Ryan Roth is poised to start his eighth season as the head coach of Grace's baseball team in 2025-26.
He has been with the Lancers for the previous nine seasons, serving as an assistant in 2018, interim coach in 2019 and beginning as head coach in the COVID-shortened 2020 season.
“We are extremely pleased with Ryan Roth leading the baseball program at Grace College. His desire for Christian excellence in all areas of leadership is aligned with our mission at Grace College,” said Grace Director of Athletics Chad Briscoe. “His ability to recruit at a high level and his connections across the state will continue to serve him well. We look forward to the future of the Grace baseball program under his leadership.”
Roth is fresh off arguably the finest season in Grace Baseball history. The Lancers reached new heights in 2025, setting program records for most wins (23) and most Crossroads League wins (14) during a single season. The team earned four All-Conference awards as well as an NCCAA All-American nod.
Roth led the Lancers to a storybook season in 2019 as the interim coach. Grace qualified for the Crossroads League Tournament for the first time since 2014 and quickly made an impact.
The Lancers upset top-seed Huntington in the opening round of the tournament thanks to a walkoff squeeze bunt. Grace continued its run, taking down the host Taylor and Marian to land in the championship game for the first time in program history. The Lancers won the fourth-most games (17) in its 60-plus-year history. Grace also had four players earn honors on the postseason All-Crossroads League Team.
In 2022, the Lancers equaled that win total with 17 victories, marking the fourth-most wins in team history. He also led Grace to double-digit wins in Crossroads League play for the third time in program history. Roth's recruiting has led to a revamp of the team's record books. In 2022, the Lancers had two players (Patrick Danforth, Alex Rich) break the previous record for most hits in a season. Another recruit (Austin Carr) ended the season with the second-most RBIs in team history.
In 2023, Grace enjoyed a historically strong season. The Lancers tied the single-season wins record (21) and won the most conference games (13) in program history. One of Roth's recruits (Maximo De Leon) broke three single-season records in his first season (hits, runs, stolen bases).
He guided several players to individual milestones during the 2024 campaign, including three major milestones being broken (career RBIs, stolen bases, strikeouts).
Roth was an accomplished player at Manchester High School, winning the 2A state championship in 2002.
He was an All-County player in 2003 when he led the Squires with a .403 batting average while adding a .969 fielding percentage. Roth, who also played football at Manchester, was inducted into the Manchester High School Hall of Fame along with his 2002 state championship team.
After Manchester, Roth attended Huntington University where he pitched for the Foresters. From Huntington he joined the US Navy where he served from 2010-13.
Roth worked in the private sector after his time in the Navy, and he served for three years as a volunteer assistant coach with Warsaw’s baseball team. He is married to his wife Kelsi, who also works at Grace.
