Chris Rateike

Chris Rateike is in his 20th year as head coach of the Hill College Baseball Program. During his first season, the team was one game away from making the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) World Series. During the spring 2024 season, Rateike celebrated his 500th win at Hill College, an accomplishment for both him and the college. 

Throughout his tenure, he has guided numerous players to Division I, II, and National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) universities.  

Prior to joining Hill College, Rateike coached at Northeastern Junior College, Frank Phillips College, Indian Hills Community College, Arkansas Tech University, and the United States Baseball Athletic Program. Over his career, he has recruited and developed 99 players who have signed professional contracts, including four Triple-A Minor League Baseball (AAA) players and five Major League players. Four former Hill College players were signed in the 2016 Major League draft by the Giants, the Royals, the Braves, and the Red Sox. Four of his former players who went on to play professionally received invitations to play in the World Baseball Classic. 

Rateike attended Indian Hills Community College in Centerville, Iowa, where he played for the baseball team. During his two years at there, the team won two conference titles, two subregional titles, a regional title, and a fifth-place finish in the 1992 NJCAA World Series. He then went on to graduate from Arkansas Tech University, where he received his bachelor’s degree and finished his college baseball career. 

During his collegiate career, he earned his way into the record books with records such as: appearances in a season (1st), career appearances (4th), single-season ERA (4th), and career ERA (5th). 

Rateike went on to earn his Master of Science degree in health, physical education, and recreation at Emporia State University in Emporia, Kansas. 

He and his wife, Angie, have been married for 24 years. Their son, Ryan, played baseball at Hill College and then Odessa College before transferring to Missouri Baptist in St. Louis, Missouri. In 2013, Ryan played in the NAIA World Series; he is currently an assistant coach at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Illinois.