Next Up: Opening Day

With tryouts officially in the books, I would like to start out by congratulating those guys that made the final cut and will fill out the rosters of the Notre Dame Cathedral Latin Varsity, Junior Varsity, and Freshmen Teams. To the guys who unfortunately were let go off; we as a coaching staff urge you to not give up on the game, keep working hard, play summer ball, and please by all means - come back out next year!

Now that our rosters have been finalized, we turn our attention to the real day we have all been waiting for. I am of course referring to Opening Day! Which for the both the Varsity and Junior Varsity is March 28th vs. Holy Name, and March 31st vs. Cardinal Mooney for our Freshmen team. The NDCL coaching staff has finally filled out as well:

Varsity*
Jim Clark - Head Coach
Dreux Turchin - Assistant Coach
Ken Bolek - Pitching Coach

Junior Varsity
Cameron Castro - Head Coach
Steve Teringo - Assistant Coach

Freshmen
Matt Wantz - Head Coach
Jeremy Rothstein - Assistant Coach

*The NDCL Lion Varsity team will also depart for Sarasota, Florida on April 6th and return on April 13th.

Unfortunately, even after factoring in a more than mild winter (per Northeast Ohioan standards), we have yet to be able to get outside and hold a full practice On the Diamond. But when that first day of on-field practice does come, we will certainly cherish it. As does every other baseball program in the Midwest, no matter the level of competition.

On a personal note, I'd like to send out a HUGE CONGRATULATIONS to a man who I've played for, who I've coached with, and who is to this day - a very close friend of mine; Kyle Sheppard, on his recent engagement to Leeann Bland. Happy for you Shep and can't wait for the hockey themed wedding! Who knows, maybe Greg Zaun will make an appearance!

I'd also like to wish the Lake Erie College Storm Baseball team the best of luck in this 2012 season. I came in with a lot of those seniors and they are honestly like family to me. Wish I could have finished it out with you guys, but go give 'em hell and get that GLIAC Conference Tourny bid!

Please continue to follow the OAOTD blog for additional and continuing information concerning the 2012 NDCL Baseball Lions season! You can see all three teams' updated schedules here. On and Off the Diamond is also directly linked to my Facebook and LinkedIn pages.

#GoLions #BeatHolyName #OpeningDay #ShoveCity

Taking Shape and Taking Flight

With this past Storm season officially in the books, we take some time to respect the progress the program has made and the direction it continues to head in. The 2011 season brought a school record in wins and an overall record of 21-26. This resulted in a 7th overall place finish (we were picked to finish 10th in the preseason) in the conference and a near conference tournament birth. Unfortunately when we had it in our grasps, it slipped away. We finished 4.5 games behind the fourth place finisher Saginaw Valley State University. Two GLIAC teams, Grand Valley State University and Wayne State University received bids to the Midwest Regional Tournament, with GVSU advancing to the Division II College World Series. To them we tip our caps. However, we competed fiercely with both of those teams, and we know that we are not far off their pace.

This season also heeded five, count 'em FIVE, Storm members receiving All-GLIAC honors. Shortstop Ryan Rua and Outfielder Brandon James were bestowed First Team honors. Outfielder Matt Toth was named to the Second Team; lastly First Baseman Jae Leeworthy and Relief Pitcher Doug Fox received honorable mentions. Furthermore, Rua and James were also named First Team All-Midwest Region, and Toth was awarded Second Team. These recognitions vouch for themselves, but they undoubtedly represent just how competitive the program is and how good of a ship Head Coach Brian McGee is currently sailing.

Now I turn my focus inward, with finally having accepted the decision that my playing career has unexpectedly come to an end (which believe me is THE hardest pill I have ever had to swallow), I am officially setting my sights on landing a Graduate Assistant coaching job pending graduation next May. As I have previously posted, I've already started to get the ball rolling on this; Friday June 3rd I will be leaving for Ajax, Ontario. Where the Ontario Blue Jays 18U White team awaits. Due to recent staff changes with the team, I will be assuming full responsibilities as the team's pitching coach. I'll be developing and implementing a throwing program and conditioning regiment for each individual pitcher. If I aim to be a college pitching coach and eventually a head coach, this is a great starting point. I also expect to learn and retain a lot of good solid baseball knowledge from Head Coach Kyle Sheppard, which will only increase my capabilities and skills as a coach.


Another opportunity recently came across my plate that I'm still exploring and looking into. With my playing career at an end, but still one more year to go here at Lake Erie College, Storm Coach Brian McGee has generously offered me a position as the Student Assistant Coach for the 2011-2012 academic and athletic year. The details of this position are still in the works but I fully expect it to be an awesome learning experience, and something that will only further aid me in landing that Graduate Assistant job next summer.


With the experience I gained last summer as the head coach of the Lorain Saints, my upcoming position with the OBJs, and my impending role with the Lake Erie Storm for next season; my resume and reputation as a baseball coach is quickly taking shape. It's looking more and more like this dream of mine (to stay involved with the game of baseball in anyway I can for as long as I can) is honestly turning into a reality. OAOTD (On and Off the Diamond) now turns its attention up north, with many posts to come over the summer relative to the OBJs 18U White team and the experience(s) that it results in.

I've been rifling through my brain recently, to come up with a one-liner for the summer that not only sufficiently (and temporarily) replaces Rage On, but also does justice to my goal with the Ontario Blue Jays and associates well with the Blue Jays name. And after much deliberation, I have landed on something that I think really encompasses all of these aspects. Until next time, Take Flight.

Focusing On Right Now But Looking To The Future

It is almost human nature to look towards the future, no scratch that, IT IS human nature to look towards the future. You constantly find yourself playing different scenarios out in your head; especially when it comes to sports. Thoughts of postseason play come and go from time to time, sometimes even thoughts of next season pop up. You find a lot of people that try to repress those thoughts and more or less, live in the moment and focus on the task at hand. You cannot try and win tomorrow's game before you play today's.

With a four game home conference matchup against Northwood looming, the Storm of Lake Erie College seem to be balancing the notion of winning one before you can look to the next, remarkably well. Sitting roughly a half game out of a three way tie for fourth place there is a lot on our players' minds. Words of making the conference tournament in our first year are starting to be whispered around campus. It is a struggle to not get caught in some sort of hype, but we put our blinders on and keep pushing forward. We continue to Stay The Course.

As for me, with the thought of this possibly being my last season On the Diamond; as I have mentioned before, I am starting to explore the other side of the game. I look forward to being one of the select few that wear a protective helmet instead of a slightly bent "fitted" and Lace Up their turfs day in and day out instead of their cleats.

I also am looking forward to the next chance I have to keep building on my knowledge of the "In's and Out's" of America's Pastime. I started that this past summer when I got the opportunity to coach my Alma Mater's 16U Hot Stove team. The Lorain Saints of the EE League, made a fantastic run and ended our summer with a more than respectable record of 17-3, including landing the number one seed for the state tournament. Unfortunately we fell short of our state title aspirations, but the experience of getting to run your own ship at such a young age was something I truly treasured, and still do. I owe that opportunity to a great man, and someone who has played a pretty significant role in my life, Dan Ternes. Check out this link to get a feel for what we were all about, it was a story our local paper ran (they covered almost all our games), video is included! http://morningjournal.com/articles/2010/07/07/sports/doc4c33fae783a64110039980.txt?viewmode=fullstory

A new opportunity recently came my way that was just too good to turn down. This summer I will be coaching (yes coaching, not playing) for an organization up north. And yes, when I say "up north" I do indeed mean our friends to the north (dare I say it, I do dare), Canada.

Kyle Sheppard, a former assistant coach here at Lake Erie and close personal friend of mine, last summer accepted a full time position with one of the most recognizable club baseball organizations in North America, the Ontario Blue Jays. Kyle was generous enough to offer me a job as one of his assistants for the summer. It is yet to be determined exactly what my role with the team will be, but whatever it ends up being, I have 100% faith when I say it will be an exceptional experience. A chance to network and learn from one of the most knowledgable coaches I have had the pleasure of knowing.

So from about June 10-July31st, and possibly even into the first week of August, I'll be in the dugout and/or bullpen of the OBJs 18U White Team (it honestly is hard for me to communicate in words just how excited I am about this). With a travel packed schedule; that includes Oklahoma, Tennessee, Alabama, and Pennsylvania, I expect to spend a good chunk of my time this summer tweeting and blogging from the OBJ bus and various hotel rooms. For more information on the Ontario Blue Jays and continual updates from the program check out http://www.ontariobluejays.com/

As I look to the future, I also make sure I focus on right now. So for now, I look to a four game GLIAC set against Northwood and then some much needed family time this sunday. Happy Easter (to those who celebrate it of course) and HAPPY BASEBALL to all! Until next time, RAGE ON.

Keep Grinding

There are so many images that can drop your jaw when thinking of the game of baseball. But one of the best sights in the game has to be looking up into the stands and seeing those bleacher creatures waving their brooms around. This rarity is usually only ever seen on the big stage, but this past weekend down at Kiwanis Recreational Park, it was almost as if you could hear the ever so subtle sound of the brooms' bristles sweeping the Tiffin Dragons right off of Braggs' Field. Not only is this an awesome experience for the faithful fans, but its also an incredible feeling for the guys who Lace Up their cleats day in and day out. Hoping that the work they have put in will translate into results.

Well this past weekend, we saw those results. A four game sweep over conference foe Tiffin University was the outcome. Our first GLIAC conference sweep in school history. With Tiffin being our head coach's alma mater, he was especially pumped to see the Dragons have a tough time flying in the Storm. This sweep catapulted us into a tie for third place in the conference (only the top four make the conference tournament). Oh and by the way we were picked to finish last in the conference, I repeat, LAST.

One of the biggest things that a set of victories like this do, is they almost force you to not be content until you get to taste this feeling again. They force you to keep your nose to the grind stone and keep pushing forward. They force you to want more.

So back to the grind we went, with an upcoming non-conference game against Toledo and a two-game set against conference competitor Ohio Dominican. Unfortunately, I just learned that we dropped today's game to Toledo 7-6. But his just goes to prove that we can compete with any team, any division, any where. I now look forward to seeing and playing against one of my very good friends, ODU's man behind the dish and fellow Lorain native, JT Feldkamp.

It's a long and rough road to our first GLIAC conference tournament, but we will get there. The Storm will keep grinding, and continue to RAGE ON.

Day By Day

So I've spent the last 24 hours racking my brain and trying to figure out what I wanted this first post to be about. Even as I sit here typing this I'm almost hoping I'll have some sort of epiphany. The logical thought i would assume, would be to let this first post be mostly about me (I'm aware how conceited that sounds). I don't necessarily want to preach about my lifestyle, rather just about how I got to where I am and what I believe lays ahead for me.

Coming out of an urban high school in a pretty populated Cleveland suburb, it was always very evident what happened to most of our graduates. They either stayed in Lorain (by "stayed in" I mean got trapped in) and never really made the most out of their potential and/or opportunities. You had the people that went on to the local community college and tried to get a two-year degree then hoped to transfer out to finish their Bachelor's Degree. Most succeeded in this venture, but so many failed. You then had the kids that did desperately want to go to a four-year school (mostly for the wrong reasons; get away from their parents, party, have no one to answer to, etc.) it is no surprise that these students never really stuck it out past a year or two. Finally there were the goal driven students who were determined to go to a four-year university, get a degree and make a name for themselves. Each of these students had their own intangibles that made them so driven and so goal oriented. I would like to proudly consider myself a member of this group. My intangibles were a fairly high GPA, good test scores, and last but certainly not least a passion and a drive to play the game of baseball at the collegiate level.

After numerous camps, showcases, workouts, and recruiting visits (by the way without my mother none of this would have been possible, I am forever in her debt) I finally landed on my school of choice. My proverbial "Decision" was to take my talents (Cleveland fan throwing a shot at He Who Must Not Be Named) up to the snow belt and play for Head Coach Brian McGee and the Lake Erie College Storm. To sum up my logic in choosing this school I can simply say that I sincerely thought that by attending that school I would become not only a better ball player but a better man as well.

Now, in my third year as a member of this program I can confidently say that i made the right choice. My career On the Diamond has been a roller coaster over the past three seasons (including this one). My freshman year I led our staff in appearances and fell comfortably into a closing role, a role I thought I could make a home for myself in for the next three years. The following year was when the road got a little rockier though. Due to a sprained UCL (Tommy John Ligament) I was forced to sit the entire year out and take a redshirt. This was undoubtably one of the most difficult things I have ever done; going to practice every day and not being able to do what I loved most (grip those seams and just let it fly) almost seemed like a form of cruel and unusual punishment. I had convinced myself that this was a blessing in disguise though, being that I would be able to come back and play for a fifth year. I opted to do an eight week rehab program (instead of surgery) and get myself ready for the fall semester. Now lets jump ahead to the end of this past fall semester, my arm was feeling healthy and I was ready to tackle this challenge that my teammates and I faced (first year of GLIAC conference play). Unfortunately this past winter my elbow began to shut down on me again. So as of late I have been struggling with the notion of my days on the field could very well be numbered, and believe me when i say struggle I MEAN IT. There's more on this topic to come in a post in the very near future.

My career Off the Diamond has also experienced some change, coming into college I wasn't so sure of what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. I mean I knew there were a lot of things I thought I'd be good at and really happy doing but i just wasn't sure how to narrow it down. Being that I am an over enthusiastic sports fan and athlete I naturally chose to start my college career as a sports management major (real original, I know). At the beginning of my sophomore year, I had narrowed down my career scope a bit and changed my major to Legal Studies (in anticipation of attending law school upon graduation). However, in the past year (really since this past summer) I have taken great interest in learning the other side of the game of baseball. The side thats not between the lines, the side that is in a box right next to third base. I've now set my sights on finishing my under grad degree and then pursuing a Graduate Assistant position as a pitching coach. I can then only hope the stars align and after I finish my Masters Degree, I have the opportunity to stay in the college ranks and turn coaching into a career.

I am a big believer in not getting too far ahead of yourself, so for now I am just taking this process day by day and enjoying every minute I get to be around the game that I fell in love with at a very young age.