Ryan Kragh enters his 22nd season as head coach of the Bethany Vikings in 2025-26 and 24th overall as part of the program.
2025 was a record breaking season for the Vikings, who equaled a program record of 29 wins on the season while also setting a new UMAC-best with 19 conference wins en rout to their third straight regular season title. Bethany also won all three contests in the UMAC Tournament to advance to their second NCAA Tournament in the past three seasons. The Vikings had a program record with 12 players earning All-Conference, with Kragh earning his third consecutive Coach of the Year honor and Aidan Russell, Trent Ash, and Xander Meissner claiming the other major awards. Ash, Meissner, Russell, and Eli Fest all went on to earn All-Region honors with both Ash and Fest being named First Team.
In 2024, the Vikings won their second straight UMAC regular season championships after a 17-4 record in conference play. Kragh earned his second straight UMAC Coach of the Year honor while he saw Aidan Russell, Drew Hedtke, and Trent Ash sweep the other major UMAC awards.
Bethany is coming off of one of its most successful seasons in program history in 2023. The Vikings won the UMAC regular season title and then went on to take the UMAC Tournament for an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The 18 wins achieved during the conference season ties a school record, while the team also set a school record with 337 strikeouts on the year. Kragh also earned UMAC Coach of the Year honors for the 2023 season.
The Vikings won a share of the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) regular season title in 2018, and won the 2018 and 2019 UMAC Conference Tournament titles for two-straight appearances in the NCAA Tournament.
In 2022, Kragh's team stole a program record 100 bases while the pitchers on the mound recorded a program-best 292 strikeouts. In 2018, Coach Kragh was named UMAC Coach of the Year. The Vikings also boasted the UMAC Pitcher of the Year in Cody Leitner and Rookie of the Year in Beumer. Additionally, the Vikings had eight players earn First-team All-Conference honors. The recognitions continued as Coach Kragh and Beumer were named Coach of the Year and Rookie of the Year by D3baseball.com. Ben Boran was an American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA)/Rawlings NCAA DIII Midwest Second-team All-Region member.
In 20 seasons as head coach, Kragh boasts a 383-322 record with 12 UMAC Postseason Tournament appearances. Bethany has been part of the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference and NCAA DIII since 2004. Prior to taking over the reins of the program in 2005, Kragh was the Vikings' pitching coach for three years, working with squads that combined for a 71-52 record, including back-to-back NJCAA Region XIII Championships.
Kragh also spent three seasons as the Mankato MoonDogs Field Manager from 2016-2018. During that three year span, his teams went a combined 136-80 and reached the Northwoods League playoffs in each season. 36 players that Kragh coached during that three-year stretch went on to play professional baseball, with six of them currently on MLB rosters. Prior to being named the head coach of the MoonDogs, he served as the pitching coach and helped with the development of elite athletes around the country. His dedication to the game of baseball is evident as he directs Bethany baseball camps and coaches the game throughout the year.
Kragh's baseball history is a rich one. The Minot, North Dakota, native was a four-year letter-winner at the University of North Dakota, where his name appears in the top 10 of numerous pitching categories.
After earning his bachelor's degree in physical education and elementary education, he pitched professionally with the Thunder Bay Whiskey Jacks of the Northern League. An injury cut his playing career short and he returned to his alma mater, coaching pitchers for three seasons. Under Kragh's tutelage, three pitchers were drafted and went on to play professionally. Kragh also headed up the American Legion baseball program for Jamestown, N.D., leading the Blue Jays to a fifth-place finish in the State A Tournament.
Under Kragh
All-Conference: 100
Conference Rookies of the Year: 7
Conference Player of the Year: 5
Conference Pitcher of the Year: 8
All-Region: 21
Regional Rookie of the Year: 1
| Season |
|
| 2005 |
12-26 |
| 2006 |
17-24 |
| 2007 |
20-19 |
| 2008 |
22-15 |
| 2009 |
29-10 |
| 2010 |
29-11 |
| 2011 |
27-10 |
| 2012 |
22-17 |
| 2013 |
14-16 |
| 2014 |
14-22 |
| 2015 |
19-21 |
| 2016 |
9-21 |
| 2017 |
22-19 |
| 2018 |
23-12 |
| 2019 |
23-18 |
| 2020 |
1-6 |
| 2021 |
16-15 |
| 2022 |
19-15 |
| 2023 |
25-11 |
| 2024 |
20-14 |
| 2025 |
29-14 |
| At BLC |
412-336 |
| Career |
Same |
