FOND DU LAC, Wis. (NBC 26) — College players come to the Northwoods League from across the country, but the coaches in Fond du Lac and Green Bay are close to home.
"I grew up with baseball in northeast Wisconsin," Green Bay Rockers manager Chris Krepline said. "I just love being here."
Krepline, a Reedsville native and the head baseball coach at Lawrence University, previously played for Green Bay in 2007 and was an assistant coach there in 2013.
His friend, Doug Coe, is no stranger to the Northwoods League, either.
"It's a great privilege to be here," Coe said. "I love the fact that I'm back home and in front of this community."
After two seasons as an assistant coach with the Rockford Rivets, Coe - an Appleton North alum - made his debut as Fond du Lac's manager Monday.
By coincidence, his old friend was right across the diamond.
"We've always been friends for the last 20 years of baseball," Coe said of his relationship with Krepline. "It was a privilege and it was a lot of fun to be able to be on the field... my first game as a manager in the Northwoods going against Chris."
"We were actually chit chatting before the game and reminiscing about some old times and things like that," Krepline said. "It was kind of cool getting to be the first game of the year and both me and him get to coach against each other."
The two briefly coached together at Lawrence, but they mostly remember their time playing summer ball together.
"He was a catcher and I was a pitcher," Krepline said. "He actually probably caught one of my last games, (when I was) coming out of retirement and trying to throw.
"(We've had) some great memories as players together, great memories coaching together," Krepline added. "And now we get to continue making great memories in the Northwoods League."
Krepline, in his second season with the Rockers, got the better of Coe Monday as Green Bay won a 12-10 thriller in extra innings.
T11: ANDREW. HARRIS.
— Green Bay Rockers (@gbrockers) May 29, 2023
He knocks home a two-RBI triple to give the Rockers a 12-10 lead in the 11th!
🎸 12 🕷️ 10 pic.twitter.com/1XUXdax3A6
"We went to battle a number of times in that battery and I'd like to think that we both know what each others is thinking," Coe said.
"We're trying to outsmart each other a little bit and have that ace in the hole," He added. "And today he had it."
He won't have to wait long for round two.
The Dock Spiders and Rockers are scheduled to play 11 more times this summer, including Tuesday night in what will be Green Bay's home opener. First pitch is slated for 6:35 at Capital Credit Union Park in Ashwaubenon.
