MURRIETA MESA SUMMER BASEBALL

There was really no break for me between the regular baseball season and summer baseball at the high school. We started playing summer games before the boys got out of school for the summer. I was able to be the head coach of the varsity summer team with the help from other coaches. It was tough to organize at times with some of the boys playing football, basketball and on other travel baseball teams but we managed to have a pretty successful summer. The summer is a little bit different than the regular season. Coaches do not exchange line-ups, allowing free substitution. We usually play 9 innings instead of 7. Summer is mainly for instruction and development of the players instead of focusing on competition. The varsity team ended up 11-4 at the end of summer. As a coaching staff, we saw a lot of good things from a lot of different players. This is very encouraging since we had 13 seniors graduate from our program. It will be difficult to fill their spots but I am sure some of the young guys will fill in and take on the challenge. We saw a lot of things that need to be worked on as a program and I am excited to get back to work this fall in preparation for next season. We will be very young, but I think we will be a scrappy team that needs to rely on offense execution with solid defense. We have plenty on young pitchers that will have to be aggressive, throw a lot of strikes and trust their defense.

At the end of the summer, I had all the boys up for a BBQ and swim party. It was a lot of fun.

  

 

Working Hard

A little update on my Murrieta Mesa JV baseball team. We are now 0-3 in league, losing three straight. It's a tough thing losing, especially when we are playing better every game. We are making fewer mistakes, less strikeouts at the plate and limiting our defensive errors; we just can't get guys across the plate. We have opportunities to score, but just can't get that clutch hit, leaving guys on base. The ball just isn't bouncing our way and finding holes; but give credit to the other teams we are playing because they have made some critical plays to make a third out and get out of an inning when we have the opportunity to push guys across. We are getting great pitching from our starters, but all it takes is one inning for our opponent to put a few hits together and score a few runs and we are down, scrapping to get back in the game.
The guys are working hard everyday, in the cages and working live defense but to win we gotta work a little bit harder and get better everyday. Trying to keep the guys positive and focus on the things that we have been doing well. The hits will come, we just gotta keep swinging and stay aggressive. We are hanging close in every game, and there is no reason why we couldn't be 3-0 if we get a few crucial base hits here and there and stop giving up outs on defense.

Found this picture online this morning and thought it fits perfectly with the situation we are in right now as a baseball team. I printed this picture out to hang in the dugout and looking forward to see the boys reaction to it. Have a non-league game tomorrow against Hemet and two more games next week before spring break. Hoping to get a few wins going into spring break.

PRACTICE BEGINS

I finally received the final word from the district office last week. I am officially hired as a baseball coach at Murrieta Mesa High School. I will be coaching at the freshman level and really excited. I met most of the boys last week as well as the other coaches. Between now and Christmas break I will be out on the field with the boys, throwing the ball around and hitting in the cages. I haven't thrown a baseball in probably over a year but it felt good throwing the other day. It's a little different than throwing a softball, mainly just size and weight. I immediately started a throwing routine for the team and explained what I wanted them to do and focus on when warming and throwing. We probably won't do any live hitting or drills on the field until we get back from Christmas break. I am really excited about this opportunity to coach. I have wanted to do it for awhile now, and I hope that it leads to more coaching opportunities in the future with baseball as well as football.

COACHING OPPORTUNITY

Anyone that really knows me, knows that I love baseball. It truly has been a long time passion of mine ever since I can remember. I love the game of baseball. I love the everyday practice of fundamentals and drills. I love the mental part of the game at the plate and especially on the mound.  I love the feeling when you make solid contact with bat and ball. I love making a diving play and getting dirty. I love the sound of metal cleats on red brick dust infield. I love the camaraderie of a baseball team. There are so many things I love about the game of baseball and I could go on and on.
One of the regrets I have in my life to this point is not pursuing baseball and playing at the next level.  I gave it a shot a few times in college, but didn't stick with it.  No one to blame but myself.  I do however still want to be involved with baseball and have a great desire to coach.  I don't have much experience of being an official coach but I have an opportunity to help coach at a local High School in Murrieta.  Murrieta Mesa has need of assistant baseball coaches. Luckily for me, one of my old baseball coaches at Murrieta Valley is involved with the baseball program at Murrieta Mesa and has helped me get my foot in the door. I have met with the Athletic Director and currently in the process of applying through the school district and making it official. There is still some paperwork, certifications that need to be processed and interviews that still need to happen.  I am pretty stoked about the opportunity and hope that I can help these young players become better at the sport we both enjoy.