Lounsbury enters 15th season at helm of the Badgers
The 2010 OUA season will be a season of both young and mature
talent for Brock Baseball. A number of new and exciting rookies
will be joining a strong core of veteran players in the blue, red
and white this fall. However, while this influx of talent occurs
every fall, there has been one constant through the past 15 years
in the program: Head Coach Jeff Lounsbury.
Lounsbury will be starting his 15th season as head coach of the
Badgers and in his time with the team, Lounsbury has seen the
program grow in stature within Brock and OUA athletics. He
explains, “We have always had talent, but I have seen [the
program] grow at the university level with funding. We were always
treated very well by the athletic department, and we were always
respected for what we did on and off the field, but funding was a
huge benefit since we were close to burning out and that saved
us.” While Lounsbury believes that Brock’s baseball
program is on solid ground and one of the best in the country, he
worries about the future of University baseball as a whole, saying
“I don’t worry about Brock as much as I worry about the
fate of University baseball at the Canadian University level. We
will continue to work hard at improving the quality of baseball and
the quality of program for the athlete, regardless of what outside
sources have to do with it.” When it comes to the product
between the baselines, Lounsbury explains that his philosophy is
“to try and be on the offense all the time. Dictate the game
to the other team and try to put the best nine guys on the field to
win at the end of the year.”
When asked what he looks forward to every summer as the season
approaches, Lounsbury responds with an interesting answer:
"training camp." He explains “I love training camp and the
anticipation of it all, but I hate training camp since a lot of
hard decisions have to be made.” Although training camp and
the beginning of each season has its benefits and drawbacks,
Lounsbury also says that the end of the year is full of tough
moments as well, “I hate saying goodbye to graduating players
at the end of the year on the field of the last game. It kills me
because I know how hard they work and I always feel so bad if the
year ended in disappointment.” Lounsbury’s hard work
off the field also leads to frustration and stress. Lounsbury has
said “the worst part is fundraising. It really does wear me
down, because I have a hard time asking people to donate money. I
get burned out and stressed and lose a lot of sleep.”
However, the hard work and effort is worth it for Coach Lounsbury.
He explains that he is proud of the Brock Baseball program, and the
effect the program has on those who come through it. He says
“I'm glad that University for most of them has been the best
four or five years of their life, and baseball at Brock has been
part of that.”
On the lighter side, Coach Lounsbury has been kind enough to talk
a little bit about some players he has coached, and given a quick
evaluation of the skills he has seen pass through Brock. “I
think Tinnish and Borjas were the best all around hitters.”
Lounsbury says, “We had some great power hitting guys like
Jeff Knapp, Mike Kemp, Dan Baribeau, Matt Stezyki, Matt Fletcher
and Colin Tyler.” When asked to name a few of the fastest
runners he has seen, Lounsbury responds, “Wow – Darryl
Presley and Botts in the early ‘90s could really run. Coates,
Giffin and Mat Barrett read pitchers and got great jumps.” As
for players who could handle the glove, Lounsbury says “Bill
Gillen, John Rush and Grant Giffin were extremely gifted defensive
players and Jeremy Walker had a cannon in right field. Justin
Czorny had a great arm as well. Jamaal Joseph threw the hardest
from the mound.”
When asked to name the best all-around players he has seen at each
position, Lounsbury responds, “It’s so hard with so
many great players, great teams, and the different eras as well. It
would be easier to name an all-time team of funny guys with the
likes of Giffin, Bobby Howe, Brian Sewell, Ryan Kerins, Nathan
Tami, Matt Pickett, Colin Tyler, Mark Nicholson, and Ivan
Cherwinski to name a few.”
Lounsbury has demonstrated a work ethic best exemplified by a
motto he explained to former captain Matt Stezycki: “examples
define leaders”. Although the bats and gloves are put away
for the winter, the Brock baseball season lasts twelve months a
year for Coach Lo. As explained by former General Manager Mike
Tucker, “coaching is such a small component of his year-round
dedication to the development and growth of the program. He has
such a grand vision for the Brock baseball program, and I admire
him for stopping at nothing to achieve that and making the Badgers
such a renowned success.” This dedication only becomes more
and more evident each season, as the baseball team becomes a more
successful organization. In the past year alone, Lounsbury’s
efforts have resulted in a successful baseball season, the
expansion of the team’s communications, game day operations
and marketing and community relations management teams, while still
managing to operate the club with a seemingly ever-shrinking
budget. Hall of Famer Andrew Tinnish probably describes Coach
Lounsbury best when he says, “Jeff lives and breathes Brock
Baseball. His passion for the program is unmatched.”
The praise for Coach Lounsbury’s work ethic is only echoed
by pitching coach Stefan Strecker and 2009 Badger MVP Mike Walker.
When asked, Strecker says that “Jeff is one of the most
dedicated people I know... He always wants what is best for Brock
baseball and has made some real sacrifices. He is committed to
getting the best players to come to Brock.” Walker elaborates
on Strecker’s comments, saying “The amount of effort,
dedication and heart that Coach puts into the Brock baseball
program is unmatched throughout the OUA. Year in and year out he
spends countless hours making sure that his players have everything
they need to be in a position to succeed.”
Coach Lounsbury’s dedication is evident in the community and
around the ballpark, but it is most obvious on the field and in the
standings. His career record is 241-112-4 for a .681 winning
percentage. (To put that in perspective, for an MLB manager to have
a career .681 winning percentage, he would have to average about
110 wins a season.) Lounsbury owns the record for most Canadian
collegiate victories at the University level for a coach. His
Badgers have also had successful runs in the post-season, winning
two CIBA National Championships, two OUA Championships, three
Ontario West titles, seven CIBA championship appearances, as well
as three OUA regular season championships. Yet, the best testament
to Lounsbury’s success at recruiting and reloading the team
is his nine consecutive seasons of 20 plus wins.
When talking about Coach with the people who know him best, one
theme becomes even more apparent than his desire to win and his
desire to grow the program. Coach’s dedication to Brock
Baseball, and more specifically, his dedication to his players.
Andrew Tinnish remembers a time in May of 1999 when he decided he
no longer wanted to tryout with the Quebec Capitales. Tinnish
recalls “Jeff called me that night to wish me luck. I told
him I wasn’t going and he freaked out. It took about 2
minutes for him to convince me to go…Best decision I ever
made. I would have regretted it the rest of my life.” Brock
Baseball Hall of Famer Rylan Pranger says “Coach Lounsbury is
one of those rare baseball people who values loyalty and
demonstrates trust in his players. When the game is on the line and
Coach has a decision whether to take you out or leave you in, all
you need to know is that if he trusts you to get the job done, that
game is yours, win or lose.” When asked about Coach’s
dedication to the players, Jeff’s girlfriend Mary says
“He takes each of these players, heart and soul, home with
him each night, and I actually get to know players by just hearing
how he describes them after each game, telling me about their hard
work, dedication, hardships and passion.” Lounsbury describes
his commitment to his players as: “I have always tried to
give the players the best possible experience. University is
supposed to be the greatest time of their lives. I really do try to
give them the most memories possible.”
For all the time Coach Lounsbury spends at the ballpark, he also
sacrifices many more hours behind the scenes for the good of the
program. Mike Walker says “He has always placed his players
ahead of himself and makes many sacrifices that go
unnoticed.” The woman who knows Coach Lounsbury best also
discusses Jeff’s sacrifices, as Mary says “Although the
season is only eight weeks long, Jeff works the entire year at it.
What many tend to forget is that Jeff makes many personal
sacrifices that affect me and his family coaching this intensive
program, however, I support Jeff and his commitment to the team
100%.”
Coach’s dedication to his players is evident in the on-field
product, but also in the way players grow and mature in their time
with the team. Players come to Brock as teenagers, and leave as
young men. More than a few players believe that Coach’s work
ethic, dedication, and passion have put them where they are today.
Badgers’ fielding coach Adam Cholewka says, “Not only
does he expect the best from his players, but he also expects it
from himself. Coach Lounsbury’s dedication to his players and
the program is something I greatly admire as a young coach.”
Two-time Badger MVP Steve Coates echoes Cholewka’s sentiment,
saying “Coach Lounsbury has built one of the finest baseball
programs in the country. His success is a direct result of hard
work and dedication. He demands the best from his players both on
and off the field, and not only turns out great baseball players
but great people as well. It was an honour to play for Jeff
Lounsbury.”
When asked about the past 15 years, Coach Lounsbury is quick to
say that Brock Baseball’s success is not just a result of his
work. “I think the program has succeeded for many reasons. I
think my support staff of assistant coaches, athletic directors,
and family and friends has been amazing.” When asked if he
imagined being with the Badgers for 15 years, Lounsbury mentions
that he believes that the work he has put in during the past 15
years is not enough, saying “I fear for the program if I am
not fighting for it, and I fear for OUA baseball even after all
these years. It’s still not where it should be and we seem to
always be fighting for our rightful place in University sports.
That motivates me.” When asked about his most memorable
moment with Brock Baseball, Coach Lounsbury expressed his
excitement for the upcoming season, saying “Each year is the
best moment… every year brings a new great moment, and as I
get older those moments aren’t always about winning and
losing.”
Coach Lounsbury sums up his work with Badgers Baseball best when
he says “Playing in front of people, having a new bat, after
you break one, having decent baseballs for batting practice, having
quality assistant coaches, having as much fun at the park as
possible, having neat things such as music and media guides, having
alumni want to be involved with the team, having players move on to
become great men and community leaders and of course winning as
many games as possible; I work on these things almost every day and
hopefully someday they will realize that being a member of the
Brock Baseball program was a special moment in their lives because
I know it is for me.”
Many current and former Badgers have expressed their wishes for
Coach Lounsbury and the Badgers for the future. Among these good
wishes:
"I can't thank Jeff enough for the opportunities he has given me
over the last five years. I wish Jeff and the program all the best
in the future."
-Mike Walker
2009-2010 Brock Male Athlete of the Year
"Jeff Lounsbury's dedication to not only Brock Baseball but also
Canadian Baseball is second to none. He lives for this program and
very few people recognize how much he cares about it and its
players.I cannot thank Jeff enough for the opportunity and
mentorship that he has given me over the past 3 years, he has
become like a second father to me, and I owe everything I have done
and will do in baseball to Jeff for giving me my first opportunity.
His impact on the program and the people involved with it cannot be
measured, and I cannot thank Jeff enough for the opportunities he
has given me."
-James Parker
Brock Baseball GM
"Thanks for the 15 years you have put into the program, you made
Canada proud when it comes to Brock University Baseball. I hope you
have another 15 more in you and good luck this season"
-Raul Borjas
Brock Baseball Hall of Famer
"Jeff, thank you very much for the amazing memories. You played an
important role in a young mans life. You truly deserve all the
recognition you get. Thank you again for being part of such a great
tradition."
-Ryan Johns
Former Badger RHP (1998-2001)
“The dedication and commitment that Jeff has poured into
Brock Baseball is reflected in the level to which the program has
risen. In this age of entitlement, Jeff has done a tremendous job
of providing an amazing opportunity to young men on a yearly basis.
I tip my hat to both the effort and the results that have
followed.”
-Mike McRae
First Brock Baseball Head Coach
"Coach Lounsbury is driven to make sure Brock Baseball is a
winning program every year. He has delivered success in many ways
which attracts and retains top talent. Coach Lounsbury is the only
Canadian Coach who has made an impact in University baseball and
has challenged his players with an NCAA level program. In my
playing years with Jeff, he brought the best out of me, taught me a
lot and advocated for me on many occasions. For students who are
looking for a program in Canada, Jeff has grown Brock Baseball as a
recognizable elite program where top talent go. Through his hard
work and dedication, his winning record is proof in itself."
- Darryl Silverstein
Badger from 2002-04
"Jeff is dedicated to the program, it has been a pleasure to be on
his staff, just don't let him dip!!"
- Ron Zimmerman
Badgers Bench Coach
"Jeff is a dedicated coach to the program and has built the legacy
in which Brock Baseball represents"
- Matt Martinow
2009 OUA All-Star - Badger RHP (2006-2009)
"Jeff and I didn't always see eye to eye, but one thing we shared
was the desire to be the best. We always wanted to win, and that
was a philosphy Jeff instilled into me my first day in camp. The
best part was, he usually gave us the opportunity to with his
strong recruiting classes. People can say whatever they want about
Jeff, but he wins, what more do you want from a head
coach?"
-Adam Vella
Former Badger Infielder (2003-07)
"We are really looking forward to a great baseball season this
year. Last year’s youthful team is now one year better and
with the returning veterans and incoming recruits, I think Jeff
‘s squad is in for a super year."
-Chris Critelli
Brock University Athletic Director
From the Brock Athletic Department down to Brock Baseball fans,
everyone involved in Brock Baseball and Brock Athletics would like
to congratulate Coach on his achievement with the team and thank
him for his years of hard work. We all look forward to many more
years of unparalleled success in OUA baseball.
Written By: Shawn Eckford (Assistant Head of Communications)
