Meet Our Coaches

BRIAN GIEBEL
HITTING COORDINATOR

Brian Giebel brings over 17 years of coaching experience. His experience includes serving as lead hitting coach and manager at Field of Dreams and coordinating over 10 years of summer camps and year-round private lessons through Brian Giebel Hitting. He also served as an assistant coach at UWRF in the 2024-2025 season focusing on hitters, base runners, and outfielders. Brian has played 18 years with the Fighting Fish, played at the collegiate level at UW-Stout where he was a first team All-WIAC performer, two time team captain and an All-Sportsmanship team award winner. 

WESTON LOMBARD
THROWING COORDINATOR

Weston Lombard was named Tom House’s instructor of the year in 2024, and serves as Mustard’s head of baseball development when he isn’t coaching pitchers at Big Fish. Lombard has also served as the pitching coach at UW-River Falls since 2024, pitched professionally in the American Association in 2025, and played two years of D-1 college baseball at the University of San Francisco following three years at Gustavus Adolphus College. Lombard has been asked to speak at multiple international baseball conferences to coaches about pitching.

JOSH EIDEM
PROGRAM COORDINATOR

Josh Eidem has extensive youth development experience, starting with being a co-founder of the Western Wisconsin Baseball Sandlot camp in 2011. Since 2005, he has served as a high school assistant coach, player manager of the Fighting Fish amateur team from 2008-2022, and is currently an assistant middle school principal. Eidem was the president of the River Falls Baseball Council from 2011-2017, managing the project to bring First National Bank of River Falls Field from concept to reality. Eidem played college baseball at UW-River Falls from 2000-2002, serving as team captain in 2002.

STEPH ANDERSON
Big Fish Softball Pitching Coach

Steph Anderson was inducted into the Wartburg College Athletics Hall of Fame in 2022, where she was a pitcher from 2000-2003. Steph and her family recently moved to the area from Iowa, where she was an individual pitching instructor after serving as the pitching coach for Central College (Pella, IA) from 2006-2011. At Wartburg, Coach Steph was named Team MVP, team captain, and an All-American scholar athlete. She is still the Wartburg record-holder in shutouts and innings pitched, while second in career strikeouts, wins, and saves, with a 1.46 ERA.

Click here to find more information and book pitching lessons with Coach Steph

LUCAS LUEDTKE
​Lead Instructor

Lucas Luedtke most recently served as a full-time assistant coach at UW-Stevens Point, where he was also a D3 All-American designated hitter. Luedtke has extensive youth coaching experience as well, spending summers coaching Sandlot and Guppy League Camp in River Falls since 2019. Coach Luedtke was most recently named the offensive MVP for the Wisconsin Baseball Association state tournament in back to back years, 2024 and 2025, for the River Falls Fighting Fish.

To schedule fielding or hitting lessons with Coach Luedtke, email him at:
[email protected] 

ARIANA TEMMERS
Big Fish Softball, Western Wisconsin Charge

Ariana Temmers is currently the head coach of our Western Wisconsin Charge 12u team. Coach Temmers played college softball at UW-Stout after being a standout player at Prescott High School from 2019-2022 and with the St. Croix Surge club team. Ari was named all-state as a junior at Prescott, when the team was the WIAA state runner up. Coach Temmers already has an extensive coaching resume, serving as an individual instructor and high school assistant coach.

ALISSA JOHNSON
Big Fish Softball, Western Wisconsin Charge

Alissa Johnson is currently the head coach of our Western Wisconsin Charge 14u team. Coach Johnson played college softball at the University of Maryville (St. Louis) and has been the head JV Coach at Hastings High School the last two years. She has five years of head coaching experience in youth softball. Coach Johnson was the starting shortstop at Hastings HS as a junior and senior, and was named a USSSA National Championship Defensive MVP in 2021 playing for the Lady Storm at the club level (14u-18u).

SAM RUDESILL
Big Fish Softball, Western Wisconsin Charge

Sam Rudesill​ played high school softball for Baldwin High School before going on to play college softball at the University of St. Thomas from 2007-2010. Coach Rudesill has served as an instructor for Field of Dreams in River Falls and as an individual softball instructor for the past 15 years.

JAMES WITT
Big Fish Baseball, Pitching Instructor

James Witt brings a strong baseball background as a former left-handed pitcher at the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse, where he earned All-WIAC Honorable Mention honors. While attending River Falls High School, he was named Big Rivers Conference Pitcher of the Year, earned All-Conference and All-State Honorable Mention recognition. James has since translated his playing experience into coaching through youth camps, private lessons, and fall ball teams, focusing on player development and fundamentals.

CHAD PATKO
Big Fish Baseball

Chad Patko is currently an assistant coach at UW-River Falls, and also has varsity baseball coaching experience from Spooner, WI. Patko played college baseball at UW-Superior, where he was twice named to the All-Upper Midwest Conference team. Patko was named the WBA Most Valuable Defensive Player at the 2022 when playing for the Spooner Cardinals, and joined the River Falls Fighting Fish in 2025.

KAEL BACON
Big Fish Baseball, Chief Fun Officer

Kael Bacon is originally from Lake City, Minnesota and is currently a football coach at Park High School in addition to playing for the River Falls Fighting Fish amateur team. Bacon also serves as a high school social worker. Coach Bacon specializes in building fun and connection for our players as an assistant coach at Big Fish Performance.

GRACE FRANCO
Big Fish Softball, Western Wisconsin Charge Softball

Grace Franco is serving as an assistant coach for the Western Wisconsin Charge and currently serves as the JV Coach for Prescott High School. Grace was standout player at Prescott High School where she received all conference and all district honors. Coach Franco is also a real estate agent with Coldwell Banker.

JAXIN LARSON
Big Fish Baseball​

Coach Jaxin Larson, a River Falls, Wisconsin native and U.S. Army Infantry veteran who served in Afghanistan, brings exceptional leadership, discipline, and a winning mindset to the game.  A proven competitor, he captured four WBA championships with the Fighting Fish along with two Legion state titles during his high school career at RFHS.  Drawing on both his military and athletic experience, Coach Larson is dedicated to developing players who embody teamwork, resilience, and respect for the game—athletes who compete with tenacity on and off the field.

ANDY METCALF
Big Fish Baseball​, Mental Performance Specialist

Andy Metcalf was a standout in both baseball and football at La Crosse Logan High School before going on to play football for UW-River Falls. Coach Metcalf was able to keep his baseball journey going playing in the summer for the Fighting Fish, where as a catcher and third baseman he's been a starting player for four Wisconsin Baseball Association championship teams. After graduating from UWRF, Coach Metcalf earned his graduate degree in Sports Psychology from the Minnesota State-Mankato.

PAIGE ADRIAN
Big Fish Softball, Western Wisconsin Charge Softball

Paige Adrian is currently serving as one of an assistant coaches for the Western Wisconsin Charge and our Off Season Academy. Coach Adrian is currently a high school junior, where she is a varsity captain after receiving all conference and all district honors as a freshman and sophomore. Paige recently committed to play division 1 softball at the University of St. Thomas.

JAKE LINDSAY
Big Fish Baseball​

Jake Lindsay currently plays for the River Falls Fighting Fish, and played college ball at the University of St Thomas in St. Paul. He graduated from RFHS in 2018, and was a two-time state American Legion champion as well as a three-time all-conference player. Jake has served as a park and rec camp instructor, sandlot camp instructor, and assisted with various other youth baseball camps since 2017. He is currently the Fighting Fish career record holder for ERA, WHIP, and Strikeout to Walk Ratio.

CHASE MCQUADE
Big Fish Baseball​

Chase McQuade serves as a catching specialist at Big Fish Performance as well as assistant coach with our summer programming. Coach McQuade is currently a sophomore baseball player at Concordia-St. Paul University after graduating from River Falls High School and playing club baseball with the Minnesota Blizzard. 

RAGAN PINNOW
​Big Fish Baseball

Coach Ragan Pinnow just completed his junior year at Augustana University, where he was named to the NSIC All Tournament Team and hit .324 in 2025 with three home runs in 35 games for the Augies. Ragan has coached sandlot camp with Coach Giebel for parts of the last two summers which playing for the Fighting Fish amateur team. He has also spent a summer playing in the Northwoods League with the Eau Claire Express.