The 2026 season will mark John Vodenlich’s 23rd season at the helm of the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater program and his 25th season overall as an NCAA Div. III head coach. 
Vodenlich took over the UW-Whitewater program prior to the 2004 season following two seasons as head coach at nearby Edgewood College in Wisconsin. In 22 seasons as a collegiate head coach, he has compiled a 806-275-1 record, becoming the winningest coach in Whitewater baseball history while boasting one of the highest win percentages among NCAA Div. III coaches. 
Under Vodenlich, the Warhawks have advanced to the NCAA Div. III College World Series seven times during their 16 NCAA Tournament appearances, capturing national titles in 2005 2014 and 2025 earning their skipper ABCA National Coach of the Year honors all three years. His Warhawk teams have won 16 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) championships, with Vodenlich earning WIAC Coach of the Year honors 12 times. 
A six-time ABCA Regional Coach of the Year, Vodenlich been honored three times as the Wisconsin Baseball Coaches Association (WBCA) College Coach of the Year and was named the 2005 WBCA Man of the Year. In 2015, he became the youngest inductee into the WBCA Hall of Fame. He has also been inducted into the Racine County Sports Hall of Fame (2019) and the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Athletic Hall of Fame (2007) as a former student-athlete. 
Vodenlich has been a featured clinician across the globe. In addition to being a featured clinician at the 2014 ABCA Convention, he has conducted coaching clinics in Germany, England, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia and Hungary. He is a member of the International Sports Group Board of Directors. Prior to being named the seventh head coach in UW-Whitewater history. 
Before joining the coaching ranks, Vodenlich starred for the Warhawks from 1989- 92. He finished his collegiate career with a .397 career batting average, good for third in school history. His .456 average in 1991 is the third-best single-season average in program history. He became the first two-time All-American in UW-Whitewater history, receiving the honor in 1991 and 1992. Following his collegiate career, Vodenlich went on to play professionally in Europe, winning the Slovenian National Championship in 1994. He currently serves as the coach of the Serbia National team.

Steve Bartlein was named the 11th head coach in UW-River Falls baseball history in August of 2023, charged with leading the revival of a program that had been dormant since 2002. Since returning to the diamond in 2025, Bartlein has guided the Falcons through the early stages of the program’s return while quickly establishing competitiveness within the WIAC.

Through his first two seasons, Bartlein has compiled a 34-48 overall record. The 2026 season marked a major milestone for the reinstated program, as the Falcons finished fourth in the WIAC standings to earn the program’s first-ever berth in the WIAC Tournament since the league adopted its postseason format in 1998. UWRF opened tournament play with a statement victory over top-seeded and defending national champion UW-Whitewater. The season was also highlighted by WIAC series victories over UW-Stevens Point, UW-Stout, and UW-Oshkosh.

In the program’s historic return season in 2025, Bartlein led the Falcons to a 13-27 overall record and a 6-22 mark in WIAC play. UWRF announced its return in emphatic fashion with a 14-3 victory over Nebraska Wesleyan on March 13, the program’s first win since May 2002. Later that season, the Falcons captured three of four games against UW-Stevens Point during the team’s home and conference-opening series, including the program’s first home victory since reinstatement on March 28. UWRF also earned notable wins over regionally ranked Bethel University and UW-Oshkosh.

Since the program’s return in 2025, Bartlein has coached four All-WIAC selections. In 2026, Andrew Athmann earned All-Region honors at catcher, becoming the first Falcon baseball player to receive All-Region recognition since 2002.

Bartlein came to River Falls after serving as an assistant coach at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater since 2017. During his six seasons at UWW, the Warhawks were four-time WIAC Champions with four NCAA Regional appearances along with an overall record of 176-52, including an NCAA Super Regional appearance in 2022. Serving as the Warhawks' recruiting coordinator and academic liaison while leading baseball operations and coordination the Warhawk Baseball Clinic Series, Bartlein was also a lecturer in UWW's Kinesiology/Physical Education Department. In addition, Bartlein was a Field Director at the Milwaukee Brewers Baseball Academy, leading itineraries, curriculum, facilities, and camp functions.

A member of the Warhawks' baseball team from 2010-13, Bartlein guided UWW to a pair of WIAC championships and one WIAC Tournament title while reaching the NCAA Tournament four times, including an appearance in the Division III World Series in 2011. A two-year starting infielder, Bartlein garnered first team All-WIAC accolades in 2013 and was a two-time WIAC All-Sportsmanship Team selection. He received a bachelor's degree in Special Education from UW-Whitewater in December 2013 and a master's degree in Health, Human Performance and Recreation in 2018.

Before returning to his alma mater, Bartlein coached at Brookfield East High School, serving as the head varsity coach in 2017. Prior to that he served as head junior varsity coach in 2014, varsity assistant coach in 2015 and 2016 for Brookfield Central High School. He was also an assistant coach at Carroll University during the 2016 and 2017 seasons, working as an infield/hitting coach.

Fuller retired from Cumberland High School as one of the most successful coaches in Wisconsin, with a record of 482-244, good for 9th all-time at the time.  He won 10 Conference Championships and made four State appearances during his 34 year tenure.  He is perhaps even better known for his role with the Wisconsin Baseball Coaches Association.  For the past 30 years, he has put together the Annual WBCA State Clinic, was a founding member and continues to work with the WBCA All-Star Classic, worked with State Rankings and helped found Baseball Wisconsin along with his long time assistant coach Joe Waite.  His contributions to Wisconsin Baseball are immeasurable and he is called The Godfather of Wisconsin Baseball for good reason.  He continues to procure the speakers for the WBCA State Clinic and chair the West Team for the All-Star Classic.  He has served the WBCA, and promoted the organization nationally, for almost four decades.  He was the 2nd Wisconsin High School coach to be inducted into the American Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame.  He retired as Cumberland’s all time winningest coach  in 2013 but continues to coach at UW-Whitewater even though it is 5-1/2 drive from his home to Whitewater.