13 Tough Innings

Traveled to Eden Prairie Monday for a game against the number 1 rated Eagles. So many good things came out of this game. Unfortunately most of them might have been over shadowed by a 5-4 loss. The Panthers were led by strong pitching and some very solid defense. The key to most games, however, is limiting your opponent during their big inning. We were unable to put a lid on the Eagles big 7th inning rally. The rally forced extra innings. The momentum had turned. It would take 6 more innings for the outcome to be determined.

Sport is the safest place for us to learn something about ourselves. So many opportunities present themselves to us during games that we must be alert, prepared and ready to take advantage of. This is what will ultimately define us. Are we doing what it takes to be prepared and ready to accept the challenges that are presented to us. The outcome might not always be what we desire. However the only time we lose is if we convince ourselves not to try. Athletes by nature are risk takers. They have to be. They are putting themselves out there in front of everyone. This is what competing is all about. Daring to try. Not afraid to fail.

I've tried to tell myself that losing can be beneficial...but we must learn something from it. Winning will only expose part of a person's character. Losing exposes all of it. How we grow through adversity is the real test.

No time to dwell on it. We are back on the diamond on Wednesday against Burnsville.

Tough Week

Conference games are alway challenging. This week brings its own set of obstacles. Starting off on Monday with the Eden Prairie Eagles. A team that always competes for the conference title. Follow that game up on Wednesday with, another of the early season favorites, the Burnsville Blaze. Finish the week up with the Eagles from Kennedy on Thursday and the Totino Grace Eagles on Friday. Tough Week!

Needed the Rain... But it never came

Should have known, with the dry spring that we were having, that the threat of rain should not have been taken so seriously. In a move that I ended up regretting all day we postponed our non-conference with Totino Grace. When the call was made it did not look good at all. Only to see the skies open up and clear off. Dang!

Good Week

A little bit of old school baseball was all that the Panther bats needed to get going. Team traveled to Owatonna for a double header with Owatonna and New Prague. The sound of the metal bat was replaced with the less than familiar crack of wood bats in this double header. The Panthers were victorious in both games. The first game with a great offensive display. The second behind solid pitching and great defense. Sprinkle in some timely hitting and things actually began to look like what we had expected all along.

Back to the Lake Conference on Monday. The metal bats returned....just not until the late innings. Panthers taking one on the chin 7-4 to a good Apple Valley team. Wednesday we returned home to take on the Rosemount Irish. Played a bit of small ball in the beginning and capped off the win with some very timely hitting. A solid pitching performance highlighted a great 4-3 victory. Thursday we took on the South Cougars. Once again a solid pitching performance led to a 7-1 victory. Always a highlight to get the game filmed. Thanks to the all of the volunteers that made it possible for this to take place.

All things considered, when I take time to look back on it, its hard to complain about winning 4-5. Easy to please and hard to satisfy. Once it is more apparent what this team is capable of its hard not to look for it each and every time we play.

Home Opener

We opened the season today at home against Eastview High School. It was great to get a chance to put all of the pre-season work that the guys have done to the test. The boys did many things well that they will be able to file away and use for confidence in the future. We were also tested by a pitcher from Eastview that threw very well against us. Although we lost 3-1... I hope that they realize that this was just game 1. I am sure they wanted to perform better... I have confidence that they will in the future. We have to remember that we will not be defined by any one game unless we let it. Back to practice tomorrow to continue working. Game 2 will be Thursday against Eagan... again at home. Another tough team. Then off to Owatonna on Saturday to play the Huskies and New Prague. Baseball Season is here! What a great time of the year!

Attitude and Effort

The only 2 things that you can control is your attitude and your effort. Players-If you can demonstrate your ability to have a great attitude and to work hard each day it will be easy for you to please your coaches. But know that it will be hard to satisfy us. Once a player shows what they are capable of we will ask for more. Our job as coaches is to take our players to a level that they are not capable of reaching on their own. You can only control 2 things in life... your attitude and your effort. This is true in sport. This is true in life.

Team Selections

The most challenging part about starting the season is selecting teams. The coaching staff visited with the upper classmen yesterday to outline how we will be going about selecting the varsity for the 2010 season. We have identified 20 positions that need to be filled. Players can fill more than one of the positions by being versatile athletes. This was outlined to them. It was mentioned to them that as coaches we have begun to put the players that will be competing for these spots into the slots. Players were also advised to speak to the coaching staff about other positions that they want to be considered for. Selecting teams is the hardest part of every season. Many discussions will be had. A great deal of time and energy will be spent making these considerations.