The Illinois Springfield athletic department has announced the hiring of Chris Rodriguez as the head coach of the Prairie Stars baseball program. Rodriguez's appointment marks a new chapter for the program, shaped by his focus on player development and competitive success.
"I'm so excited about the direction of our baseball program under the guidance of Chris Rodriguez," said Director of Athletics Mike Hermann. "He is truly focused on the student-athlete experience as his primary motivation. Plus, he understands the successful tradition of the UIS baseball program and embraces the opportunity to add additional accolades to an already storied history."
Rodriguez joined the UIS coaching staff in the summer of 2023 as an assistant coach, serving as recruiting coordinator and pitching coach. After demonstrating strong leadership within the program, he has now been named head coach ahead of the 2025-26 season, marking his first official head coaching role.
"First, I want to thank Chancellor Gooch, Dr. Clark, and Mike Hermann for placing their trust in me to lead this program," said Rodriguez. "I also want to express my sincere gratitude to Coach Ramirez, Coach Copeland, and Coach Forde for their outstanding work in building the strong foundation we have here at UIS. I am truly humbled and honored to have the opportunity to carry forward the winning tradition they helped establish.
As the head coach, I will continue to pour my heart and soul into leading this program with the high standards of excellence that have become synonymous to UIS Baseball. Our coaching staff will be fully committed to developing our players both on and off the field, cultivating a culture of accountability, relentless work ethic, and championship-level expectations.
We will also remain focused on recruiting and mentoring high-level student-athletes who will proudly represent 天美传媒 Springfield. I am incredibly excited and honored to serve as the head baseball coach, and I look forward to building on the proud tradition of baseball here at UIS."
Recent Team Success
Under Rodriguez's guidance, the UIS pitching staff posted a strong 5.62 ERA and held opponents to a .270 batting average in 2025, ranking among the top teams in the GLVC. The Prairie Stars allowed the fewest hits and home runs per game in the conference, finishing second in the league standings and advancing to the GLVC Tournament Championship game. Starter Mark DeCicco and relief pitcher Seth Masters earned first-team All-GLVC honors, while starter Esteban Hernandez was a second-team selection. Masters received all-region honors from two organizations this spring, DeCicco from one, and both were named to the GLVC All-Tournament team.
Offensively, UIS led the GLVC in home runs and doubles and ranked near the top in batting average, runs, and RBIs. Defensively, the team excelled as well, leading the conference in fielding percentage in both 2024 and 2025. Three hitters鈥擬ark Kattula, Ethan Bowers, and Ivan Dahlberg鈥攚ere named first-team All-GLVC, and all three earned all-region honors following the season.
Nationally, UIS ranked 7th in total home runs, 8th in home runs per game, 13th in slugging percentage, and tied for 17th in doubles per game. The team also finished in the top 35 for batting average, total runs, and runs per game, and in the top 50 for walks, on-base percentage, and fielding percentage. Notably, UIS led the nation in fewest sacrifice bunts allowed and ranked 34th in strikeouts per nine innings.
Coaching and Player Development
Rodriguez, an alumnus of Wright State, began his coaching career with the Raiders as a volunteer assistant in 2018 before moving into the role of director of player development in 2019. Later that year, he was hired as coordinator of player development at Central Florida. In January 2020, he joined the Arizona Diamondbacks organization in a player development role. Following his time in professional baseball, Rodriguez served as the director of baseball operations at Jacksonville University, where he also contributed to pitching development.
Since joining UIS, Rodriguez has already helped one pitcher make the jump to the professional level. Jacob Newman, who spent the spring of 2024 under Rodriguez's guidance, is now in his second professional season with the Windy City ThunderBolts.
He also has international coaching experience, having served as an assistant for the Lithuanian National Team. He helped guide Lithuania to a Pool B Championship in the Confederation of European Baseball, where they defeated Ukraine in the final. Rodriguez handled pitching, scouting, and conditioning responsibilities during the tournament run, which ended with a loss to Team Israel in the Pool A qualifier.聽
Baseball Career and Education
Rodriguez began his collegiate playing career at Spring Hill College in 2012 before transferring to Volunteer State in 2013. He later stood out at Kishwaukee College, posting an 8-2 record with 97 strikeouts over 74 innings. His performance helped lead the Kougars to an Arrowhead Conference title and earned him NJCAA All-Region IV recognition. He completed his collegiate career at Wright State, contributing to the Raiders' 2018 Horizon League Championship and NCAA Regional appearance.
Rodriguez holds a bachelor's degree in organizational leadership from Wright State and a master's in kinesiology from Jacksonville University.