With a dozen years as a successful collegiate head baseball coach already under his belt, Michigan, ND, native Joel Barta took over the Marauders baseball program prior to the 2012 season.
“We look forward to Joel Barta joining the Marauders family,” said U-Mary athletic director Roger Thomas. “Joel has been the architect of a couple successful programs and he had great success at Ridgewater. We are excited about what he has accomplished in the past and look forward to what he will do with our baseball program. Developing the character of our student-athletes on the field and in the classroom and community is also important to Joel and fits very well with the mission of the University of Mary.”
“I am extremely excited to come back home to North Dakota and to continue building the Marauders baseball program,” said Barta. “I’ve taken up similar challenges twice before and been rewarded in doing so. There is a hunger in our players and I look forward to getting to campus.
“The leadership of Roger Thomas played a big part in my decision to accept the position. When I visited, everyone was very welcoming and I never felt like I didn’t belong. It was extremely gratifying to feel that way. From meeting Father Shea and the people on campus, I have a good feeling about coming to the University of Mary.”
Highlighted by a split against national semifinalist Minnesota State for a second straight year, the Marauders finished 2014 with a record of 15-35 overall and 6-24 in the Northern Sun. Junior outfielder Jason Shaul earned All-NSIC second team honors, the first Marauders player honored since 2011.
In his second season at U-Mary, the Marauders took significant strides in 2013. U-Mary won eight more games than the year before, despite playing 11 fewer contests. The Marauders finished 17-21-1 overall with an 8-15 mark in conference play. U-Mary improved a couple slots in the conference standings, posting the same number of Northern Sun wins as in 2012 but in 13 less games.
In Barta's first season at U-Mary, the Marauders lowered their team earned run average from 7.78 in 2011 to 6.05 in 2012. U-Mary finished 9-41 overall and 8-28 in league games to finish 12th in the Northern Sun.
The head coach at Ridgewater College in Willmar, MN, the three seasons prior to joinging U-Mary, Barta’s teams compiled a record of 71-48 from 2009-11. The last two seasons the Warriors went a combined 57-28 with consecutive trips to the regional tournament and ranked among the national leaders in hitting and winning percentage. In 2010, Ridgewater finished 31-14, was nationally ranked and advanced to the regional title game but fell one win short of advancing to the National Junior College Athletic Association world series. Barta was named the 2010 Central Division Coach of the Year as his team won the divisional championship. Ridgewater also featured a 1st team All-American and led all men’s programs in the number of academic all-conference performers. Barta took over a Warriors team in 2009 that returned just one sophomore.
Barta coached two seasons at the University of Texas-Brownsville (2007-08) where he oversaw a program that moved from the junior college ranks to a four-year program. The Scorpions earned a post-season berth for the first time in eight years and third time in team history in his second year. Despite jumping up to four year competition, UTB improved its win total in Barta’s first season, winning 19 games in 2007. In year two the Scorpions won 24 games and placed third in the conference tournament.
Barta took on his first collegiate head coaching duties at Northland College in Ashland, WI, in 2000, starting a baseball program from scratch. The Lumberjacks had disbanded their program in 1976. In his fourth season Northland qualified for the national playoffs. In 2006, Barta’s final season at Northland prior to taking the UT-Brownsville job, the baseball team posted the first winning season of any Lumberjacks athletic programs in eight years when the team finished 21-18-1.
A 1994 graduate of Mayville (ND) State University, Barta was an assistant coach for the Comets in 1994-95. He would then coach at Hastings College, where he earned his master’s degree in 1997 before returning to assist at Mayville State in 1999.
In addition to his college experiences, Barta also was the field manager for two Northwoods league teams, coaching the Thunder Bay Border Cats in 2009 and the Wisconsin Woodchucks in 2006 and as both an assistant and manager in 2004-05.
Throughout his baseball career, Barta has coached and played with over 100 players who have signed professional contracts or have been drafted.
A graduate of Michigan (ND) High School who played college baseball at UND-Lake Region, Bellevue (NE) University and Mayville State, Barta will begin coaching the Marauders fall practices September 11. He is married and has three children.
Joel Barta at U-Mary
| Year | Overall | Northern Sun |
| 2012 | 9-41 | 8-28 |
| 2013 | 17-21-1 | 8-15 |
| 2014 | 15-35 | 6-24 |
| Total | 41-97-1 | 22-67 |
