Steve Jaksa concluded his fourth season as the head coach at Saginaw Valley in 2021-22.

In the 2018-19 season, Jaksa's first year at the helm, he led the Cardinals to the GLIAC Tournament Championship game for the first time since 2003.  The Cardinals finished the season with an overall record of 21-29-1. 

Jaksa had four Cardinals finish the 2018-19 season with All-GLIAC honors.  Craig Wilson and Jordan Swiss earned All-GLIAC Second Team honors while Derrek Clyde and Adam turner garnered All-GLIAC Honorable Mention.

The 2019-20 season was shortened to 13 games due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Jaksa led the Cardinals to an 8-5 record in his second year as head coach before the season was canceled.

Jaksa and the Cardinals returned in 2020-21. With Jaksa at the helm the Cardinals finished 17-17 overall and 12-12 in the GLIAC. The Cardinals season ended with losses to GLIAC Champion Davenport and Wayne State. 

The Cardinals had 5 players earn All-GLIAC honors. Jaksa coached Hayden Jatczak to GLIAC Freshmen of the Year as well as Second Team All-GLIAC. Brandon Scheurer and Hunter Merillat also landed on the Second Team while Martin Money and Kendall Anthes were Honorable Mention All-GLIAC.

During the 2022 season, Jaksa led SVSU to the GLIAC Tournament and posted a 21-28 overall record and 10-14 mark in conference play. Five Cardinals earned All-GLIAC honors. Hayden Jatczak and Hunter Merillat were named to the First Team, Austin Schweiger earned Second Team All-GLIAC honors, and Andrew Burke and Martin Money were named Honorable Mention. 

Jaksa came to Saginaw Valley from Central Michigan University, where he has served as the head baseball coach for the past 16 seasons.  Jaksa served as head coach at Central Michigan University for 16 seasons and ranks second on CMU's all-time coaching wins list with an overall record of 507-421-2. He led Central Michigan to three Mid-American Conference championships and six MAC West Division titles while compiling a 257-157 record in conference action.

Jaksa was named the MAC Coach of the Year in 2004 and 2015. He coached 10 All-Americans, two MAC Pitchers of the Year, a MAC Player of the Year, 20 first team All-MAC selections and 33 second team All-MAC honorees. His program also had success in the classroom with four Academic All-Americans, seven Academic All-District selections and 53 Academic All-MAC honorees.

He was a student-athlete for the Chippewas from 1974-79, earning two letters while compiling a 12-4 career record with four saves and a 2.76 earned run average, which ranks 11th all-time on CMU's career ERA list. He returned to CMU as an assistant coach in 1999 and served as the pitching coach for four seasons until taking over as head coach.

Jaksa coached 36 individuals who were drafted into Major League Baseball. Most notable among that group is Josh Collmenter, who pitched in the major leagues for seven seasons with the Arizona Diamondbacks and Atlanta Braves. Pitcher Dietrich Enns also made his way to the majors, making his debut with Minnesota in 2017. Both Chad Pleiness, (Blue Jays, 2002) and Jordan Foley (Yankees, 2014) were fifth-round selections, the highest for CMU since the 1980s.

Jaksa earned two letters while compiling a 12-4 career record with four saves and a 2.76 earned run average at CMU, from which he received his bachelor of science degree in 1979.



He led the '79 Chippewas with seven victories, and his career ERA ranks 11th in school history among pitchers who logged at least 100 innings.



Jaksa worked as an assistant coach at Miami (Ohio) while earning his master's degree in 1986, then coached for 11 years at Nouvel Catholic Central High School in Saginaw, compiling a 353-106 record and winning state championships in 1990 and '97. He also served for 10 years as the school's athletic director.



Jaksa coached at Northwood University in 1998, leading the Timberwolves to a 28-25 finish, then joined coach Judd Folske's CMU staff in 1999 and served as an assistant, overseeing pitchers and catchers, until 2002. Jaksa's 1999 Chippewa pitching staff led the MAC and ranked 17th nationally in ERA.



Jaksa, a native of Grand Blanc, Mich., was inducted into the Michigan High School Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2000. In 2004, he was inducted into the Greater Flint Sports Hall of Fame as a member of the 1974 national champion Connie Mack team, and in 2013 he received the Grand Blanc High School Distinguished Alumni Award.



Jaksa and his wife Patti have four children: Stacey, Rachel, Marc and Kelly.