View source for Steve Bieser

{{Short description|American baseball player (born 1967)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox baseball biography
|name=Steve Bieser
|team=Jacksonville State Gamecocks 
|position=[[Outfielder]] / [[Coach (baseball)|Coach]]
|bats=Left
|throws=Right
|birth_date={{Birth date and age|1967|8|4}}
|birth_place=[[Ste. Genevieve, Missouri]], U.S.
|debutleague = MLB
|debutdate=April 1
|debutyear=1997
|debutteam=New York Mets
|finalleague = MLB
|finaldate=July 28
|finalyear=1998
|finalteam=Pittsburgh Pirates
|statleague = MLB
| stat1label  = [[Batting average (baseball)|Batting average]]
| stat1value  = .250
| stat2label  = [[Home run]]s
| stat2value  = 0
| stat3label  = [[Run batted in|Runs batted in]]
| stat3value  = 5
| teams       = 
*[[New York Mets]] ({{mlby|1997}})
*[[Pittsburgh Pirates]] ({{mlby|1998}})
}}

'''Steven Ray Bieser''' (born August 4, 1967) is an American former professional baseball [[catcher]] and [[outfielder]], who is currently head baseball coach of the [[Jacksonville State Gamecocks baseball|Jacksonville State baseball team]]. He played [[college baseball]] at [[Jefferson College (Missouri)|Jefferson College]] and [[Southeast Missouri State Redhawks baseball|Southeast Missouri State]] before playing professionally from 1989 to 2001. He then served as head coach of the Southeast Missouri State Redhawks (2013–2016) and then the [[Missouri Tigers baseball|Missouri Tigers]] (2017–2023).

==Amateur career==
Bieser was not highly regarded as a prospect when he graduated from high school, where he played for the Ste. Genevieve Dragons, and after graduation he enrolled at [[Jefferson College (Missouri)|Jefferson College]], a [[junior college]] in Missouri.  Jefferson's coach, David Oster, enjoyed a good reputation as an instructor, having coached seven players who made the Major Leagues (including Bieser) and having been selected to the National Junior College Baseball Hall of Fame in 2005.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gjsentinel.com/sports/content/sports/juco/stories/JUCO_David_Oster_HOF.html |title=Coaches boast impressive credentials |website=www.gjsentinel.com |access-date=20 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070312084808/http://www.gjsentinel.com/sports/content/sports/juco/stories/JUCO_David_Oster_HOF.html |archive-date=12 March 2007 |url-status=dead}}</ref> One season at Jefferson College and one season at Mineral Area College under Hal Loughary helped Bieser improve enough to make the team at [[Southeast Missouri State University]].

==Professional career==
After the end of Bieser's college career, the [[Philadelphia Phillies]] chose him in the 32nd round of the 1989 June draft, with the 818th overall pick. Very few players chosen that low in the draft advance to the major leagues, but Bieser defied the odds. He advanced to AAA within the Phillies' organization, and after signing with the [[New York Mets]] as a six-year minor league free agent, made his major league debut on April 1, 1997.

Bieser appeared in 47 games with the Mets that year, chiefly as a bench player. His left-handed bat, above-average foot speed, and ability to play multiple positions helped him stay on the roster for a large portion of the season, as these traits afforded manager [[Bobby Valentine]] an unusual variety of tactical options. As a further testament to his versatility as a player, Bieser also filled in as a [[pitcher]] in minor league games during at least six different seasons.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/B/steve-bieser.shtml | title=Players/People }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://204.27.188.70/daily/05-96/05-24-96/d02sp110.htm |title=NewStandard: 5/24/96 |website=204.27.188.70 |access-date=20 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19991009072238/http://204.27.188.70/daily/05-96/05-24-96/d02sp110.htm |archive-date=9 October 1999 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

At the end of the year, he signed with the [[Pittsburgh Pirates]] as a free agent, and in 1998 he appeared in 13 games with that franchise. He finished his major league career with a .250 [[batting average (baseball)|batting average]], a .351 [[on-base percentage]], and a .300 [[slugging percentage]] in 80 [[at bat]]s. Continuing to play professionally after the end of his time in the majors, Bieser last appeared in uniform as a player with the [[Memphis Redbirds]] in 2001.

==Coaching career==
After his last game as a player, Bieser has become a high school baseball coach at [[St. John Vianney High School (Kirkwood, Missouri)|St. John Vianney High School]], a private Catholic school in [[Kirkwood, Missouri]].  His squad won the state championship in 2004.  His team has again claimed the state championship in 2006.  As of 2009 Steve Bieser was 117–42 in 6 seasons with the Vianney Griffins.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.vianney.com/athletics/baseball/baseball_news.html |title=Untitled Document |access-date=2005-12-28 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051031072001/http://www.vianney.com/athletics/baseball/baseball_news.html |archive-date=2005-10-31 }}</ref> Bieser also worked at the school as a math teacher. He left the position in 2010 for an assistant coaching position at Southeast Missouri State, where he was named the head coach prior to the 2013 season.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.vianney.com/index.php?datapg=faculty_directory.html |title=St. John Vianney High School - St. Louis MO |access-date=2005-12-28 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051223175946/http://www.vianney.com/index.php?datapg=faculty_directory.html |archive-date=2005-12-23 }}</ref>

In 2009, Bieser was the manager of the [[Danville Dans]], a team in the collegiate [[Prospect League]].<ref>http://www.prospectleague.com/story3.pdf{{dead link|date=March 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

Bieser coached the Southeast Missouri State Redhawks from 2013–16, leading them to 3 consecutive first-place finishes in the Ohio Valley Conference.

On June 30, 2016, the University of Missouri announced Bieser as its 14th baseball head coach, with a contract through 2021.<ref>{{cite web |title=CONTRACT FOR EMPLOYMENT BETWEEN STEVEN R. BIESER AND THE CURATORS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI on behalf of the UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI-COLUMBIA |url=https://s3.amazonaws.com/sidearm.sites/mutigers.com/documents/2017/3/9/contract_bieser.pdf |access-date=31 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220831130020/https://s3.amazonaws.com/sidearm.sites/mutigers.com/documents/2017/3/9/contract_bieser.pdf |archive-date=31 August 2022}}</ref>

In his first three seasons, 2017-2019, Missouri had a record of 103-65-1, and a conference record of 39-50-1, its best three-year period since joining the SEC in 2013.

In 2019, Missouri extended his contract through the 2024 season.<ref>{{cite web |title=Sports compensation report |url=https://athleticdirectoru.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/SteveBieser_Contract.pdf |website=Altheticdirectoru.com |access-date=31 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220418220533/https://athleticdirectoru.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/SteveBieser_Contract.pdf |archive-date=18 April 2022}}</ref>

On May 28, 2023, after 3 straight last place finishes in the SEC East, Missouri fired Bieser.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.columbiatribune.com/story/sports/college/tiger-extra/2023/05/28/missouri-baseball-head-coach-steve-bieser-fired/70265320007/|title=Missouri baseball coach Steve Bieser fired after SEC tournament loss|newspaper=[[Columbia Daily Tribune]]|first=Matt|last=Stahl|date=May 28, 2023|access-date=May 28, 2023}}</ref>

On June 24, 2023, Bieser was named as the 8th head coach of [[Jacksonville State Gamecocks baseball|Jacksonville State]], replacing the retiring [[Jim Case (baseball)|Jim Case]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.al.com/sports/2023/06/jax-state-hires-former-missouri-coach-steve-bieser-to-lead-baseball-program.html|title=Jax State hires former Missouri coach Steve Bieser to lead baseball program|website=al.com|first=Creg|last=Stephenson|date=June 24, 2023|access-date=June 24, 2023}}</ref>

===Head coaching record===
Below is a table of Bieser's yearly records as an NCAA head baseball coach.<ref name=ovcst13>{{cite web|title=2013 Ohio Valley Conference Baseball Standings|url=http://www.d1baseball.com/conferences/standings_ovc.htm|work=D1Baseball.com|publisher=Jeremy Mills|access-date=June 1, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130507113323/http://www.d1baseball.com/conferences/standings_ovc.htm|archive-date=May 7, 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref>

{{CBB yearly record start | type = coach }}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subhead
 | name      = [[Southeast Missouri State Redhawks baseball|Southeast Missouri State Redhawks]]
 | conference= [[Ohio Valley Conference]]
 | startyear = 2013
 | endyear   = 2016
}}
{{CBB yearly record entry
| championship = 
| season       = [[2013 NCAA Division I baseball season|2013]]
| name         = Southeast Missouri State
| overall      = 26–33
| conference   = 13–17
| confstanding = 6th
| postseason   = 
}}
{{CBB yearly record entry
| championship = conference
| season       = [[2014 NCAA Division I baseball season|2014]]
| name         = Southeast Missouri State
| overall      = 37–20
| conference   = 23–7
| confstanding = 1st
| postseason   = 
}}
{{CBB yearly record entry
| championship = conference
| season       = [[2015 NCAA Division I baseball season|2015]]
| name         = Southeast Missouri State
| overall      = 36–23
| conference   = 20–7
| confstanding = 1st
| postseason   = 
}}
{{CBB yearly record entry
| championship = confboth
| season       = [[2016 NCAA Division I baseball season|2016]]
| name         = Southeast Missouri State
| overall      = 39–21
| conference   = 22–8
| confstanding = 1st
| postseason   = [[2016 NCAA Division I baseball tournament#Starkville Super Regional|NCAA Regional]]
}}
{{CBB yearly record subtotal
| name       = Southeast Missouri State
| overall    = 138–97
| confrecord = 78–39
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subhead
| name = [[Missouri Tigers baseball|Missouri Tigers]]
| startyear = 2017
| conference = [[Southeastern Conference]]
| endyear = 2023
|
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| season = [[2017 NCAA Division I baseball season|2017]]
| name = Missouri
| overall = 36–23
| conference = 14–16
| confstanding = 4th {{small|(East)}}*
| postseason =
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| season = [[2018 NCAA Division I baseball season|2018]]
| name = Missouri
| overall = 34–22
| conference = 12–18
| confstanding = T–6th {{small|(East)}}
| postseason =
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| season = [[2019 NCAA Division I baseball season|2019]]
| name = [[2019 Missouri Tigers baseball team|Missouri]]
| overall = 34–22–1
| conference = 13–16–1
| confstanding = 4th {{small|(East)}}
| postseason =
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| season = [[2020 NCAA Division I baseball season|2020]]
| name = [[2020 Missouri Tigers baseball team|Missouri]]
| overall = 11–5
| conference = 0–0
| confstanding =  {{small|(East)}}
| postseason = Season canceled due to [[COVID-19]]
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| season = [[2021 NCAA Division I baseball season|2021]]
| name = [[2021 Missouri Tigers baseball team|Missouri]]
| overall = 15–36
| conference = 8–22
| confstanding = 7th {{small|(East)}}
| postseason = 
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| season = [[2022 NCAA Division I baseball season|2022]]
| name = [[2022 Missouri Tigers baseball team|Missouri]]
| overall = 28–23
| conference = 10–20
| confstanding =  7th {{small|(East)}}
| postseason = 
 }}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| season = [[2023 NCAA Division I baseball season|2023]]
| name = [[2023 Missouri Tigers baseball team|Missouri]]
| overall = 30–24
| conference = 10–20
| confstanding =  7th {{small|(East)}}
| postseason = 
}}
{{CBB yearly record subtotal
| name       = Missouri
| overall    = 188–155–1
| confrecord = 60–97–1
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subhead
 | name      = [[Jacksonville State Gamecocks baseball|Jacksonville State Gamecocks]]
 | conference= [[Conference USA]]
 | startyear = 2024
 | endyear   =
}}
{{CBB yearly record entry
| championship = 
| season       = [[2024 NCAA Division I baseball season|2024]]
| name         = Jacksonville State 
| overall      = 18–34
| conference   = 5–19
| confstanding = 9th
| postseason   = 
}}
{{CBB yearly record entry
| championship = 
| season       = [[2025 NCAA Division I baseball season|2025]]
| name         = Jacksonville State 
| overall      = 37-25
| conference   = 15-12
| confstanding = 4th
| postseason   = [[2025 Conference USA Baseball Tournament|C-USA tournament]]
}}
{{CBB yearly record subtotal
| name       = Jacksonville State 
| overall    = 55-59
| confrecord = 20-31
}}
{{CBB yearly record end
| overall = 381–311–1
}}

==See also==
*[[List of current NCAA Division I baseball coaches]]

==References==
<references/>

==External links==
*[http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/B/steve-bieser.shtml A partial listing of Bieser's professional statistics.]
{{Baseballstats|br=b/biesest01}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Bieser, Steve}}
[[Category:1967 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Altoona Curve players]]
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[[Category:Major League Baseball catchers]]
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