Oltmans Named Regional Coach of the Year

CRETE, Neb. – Doane University head baseball coach Josh Oltmans has been recognized as the ABCA/ATEC NAIA Regional Coach of the Year following a historic 2026 season that saw the Tigers reach unprecedented heights on the national stage.

Oltmans guided Doane to one of the most successful seasons in program history, culminating with the program's first-ever appearance at the NAIA World Series in Lewiston, Idaho. The Tigers finished the year with a 47-11 record, captured the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) regular-season and postseason championships, earned an NAIA National Championship Opening Round title, and closed the season ranked No. 10 in the final NAIA Top 25 Poll—the highest postseason ranking in program history.

Under Oltmans' leadership, the Tigers established themselves among the nation's elite programs. Doane's offense was among the NAIA leaders in several categories throughout the season, highlighted by First Team NAIA All-American Carter Roth, who became the first player in program history to earn First Team All-America honors and led the nation with 111 hits.

The Tigers were equally impressive on the mound and defensively, producing multiple All-GPAC performers and helping the program earn its deepest postseason run. Doane advanced through the NAIA Opening Round and secured a berth in the Avista NAIA World Series for the first time.

Now in his 10th season leading the Tigers, Oltmans has built Doane into one of the premier programs in the GPAC and NAIA. His teams have consistently competed for conference championships while producing All-Americans, Academic All-Americans, and professional opportunities for student-athletes.

Founded in 1945, the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) is the primary professional organization for baseball coaches at the amateur level. The organization has more than 15,000 members representing all 50 states and 41 countries. Since its initial meeting of 27 college baseball coaches in June 1945, the ABCA has grown to include nine divisions spanning NCAA Divisions I, II and III, NAIA, NJCAA, Pacific Association Division, High School, Youth and Travel baseball.

The ABCA Coach of the Year program is presented in partnership with ATEC Sports. ATEC manufactures industry-leading training equipment and machines for elite baseball and softball programs and serves as the Official Training Equipment of Major League Baseball. From training machines to tees, nets and screens, ATEC continues to set the standard for player development equipment across all levels of the game.