The Grand Rapids Community College family is mourning the loss of Doug Wabeke, a decorated former GRCC men’s baseball coach who guided the Raiders to the National Junior College Athletic Association Division II World Series Championships four times. Wabeke died Nov. 25 at the age of 65.
He began his 17-year GRCC coaching career in 1987 and reached 500 wins with the club in 1998, he also served as co-athletic director in 1997. Wabeke coached the GRCC men’s baseball team to the NJCAA Division II World Series Championships in 1996, 1997, 2003, and 2004.
“Right now a lot of former players and coaches are hurting,” stated current GRCC baseball coach Mike Eddington, who served as Wabeke’s assistant coach during the 2004 championship, in a tribute article posted on GRCC’s website. “No one was more passionate about winning than Doug when he played baseball and also as a coach.”
Wabeke also served as head coach at Grand Valley State University and worked as an assistant coach at Maimi University. He was also head coach of the USA junior national team and the 2003 Pan American Games, a coaching staff member for the USA senior national team, and a hitting coach at Davenport University.
In 2022, Wabeke was named to the NJCAA Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame.
Aside from his coaching accomplishments, Wabeke was also a stellar player in his day. He was a two-time, All-American when he played shortstop as a student at what was then Grand Rapids Junior College, and he received all-academic honors while earning a bachelor’s degree at Central Michigan University. He later earned a master’s degree from Miami University in Ohio.
Wabeke eventually went pro and made it as high as Class AA, while playing in the minor leagues with the Pittsburgh Pirates, the San Francisco Giants, and the St. Louis Cardinals from 1980 to 1984.
GRCC posted a tribute video featuring video clips of Wabeke that can be viewed here.
