On to the next task

Yesterday we won the championship in the first MIAA Baseball Tournament, earning a automatic berth into the NCAA DIII Regionals next week.  In past seasons we earned the privilege to compete in the regionals by winning our regular season championship.  Though we did win the regular season title again, we had to prove it all over again on the field this week by winning the four-team, double elimination conference tournament.  We completed the job without a loss, thanks to some fantastic execution by our hitters, defensive players, and pitchers.

Congratulations to our eight seniors, who were MIAA Champions all four years here at Adrian College!!  They are the first group to do so since some Alma College players did it back in the 1950s!!

Our players know that the season does not end here; we've still got some work to do!  We advanced to the DIII College World Series in 2008, but that was a year before these seniors put on their AC uniforms.  We now must go win a Regional Tournament, most likely in Marietta, Ohio, to advance to the CWS again.

Obviously, the regional tournament will have other championship teams trying to achieve the same goal that our team has.  One of those teams is Marietta College, the defending national champions who just won their conference tournament today.  In 2011 we played them in a doubleheader in Florida and split the two games with them, losing 3-1 and winning 2-0.

What do we have to do to continue our success in the post-season?  The answer is that we need to keep executing in the batters box, on the mound, and with our gloves.  Our plan as a pitching staff has been the same all season: throw first pitch strikes, get leadoff batters out, throw to the bottom of the strike zone, and successfully manage damage control.  The pitchers know that this team's offense is going to put some runs on the scoreboard, and that always takes some pressure off of the defense and pitching.

Our team is among the DIII national leaders in some statistical categories as we prepare for the regionals.  Among those categories are slugging percentage, batting average, runs per game, triples, earned run average, walks allowed per game, and strikeout to walk ratio.  With some of those categories, the keys to success have so much to do with taking care of the little things and focusing on the task at hand.  Once we take care of the task at hand, we can focus on the next one.  One pitch at a time, on batter at a time, one inning at a time, and one game at a time.

We call that Business as Usual.

Before I finish this, I want to give a proud shout out to my Alma Mater and former team, the Saints of Siena Heights University, who won the WHAC Tournament and advanced to the semi-finals in the opening round of the NAIA National Tournament.  Congrats to Coach John Kolasinski, his staff and all the players.  In addition, continued good luck to our former AC coaches Luke Harrigan and Xander Younce, who are currently in their third game of the WVIAC Tournament.

First pitch in one week!

We are now exactly one week from our opening game of the season.  In Demorest, Georgia next week, we (Adrian College) will play against Blackburn College on Sunday, Christopher Newport University on Monday, and Piedmont College on Tuesday.  Two of those teams are ranked in the DIII pre-season polls, so we have an opportunity to test ourselves right away.

As has been the case for a few decades for me, this is an exciting time of the year.  We have had the unusual  situation of being able to have several practices outside in February this year, so the anticipation of being able to compete against other teams in warmer weather is exciting.  In addition to our first games approaching, our good friends Luke Harrigan and Xander Younce at Alderson-Broadus College in West Virginia have played games for two weekends now and we have cheered them on from Adrian as they earned their first victory yesterday.  Next weekend they will host Hillsdale College and my son Eric Theisen and of course for me that will be a win-win situation.  I try to give each of them scouting reports on the other......right Luke????

This week in our final preparations we will continue to have our pitchers throw live to our hitters in the batting cages.  Some of the pitchers will have their mound days adjusted according to the projected pitching schedule during our first week of games, which includes seven straight days of varsity games in Georgia and Florida and an additional five days of junior varsity games.  Some of the pitchers will throw up to 90 pitches in their sessions this week, others will throw 60-80, and a few may throw multiple times this week at 20-30 pitches per session.  They know that what I am hoping for is that they will all be as close to 100% when we step on the field next weekend.

During this last week of preparation I also try to pull back the reigns a bit on their conditioning, although we still have to maintain our strength and endurance, and hopefully the pitchers will continue to get their own work done in the weight room outside of practice time.

This is also a week to remind them of some of our team pitching goals and how we can achieve those goals during each game, inning, and at-bat.  The goals are meant to help us focus on what is important for pitching success and for giving the team the best chance possible to win each game, one at a time.

A big part of achieving these goals has to do with the mental approach as individuals and as a team.  We can't underestimate the importance of confidence, body language, positive self-talk, visualizing success, and selflessness when it comes to being team players.  Trusting ourselves and our teammates and believing in each other is perhaps the most important function of winning teams, so this week there will be many reminders of the mental aspects of team play as well as being physically competent and ready to play next weekend.

Good luck to Luke, Xander, and Eric as friends battle from opposite dugouts next weekend!!!

Does the season ever really end?

Our season has been done for two weeks now.  What is it that college baseball coaches do when their seasons end?  What I do now is different than when I was a full-time head coach, and it is different that what full-time assistant coaches do.

I teach in the public schools, so I am still working at getting through the school year.  Today we even had an injury at school.  One of our students lost a tooth when he was hit in the mouth by a swing.  I felt so bad for him, but he handled it like a trooper and was on the bus heading home fifteen minutes later.  I have seen similar types of injuries on the baseball field over the years, but I seem to expect to see blood on the field more than I would at school.

Anyway, the day after our season ended I went to Comerica Park to watch the Detroit Catholic League Championship games with Eric Theisen and Xander Younce.  They both have 'Recruiting Coordinator' listed as part of their jobs, so they were (apparently) working hard.  I was just along for the ride, but I always love those games.  I played at Tiger Stadium in the same games when I was in high school and coached there (and won) in 1987.

I have been to a few other local high school games in the last two weeks, sometimes after school and also on the weekends.  I don't really do any recruiting, but I have been able to see some kids I know play some games.  I have given lessons to some of the kids in the county, and some pitching staffs in the county, and I rarely have opportunities to see them play in games.

The full-time guys are going all over the place watching high school games.  For the most part, the 2011 recruiting classes are all wrapped up and the coaches are trying to tie up some loose ends and maybe find a player or two who have slipped through the cracks.  This is a great time to add to the list of 2012 high school seniors that college coaching staffs have already been working on.  State tournament games always tend to have some more excitement and intensity than some other games that are played during the high school season, so the idea of being able to see kids compete and observe how they respond to various situations can be beneficial in determining where a player may go on a coach's recruiting list.  Eric and Xander are in Columbus, Ohio today and tomorrow watching the Ohio State Tournament, and then they will be back here in Michigan watching District Tournaments on Saturday.

In the meantime, Luke Harrigan is finishing up his work at Adrian College and getting ready for his first head coaching venture at Westminster College in Missouri, where he will undoubtedly find success carve some history.

One thing I always enjoy while at high school games is the opportunity to trade idle chit chat with some of the locals, who are usually parents, grandparents, or friends of the players on the field.  These people always know more about most of the players on the field than I do, and of course they always have more at stake in how the game is being played than I do.  Just in the last week I have had the privilege of talking to school administrators, aunts and uncles, siblings, parents, step-parents, and friends of the players and the coaches.

The experience of having nice, relaxing conversations at baseball fields with other baseball people is one of the great joys of the spring and summer.  I have to make sure I get out and see some other local kids, and my nephews, play in the next few weeks.  I may not appear to be having as much fun as the kids on the field..............but I am!!!!

End of season, letter to our pitchers

Pitchers,

Though it happens every year, it is never easy to find the perfect words to say when a season ends unexpectedly.  In saying that, I'll try my best without being too wordy.

First of all, I need to thank you all for seeming to buy in to what we do, and specifically for buying into what I try to do.  Though I am 52 years old and have been coaching college baseball since the fall of 1987 (yes, we did wear helmets back then), I know that I have to continue to learn more about what we are doing out there.  You guys have provided me with motivation to make sure I don't let you down, and I certainly hope that I haven't.  Not only do you all deserve thanks for following our procedures and protocol, I also want to thank you for listening to all of my talks about pitching philosophies, coaching philosophies, and even some life philosophies.  I'm sure some of that might get old, but I usually feel it is necessary (and sometimes I just want to listen to myself)!!

To our graduating seniors, Dommer and Dave, congratulations on your outstanding careers.  When a team's best two pitchers also have great, selfless attitudes along with the interpersonal skills to be able to be mentors and friends to younger teammates, the job as the pitching coach is made so much easier than it otherwise would be.

Dommer, you have had one of the greatest four seasons of pitching in the history of Adrian College and the MIAA.  You have 'Dommer'-nated our opponents and have been feared by opposing coaches and hitters both in the MIAA and around the region since you stepped on the field in a Bulldog uniform as a freshman.  Your numbers speak for themselves, but even more impressive to me has been your work ethic and the way you have led by example in so many ways.

Dave, your two years on the mound for us have been the model of consistency.  Your determination to come back and pitch after Tommy John surgery has been a testament to your dedication to rehab and your desire and passion to play the great game of baseball.  You have also, like Dommer, cemented your name into the Adrian College and MIAA record books in just two years of pitching here.  

The way the two of you pitched this season allowed your pitching teammates to see how important it is to get ahead of hitters, get leadoff batters out, and compete with passion in tight games and with runners on base.  Again, I appreciate your leadership and attitudes even more than your abilities!!

For you underclassmen, our work is not finished.  We will have another opportunity next year to compete for championships and improve ourselves (both individually and as a group). Some of you played huge roles and had great success for us this year and are prepared to lead us in 2012.  I thought all of you improved throughout the season, whether you were pitching in varsity or reserve games.  I'm sure Coach Younce would agree that we had some great pitching performances in the reserve games and that is a great sign for you as players and for us as a program.  Again, my thanks goes out to all of you for who you are as people as well as for your commitment to your teammates.

Today is the beginning of our 2012 season.  Even I am going to work out today!!!  Hopefully you will always keep in mind that each day you either get better or worse, and that improving is a choice.  I also hope that I will be able to at least see a few of you pitch this summer.  Be sure to work on all aspects of your pitching, and if the only work you do in the summer is on the days that you pitch (I know how some summer baseball can be), then you might not get better.  You need to work on your bodies, keep your arms healthy (be smart), improve your tempo, your ability to attack the running game, your stamina and arm strength, continue to master your changeups and both fastballs, and be consistent with locating and tightening up your other secondary pitches.  Be sure to continue to let your catchers and defensive teammates know that you appreciate the fact that it is always nine against one and that the team is more important than the individual.

You guys did a great job of accomplishing so many of the goals we set for ourselves back in January.  I consider it a privilege to work with all of you and I value our relationships.  Stay in touch throughout the summer!!

"Control what you can control"......."Sweat the small stuff".........."Business as usual"

Gordie

Northern baseball and professional/personal growth

After over a week of games in the warm south, the reality of college baseball up north can hit us and cause us to count our blessings.  How many college students get to take a trip south on their spring break, with all expenses paid by the college and the added bonus of playing a sport they love?

After five days back in Michigan though, we just don't know from day to day if we are going to be able to practice outside or be forced (due to weather/field conditions) to work on our game indoors again.

Fortunately, this week at Adrian College, with the benefit of having Pro Grass Field Turf on our field, we have been able to get outside every day.  The position players have gotten defensive work done out there and then gone inside for their hitting.  The pitchers have been able to do all of their work outside.  It has given us an opportunity to do some good throwing, including our normal daily drills, and have important long toss sessions and flat ground work.

We are hoping to play an intrasquad game today and then have JV doubleheaders the next three days (Saturday through Monday).  This will be a great opportunity to get all of our pitchers (except two) some live action so that they are staying (or getting) sharp as we head into next weekend's two game series against #1 ranked Heidelberg College.

I've got to admit that I have felt a bit out of balance this week, though in my mind there is no good reason for it.  Twice this week I fell asleep on the couch at about 8:30, which is very unusual for me.  Fortunately, having a normal week of school and practice helps to keep me busy and grounded as I try to return to a daily routine.  I suppose that 22 hour bus ride back from Florida gave me a little jet lag.

One of the other nice aspects of my week (besides school and baseball) is the fact that I got to spend some time with both of my kids.  Tess is here in town on her last college spring break, and Eric is in and out during his season at Hillsdale College.  Tess is on her way to Chicago with friends for the weekend and Eric is leaving this evening for a weekend of games against the University of Indianapolis.

Eric and I have been able to share game experiences with each other now that our seasons have begun, and even as an old guy it is great for me to share baseball information and knowledge with Eric and with my young colleagues Luke Harrigan and Xander Younce at Adrian.  I can learn a lot from these young, passionate coaches!  I hope I never stop learning about coaching this great game of baseball.

Just like in life, sometimes I think that if I knew back then (insert whatever year you want) what I know now, I would have been a better coach and mentor for many of my teams and players in the past.  But since we can't go back, all I can do is continue to try to improve every day!!

Rain delay at the hotel in Georgia

Today we are having a weather delay.  Storms are blowing into the Demorest, Georgia area and Piedmont College has tarped their infield.  We are planning to play at 7pm tonight and then head to Port Charlotte, Florida tomorrow for games on Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday.

We were able to take the team over to Piedmont this morning, before the rain, for a workout.  After stretching and doing some warm up activities, the position players took some batting practice indoors for about an hour while the pitchers did some running and were forced to listen to the pitching coach for a while.

Three pitchers took a run around Piedmont's hilly campus, six of them ran ten poles each, and four of them ran ten poles and ran some bows and arrows.  They did different types of running based on when they pitched last and when they are scheduled to (or might) pitch again.

While the hitters were still taking their swings and the pitchers finished their running, we had some time to exchange some feedback with each other.  Some of the discussion had to do with our first three games and the things we learned about ourselves as pitchers and about some of the hitters we are throwing against.  Other topics of discussion dealt with our possible starting pitching rotation for the next few days, decisions about in game pitch selection and pitch location, making in game adjustments when certain pitches are moving differently than they usually do, and suggestions about making our pitching charts as thorough and easy to understand as possible.

Another thing I talked about is the fact that I have faith in each one of the pitchers we have here, in spite of the fact that not all of them have pitched in games yet.  We have used seven different pitchers in our first three games.  Two of those pitchers have pitched twice.  Therefore, of the 13 pitchers we brought down here on our trip, there are still six who haven't pitched in a game yet.  Tonight's starter will make his first outing, and chances are that a couple more guys will be making their first appearances of the season tonight as well.  I think it is important to give as many pitchers as possible some legitimate game experience before we begin our conference season.  I really think we can do that and win games at the same time.

We did win one game of the two we played yesterday.  We scored 16 runs in an eight run victory against Millsaps College in game one, and then lost game two to Piedmont College by a score of 6-5.  Some good news is that we went our first two games without allowing a walk, but we still have a lot of room for improvement as a pitching staff and as an entire team.  This morning we talked about trying to do a better job of damage control, meaning that after a hit, walk, hit batter, or error we want to be in control of the inning by getting ahead of hitters and making them hit pitches on the edge of (or out of) the strike zone.

For now, as we sit in the hotel hoping for good enough weather to play under the lights tonight, some Adrian College players are napping, others are playing cards, and some may be watching television, reading, playing video games, or studying.

As the old guy, I am relaxing in our hotel room with coaches Luke Harrigan and Xander Younce and our #1 kid Logan Klotz, who is beating Xander in a video game at this moment!!