Tom Winske - Baseball Coach - Central Michigan University Athletics

Tom Winske

Title:
Volunteer Assistant Coach
Email:
winsk1t@cmich.edu
Phone:
(989) 774-1484

Tom Winske resumed his longtime affiliation with Jordan Bischel when the latter was named to lead the Central Michigan program prior to the 2019 season.

Winske, who serves as a volunteer assistant coach, works with the Chippewa catchers, coaches third base during games, and oversees bunting and baserunning.

Winske, along with fellow assistants Kyle Schroeder and Tony Jandron, have combined with Bischel to lead the Chippewas on a remarkable run that has included four Mid-American Conference championships -- two regular season and two tournament -- three NCAA Tournament berths, and a combined 143-57 won-loss record for a .715 win percentage that ranks fifth in the nation behind only Vanderbilt, Tennessee, UC Santa Barbara and Arkansas.

In 2022, the Chippewas finished 43-19 including 30-7 and in second place in the MAC. They made an impressive run to the league tournament crown, starting 1-1 and then winning three consecutive elimination games, the final two against host and regular season champion Ball State.

Winske helped the Chippewas to a 47-14 mark in 2019, an 11-6 finish during the COVID-shortened 2020 season, and a 42-18 ledger in 2021. The 47-14 mark (.770 win percentage) in ’19 was the fifth best in the nation and the victory total tied the 1988 team for the most in program history. Included in the win total was a monumental 19-game win streak.

With Winske on the coaching staff, the Chippewas have compiled an 83-21 MAC record and have posted three consecutive 40-win full seasons for the first time since 1986-88. They won a combined 132 games in 2019, ’21 and ’22, marking the winningest three-year stretch in program history.

CMU is a combined 25-4 against the five other Michigan Division I programs, Michigan, Michigan State, Eastern Michigan, Western Michigan and Oakland, since 2019.

In that span, the Chippewas have posted 10 victories over opponents from Power 5 conferences: Miami (Fla.), Michigan, Michigan State, Arizona, Notre Dame, West Virginia and Pitt.

Winske came to CMU after a highly successful two-decade run as the head coach at NCAA Division III St. Norbert College in De Pere, Wis. He amassed a 444-287-1 career mark from 1999-2018 and is the Midwest Conference’s all-time leader in both conference and overall wins.

Winske was named the Midwest Conference North Division Coach of the Year nine times in his 20 years at St. Norbert and led the Green Knights to four conference championships and five NCAA Tournament berths. His 2017 team won 30 games, the most victories in a season by any men’s athletics team in St. Norbert history.

Bischel, a pitcher, played for Winske at St. Norbert from 2000-03 and served as an assistant under his mentor from 2007-09. CMU assistant Tony Jandron played at St. Norbert for Winske from 2007-10.