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.

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.