GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — A former baseball coach for Grand Rapids Community College (GRCC) has been inducted into the NJCAA Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame!
Doug Wabeke was one of the association’s four newly inducted members, GRCC says.
“The GRCC baseball program has a proud history, and the team was dominating when Coach Wabeke was at the helm,” says Athletic Director Lauren Ferullo. “It is wonderful to see him honored by the NJCAA, reflecting respect for his career, and the GRCC Athletics program.”
Wabeke was a two-time All-American at Grand Rapids Junior College before playing for Central Michigan University, earning All-MAC Conference honors while there, the school tells us.
We’re told Wabeke led GRCC’s baseball team to the national championships four times over a period of 17 years. Wabeke then played for the San Francisco Giants, St. Louis Cardinals and Pittsburgh Pirates before he began coaching in Grand Rapids in 1987, and continued to do so for 17 years, GRCC says.
He went on to coach for Grand Valley State University, Miami University in Ohio, and the USA junior national team at the 2003 Pan American Games.
