Newsletter Dec 14 - O'Fallon Panther Baseball

SOUTHWESTERN
CONFERNCE
PANTHER BASEBALL
*********
O ’ F A L LO N T OW N S H I P H I G H S C H O O L
HEAD COACH:
Jason Portz
ASSISTANT COACHES:
Scott Seipp
Nick Seibert
Kit Zimmerman
David Crouthers
Brad Bone
Phil Berndsen
Sonnie Rollins
Shane Flaar
Mark Loehr
Brooks McDowell
Brandon Gass
Jamie Vanderheyden
IHSA STATE TOURNAMENT
1974—Semi Finalists
1976—Semi Finalists
1994—Quarter Finalists
2006—3rd Place
2009—3 rd Place
IHSA SUPER SECTIONAL
2006, 2009
IHSA SECTIONAL CHAMPS
1974, 1976, 1994, 2006,
2009, 2010
IHSA REGIONAL CHAMPS
1960, 1970, 1974, 1975,
1976, 1983, 1994, 2005,
2006, 2007, 2008, 2009,
2010, 2012
CONFERENCE CHAMPIOSHIPS
* Cahokia
1933, 1935, 1937, 1946,
1951, 1952, 1954, 1962,
1963, 1969
* Mississippi Valley
1972, 1975, 1976, 1981,
1983, 1984, 1987, 1991,
1992, 1993
* South Seven
1997, 1998
* Southwestern
2006, 2008, 2010, 2011,
2012, 2014
O’Fallon Township High School
600 South Smiley St
O’Fallon, IL 62269
Phone: (618)632-3507
Fax: (618)632-1625
The Gashouse Gazette
The Newsletter for O’Fallon Panther Baseball
December 2014
Message from the 3rd Base Coaches Box
Follow Panther Baseball
As Coaches we make a lasting impact on the lives of many.
 Web
Most of us who are baseball coaches are not be able to explain
totally our love affair with baseball and the athletes we coach.
We do our best to explain how coaching is just what we do, its
what we enjoy most about our time. Be you a person of faith or
not I would say that in the end we each have experienced some
type of “calling” to do what we do. We love baseball, we are
passionate about the lessons that can be taught by our involvement in it and we love the very essence of practice, preparation,
relationships and reaching something for us a bit out of our
reach goal wise. Some of us do this baseball thing because we
want to give back to those coming after us. We want to say
thanks to those coaches influences in our lives who have connected with us and helped to change our lives. Some of us do this
because we love our players even more than baseball or whatever sport we coach. We love seeing what takes place though challenge, teamwork, sacrifice and commitment in the lives of those
placed under our tutelage. Whatever your motivation, it is my
hope that you have sensed a “call” to do this critically important
work in such a clear and unmistakable manner that despite the
challenges presented by this work you cannot imagine doing
anything else.
www.ofallonpantherbaseball.com
 Facebook
www.facebook/ofallonpantherbaseball
 E-Mail
www.diamondboosters@oths.us
 Twitter
@othsBaseball
Choosing to impact the lives of others must be a deliberate decision. Impact is certain and demanding. Impact is ones influence
on another's life. Impact is rock solid. Impact is practical. Impact
is purposeful. Impact is sharing what you know and how you
came to know it. Impact is difficult. Impact is costly. Impact will
make you and your athletes the very best.
I challenge you this new year to have an impact on someone’s
life. Reach out and do something good for someone that will
forever make a positive impact on the outcome of their lives.
Yours in Baseball,
Jason Portz
Head Baseball Coach
Important Up Coming Dates
 Diamond Booster Meeting
- OTHS Smiley Campus Room 1103
- Tuesday January 6th, 7:00 pm
- Tuesday February 3rd, 7:00 pm
 Player Informational Meetings
- Senior, Junior, Sophomore Meeting
- Mon. January 12th @ 3:00pm
- Smiley Cafeteria
- Freshman Meeting
- Tues. January 13th @ 2:30pm
- Milburn Cafeteria
Any player who wants to tryout for baseball this spring
should plan to attend this important informational meeting.
 Spring Sports Meeting
- OTHS Smiley Campus—Panther Dome
- Monday February 23rd, 7:00pm
 OTHS Baseball Youth Winter Clinic
- OTHS Smiley Campus Panther Dome
- February 15th and 16th
O’Fallon Panther Baseball Kick-Off Dinner — Saturday, February 23rd, 2015
The Panther Diamond Booster Club will be hosting a 1st Annual Kick Off Dinner this year . This benefit will feature a dinner, as well as a featured guest speaker. At this event we will highlight the upcoming Panther Baseball season and the returning senior players leading up to the season.
Never rest on yesterdays
success; the work you
put in today will make you
a champion tomorrow!
Page 1—Cover Page
Past, current, and future supporters and friends of Panther Baseball are encouraged to attend. This event will
be a way for us to showcase our program and its players for the upcoming season and is sure to be an enjoyable night out for any baseball fan!
More information regarding this event will be available after the new year. If you would like more information, or would like to inquire about tickets to this event please Contact Mike Maxey (314-568-6825) or email
diamondboosters@oths.us
Page 2 –4 —Alumni/Assistant Coaches Corner
Page 5—Instructional Tips
Page 6—News & Notes
The Gashouse Gazette
Alumni/Assistant Coaches Corner
The Newsletter for O’Fallon Panther Baseball
“Tradition Never Graduates”
Jeremy Pope—Class of 2007
Where is he now? Test Engineer for PING
Jeremy’s Sr Year: OTHS Finished 22-16, IHSA Regional Champs, Losing to Belleville
West in the IHSA Sectional Semi-Final.
Did you know? …. As a junior Jere-
my was One of 3 LHP to win 10 or
more games in 2006 along with
Brian & Brandon Gass
Message from the Alumni: Like many kids growing up playing baseball in O’Fallon, I attended countless Panther Baseball summer camps.
I vividly remember riding my bike to the park, taking swings in the cage with Coach Portz, and listening to players like Kellen Kettwich and
John Piatt talking baseball. It was during those camps that I developed a fire to one day become those players. It took a lot of sweat and
countless hours in the batting cage and on the bullpen mound, but I made it. My four years in the Panther Baseball program provided
unforgettable memories and life lessons. I still remember my first start down in Harrisburg and my last pitch in sectionals my senior year.
I’ll never forget our state run in 2006. The success and comradery we experienced that year has gone unmatched to any sporting team
I’ve been a part of. I still feel privileged to have been a part of one of the best teams in the program’s history.
After high school I went on to play four years at Rockhurst University in Kansas City, graduating with degrees in Math and Physics. I attribute a lot of my success I had there to lessons learned in high school and playing for the Panthers. One big thing was time management,
and anyone who’s experienced a four-five hour practice can attest to that. Those practices instilled a high level of hard work that was
unparalleled at the time. In the end every minute out on the practice field prepared us for every situation we came across in a game.
Coming out of a hardworking and successful program like O’Fallon made many things much easier for me at the next level. I’ve found this
true for collegiate baseball, school, and my career. Some advice I’d give to any current or future player would be not to take anything for
granted. Your last pitch or AB will come and go before you know it, and you’ll miss those four hour practices, early bird conditionings (let’s
be honest, I don’t miss these at all), or putting that jersey on. So work hard and enjoy every minute.
From the Desk of Pitching Coordinator — Nick Seibert
A question that I receive on a regular basis is “what should he be doing in the off-season?” Great question and for many the answer is easy or is it.
There are so many determining factors that one should consider when they debate this question and every athlete will probably be
different and need to look at a variety of things. Here are some things to consider:
·
Age
o 7-12 year olds the off season can be a great time to work on mechanics and fine tune motor skills.
o 12-18 years old athletes might want to use this time to get STRONGER!!!!
·
Past season
o Was I successful with my mechanics and only need to fine tune some things?
o Was I a mess and my mechanics led to unsuccessful outings?
·
Innings logged in the past year
o Do I need to give my arm some time to recover before I start up in the New Year?
o Did I just get a taste of what pitching is like and want to pursue it next year?
·
What is my dedication to the sport?
o Am I a recreational player?
o Am I wanting to pursue baseball in or after high school?
I think these are some things that you will want to consider when you are trying to answer this question.
I am not an expert on this but I have done my homework before giving my thoughts to parents and he is my general answer.
·
Take time off to rest (your arm needs it)
o Play another sport
o Get stronger
o Explore all options
·
If you want to do some throwing, do one of the following:
o Find someone that will focus on your mechanics and lead you in the right direction ( do your homework not all
guys have the same goals for every kid when it comes to lessons)
o Ask about a throw program that will focus on arm strength development and proper progressions.
·
Get stronger
o Age appropriate kids need to be working on muscle strength and development.
o Balanced diet will go a long way in your development
·
Be a kid
o Baseball should be fun and something your child wants to do.
o Don’t push too hard that the enjoyment factor is lost.
 Your kid wants to hear, Good job, I Love watching you play, and I’m proud of you.
-Nick Seibert, Pitching Coach O’Fallon Township High School
Page 1—Cover Page
Page 2 –4 —Alumni/Assistant Coaches Corner
Page 5—Instructional Tips
Page 6—News & Notes
The Gashouse Gazette
Assistant Coaches Corner
The Newsletter for O’Fallon Panther Baseball
From the Desk of Strength and Conditioning Coach—Jamie Vanderheyden
As the holidays approach, it is very common to hear adult conversations that revolve around putting on or taking off the holiday
pounds. As a result, I decided to put on my Santa cap and stuff your stocking full of simple advice and motivation that will create a
new way of thinking for you.
Your son has fitness goals, and they can actually help you. He could teach you something whether you like it or not. Read on…
 If you ask your son why he weight trains, the answer will generally fall into three categories. He will either want to get stronger, become faster, or increase baseball performance in some manner. Most will answer with some combination of the three.
However, in all the years I have spoken with high school athletes, very few ever judge their success by their weight. Most want
to gain weight, some want to lose weight, but rarely is it the highest factor that determines if their efforts were worthwhile. I
understand that comparing a 17 year old boy to a parent is not quite fair, but that is far from the point. Yes, they are already
thin, but their drive to make performance gains is so high that success has a different definition.
Athletes focus on performance when they exercise and looking good is a side result. Your son wants to become faster, not
count calories burned. He measures success differently. So should you.
 Your first response is, “Jamie I don’t compete anymore, and I’m 45. I have a full time job, food to put on the table, bills to pay,
and stress to deal with. Trust me, I understand, I am 38 with three kids.
However, what if you decided that you were going to judge your success just like your son does?
 It is very defeating to look down and realize you spent 25 minutes on a treadmill to burn off the soda and chips you ate earlier
in the day. It is also defeating to work out for six months only to realize you didn’t lose any weight, right? Both of those are
terrible measures of your efforts, because they cause you to stop. Yet, what if there was a way to actually feel fulfilled by another measurement? What if you woke up in the morning thinking that you were going to get better at something as your
main driver? What if you ignored every piece of advice that comes over the radio or television? What if you measured success
the same way athletes do?
Your old way of thinking…
 Most adults rarely consider themselves an athlete after they hang up the cleats and pull a hamstring picking up action figures
out of the bathtub. I say rubbish, and it is time to redefine the word athlete. Absolutely everything can be made into relative
terms including athletic performance. For the sake of being realistic, let’s assume that the measurement for “athletic” is
scaled back quite a bit. I am not expecting you to run six minute miles or bench press your bodyweight. However, I am expecting you to do something.
If you are doing nothing, do something, and if you are doing something, work on getting better at it.
 The largest obstacle when you begin is determining a baseline for your personal performance. As a result, be realistic with
how you measure your success. For some people, simply getting to the gym is the first measurement of success. For others, it
is to choose to go on a walk a few times a week. For others, it may get to the point where they do pushups to beat personal
bests. In the end, the idea can be scaled up or down depending on the person.
Set goals, and get better at what you are doing in small increments over a period of time.
 In all the years I have ever looked a person in the eye, there are only a few things that actually matter the most. Remind yourself that:
You are worth it, you are appreciated, and you can inspire others.
 So if you are one of the many adults who want to feel better, move better, and find health this year, please find a way to measure your success in new ways. Choose to seek out and conquer goals that are related to getting better at something. Are you
improving? Are you better today than you were yesterday? Your jean size doesn’t define who you are, and neither does your
weight.
I wish you all the luck,
Coach Vanderheyden
Page 1—Cover Page
Page 2 –4 —Alumni/Assistant Coaches Corner
Page 5—Instructional Tips
Page 6—News & Notes
The Gashouse Gazette
Assistant Coaches Corner
The Newsletter for O’Fallon Panther Baseball
From the Desk of Assistant Coach—Scott Seipp
Get your Catchers Involved…
How many times have you been sitting at you’re sons youth baseball game in 90 degree heat and it seems like the game is moving
at a snail’s pace? Pitchers not throwing strikes and walking guys, catchers spending more time at the backstop than behind the
plate, and parents becoming aggravated yelling things like “Throw Strikes” or “Catch the Ball”. I have seen it and heard it at the
high school level so I am positive it is happening at the youth level. Coaches, let’s make your life easier and your games move
along at a quicker pace…
I realize that your practice time is limited and only happens once or twice a week but there is an essential part of the game that
needs to be a part of your daily practice routine, CATCHING… Most coaches spend a load of time during a practice session, hitting
grounders, fly balls and hitting, but the catchers never see any position specific work at all. Why is this? The catcher sees more action in a game than anyone except the pitcher so why are we not giving them any drills to do in your practice. It may be that coaches never think about it or just plain and simple are not familiar with any drills to do with your catchers. Here is a drill to do with
your catchers that surely will make them better behind the plate:
This is by far the most important drill that we do with our high school catcher on a daily basis and it only takes about 5-10 minutes.
Get your catcher get in full gear and get in his stance behind the plate or with a throw down plate on the side. Make sure that
when he is in his stance that both feet are even, both knees and shoulders are squarely facing the pitcher, and that his target is at
the bottom of his knees. Once you have checked that over, the drills begin. Have your catcher get in his stance about 5 feet away
from you with NO glove on. Once he is in that position, firmly underhand flip him wiffle balls that he has to catch and flip back to
you. Make sure as the flip man, that you work both the inside and outside corners of the strike zone. Do this for about 25-30 tosses. Don’t get frustrated if balls are being dropped because this is hard for a catcher that has never done it. Once we have finished
that, insert a lite flite ball and repeat the process again. The lite flite balls have a little more weight to them and are a little spongy
so this will make them focus a little harder on the task. Once you are done there, repeat with actual baseballs. You will find that
with the baseballs that it should be a lot easier for your catcher to catch them than with the wiffles and lite flite balls.
Once you have finished the bare hand drills, have them put their glove on and repeat the drills that you did bare handed but now
with their glove on. This will be extremely ugly to start but be patient with the process. When you put a glove on your hand and try
to catch a firmly flipped ball, it is harder to catch that it is with your bare hand. The weight of the glove coupled with a lighter ball
(wiffle or lite flite) makes this a challenge. Once they have done these, just stand about 10 feet from them and throw baseballs to
them like you are throwing darts. This will give them a more live look at catching in a game situation without gunning balls at
them. Throwing them from a short distance should make it easier for the coach/parent to be more accurate with their throws….
Make sure all these drills are monitored by a coach. If it is not monitored, it will not be done correctly or with attention to detail...
There are many drills that you can incorporate into your practice without it taking much time. The most important thing though, is
making sure we set time for them to happen. We cannot critique kids on things that have not been taught at practice first. Keep
that in mind, because I know that is really tough to swallow as coaches. If you would like any more drills or would like to talk in further detail about catching work, please send me an email at sseipp@curtsmithsg.com ....
Scott Seipp
O’Fallon Township High School
Varsity Assistant Baseball Coach
Page 1—Cover Page
Page 2 –4 —Alumni/Assistant Coaches Corner
Page 5—Instructional Tips
Page 6—News & Notes
The Gashouse Gazette
Instructional Tips
The Newsletter for O’Fallon Panther Baseball
Developmental Tip from Blazier Field — Head Coach Jason Portz
I am often asked the question, “what skills does my son need to posses to make the high school baseball team?” Its always an interesting question and one that can take on a great deal of conversation. In short the quickest way to make an impact on one of our
teams is to:



1a. Make your player as solid of a defensive player as you can. Learn to catch and throw with great skill and agility.
1b. If you’re a pitcher learn to throw strikes with flawless mechanics and be able to create consistent soft contact.
2. Offensively, be able to handle the bat with great skill. Put the ball in play, bunt and be able to get yourself on base.
At O’Fallon Township High School we assemble a tryout similar to what players go through at a professional tryout camp. Our decision
to keep a player is based on athletic actions related to baseball ability as well as character traits that are representative of athletic development.
What We Look For:










Athletic ability -hand eye coordination, running ability, foot agility, physical size and physical strength.
Baseball ability -throwing, catching, hitting and the ability to make the routine play.
Coachability - attitude, attentiveness, listening ability and the ability to follow instructions.
Hustle, Desire and Dedication – work ethic and the desire to improve each day. Players should show emotional control in times of
failure along with the willingness to work on their skills outside of practice.
Throwing ability – throwing is the number one reason players end up being cut from our program
Running Ability – Overall speed, baseball knowledge on the base paths, conditioning and distance running, quickness in short
bursts.
Potential to Develop – players who show one or two outstanding characteristics including work ethic and character, potentially
players who could be late developers.
Community, Education and Discipline – players must be good citizens, students and show good character traits.
Playing Active Catch - The first day of tryouts we can watch kids warm up, their effort and how they present themselves and immediately a red flag goes up on some players. These players stand out because of poor throw and catch mechanics which generally
result in poor arm strength and lack of velocity.
Development of Positive Habits - The mechanics athletes bring to the tryouts are because of improper techniques that went uncorrected for years at the lower levels. Always practice the right way as a young player.
Our Tryouts Consist Of:
 Outfielders - Any player who thinks he might be an outfielder goes to right field. We hit them fly balls and they throw to 3rd base
and then home. We put a radar gun on them to measure velocity. We look for ability to judge and field fly balls and ground balls,
arm strength and accuracy.
 Infielders - Any player who thinks they are a 3B, SS or 2B goes to the shortstop position. We hit them a series of ground balls (at
them, right, left and slow rollers) and they throw to first base. Again we put a radar gun on them to measure velocity. We look for
ability to field ground balls, athleticism, arm strength and accuracy as well as glove action, footwork and fundamental fielding skills.
 First Basemen - We do the same for these guys except they are stationed at first base and throw to third base
 Catchers - We put them behind the plate and get a glove to glove stopwatch time on throws to second base. We look for timing and
accuracy. We put them behind the plate during the hitting tryouts and pitching tryouts to judge their ability to receive and block
pitches in the dirt. We are also looking for leadership skills out of our catchers as well as strong baseball IQ and exceptional work
ethic.
 Pitchers - We are simply looking for arm motion, especially players who don't "short arm" the ball. Accuracy and velocity are a factor. We keep more pitchers who posses potential for development over any other position. If a player shows potential but needs to
develop better mechanics we may take the time to work with that player for a few years.
 Hitters - We watch swing mechanics. We don't care if they touch the ball or not. Do their swing mechanics show that they have the
ability to be a potential hitter? We place a large emphasis on a players ability to hit the ball to the opposite field as well as players
who can handle the bat, bunt, limit strike outs and put the ball in play with authority. Players who stand in the cage and try to hit
home runs and pull the ball every time are not always your most skilled hitters
 Running and Agility – Athletes will be measured in the 60 yard dash, Home-Firstbase, 2 Mile Run, 20 Yard Shuttle Run and the BFS
Dot Drill. These activities measure an athletes foot speed, foot quickness, lateral quickness and overall conditioning.
Page 1—Cover Page
Page 2 –4 —Alumni/Assistant Coaches Corner
Page 5—Instructional Tips
Page 6—News & Notes
The Gashouse Gazette
News and Notes
The Newsletter for O’Fallon Panther Baseball
Upcoming Season Information
Diamond Booster Club
2015 O’Fallon Panther Baseball Winter Clinic
 Diamond Booster Meetings
- Are held the first Tuesday of Every Month in the OTHS
Smiley Campus Room 1103 or the Multi Purpose Room.
- Any and all baseball program supporters are welcome and
encouraged to get involved with the diamond boosters
today by contacting Booster Leader Mike Maxey at
diamondboosters@oths.us to obtain information.
- NEXT MEETING—Tuesday, January 6th — 7:00pm
 Tryouts—Monday, March 2—March 7, 2015
 Spring Sports Meeting—Monday February 25, 2015
 Sports Physical—Every athlete must have a current physical
on file with the nurses office to be able to tryout. Don’t wait,
check with the nurses office today to make sure your physical
is current and if not get a current physical on file today.
Sun. Feb. 15, 1pm-4pm & Mon Feb. 16, 9am-1pm
Registration and payment at www.ofallonpantherbaseball.com
Youth Coaches are welcome to observe, follow and take notes
The O’Fallon Panther Baseball Staff and Players will offer
youth players an opportunity to receive quality instruction
in the fundamentals of baseball. The 2 day camp will feature intense concentration on fundamentals, the cornerstone in the development of any player. Hustle, hard
work, the desire to improve and the development of a positive attitude about the game will be ingrained by our quality staff and players.
There will be a special emphasis placed on hitting and defense. Teaching stations will include programs designed to
improve bunting, base running, throwing, and defensive
techniques common to all positions. Drills that are used in
the panther baseball program will be the focus of the instruction. These drills are designed for players to use
throughout their baseball career.
 Each camper will receive a camp t-shirt and lunch at
the conclusion of the camp on Monday.
2015 O’Fallon Panther Baseball Summer Clinics
 Meet the Panthers Bar-B-Q
- Saturday March 14th @ Blazier Field
- 11:00am Freshman Intersquad
- 1:00pm Soph/JV Intersquad
- 3:00pm Varsity Intersquad
- Bar-B-Q dinners will be served from 10:00 am – 5:00
PM. The dinner includes a Pork Steak, 2 Sides, a drink
and a dessert for $8.00
 O’Fallon Panther Baseball Day at Busch Stadium
 Saturday April 18th, 2015
 St. Louis Cardinals vs. Cincinnati Reds
 1:15 PM—Yadier Molina Bobblehead Day
 Mark your calendars for this exciting event for our
baseball program and community. A unique opportunity to see the St. Louis Cardinals and support your
O’Fallon Panthers on the same day.
 O’Fallon Panther Baseball will make available to any
youth team or community organization a fundraising
opportunity that will not only raise some funds for
you, but also promote Panther Baseball in our community.
For ticket information email Diamondboosters@oths.us
 O’Fallon Panther Baseball at Busch Stadium
 Saturday April 24th, 2015
 O’Fallon Panthers vs. Jacksonville HS @ 4:00 pm
- Mark your calendars for this exciting event for our baseball program and community. A unique opportunity to
see your O’Fallon Panthers play at Baseball Heaven.
Mark your calendars for this years summer clinics!!
Skill Development Camp— 6/15-6/18
Hitting/Pitching Clinic #1—6/22-6/25
Advanced Evaluation Camp—7/6-7/9
Registration and payment at www.ofallonpantherbaseball.com
“Spotlight on a Panther”
#31—Christopher Dye
Yr: Senior—Class of 2015
Pos: P
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
Favorite Former Panther Player Growing Up: Collin Holton & Blake Deatherage (‘14)
Favorite MLB Player: Chris Carpenter
Favorite MLB Team: St. Louis Cardinals
What Has Panther Baseball Taught You?: “You have to work hard and earn what you get. Noting is
given to you.”
Most Memorable Baseball Moment: “Beating Sacred Heart Griffin last year when they were the number 1 ranked team in the state.”
Goals for Next Season: “To give my team a chance to win each time I take the mound.”
My Advice to young players is: “What I learned from Collin Holton and Blake Deatherage, work hard
and earn your keep. Most importantly play because you love the game.”
Page 1—Cover Page
Page 2 –4 —Alumni/Assistant Coaches Corner
Page 5—Instructional Tips
Page 6—News & Notes