QUINCY, Ill. -Quincy University has announced the hiring of Josh Rabe, a former All-American at Quincy and nine year professional, as the Hawk baseball program's new head coach.
"It is an honor and privilege to be able to lead the Hawks, this time from the coaching box," said Josh Rabe. "There is a lot of work to be done but we have the resources needed to put a consistent winner together on the field and in the classroom."
"After an extensive and thorough national search in which we received over 100 applications, I couldn't be more pleased with the overwhelming interest and quality of the pool of candidates that we encountered through this process," said Quincy Athletic Director Marty Bell. "In the end, I felt that the best fit for our baseball program, athletic department and University was Josh Rabe. Josh is a proud alumnus of the University and was one of the best players to ever wear a Hawk uniform. His work ethic, skills and knowledge of the game enabled his playing career to progress to the highest level. That drive and passion will serve him well as our head coach."
Rabe was a member of the Hawk program from 1998-2000, where he was named the Great Lakes Valley Conference Freshman of the Year in 1998 and GLVC Player of the Year in 1999 while being named First Team All-Conference all three seasons. He helped the Hawks to the 2000 GLVC Tournament title and is Quincy's career leader in hits, doubles and runs scored, second in career home runs and third in career batting average and runs batted in.
Following his junior season Rabe was drafted in the 11th round of the Major League Baseball draft by the Minnesota Twins, reaching the major leagues in July of 2006, hitting .286 and helping the team to the American League Central Division Title. Rabe was named an All-Star at each of his minor league stops and was named the Twins' Man of Steal Award in 2004 for leading the organizations minor league affiliates in stolen bases.
Rabe retired in 2008 due to injuries and entered the coaching ranks by joining the staff of fellow GLVC school Saint Joseph's College. Rabe spent two seasons with Saint Joseph's, serving as the program's recruiting coordinator and hitting coach. Under his direction the Pumas hit 51 home runs in 2009, the third most in school history.
"Having played and coached in the GLVC will give Josh the familiarity and confidence required to take our baseball program back to prominence in the region," said Bell. "Josh is a person of high character and integrity that will serve as an outstanding role model for the student-athletes in his program. It is a great day for our University and athletic department."
Rabe graduated from Quincy University with a bachelor's degree in Political Science and was inducted into the GLVC Hall of Fame in 2007. The Quincy University baseball team finished the 2010 season with a 26-23 overall record and is a storied program entering their 52nd year as a collegiate sport at Quincy University. During that time the Hawks have won over 1,000 games and have had 24 players drafted or play professional baseball.