Drake Biggins is entering his 4th season with the Reivers in 2026-27.

In 2026, in his first full season as the Pitching Coach at Iowa Western, the Reivers pitchers saw continued success and a 47-11 record.  Brynner Waiolama was honored as the Region 11 Pitcher of the Year as well as being named a NJCAA All-American.  7 of his pitchers took home All-Region honors.  13 pitchers moved onto 4 Year schools, with 11 of them committing to Division 1 schools.  

Prior to Iowa Western, Biggins was the head baseball trainer at Front Range Baseball Academy in Colorado.  Drake was responsible for programming and player development across multiple teams, along with recruiting and student-athlete placement to the college level. Upon leaving Front Range, all 14 of the 2024 graduates had offers to play at the college level.

Biggins attended Ponderosa High School in Parker, CO, and played at Colby Community College in Kansas, where he garnered all-conference accolades in 2015.  He finished his playing career at Wayne State College in Nebraska and earned a degree in Sports Management from Metropolitan State University of Denver.  

“Drake brings a wealth of knowledge on pitching development.  He is a great communicator on movement and mechanics. He emphasizes individual programming and mental performance and is one of the best relationship builders I’ve worked with.  Drake has helped the program win 100 games in his 2 years on staff.”

-Cougill

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Colorado State University Pueblo baseball head coach Bobby Applegate has addition of Jared Morton as an assistant coach for the ThunderWolves' baseball program. Morton will serve as the Pack's pitching coach.

Morton comes to CSU Pueblo after spending the past year as an administrative assistant and assistant baseball coach at the University School of Nashville in Nashville, Tenn.

"I'm very excited to bring Jared on board. I have been tracking Jared's progress from his playing days in high school to his coaching days in college," Applegate said. "He greatly understands the mechanical and mental side of pitching. He will bring a great deal of experience and will be a tremendous addition to the Pack Baseball program."

Prior to working at the University School of Nashville, Morton spent the 2023 season working as a pitching coach at Tarleton State University. In his one year at Tarleton, the program recorded a 26-26 overall record, which was the best in the school's Division I era and helped his pitchers compile a team ERA of 5.63, which is the best in the school's Division I era and was fifth-best in the Western Athletic Conference. In addition, Tarleton's pitchers finished with the lowest opposing batting average (.263) in the league and allowed the fewest runs (312) in the league.

"I'm thrilled to join CSU Pueblo as the new pitching coach. This opportunity to work with such a talented team is truly exciting. Coach Applegate gave me the opportunity to play college baseball at UC Riverside and I've been grateful to call him a mentor in my career ever since," Morton said. "Together, we are focused on not only developing our pitchers but also on achieving our goal of winning championships and bringing excellence to CSU Pueblo."

Before working at Tarleton State, he spent 10 months as the Director of Baseball Operations at the University of Evansville. In his role with the Aces, Morton served as the baseball program's camp director and helped managed the baseball program's budget and coordinated video for team meetings and scouting reports.

Morton served as a graduate assistant coach at Western Illinois University during the 2021-22 school year and before that he was a volunteer assistant coach at the University of Evansville during the 2021 season.

He took his volunteer coaching position at Evansville after spending two seasons as a pitching and first base coach with the Mankato Moondogs of the Northwoods League. Also, he spent nearly two years as a pitching coach at Mt. San Jacinto Junior College.

Morton has also spent time as the pitching coach at another Northwoods League team, the Rochester Honkers, and got his coaching start as the Assistant Director of Baseball Operations at his alma mater, UC Riverside.

As a collegiate baseball player, Morton pitched for four seasons at UC Riverside, which is an NCAA Division I school that is a member of the Big West Conference. In his time with the Highlanders, Morton holds the record for most appearances, including four starts, and posted a 6-9 record and a 4.01 ERA. He recorded 10 career saves and had 91 strikeouts and just 36 walks in 137 career innings.

During his freshman year in 2015, Morton was tied for third on the team in appearances with 22 and logged the most innings (25.2) as a relief pitcher, then as a sophomore in 2016, he posted the lowest ERA (2.32) and opponent batting average (.231) and was second on the team in appearances with 28. During his junior campaign in 2017, he led the team in appearances (27) and posted a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 3.88 (31 strikeouts and eight walks) and then as a senior in 2018, he made 23 appearances, including four starts and was fifth on the team in innings pitched (46.1) and had a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 4.13 (33 strikeouts and eight walks).

Morton, who prepped at Temecula Valley High School, earned his bachelor's degree in history from UC Riverside in June 2018 and earned his Master of Science in Recreation, Parks and Tourism Administration with an emphasis in Sports Management from Western Illinois University in December 2022.

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Coach Kyle Pearson was hired to be the head assistant/pitching coach in July of 2021, and he was appointed to Interim Head Coach in March 2022. In the 24 games in which Coach Pearson was the Head Coach, the Chukars amassed a 15-9 record. As of May 23^rd, 2022 Coach Pearson moved into the Head Coaching role for TVCC.

In 2020-2021 Coach Pearson was the pitching coach at Dawson Community College in Glendive, MT. He helped lead Dawson to a 29-23 record controlling the pitching staff and catchers.

In the summer of 2021, Coach Pearson was the co-head coach of the Casper Horseheads in the Expedition League, a collegiate summer league.

Before coaching at Dawson CC, Coach Pearson coached multiple high school teams in the Boise area, including Capital and Meridian High School since 2013.

Coach Pearson played at TVCC in 2011-2012, before pursuing his path as a coach. He attended Boise State to finish his degree in Sports Journalism. Coach Pearson is looking forward to getting Treasure Valley Baseball back to its former glory and molding outstanding student athletes.

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Miles Kizer is entering his 4th season with Iowa Western in 2025-26, as the Associate Head Coach and recruiting coordinator.

Averaging nearly 7.5 runs/game, 2025 saw another productive season offensively for the Reivers.  Under Kizer, Iowa Western set another team stolen base record.  228 times a Reiver swiped a base in ’25, breaking the ’24 record of 216.  Individual stolen base records by Geislinger (45) and Neville (41), as well as single-season at-bats by Neville (247), continue the trend of offensive pressure for the Reivers.  Eight of Kizer’s hitters committed to the four-year level, including 7 to Division 1 programs.  

In Kizer’s second season, the Reivers went 54-10 and earned a trip to the JUCO World Series in Grand Junction, Colorado.  Statistically, the Reiver offense led the Nation in runs scored (680), doubles (185), triples (38), RBI’s (608), and extra base hits (304). They finished #2 in hits (735), total bases (1239), hit by pitch (156), stolen bases (216), and sacrifice flies (41).  The Reiver offense also went on to break school records in walks (313), hit by pitch, and stolen bases.  For the second year in a row, there were multiple All-American hitters as Kyle Hvidsten and AJ Singer received the honor, with Hvidsten being recognized as the ICCAC Most Valuable Player.  On the defensive side of the ball, Kizer helped IW catcher Nate Voss receive the National Gold Glove award with a 1.000% fielding percentage.

In his first season at Iowa Western, the Reiver offense posted a .331 BA, .444 OBP, and .543 slugging while averaging nearly 9 runs/game.  Brayden Smith, Brandon Rogers, and Tyler Stone had breakout seasons for the Reivers garnering All-American awards, while Smith was voted as the ICCAC Most Valuable Player.

Prior to Iowa Western, Kizer spent three seasons as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Yavapai College.

While at Yavapai, Kizer helped lead the 2021 squad to a region championship and helped lead the 2022 team to a region playoff appearance and a 36-19 record. In his two full seasons with the Roughriders, there were two ACCAC Players of the Year (Noah Turley 2021, Sean Rimmer 2022) and three All-American hitters (Noah Turley, CJ Valdez 2021, Sean Rimmer 2022).  

In Kizer’s first season at YC, while working with the team’s hitters and catchers, the Roughriders had a 22-3 record and finished the season leading the ACCAC in HR's, 2B’s, H’s, R’s, RBI, AVG, OBP, and SLG while being #4 in the final national poll. Kizer also did the strength and conditioning for YC Baseball.

Prior to Yavapai, Kizer served as an assistant coach at Western Oregon University.  During his time at WOU, Kizer assisted with all aspects of the WOU program. On the field, Kizer primarily worked with the team’s catchers and hitters.  In seven of his eight seasons with the Wolves, he helped a catcher to an All-GNAC honor, including helping catchers to All-Region honors in ‘17, ’18, and ‘19. There were three Wolves’ catchers to sign professional contracts in Kizer's time at WOU, including Jared McDonald, a 2019 19th-round draft pick by the Oakland A’s.

In the summer, Kizer has coached Post 20, the Wenatchee Applesox in the West Coast League, and the Alaska Goldpanners. In his four summers as the head coach, the Dirtbags appeared in four state tournaments with three top-four finishes. While with the Wenatchee Applesox in 2015, he ran the offense and worked with the hitters, including future MLB infielder Keston Hiura. In two summers as the Head Coach for the Alaska Goldpanners, they compiled a record of 61-25 and won the Grand Forks Invitational in 2019 and coached future MLB infielder Brett Harris.

Kizer played collegiately at Glendale CC (Ariz.), the University of Washington, and Western Oregon University. At GCC, Kizer was a standout in both football and baseball. Kizer was selected to the NJCAA DII All-American 1st team his sophomore year as a catcher while helping Glendale to consecutive postseason berths. He transferred to UW for his junior season before finishing his playing career with the Wolves.

Kizer graduated from WOU with a Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies. He resides in Council Bluffs, IA, with his wife, Christina; they have two children, Brady and Melanie.

“Miles’ loyalty and commitment to me and our players has been a driving force of our success.  His tireless work ethic and sacrifice as well as his ability to evaluate people and talent, have helped him become one of the very best recruiters in college baseball.  His passion for development and his ability to help make offensive adjustments, have helped our players production at Iowa Western and as they advance their careers.”

-Cougill

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Ryan Cougill enters his 4th season at the helm of the Reivers baseball program and 14th overall as a head coach for 2025-26.  In his first three seasons at Iowa Western, Cougill led the Reivers to an overall record of 134-43 (.757).

Former D1 and Pro players through Cougill’s 13-year tenure

Pitchers -         70 Division I        14 professional            4 MLB
Infielders -      40 Division I        12 professional            1 MLB
Outfielders -   25 Division I          4 professional            1 MLB
Catchers -        11 Division I          3 professional
2025 saw another successful season under Cougill’s guidance.

46-19 Overall Record
26-7 ICCAC Record
#3 National Ranking
Region 11 Champions
Midwest District Runner-Up
2 All-Americans (Noah Scott, Cooper Neville)
Conference Player of the Year (Cooper Neville)
Conference Pitcher of the Year (Noah Scott)
Conference Coach of the Year
School career pitching record for wins (Noah Scott)
School team stolen bases (228)
School single season records for: stolen bases (Geislinger, 45 and Neville, 41),
at-bats (Neville, 247), assists (Neville, 163)

Off the field, the Reivers garnered a 3.46 GPA, including 11 players earning a 4.0 GPA.  21 of Cougill’s sophomores committed to play at the next level, including 18 to Division 1 schools.

The 2024 season was a success by many measurable standards, highlighted by a return trip to the JUCO World Series.

54-10 Overall Record
31-2 ICCAC Record
#1 National Ranking
ICCAC Champions
Region 11 Champions
Midwest District Champions
Gold Glove Award (Nate Voss)
3 All-Americans (Kyle Hvidsten, AJ Singer, Noah Scott)
Conference Player of the Year (Kyle Hvidsten)
Conference Pitcher of the Year (Logan Olson)
Conference Defensive Player of the Year (AJ Singer)
Conference Coach of the Year
Midwest District coach of the year
School offensive records for Walks (313), SB’s (216), HBP (156)
School defensive records for Fielding % (.981), Double Plays, Assists and Putouts
Individual school records for AB’s (AJ Singer), Runs (Brayden Smith), Fielding% % (Nate Voss and Reese Harmon), and Assists (Brayden Smith)
National leader in runs scored, doubles, triples, RBI, and fielding percentage.
Off the field, the Reivers were just as impressive.  31 of Cougill’s student-athletes garnered a 3.5 GPA or higher. 19 of Cougill’s sophomores from the ’24 season have committed to play at the 4-year level, including 16 to the Division 1 level. (Creighton, Grand Canyon, Eastern Michigan, Hawaii, Liberty, Nebraska, Oklahoma State, Omaha, Oregon State, Penn State, Seattle, Western Illinois, Western Kentucky).

In Cougill’s first season at Iowa Western, the Reivers had the greatest start in program history, rattling off 19 straight wins.  19 total Reivers moved onto the 4-year level, including 16 division 1 transfers (Tennessee, Louisville, Oregon, Arizona, Oregon State, Nebraska, Wichita State, Charlotte, Florida International, New Mexico, Stephen F. Austin, Western Michigan, Southern Indiana, Tennessee-Martin, Boston College).  Tyler Stone, Brandon Rogers, and Brayden Smith earned NJCAA All-American accolades. Singer was named the ICCAC defensive player of the year, and Smith was voted the ICCAC most valuable player.  28 of Cougill’s players garnered Region 11 Academic All-Region Honors.

Before Iowa Western, Cougill spent 10 seasons as the head baseball coach at Yavapai College.  Cougill led the Roughriders to a record of 354-189-1 and back-to-back JUCO World Series appearances in 2015 and 2016; his team reached the pinnacle of Division 1 junior college baseball in 2016 by winning the JUCO World Series 5-2 over San Jacinto College.

While at Yavapai, Cougill garnered West District Coach of the Year honors on two occasions as well as National Coach of the Year accolades.  While at Yavapai, Cougill saw more than 120 players move on to Division 1 or professional baseball, including 5 alumni making it to the Major League level. (Chance Adams, Willie Calhoun, JoJo Romero, Darius Vines, Christian Encarnacion-Strand).

Prior to being a head coach at Yavapai, Cougill spent four years as the recruiting coordinator with the Roughriders under Sky Smeltzer.  Future MLB players during this span included Parker Markel, Kirby Yates, Merrill Kelly, and Ken Giles.

Cougill spent the 2008 season as the infield coach at New Mexico Junior College, where they earned a WJCAC title and finished 2nd in the nation in fielding percentage.  Before NMJC, he served under his father and Hall of Fame coach at Reed-Custer HS in Braidwood, IL in 2007, Joliet Junior College in 2006, and Western Illinois University in 2005.

Cougill played for Hall-of-Fame coach Wayne King at Joliet Junior College from 2001-02, where he earned All-Conference honors in his freshman and sophomore campaigns. He then transferred to Western Illinois University.  Cougill was named to the All-Mid-Continent Conference team in 2003 and 2004. Cougill left his mark at WIU, finishing his career amongst the top of the record books in single-season hits, runs scored, and career batting average.

Cougill earned his B.S. in Kinesiology from Western Illinois University.  He and his wife, Jennifer, reside in Council Bluffs. Together, they have two sons, Colter and Wyatt.

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