Eastern Kentucky baseball’s new era got another boost Tuesday, with head coach Jan Weisberg announcing the addition of Gunner Rainey as director of player development. Rainey joins the Colonels after a standout run at Adrian College, where his impact was felt both on the field and in the dugout.
Rainey’s résumé reads like a who’s who of Division III accolades. As a catcher, he earned All-America honors in 2021, took home two conference player of the year awards, and twice landed on the all-region team. He was recognized as a Rawlings Gold Glove winner, claimed two conference batting titles, and capped his time at Adrian with the 18th-most hits in Division III history. His 2021 campaign was particularly special, rewriting the conference record books thanks to an eye-popping .506 batting average, and by the end of his playing days, he led the league in career hits, ranking third in doubles and fourth in RBIs.
But Rainey wasn’t done after hanging up his mask. He transitioned to coaching while suiting up in the professional Frontier League, serving as a volunteer assistant before stepping into assistant coach and recruiting coordinator duties by 2022. The results followed: Adrian captured three straight conference tournament titles, punched its ticket to as many NCAA Regionals, and in 2024, the Bulldogs brought home a region championship. The offensive output under Rainey’s guidance was staggering, Adrian led the conference in hits, doubles, home runs, and walks every year during his tenure, topping the league in runs scored in back-to-back seasons.
Rainey, who holds a bachelor’s degree in history from Adrian, will now look to inject the same energy and player development acumen into Weisberg’s program. Weisberg himself is coming off a whirlwind start as EKU’s skipper, boasting a 595-253-1 record in 19 years as a collegiate head coach. His teams have brought home 14 conference titles, nine trips to NCAA Regionals, three Super Regionals, and two College World Series appearances since 2019, with five Academic All-Americans, three Gold Glove recipients, 15 All-America honorees, a National Pitcher and Player of the Year, and four MLB Draft picks under his watch.
With Rainey’s accomplished background and Weisberg’s championship pedigree, Eastern Kentucky’s new duo is set to steer the program into an era defined by both excellence and development.
