University of the Incarnate Word Athletics

Ben Buechner enters his second season as an assistant coach for UIW softball. In his first season as the hitting coach at UIW, the Cardinals finished 25th in the nation in batting average with a .312 mark. Also, in the Cardinals 2024 historical season, they saw improvements in slugging percentage, on-base percentage, and hits and runs per game. They increased walks and HBP's, as well as a decrease their strikeouts. The historic 2024 season also included Cardinal first Southland Conference Player of the Year Vic Altamirano, who finished 6th in the nation with a .444 batting average. 
 

Buechner came to UIW after three seasons as an assistant baseball coach at University of the Pacific. He started his baseball coaching career with a 10-year stint at Santa Rosa Junior College. Throughout those 10 years he spent nine as an assistant and one as the interim head coach in 2019.

At University of the Pacific, assisting with hitters, infielders, and coaching third. He saw UOP's batting average improve in all 3 seasons, with 2023 team average of .280 being the 2nd highest in the program's previous 12 seasons. He also helped the Tigers see a consistent yearly growth in Slugging percentage, On-base percentage, and hits and runs per game. While at UOP, he witnessed 3 young men get their named called in the MLB draft. 

At Santa Rosa, Buechner was responsible for recruiting, coaching third base, and assisting hitters, as well as player development for outfielders, infielders, and catchers. While at SRJC, they made the playoffs nine of the ten years (10^th year was 2020 shortened season, where SRJC finished ranked #1 in the state). During that 10-year span, SRJC had a .707 winning percentage and a .686 winning percentage in BIG 8 Conference play, the best during that span in the California powerhouse BIG 8 Conference.

During the 2019 season, Buechner was promoted to interim head coach where they went 38-11 overall to finish second in the BIG 8 Conference standings, advancing to the second round of playoffs. 2019 season saw Noah Rennard and Devin Kirby both named All-Americans, as well as Ethan Payne be awarded the ABCA Pacific Region Gold Glove Catcher's Award. 

While at SRJC, they had three BIG 8 Conference titles and they sent three teams to the CCCAA Final Four; winning the state championship in 2016, finishing as the state runner up in 2017, and 3rd place in 2013. During his tenure, nine student athletes were selected as All-Americans, two BIG 8 Conference Player of the Years (Jake Scheiner also CCCAA Player of the year and Ryan Haug), as well as fifteen players reaching the professional ranks, where 4 have made it to the MLB level. Overall, he saw 95+ student-athletes continue to play at the four-year level following their time at Santa Rosa JC.
 
Along with coaching at Santa Rosa Junior College, Buechner was an adjunct instructor in the Kinesiology department and an assistant to the athletic director. He also organized and lead the 707 Baseball Coaches Convention in 2019 & 2020. 

Earning his undergrad degree from Sonoma State in Kinesiology, Buechner completed his master's degree in Coaching and Athletic Administration from Concordia University Irvine in 2013. A 2006 graduate of Point Arena High School where he played football, baseball and wrestled, he then went on to play baseball at Menlo College and Santa Rosa JC. 
 
Born and raised in Gualala, California, Ben and his wife Stephanie Buechner reside in San Antonio, TX with their two daughters, and son.