HASTINGS, Neb. – The Hastings Sodbusters are facing adversity, but continue to play on despite losing their Head Coach midway through the summer baseball season.

On Friday, the team learned that Head Coach Joel Schipper was leaving Hastings to take the Baseball Head Coach job at Calvin University in his hometown of Grand Rapids, Michigan. 

Schipper was in the middle of his second season at the helm of the Hastings Sodbusters. He was also the head coach of the Hastings College Baseball team, and finished his third season with the Broncos in the spring. 

"Definitely had a couple tears shed with a couple of people I've gotten to know pretty well," said Schipper in a phone interview. "I think it's not a goodbye, it's a see you later. I'm just really appreciative of my time at Hastings and Hastings College, and I loved all the relationships I was able to build in my time here."

With Schipper's departure, Sodbuster General Manager and Co-Owner Scott Galusha is now serving as Interim Head Coach.

"In a 10-week period, you really develop super good relationships with people that you're probably never going to see again, and Joel did a really good job of that." said Galusha. "He's a really good leader, and a good baseball guy, and he's going to be missed."

With the Sodbusters fighting for a spot in the Independence League playoffs, Galusha says he doesn't expect much to change for the team in their final month of play.

"We're going to try and put crooked numbers, we're going to try and take a few more chances," said Galusha. "(Assistant coaches) Danny's still here, Andy's still here, so our same core stuff isn't going to change."

Galusha is interviewing multiple candidates for the vacant Sodbuster position and says he hopes to make a final decision by the end of the week. 

Hastings College has also begun a nationwide search for the next Head Coach of their baseball team.

In three seasons with Hastings College, Schipper's team combined for a 33-107 record. With the Sodbuster for a season and a half, the team went 34-46.