
1 1st Team All-American
1 2nd Team All-American
Region XI “Player of the Year” (2nd consecutive year)
Region XI “Pitcher of the Year” (6 consecutive years)
Region XI “Defensive Player of the Year” (3 consecutive years)
Northern District “Player of the Year” (2nd consecutive
2007 season (42-18) 10th Place Finish at JUCO World Series
Northern District Champions
Regional Tournament Champions (3rd Consecutive Year)
3 All-Americans
2 Distinguished Academic All-Americans
ABCA Division I JUCO “NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE YEAR”
The Rawlings “Big Stick” Award Winner
The Rawlings “Gold Glove” Award Winner
10 / 1st team All-Academic All-Region Performers
8 / 2nd team All-Academic All-Region Performers
Nationally Recognized All-Academic Team (cumulative over 3.0)
Region XI “Player of the Year”
Region XI “Pitchers of the Year” (5th year in a row)
2006 season (37-13)
Final Ranking - #10
THE NJCAA NATIONAL “MALE SCHOLAR ATHLETE OF THE YEAR”
1 Academic All-American
17 All-Academic / All-Region
Region XI Conference Tournament Champions (2nd consecutive year)
Region XI “Pitcher of the year” (4th year in a row)
2005 season (49-13) 3rd Place Finish at World Series
Northern District Championship
Region XI Championship
13 All-Academic / All-Region
31-game win streak
Region XI “Pitcher of the Year” (3rd year in a row)
“Sportsmanship Award” Winner at Junior College World Series
2004 season (43-10)
Final National Polls Ranking of 8th in the Country
1 Academic All-American
9 All-Academic / All-Region
28-game win streak
Region XI “Pitcher of the Year” (2nd year in a row)
2003 season (37-15)
Final Ranking - #14
3 Academic All-Americans
Regular Season Regional Champions
Region XI “Pitcher of the Year”
Region XI “Player of the Year”
