CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — The Appalachian League announced that Pulaski’s Bill Kinneberg was named the 2026 Manager of the Year.
Kinneberg guided the Pulaski River Turtles to a 25-20 record, their first playoff win in franchise history and a spot in the Appalachian League Championship Game in 2026. Pulaski finished with the league’s second-best winning percentage (.556) and were tied for the second-most wins. At the end of June, the River Turtles were 9-12 and two games out of a playoff spot, before going a league-best 16-8 in July to finish a half-game behind Danville in the East Division standings. Pulaski knocked off the Otterbots on the road in the East Division title game, 4-3, before falling to Kingsport in the Championship.
“Bill Kinneberg is the epitome of class and did a great job again this season,” Appalachian League executive director Brian Graham said. “The River Turtles played fundamentally sound baseball, played hard every night and approached the game with tremendous professionalism. Most importantly, the players individually made great strides from the beginning of the season.”
Pulaski’s offense scored a league-best 9.2 runs per game and their .289 team batting average was the highest by an Appalachian League club since 2022. Under Kinneberg’s leadership, the River Turtles led the league in hits (429), runs scored (412), RBI (359), AVG and OBP (.437). Pulaski also finished second in OPS (.862), tied for second in walks (354), third in SLG (.425) and tied for fourth in home runs (35). Individually, Noah Toole led the team with 37 hits and 11 doubles, tied for the fourth most doubles in the league. Ryland Duson’s team-high 35 RBI were tied for seventh in the league, while Aubrey Kearns’ team-best six home runs were tied for the eighth most in the league.
The River Turtles’ pitching staff allowed the third-fewest hits (386) and held opponents to the third-lowest batting average (.266). Pulaski also finished tied for third in saves (8), led by Jake Wise who tied for second in the league with three and Hunter Howard who tied for fourth with two. Ethan Walls finished tied for second in the league with four wins and Zach Moss was tied for fifth with 32 innings pitched. Defensively, the River Turtles posted a .958 fielding percentage, the third best in the league.
“Bill Kinneberg exemplifies everything a coach should be, and we have been blessed to have him as the leader of our organization the past three years,” River Turtles general manager JW Martin said. “He has been instrumental to the success we have enjoyed, and his impact on the athletes extends well beyond the field. We’re thrilled that he’s getting recognized for his efforts with this well-deserved honor.”
Kinneberg has managed the River Turtles for the past three seasons after leading the Bristol State Liners in 2023. His 89 career managerial victories are the third most in Appalachian League history. Kinneberg has over 40 years of collegiate coaching experience, including 18-years as the head coach at the University of Utah, where he led the program to its first Pac-12 Championship and was the Pac-12 Coach of the Year in 2016. Kinneberg was the head coach of the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team in 2010, and was the pitching coach in 1999 and 2007. He also served as the pitching coach for the Appalachian League’s Bristol White Sox in 2003-04.
About the Appalachian League
Founded in 1911, the Appalachian League is one of the longest-running baseball leagues in history. The Appy League is the only collegiate summer league under MLB and USA Baseball’s Prospect Development Pipeline (“PDP”) and is an integral part of the identification and development process for the USA Baseball Collegiate National Teams and other future National teams.
For more information about the Appalachian League, visit appyleague.com or follow @appyleague and @appyleaguedata on X, and @appyleague on Instagram.
