MSU Athletics

Nat Wagner returns for his third year as a head coach with the Minot State University softball program. The Beavers led the nation in stolen bases during the 2021 season that saw the team finish 8th in the NSIC and clinch a trip to the NSIC Tournament. Minot State softball finished above .500 in conference for the first time since 2014 and were led by standouts Isis Cabral, Jazmin Karunungan, and Jamie Odlum offensively. 

Odlum and Karunungan earned NSIC Second-Team Honors. Karunungan led the team with 22 stolen bases, which is 5th in single-season DII program history and helped the Beavers lead the country in stolen bases (138). Odlum was second on the team in OPS (1.064) and total bases (69) and hit .423 to lead the team and post the 7th-highest batting average in Minot State DII single-season history. 

Cabral wrapped up her senior campaign with a .402 batting average which was second on the team, she led the Beavers with five home runs and a .629 slugging percentage to complete her fantastic career. 

In an abbreviated 2020 season, Wagner led the Beavers to a 10-6 mark.

In Wagner’s first year, the MSU squad was on pace to break D2 era records in batting average and tied the D2 era stolen base record at 71 after only 16 games, leading the nation in stolen bases per game.

Wagner arrived at Minot State after a three-year stint as an assistant coach at Augustana University in Sioux Falls. In that three-year span, he helped lead the program to a 143-42 record with three consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances and Top-25 finishes, including winning the 2019 NCAA D-II National Championship. As a primary hitting instructor and first base coach, Wagner aided the Vikings in breaking several school records including batting average, stolen bases and runs scored. Wagner was awarded the 2019 NFCA Division II Assistant Coach of the Year Award.

Prior to Augustana, Wagner also served as an assistant coach at Valley City State for one season, helping implement a winning culture and leading the team to a record number of wins in the program’s first season under Michael Mook. Wagner also served as an assistant coach under hall of fame coach John Tschida at the University of St. Thomas, helping the Tommies to a MIAC conference championship and regional appearance.

Wagner began his coaching career as a head coach at New Prague High School in New Prague, Minn. In three years, he turned the program around and led the team to its first conference title and state tournament appearance in school history. Prior to his years in New Prague, Wagner also helped lead Hopkins High School to consecutive state tournament berths.

Over the last decade years, Coach Wagner served as a coach and director of player development for noted travel ball programs, founding the Minnesota Renegades and helping shape the trajectory of the SD Renegades and Midwest Speed programs. In that time Wagner has led two teams to top ten finishes in PGF Premier, a runner up in PGF Platinum Nationals and a fourth place finish at ASA/USA “A” Nationals.

Wagner has earned Master’s Degrees in Classical Studies from the University of Michigan and in English from Middlebury and Minnesota State Mankato. A life-long learner, he continues to take classes and reads extensively in biomechanics, sports psychology and all things baseball and softball. Nat and his wife Christy have three children, Sammy, Tommy and Clare and three Labrador retrievers, Norman, Seagan and Buffy.