TOLEDO, Ohio— Toledo baseball head coach Rob Reinstetle announced two new additions to his coaching staff on Wednesday. Travis Tingle will serve as the Rockets' volunteer assistant coach this season, while former team captain Michael Ryan returns as a student assistant coach.
"I am very pleased to announce the staff additions of Travis Tingle and Mike Ryan for the upcoming 2020-21 academic year," Reinstetle said. "Both of these guys will be fantastic coaches and help our program continue to grow. I'm very excited for our players to have the opportunity to work with these guys."
Tingle comes to Toledo after four seasons as the pitching coach and recruiting coordinator at Harris Stowe State University in St. Louis, Mo. During his tenure the Hornets' pitching improved drastically, posting a school-record 3.60 ERA in 2018. As a member of the coaching staff, Tingle helped Harris Stowe State win 30 games in consecutive seasons for the first time in program history.
As a player, Tingle played two seasons at Louisville, helping the Cardinals to a BIG EAST title and NCAA Regional Appearance in 2012. He served as a team captain that season and posted a 4.15 ERA across 65 innings, making nine starts and appearing 14 times out of the bullpen. In his first season with Louisville in 2011, Tingle pitched in 19 games and compiled a 2.60 ERA. He stuck around for the 2013 season at Louisville as a student assistant coach and graduated that spring with his bachelor's degree in sports administration. Prior to his time with the Cardinals, he was a two-time all-conference pitcher at Cleveland State CC (Tenn.).
"Travis comes to us with a very strong background in pitching, recruiting and player development," Reinstetle said. "He also had a very stellar career as both a player and coach at the University of Louisville, one of the best college baseball programs in the country. I expect Travis to step right in and make an immediate impact for our program. He has tremendous baseball knowledge, and I love his energy and passion for teaching the game. Travis will work directly with Tommy Winterstein dealing with our pitching staff on a daily basis. He will also handle the coordination for all of our Toledo Baseball Camps and be a vital part of our on-campus recruiting."
Ryan will serve as a student assistant coach for the 2021 season after wrapping up an excellent playing career this past spring. The Holly, Mich. native was a mainstay behind the plate for the Rockets for four seasons, making 100 starts at catcher during his career. Ryan slugged nine home runs and drove in 58 runs at the plate while at Toledo, including a career-best 21 RBIs in 2018. He played in 49 games as a freshman and 48 as a sophomore, but injuries and a shortened 2020 season limited Ryan to just 27 games played since the start of 2019. A well-respected leadership figure in the locker room, he earned the role of team captain as a senior in 2020. Ryan graduated with a bachelor's degree in business administration this past May.
"Mike will be back with our program in a different capacity than in the past," Reinstetle said. "Having just finished his playing career, Mike will stay on as a student assistant coach/director of player development. He is very well respected by his peers and will be a huge asset to me and the other coaches. Last season, I said numerous times that having Mike on the field was like having another coach on the field. Now he is actually a part of our coaching staff and I couldn't be more excited for Mike to start his coaching career with us."
