Week Eleven

Week Eleven proved to be just as interesting as the other 10. This week started off with a very poor pitching outing at Lynchburg on Wednesday that made it seem like we were falling off track again, but the team turned it up a notch this past weekend against NC Wesleyan to help us tie for 3rd place in conference and take the 4th overall seed in the conference tournament. If you would have told us a month ago that we would finish tied for 3rd in conference we would not have believed you. We had come off of sweep by Averett where would could not pitch or hit well and now we come off consecutive sweeps where our pitching was good enough and our hitting was real well. I am honored to be part of a coaching staff and a team that has made a run like this and I look forward to riding this momentum into conference tournament later this week.

Week Eleven

April 2 - 6:00 to 10:00
April 3 - 4:20 to 6:20
April 4 - 1:00 to 5:30
April 5 - 3:30 to 5:30
April 6 - 11:00 to 3:00
April 7 - 12:00 to 5:00

Total hours: 21:30

Week Ten

Week 10 provided to be more of the same of the previous weeks but I was also a part of Methodist baseball history on Saturday evening. Saturday evening before the game the school recognized and honored Coach Austin for his 1,000th win as the coach here at MU. I was honored to be apart of the coaching staff and team that helped Coach win his 1,000th and I hope to help Coach win many more. Coach said he was relieved that that win was over now and that he could just go out there and coach and his team could just play baseball. The team may have been pressing trying to win that game for him and now that it is over the team seems to be play more loose and easy. Both games since the win the team has hit better and pitched much better making it a lot more fun to go to the ballpark every day. The game is a lot more fun when you win and I hope we can continue to have fun and add more wins to Coach Austin's total.

Week Ten Hours

March 26 - 3:00 to 6:00
March 27 - 3:30 to 6:00
March 28 - 4:30 to 6:00
March 29 - 1:00 to 6:00
March 31 - 3:00 to 5:30
April 1 - 3:00 to 10:00
April 2 - 11:00 to 5:00

Total hours: 27 1/2 hours

Week Nine Hours

March 20 - 1:30 to 8:00
March 21 - 3:00 to 8:00
March 22 - 4:30 to 6:00
March 23 - 4:45 to 6:15
March 24 - 10:00 to 12:00
March 25 - 10:00 to 8:00

Total hours: 26 1/2 hours

Week Nine

This week has started off great with a come from behind win late against North Central. On Tuesday I experienced my first 'good feeling about today' as a coach. I've heard several of my former coaches talk about good feelings that they had going into a game and I always thought that they were saying that to possibly give us a little motivation. I noticed my 'good feeling' today when I was throwing batting practice to the team before the game. Coming off a day off the team seemed more relaxed and ready for today. The past couple games the team has seemed to have been playing with too much pressure on themselves but today I did not sense that and the team had a great round of batting practice and carried the good batting practice into the game with a solid 9 run and 13 hit outing, probably the best offensive output we have had this season.

Week Eight

After a complete beat down from CNU on Sunday we were looking to bounce back during the week against Virginia Wesleyan on Wednesday. Unfortunately, we lost that game too and our losing woes continued when we were swept by Averett University this past weekend. I now believe that a losing streak takes more of a toll on a coach than it does a player. A player during a losing streak actually begins to loosen up and not put as much pressure on himself to win and play well, this in turn actually helps them play relaxed and better. However, for a coach, he constantly see him second guessing himself and trying to figure out which situation would work out better. During a losing streak a coach also might over analyze things and put too much thought into them and will constantly hold himself accountable. A coach will also take responsibility for a loss, and give credit to his players for a win, but during a losing streak you can see/feel the stress and physical toll that it takes on him. I see this in Coach Austin. I see what losing does to him and I can feel some of it myself. I do not feel as much as he does but I do constantly finding myself trying to figure out where we went wrong during any play/situation in the previous game. Hopefully, next week will be better and this losing streak will turn into a winning streak.

Week Eight Hours

March 12 - varsity off day/JV game
March 13 - 4:20 to 5:30
March 14 - 1:20 to 6:30
March 15 - 3:30 to 5:30
March 16 - 3:00 to 4:00
March 17 - 10:15 to 4:00
March 18 - 10:15 to 4:00

almost 20 hours

Week Seven

This week was probably the closest week to what a professional team must go through. We had a game everyday except for one and even had a double header on one day. Playing/Coaching everyday took its toll early but I learned very quickly to endure and push through it. With no classes going on there was not the burden of doing school work and going to the games so all my attention could be on baseball. Saturday was the best experience for me as a new coach when we beat Christopher Newport 3-0, CNU was ranked third nationally at the time. Coach Austin had told the team several times over the course of the week that this team was "close." What he meant by that was that this team had the potential of being one of the best teams in the nation. Never being apart of his nationally ranked teams, I didn't know for sure whether he was just telling us that to get us motivated to do better or he really meant it. When we beat CNU on Saturday it proved that he really meant it. This showed that a coach can see the potential in his team and knows what they are capable of, the team just needs to buy in to what the coach is teaching and then they can be one of the best in the nation.

Week Seven Hours

March 6 - 2:00 to 9:30
March 7 - 2:00 to 7:00
March 8 - 2:00 to 7:00
March 9 - 11:30 to 1:30
March 10 - 10:45 to 4:30
March 11 - 11:45 to 6:00

Total - roughly 30 hours

Week Six

This week was another busy week with four games in 7 days. I was excited going into the week because of Spring Break being next week and having another road trip to Georgia at the end of the week.  This week I learned the importance of networking. Playing so many teams, I am introduced to many different coaches every week so I try to introduce myself to as many coaches as I can because I have met a couple of players and assistants that have either played or worked for Coach Austin that have landed coaching jobs at other universities that we have played. For example, two of Coach Austin's former players are now coaches at Piedmont College, Justin Scali and Richard Dombrowsky are the pitching coach and associate head coach for Piedmont respectively. As Dr. Combs said quite a few times in SMA 101 "It's not what you know, it's who you know."

Week Six Hours

Feb 27 - off
Feb 28 - 4:30 to 6:00
Feb 29 - 3:30 to 8:00
Mar 1 - 3:00 to 5:30
Mar 2 - (bus ride to Demorest, GA)
Mar 3 - 11:30 to 12:30 and 4:30 to 9:30
Mar 4 - 12:30 to 6:30
Mar 5 - 10:30 to 3:30

Total - 24

Week Five

Week Five showed me the endurance that a collegiate coach must have. While some may argue that players would get worn down more than coaches, coaches get worn down mentally and physically. The coach has to show mental toughness during the game(s) and make sure that he is staying calm during any situation during the game whether we are winning or losing. The coach can only show composure during the game, after the game the coach can question himself all he want, but never in front of the players because they look up to him. Physically the coach has to be able to throw batting practice and hit fungoes to his team even if he has done it every day of the season so far. Throwing batting practice everyday may seem easy to those from the outside looking in, however, the coach throwing practice can throw from 300 to 350 pitches a day. That can and will take its toll later in the season.

Week Five Hours

Feb 20 - off
Feb 21 - 4:30 to 6:00
Feb 22 - 3:30 to 8:00
Feb 23 - 3:00 to 8:00
Feb 24 - 3:00 to 6:00
Feb 25 - 11:30 to 2:00
Feb 26 - 10:30 to 9:00

Total Hours for the week: 27

Week Four

This week included the first Junior Varsity games and a tournament held at Methodist. I hit fly balls and ground balls to the JV players before their game and coached first base before the game. During the tournament I spent a lot of time down at the field just getting the field ready for the six games that were going to be played on it in two days. I helped Coach Austin paint the foul lines and also helped water the infield. During the games I did my usual duties of coaching first base and throwing batting practice. Coach Austin taught me how to drag the infield before and after every game so now that will become another duty of mine from now on.

Week Four Hours

Feb 13 - 3:30 to 5:00
Feb 14 - 4:30 to 6:00
Feb 15 - 3:30 to 5:30
Feb 16 - 3:30 to 6:00
Feb 17 - 12:00 to 9:00
Feb 18 - 3:00 to 8:00
Feb 19 - 3:30 to 5:00

Week Three

This week included our first two games of the season and our first road trip of the season. We swept Roanoke for our home opener and swept LaGrange on our road trip. My duties this week included coaching first base and even hitting pregame infield/outfield and throwing pregame batting practice. Working with Coach Austin, I have learned that the things that I took for granted as a player and paid closely attention to as a coach. For example, I have paid for attention to the opposing team taking pregame infield/outfield and the drills that they do. As a coach, if you see something that another team does and you like it, it is perfectly fine if you take that drill and use it yourself. Coach Austin has said that most of the stuff we do in practice has come from other teams.

Week Three Hours

Feb 4 - 10:15 to 5:15
Feb 5 - 10:15 to 5:15
Feb 6 - 3:20 to 6:30
Feb 7 - 4:20 to 6:30
Feb 8 - 3:20 to 6:30
Feb 9 - 3:00 to 6:30
Feb 11 - 12:00 to 6:00
Feb 12 - 12:00 to 6:00

Total: 38 hours

Week Two

This week was very similar to the first week. At practice I continued working with the outfielders and throwing batting practice to the team. However, with our first three games coming on the weekend, Coach Austin asked me team specific questions on who I thought should be the closer or start at a certain position. I was honored that Coach would ask me because I had just began my coaching career while he has been a coach for over thirty years now. I told him who I thought and he respected my opinion and ever agreed with me on some of my decisions. He told me how we as a coaching staff would approach certain situations in the field, as far as who is starting and whether or not they would start there the whole season. For example, a player might start at a certain position because of seniority but over the course of the year the position may be given to a younger, yet experienced, player who could probably do a better job. Not that the older player could not get the job done, but the younger player was better.

Coach Austin also let me know that I would be the first base coach during the year. He told me all the responsibilties that I would have as the first base coach and even where I should stand in certain situations. For example, with nobody on base I was to stand as far down the first base foul line that the umpire would let me, this being for safety reasons. Being only 90 feet away, there is not a lot of time to react to a line drive, so with no one on base I should stand at a safe range away from the batter. When someone is on first, I am to stand in a direct line to see the pitcher, but close enough to talk to the runner without anyone else hearing. During this situation I am often less than 10 feet away from first base.

I have enjoyed my coaching experience so far and I look forward to making my coaching debut this weekend against Roanoke College.

Week 2 Hours

Jan 28 - 9:30 to 4:30
Jan 29 - 1:00 to 4:30
Jan 30 - 3:00 to 5:45
Jan 31 - 4:20 to 6:20
Feb 1 - 3:30 to 6:00
Feb 2 - 3:30 to 7:00
Feb 3 - 3:00 to 6:00

Total hours worked for the week: 24:45

Hours Worked Week 1

Job Site: Armstong-Shelley Baseball Field at Methodist University

Jan 18th 3:30 to 6:45
Jan 19th 3:30 to 7:10
Jan 20th 3:00 to 6:30
Jan 21st 9:30 to 12:00 then 1:20 to 3:00
Jan 22nd 12:15 to 4:45
Jan 24th 4:20 to 7:00
Jan 25th 3:20 to 7:00
Jan 26th 3:30 to 6:30 and 7:20 to 9:00

total hours worked: 30 hours and 45 minutes*

**I am terrible with math, if I added wrong please let me know

Week One

This past week has been more exciting than I imagined it would be. I've always wanted to be a baseball coach and I am grateful that Coach Austin has given me a chance to be part of his staff. A couple days before practice, Coach Austin told me that I would be in charge of the outfielders of the team. As a former outfielder in high school, I had a pretty good understanding on what outfielders should be doing in certain situations. I was responsible for going over drills with them and helping coach them when they need coaching. Once practice started I began to hit ground balls and fly balls to the outfielders. When the team would take batting practice I have been the one to throw batting practice to them. I have had many compliments from the team and Coach Austin on my batting practice and as a young coach, those compliments have meant a lot. While my batting practice has been going well, one area I feel I can get better in is hitting fly balls to the outfielders. I personally think I am too inconsistant when it comes to hitting fly balls. I'll often hit one that is a good fly ball and then the next two will either be way too short for the outfielder to make a play on, or I'll miss the ball and hit one on the ground. One way to improve this is to just continue hitting fly balls during practice, I don't think it will take too long before I can master this skill.
Objectives for the Coming Week: Next week I hope to become better at hitting fly balls to the outfielders and prepare the team for the first game next Saturday. I hope to throw even better batting practice than I did last week because as a coach, there is nothing like giving up well hit ball after well hit ball by the team. When this happens, I know I am doing my job well.