Puyallup baseball coach Marc Wiese hits major milestone, collecting win No. 500
When Marc Wiese took over the Puyallup High School baseball job nearly three decades ago, Puyallup was a football school. Wiese told his friend and then-coach Mike Huard — who oversaw a powerhouse Vikings program and was inducted into the Washington State Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame — that he was going to make it a baseball school.
Consider that promise kept. With Tuesday night’s 10-0 SPSL 4A win over Graham-Kapowsin, Wiese notched career win No. 500 at Puyallup.
“We kind of figured that out after a few years,” Wiese said. “I’ve been blessed with just tremendous kids, competitive kids. We’ve got so much community support. It’s awesome.”
He has won 14 straight league titles, 18 total titles and two state championships in his time at Puyallup. Addressing his team after Tuesday night’s win, he was already looking forward to the next game.
“I just like to compete,” Wiese said. “I’m not a numbers guy, counting victories and different things. Like I tell these guys, we just try to play each game like it’s a state championship game. They’re all important.”
There’s been a long line of talent that has come through the Puyallup program during that time. This year’s team is littered with future Division I talent, including junior center fielder and WSU commit Donte Grant. Count Grant among those impressed with Wiese’s resume.
“It’s amazing,” Grant said. “He’s done so much here, had the best players to come out here and get this team going.”
Coming into the program, Grant said the standard Wiese has set is clearly defined.
“It’s not going to be easy,” Grant said. “You’ve gotta work your butt off and nothing is just going to come to you. You’re going to have to grind and become the best player out there.”
Wiese, 52, isn’t totally comfortable with the spotlight on him, being showered with praise. The festivities even included a brief fireworks show just beyond the left field wall after the game.
“All that (500 wins) proves is that I’m old,” Wiese said, laughing. “I’ve been around too long. My back’s hurting.”
Self-deprecating humor aside, it’s a meaningful milestone nonetheless. Can he get to 1,000?
“I don’t have a goal,” he said. “A number isn’t a big deal to me. I’m just going to take it a year at a time right now. I’d like to get another three to five years and who knows, maybe more.”
In Tuesday’s win, right fielder Noah Fields went 4-for-4 with a double and an RBI. Freshman Gage Thompson went 2-for-2 with a triple and an RBI and starting pitcher Hunter Grasser maintained his stellar form coming off a perfect game recently, tossing six innings, giving up just one hit, walking none and striking out eight. Puyallup’s players are confident the train will keep rolling under Wiese.
“It’s just going to keep getting better and better every year,” Grant said. “It’s just always going to be one of the top programs in the state.”
