Three new Chippewa head coaches on campus
Jordan Bischel was introduced as the Central Michigan baseball head coach on June 28 in the media room of the Kulhavi Events Center.
Three Chippewa sports are now under new leadership after coaching transitions took place over the summer.
Baseball, field hockey and women’s golf will be featuring new coaches for the upcoming seasons. All three programs are coming from different backgrounds of success.
Baseball
Jordan Bischel, the new baseball coach, was hired and named head coach on June 28, 2018 after former head coach Steve Jaksa’s “retirement.” Jaksa went on to another head coaching job at Saginaw Valley State University.
Bischel is the former head coach of Northwood University in Midland, Michigan. In 2017 and 2018, the Timberwolves won the conference regular season and tournament championships. In both years, Bischel was also named GLIAC Coach of the Year.
“CMU has an outstanding baseball tradition and I am honored that I have been chosen to be a part of that tradition and build upon it,” Bischel said in an introductory press release.
Field Hockey
Catherine Ostoich will be taking over the field hockey head coaching position after former coach Molly Pelowski was fired. Pelowski’s team went 3-49 almost three full seasons. In the third season, she was fired before the last game, whereas the team finished with a 0-18 record.
Ostoich, who took over in the offseason, wants to give CMU’s field hockey players an opportunity to win a Mid-American Conference championship.
“I love this conference — it’s very competitive,” Ostoich said. “I’m excited to see how we shape up this fall and fit right into it. It’s a winnable conference.”
Women's Golf
Jim Earle will be bringing a "positive environment" to the Central Michigan women's golf team this fall. Originally based in California, Earle's first opportunity to get to know the team will be at their first practice session.
From 2015-2018, Earle coached Cal State Monterey Bay to a NCAA-Regional qualifying team, a title which Cal State Monterey Bay last earned in 2008. During his three-year stretch, the St. Louis, Missouri native coached his team to four tournament wins.
"Each individual is so unique in the game of golf," the 16th-year golf coach said. "Something I feel like I have done well is taking a golf course and breaking it down with the player."
The women's golf team recorded a top-3 performance at the Western Michigan Kzoo Classic tournament at The Moors Golf Club last season. At the Mid-American Conference championship in Naperville, Illinois last season, the Chippewas finished in ninth place out of ten teams.
"There is a lot of young talent on that team looking at their past performances," he said.
