Lakeland College Baseball Coaches
Chris
Thousand
Head Coach
Chris Thousand enters his third season as Lakeland's head baseball coach.
Thousand took the step up to the head coaching spot after serving as an assistant coach for four years following a stand-out four-year career with the Muskies as a pitcher. As a senior in 2002, he helped lead Lakeland to a fifth-place finish nationally after the only NCAA Division III World Series appearance by a Lake Michigan Conference program. He also closed out his playing career listed in 14 categories in the Lakeland record book.
A native of Barneveld, Wis., Thousand instructed Lakeland's hitters for three seasons and further helped re-write the Lakeland record books. Under Thousand's leadership, recent Lakeland teams are second and fourth in Lakeland history in runs scored, second and third in hits in a season, third and fourth in team batting average, second in home runs, second and third in doubles and second and fourth in runs batted in.
Off the field, Thousand has taken on significantly larger roles in the last several years in recruiting and scheduling for the baseball program and organizing fundraising and baseball camps.
In addition to his duties as a baseball coach, Thousand has been Lakeland 's athletic building manager since September of 2004. During the summer of 2004, he worked as an operations crew member for the Ryder Cup event at Oakland Hills in Michigan, then served on the crew for the PGA Championship at nearby Whistling Straits. He has also worked in operations at The Bull golf course outside of Sheboygan Falls.
The Thousand family has deep roots at Lakeland. Chris' sister Casey is a 2004 Lakeland graduate, a former Lakeland women's basketball standout and this past season was an assistant basketball coach at Carthage College. Another younger sister, Connie, also graduated from Lakeland in May 2008 and currently resides in Indiana.
Chris' wife, Danielle, is a 2002 Lakeland graduate. They live in Sheboygan with their daughters, Taylee (3), Tatum (2) and Ty (born in May 2008).
Thousand graduated from Lakeland in 2002 with a bachelor's degree in sports studies/facilities management. He is scheduled to complete his master of arts in counseling in May 2009.
Mike
Bachar
Assistant Coach
A native of Berwyn, Ill., Bachar played at Morton Junior College for two years, posting a .347 batting average, eight home runs and and 29 doubles. He was named to the junior college all-star team both seasons. After transferring to Lakeland for his final two years, Bachar helped the Muskies reach the NCAA regionals in 2003 and 2004, earning first team all-Lake Michigan Conference shortstop honors in 2004. During his senior year, he led the conference in walks (16), was fifth in runs scored (17) and was No. 4 in defensive assists (44) while being a vacuum up the middle. He also holds the Lakeland record for walks in a season (29).
Bachar is also Lakeland's Director of Intramurals. He graduated from Lakeland in 2005 with a bachelor's in exercise science, and is currently working toward his master of arts in counseling.
Bachar and his wife, Kristi (Thill), a 2006 LC graduate, were married on Aug. 1, 2008, and currently reside in Port Washington.
Ed
Michael
Assistant Coach
Michael is no stranger to the baseball field, as he was a relief pitcher for the Marine Corps. after a successful career at Woodrow Wilson High School in Xenia, Ohio.
Michael also coached baseball in the Sheboygan Falls recreation system for several years, and served one year as a varsity high school coach. His recreational teams won many grade school championships and compiled a winning record of 96-12 in four years. His varsity team won the Eastern Wisconsin Conference championship in 1985.
He graduated Magna Cum Laude from Lakeland with a degree in business administration and a minor in information systems in 1995.
He resides in Sheboygan Falls with his wife of 45 years, Shirley. They have three grown children and five grandchildren.
Mitch Heinemeyer
Assistant Coach
E-mail: heinemeyerm@lakeland.edu
Phone: 920-565-1449
Mitch Heinemeyer enters his first year as an assistant coach for Lakeland College. He will primarily work as the hitting coach for the Muskies.
Heinemeyer graduated from Lakeland in 2007, where he played for Coach Thousand for the 2006-2007 season.
As a senior, Heinemeyer hit .358 with 12 doubles and six home runs, while drawing a season-record 29 walks.
While at Lakeland, Heinemeyer set several career and single season records. His 20 doubles are good enough for first all-time in a single season at Lakeland, while his seven home runs are tied for fifth all-time in a single season.
Heinemeyer finished third in program history with a .328 career batting average. He is also tied for third in career doubles with 33 and his 15 career home runs are one short of the school record.
Last year, Heinemeyer was the graduate assistant at Purdue University North Central (Ind.), serving as the team’s hitting coach. The Panthers broke several offensive school records under Heinemeyer’s tutelage, including runs (332), hits (541), runs batted in (303), doubles (104), triples (20), and home runs (34). His offense also finished with a batting average of .326, good enough for second in PNC history.
Currently, Heinemeyer is working towards his masters of arts in counseling at Lakeland.
Heinemeyer, a native of Shiocton, Wis., is the son of Dino and Sara Heinemeyer. He has one brother, Jacob (a senior at LC), and one sister, Laken, who is a high school sophomore.
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