Since taking over a tradition rich Winona State baseball program before the 2003 season, Kyle Poock has added chapters of his own to the school’s storied history.
In terms of wins and losses, Poock heads into the 2022 season with a 474-406-2 overall record, good for a .534 winning percentage. Poock led the 2021 Winona State squad to the NSIC postseason, their 15th conference tournament appearance on his watch. In the 2021 season, Winona State was 22-20 pushing the storied program's overall record to 1,818 win, 1,170 losses and 17 ties since the first season in 1919. With twenty years in the Warrior dugout under his belt, Poock is second among current NSIC head coaches in length of tenure at his school.Â
Poock was named in the head coach in May 2002, Poock has posted a 420-354-2 overall record while coaching the Warriors to the NCAA Regional Tournament four times. Poock also guided the team to the 2011 NCAA Central Region Championship and the program’s first-ever appearance in the NCAA Division II Championship – finishing as the national runner-up.
Poock only trails his predecessor - Hall of Fame skipper Gary Grob - on the Winona State victory charts, reaching 300 career wins by beating a ranked Grand Valley State team on March 6, 2013. His 400th win came against Northern State on April 29, 2017. Poock guided the team to a .500 record or better in each of his first 12 years while leading the Warriors to 12 consecutive appearances in the NSIC Tournament from 2004-15.
As Winona State skipper, Poock has recruited and developed some of the top talent in the nation. Poock tutored Ben Barrone who was named the ABCA/Rawlings Division II National Player of the Year in 2007. He mentored Tony Mueller who was a two-time all-NSIC performer and a 13th round draft pick of the Atlanta Braves in 2011. Five Warriors have been selected as NCAA Division II All-Americans while 16 have earned All-Region honors. Poock has also coached two NSIC Players of the Year, two NSIC Newcomers of the Year and 49Â All-NSIC selections.
All-Region selection Mitchell Stalsberg was drafted by the Detroit Tigers following the 2017 season. In 2018 & 2019, the Warriors returned to the conference postseason tournament after rare misses in 2016 & '17.
The 2011 season will go down as one of the best in Winona State history. Poock guided the Warriors to a career high 42-18 overall record and a second consecutive appearance in the NCAA Regional Tournament. Once there, the magic began. Winona State claimed the first NCAA Central Region championship in school history and advanced to the national tournament for the first time.
The Warriors made a mark on the national level, winning its first three games of the tournament to reach the National Championship game. The Warriors defeated No. 3 Central Missouri, No. 2 Mount Olive and No. 9 Southern Connecticut State to reach the championship game. Winona State tagged Mount Olive’s Carter Capps - the NCAA Division II Pitcher of the Year - for eight runs in 4 1/3 innings. Mueller, Joe Kley and Kodey Simon were all named to the all-region team while Kyle Sill joined them on the All-NSIC squad.
In a year hampered by mother nature, the Warriors were able to post a 23-17 overall record in 2013. Cody Strang was an All-American in center field while the team advanced to the NSIC Tournament, beating Concordia-St. Paul in the opening round.
WSU advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the third consecutive year in 2012, posting a 29-22 overall mark. The Warriors featured a powerful offense, with shortstop Seth McMullen and second baseman Nate Van Roekel earning All-American honors. Additionally, five Warriors earned all-conference honors after the season. The team set a school record for runs scored (35) and RBI (35) in a 35-6 victory over Northern State.
Winona State went 36-16 in 2010 and advanced to the NCAA Regional Tournament. WSU went 24-8 to place second in the conference. Outfielder Tony Mueller was named to the All-Region second team while Ronnie Olson joined Mueller as first-team All-NSIC selections.
Winona State went 29-22 overall and 20-12 in the NSIC in 2009. The Warriors qualified for the NSIC Baseball Tournament for the sixth consecutive season after starting the season with wins over nationally ranked Nebraska-Omaha and Lynn University (FL).
In 2008 the Warriors qualified for the NSIC Baseball Tournament for the fifth consecutive season after posting a 21-21 overall record. For their efforts during the season six players were named to the All-NSIC squad.
WSU went 29-15 overall in 2007 with a 15-5 record in the NSIC and swept its way through the NSIC Tournament to claim the title. Winona State earned an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament, the program’s first postseason appearance since 2000. Five Warriors were all-conference selections. Barrone was tabbed as NSIC Player of the Year, the second consecutive league MVP award for a Warrior player. The NSIC also named a Winona State player as conference Newcomer of the Year for the second straight year, with Mike Wendland earning the award.
Poock guided seven players to all-conference selections after a 2005 season that saw the Warriors go 28-26 overall and post a 12-12 mark in the NSIC. The team rebounded to place second in the conference in 2006, recording a 28-20 overall record and an impressive 17-5 mark in conference play. Joe Magee was named NSIC Player of the Year while Ben Barrone claimed the conference’s Newcomer of the Year award.
Poock’s sophomore campaign as manager led to WSU’s first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2000, while also earning the Warrior skipper NSIC Coach of the Year honors. The Warriors finished the year 33-23-1 while recording a second place finish in the NSIC with a 18-8 mark. The Warriors had seven players named to the all-NSIC team with five more claiming spots on the NSIC All-Tournament Team.
In his first season in charge of the Warriors, Poock and the Warriors ended the 2003 season with a 21-17 record finishing the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference schedule at 11-6. Following the season Poock had five players named as All-NSIC honorees.
Prior to taking over as head coach, Poock spent nine seasons as an assistant coach with the Warriors. With the help of Poock, Winona State won five NSIC regular season championships (1984, 1990, 1998, 2000 and 2001) and the NSIC Tournament Championships in both 1998 and 2000. Poock helped the Warriors qualify for two NCAA Division II Tournament appearances, including a runner-up finish in the 1998 NCAA Central Region. In 2000 Poock helped the Warriors reach their second highest win total in a season with 42.
Prior to coaching at Winona State, Poock taught at Almond-Bancroft (WI) High School from 1991-95. Poock was an assistant baseball coach at Wisconsin-Stevens Point from 1992-1995 which included coaching the Stevens Point American Legion team in 1994-95. Previous to that, Poock taught and coached at Tigerton (WI) High School from 1986-87 and Wild Rose (WI) High School in 1985.
Poock won three letters in baseball and two in basketball at Winona State. During the 1982-83 season Poock led the Warrior basketball team in scoring.
Poock graduated from Winona State University in 1983 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Physical Education. He earned a Master’s Degree in Physical Education from WSU in 1997.
After college Poock played semi-pro baseball for the Green Bay Blue Ribbons from 1983-86, earning the team’s MVP award in his first year. Poock was named NBC All-State in 1988 for the Clintonville (WI) Athletics after helping the Athletics to the NBC state championship.
Very active within baseball’s governing circles, Poock was the NCAA Division II Baseball Committee Central Region Chair from 2005-07 and is currently a member of the American Baseball Coaches Association Division II Baseball Central Region Committee.
In addition to his baseball responsibilities, Poock is also an assistant professor in the Department of Health and Human Performance at Winona State.
