Seth Wheeler has had plenty of playing experience at Hobart-Detter Field. Now the Overland Park, Kansas, native is coaching at Hobart-Detter Field as a member of the Blue Dragon baseball coaching staff.

Wheeler in his second season with the Blue Dragons.

Year 1 under Wheeler saw the Blue Dragons make a dramatic improvement statistically. The 2023 Blue Dragon pitching staff saw a decrease of 2.59 off its team ERA to 4.12. That mark led the Jayhawk West and ranked 17th in the NJCAA. The Dragons allowed 87 fewer runs and 80 fewer hits.

The 2024 Blue Dragons set a school record for wins with a 51-12 season with a Jayhawk Conference championship and Region VI Tournament runner-up finish. Starting pitcher Ethan Giesbrecht and relief pitcher Caden Wanless were first-team all-Jayhawk West and second-team all-Region VI selections. Bradley Neill was a second-team selection and Trenton Roehler was an honorable mention pitcher in 2024.

Wheeler came to Hutchinson after seven seasons at Emporia State University, the last four seasons as the Hornets’ head coach.

Wheeler spent his first three seasons at Emporia State as the pitching coach and worked with the catchers as well. The Hornets had the second-best ERA in the conference at 4.60 over his three seasons after ranking sixth in the league in 2014.

As the head coach of the Hornets, Emporia State was 97-116 under Wheeler, which includes three trips to the Division II NCAA Tournament and an MIAA regular season championship. Wheeler guided 26 all-MIAA players in those four seasons.

Before coaching at Emporia State, Wheeler was the catching and strength and conditioning coach at Butler Community College in 2015. The Grizzlies were 30-25. Both catchers under Wheeler’s tutelage were Division I selections. Wheeler also worked with the team on baserunning and the 2015 Grizzlies led the NJCAA in stolen bases.

Wheeler’s first coaching duties came as the head coach of the Junction City Brigade collegiate summer league team from 2015 to 2017.

Wheeler’s playing career concluded at the University of Central Missouri for former Blue Dragon head coach Kyle Crookes, who was an assistant for the Mules during Wheeler’s USM career. Wheeler was an honorable mention All-MIAA selection at catcher for the Mules. He hit .324 as UCM won the MIAA regular-season championship in 2014. While playing for the Mules, Wheeler called Hobart-Detter Field his summer home in 2012 playing for the Hutchinson Monarchs.

Before UCM, Wheeler played two years at Butler Community College in 2010 and 2011. He played two years at Butler CC, earning All-Jayhawk Conference honors as a sophomore and his 2010 Grizzly team was the Jayhawk West co-champions.

A native of Overland Park, Kansas, Wheeler was a 2009 graduate of Shawnee Mission South high School. Wheeler graduated from Butler Community College in 2011 with an associates’ degree in Liberal arts. He graduated from the University of Central Missouri with a bachelor’s degree in business.

Wheeler and his wife, Kayla, have two children: Ford and Charlie Lou.