Eric Frese is entering his 12th season as the head coach at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville. Throughout his career at UW-Platteville, the Pioneers have constantly set new school records. Frese won his 300th game as a collegiate head coach on March 12, 2017 when the Pioneers defeated Stockton College (New Jersey) 5-2. Frese is the all-time winningest coach in Pioneer Baseball history.
The 2017 Pioneers won 19 games, which included a ten game win streak. Colton Bormann earned first-team all-WIAC, while Colin Deboer and freshman Josh Moses earned honorable-mention.
In 2016 the Pioneers won 20 games for the second consecutive season. The Pioneers were lead by first-team all-WIAC performers Tanner Galeazzi and Lucas Keller.
The 2015 Pioneers finished with a 21-19 record, with a WIAC all- time best 12 wins. The 2015 squad also set a program record by winning 14 straight games. Colin Debeor and Austin Daniels earned first-team all-WIAC for the Pioneers.
The 2014 Pioneers ended the year winning seven of their last nine games, and split a four-game series with No. 9 UW-Stevens Point and also gave national champions UW-Whitewater one of its seven losses. Mike Boushley was named first team all-WIAC, while Zach Demmon garnered honorable mention conference honors.
In 2013, for the second consecutive season the Pioneers had a pitcher garner All-WIAC honors. Newcomer sophomore Mike Boushley was named honorable mention and posted a 3.79 earned run average in 38 innings pitched in conference play, which ranked sixth in the WIAC. Boushley had a stellar April even though he registered a 1-3 record for the month. He recorded a 1.67 ERA in 32.1 innings of work with 28 strikeouts. The righthander shutout UW-Superior (April 13) in seven innings of work, and only allowed one earned run against UW-La Crosse (April 20) in a 2-0 complete-game setback.
The 2012 Pioneer baseball team recorded wins over three of the four teams that reached the WIAC Tournament. Pitchers Bill Oppriecht and Adam Theis were named first team and honorable mention, respectively. Joining them on the all-conference team was Trevor Kattre.
In 2011, three Pioneers were named to the all-WIAC team including Aaron Hopson, Trevor Kattre and Levi Ney. Kattre played and started all 40 games to lead UW-Platteville with a .331 batting average and 50 hits and was second on the team with a .408 on-base percentage. Hopson hit .292 with a .416 slugging percentage, 22 RBIs and 40 hits - including 11 doubles and two home runs. Against WIAC foes, Ney hit .294 with 14 runs scored and 12 RBIs.
In 2010, Frese led UW-Platteville to a place the Pioneer program had not been since 1966 when he guided the team to third place in the WIAC. His team made the WIAC playoffs for just the second time ever, joining the 2005 squad.
The Pioneers set or tied 28 school records, including the number of wins. UW-Platteville was 22-20, tying the school mark for victories. Including a 21-19 record in 2009, the Pioneers achieved back-to-back 20-win seasons for the first time-ever.
The Pioneers unleashed a potent offense in 2010, breaking or tying 25 offensive records alone. The club produced 17 games of 10 or more runs, three of 20 or more and one of 32. The Pioneers hit a club-record 47 home runs, including 15 in a doubleheader sweep at Carroll College. They also won five games on walk-off hits.
In 2009, the Pioneers beat every WIAC team at least once, produced its first-ever WIAC Pitcher of the Year in Joe Lange and had two all-Midwest Region players (Lange and Jason Jacobson) for the first time in school history.
In 2008, the Pioneers were 17-23 that included a 9-5 win over Northern Iowa. The Panthers were coming off wins over Ohio State and Northwestern, but the Pioneers surprised the NCAA Division I club.
Frese guided UW-Platteville to a thrilling season in 2007, his first year at the helm. The Pioneers opened the new Kendall Murray Field with a flourish, beating the University of Dubuque 16-3 on March 27. The Pioneers also staged the highest-scoring WIAC four-game set ever, scoring 48 runs to UW-Whitewater's 44, on the new field. He was an interim coach in 2006-07 and named the full-time coach in July 2007.
Frese (pronounced "freeze") was the coach at Clarke College for eight years (1999- 2006), leading the Crusaders to 74 school records, the highest conference finish in school history and the first-ever national ranking.
A member of three state championship teams at Norway, Iowa, Frese earned all-state honors in 1991. His team is also featured in the movie The Final Season. He played collegiately at Mount Mercy, earning all-conference honors in 1995. Frese earned his bachelor of arts degree in sociology.
