Josh Bertke - Associate Head Coach - Softball Coaches - South Dakota State University Athletics

Josh Bertke

Title:
Associate Head Coach
Email:
Joshua.Bertke@sdstate.edu

Josh Bertke has completed three seasons as the Jackrabbits' associate head coach and enters his fourth year as part of the program heading into the 2025-26 season.

Bertke serves as SDSU's primary hitting coach. Under the direction of Bertke, the Jackrabbits have been one of the best teams in The Summit League at the plate. The Jackrabbits have boasted two straight Summit League Players of the Year in Abby Gentry (2025) and Mia Jarecki (2024). Gentry in 2025 set seven top-six single-season marks in various batting totals including the program's second-best batting average (.427), with it being the best in SDSU's Division I era, as well as second-best on-base percentage (.503). The program's on-base single-season record was set in 2025 by teammate Brooke Dumont who set a new mark of .515.

Bertke's group of hitters produced numerous top-10 single season records during the 2025 season. They include the second most doubles (89) and walks drawn (222), fourth most home runs (50), RBIs (285) and total bases (706), fifth most runs scored (300), sixth best on-base percentage (.395) and eighth highest slugging percentage (.475) in program history.

In 2024, a Jackrabbit player sat at the top of nine different statistical categories among Summit League hitters at the end of the season. That year, Jarecki led the league in batting average at .396 and eventually broke the program's runs scored record. Emma Osmundson, SDSU's career leader in doubles, led the conference with 18. Lindsey Culver, who at the time set the career runs scored program record, was among the top three individuals in seven categories within the conference.

The Jackrabbits have continued their best stretch in program history with Bertke as part of the coaching staff. SDSU has completed seven straight winning seasons which is the Jackrabbits' longest stretch ever. He was part of a staff that led SDSU to a 17-0 undefeated regular season in conference play in 2023, helping head coach Kristina McSweeney claim Summit League Coach of the Year accolades. The Jackrabbits captured the conference regular season titles in 2023 and 2024.

Bertke came to Brookings following seven seasons at Arkansas Tech where he coached alongside McSweeney. He served as McSweeney's associate head coach for the last three years and worked primarily with the Golden Suns' hitters and was Arkansas Tech's third-base coach.

Bertke was instrumental in Arkansas Tech's sustained success as he joined McSweeney's staff following her second season at the helm of the Golden Suns program. The coaches guided Arkansas Tech to their first conference tournament championship ever in 2018 and closed their tenure at the institution in 2022 behind a 40-win campaign to go along with four Great American Conference tournament titles over a five-year span.

Bertke's lineups at the time of his departure held the top spots on Arkansas Tech's offensive historical lists. The top three home-run marks, top four seasons in program history in batting average, runs and hits, as well as the top five RBI season totals in program history came with Bertke directing the Golden Suns offense.

He had a hand in coaching Tymber Riley, who as a dual-sport athlete at Arkansas Tech, was the 2021-22 GAC Female Athlete of the Year. In 2022, Riley batted .432 and crushed 17 home runs and 55 RBIs. She was a consensus All-American while she was joined in All-America accolades by teammate Caitlyn Wells, the first time the program had multiple selections in the same year.

Bertke also has experience as a strength and conditioning coach, as he has worked with Arkansas Tech’s football, volleyball and women’s basketball teams since 2015. He assisted with the implementation and supervision of softball training, as well.

Bertke attended Asbury University for his bachelor’s degree in exercise science. During his time at Asbury, he was a four-year member of the baseball team. Bertke earned a master’s degree in strength and conditioning from Arkansas Tech.

Bertke and his wife Sloane, who was a four-year soccer player at Asbury, reside in Brookings with their daughters, Keatyn and Marley.