Gabe Grinder enters his second season as the head baseball coach at Southeastern, continuing a career marked by sustained success, championship experience, and player development. Grinder owns a career head coaching record of 222–132 (.627) and brings both familiarity and proven leadership to one of the NAIA’s premier programs.

Grinder made an immediate impact in his first season leading the Fire. Southeastern finished 47–15 overall and captured its sixth consecutive Sun Conference Regular Season championship. The season opened with a program-record 20–0 start, highlighted by a sweep of the East/West Challenge against a field that included four ranked teams and three ranked in the Top 10. The Fire went 18–10 in conference play and were dominant at Ted A. Broer Stadium, posting a 33–3 home record.

Southeastern defeated 35 ranked opponents during the season and hosted its first-ever NAIA Opening Round at Ted A. Broer Stadium. The Fire went a perfect 3–0 in the Opening Round to secure their seventh straight trip to the Avista NAIA World Series. Entering the World Series as the sixth seed, Southeastern defeated No. 5 Webber International 15–2 and eliminated No. 2 Georgia Gwinnett with consecutive wins of 2–1 and 16–6. The season concluded in the national championship game with a loss to LSU Shreveport.

Grinder’s inaugural season also produced significant individual accolades. The Fire earned two Sun Conference All-Academic selections, eight Sun Conference All-Conference honorees, two Sun Conference All-Tournament Team selections, three NAIA All-Americans, and three Avista NAIA All-Tournament Team members. Grinder was recognized as the Sun Conference Coach of the Year.

Grinder is no stranger to Southeastern, having spent three seasons on the mound for the Fire from 2009–11 before returning as the program’s pitching coach in 2013. His connection to the institution and understanding of its tradition have helped maintain continuity within one of the nation’s most consistent programs.

Prior to returning to Southeastern, Grinder served as the head coach at NCAA Division II University of Texas–Permian Basin, where he led the Falcons to 35 wins in 2024 and the first NCAA Tournament victory in program history. He previously held his first head coaching role at NAIA Ottawa University in Kansas, where his teams won 117 games over four seasons. The Braves captured the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament title in 2021 and claimed the KCAC regular season championship in 2022 with a 43-win season, finishing ranked 14th nationally.

Grinder’s coaching background also includes pitching coach stops at Oklahoma Wesleyan, West Virginia Wesleyan, and Morningside, along with three summers as head coach of the Haysville Aviators collegiate summer league team. Across his career, five former players have been selected in the MLB Draft, with 10 more signing professional contracts. He has coached nine All-Americans and five Pitcher of the Year honorees.

As a player, Grinder ranks third in Southeastern history with 72 pitching appearances, while his career .214 opponent batting average ranks sixth all-time. His 14 saves during the 2009 season ranked third in the NAIA.

Grinder and his wife, Nicole, reside in Lakeland with their three children.