2024 Winner: Mike Beier, Foley, MN
Beier is in his 29th season as an amateur coach, currently leading four different teams – high school, VFW, amateur and American Legion in Foley, Minnesota. He began his coaching career as a pitching coach at Southwest State University in 2005 and joined the Foley programs in 2005 when he took over the Foley High School baseball team. In the 20 seasons since, Beier has transformed the program from a small group with limited resources and a poor playing surface to a baseball powerhouse. Thanks to his tireless efforts to rebuild, the team installed seats from the former Metrodome in the grandstand and re-did the field to be one of the best in the area. In addition to his high school duties, Beier took over the area’s American Legion team, started a team through the Minnesota VFW league and another amateur team.
Since his time with the Foley programs began, Beier has managed over 150 games per year, guiding young athletes while also serving as unofficial head groundskeeper, to ensure his teams have safe and suitable fields to play on. The results of his efforts speak for themselves and his accomplishments include eight conference championships (2015, 2017-24), Foley High School’s first state tournament appearance (2019), Section Coach of the Year (2019, 2023-24), State Consolation Championship and the most wins by any team in Minnesota (2019; 26 wins), Class AA Minnesota State Coach of the Year (2020), a perfect 20-0 regular season (2021), a 43-game regular season win streak (2019-22) and Minnesota State High School League VFW state tournament second place (2024).
The Minnesota Twins say, “Thank you, Mike!” for your incredible contributions to baseball in the Upper Midwest!