The Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn baseball team includes a limited number of players who have logged significant innings at the varsity level. “We only have Jack Mastbergen, Jacob Cates and Blake Meendering returning with quite a bit of varsity experience,” noted HMS head coach Dawson Schiphoff, who moves up this year from assistant coach. “Aiden Bush also had some experience last year, but Lawton Schiphoff was hurt due to injury and the rest were JV guys.” Cates returns at catcher and Mastbergen is playing center field. Both will be counted on to pitch. Meendering will be serving as a utility player.
Schiphoff indicated that practice time has been utilized in three particular areas. “Our main focus has been hitting,” he said, “But we have also really tried to minimize the errors in the field because that has been a problem in the past. Pitching has been mainly focused on not giving up free bases.”
The coach identified a team strong point. “I think one of our strengths is fielding and the catcher position,” said Schiphoff. “I feel like with a healthy team we will field the ball very well.” However, he went on to say, “We have a lot of work ahead for hitting and confidence, though. I really want the boys to go into every game thinking that there is a chance to win. No task should be too big to handle. The floor is low for the team and the ceiling is high. We have lacked confidence going into tough games and against tough pitchers. We keep preaching to them, ‘If you go up there thinking you’re going to hit the ball you have a higher chance of doing so.’ But, on the other hand, if you do the opposite hits will be hard to come by!”
Schiphoff provided the following rundown of the Hawk pitching staff:
Jacob Cates – He has a lot of velocity on the mound and he just has to utilize that and not try to do too much.
Jack Mastbergen – He has really grown over the past year and has added velocity and some really nice breaking pitches. I expect him to be a really solid #2 right behind Jacob. His location has gotten a lot better and he doesn’t give up many free bases anymore.
Aiden Bush – He doesn’t have a lot of velocity but, a ton of potential to be a ground ball pitcher. He locates the bottom of the zone very well and is a good tool to have in a speed em’ up slow em’ down kind of situation.
Dominic Tripp – Dom is a very streaky pitcher. But, when he has his off speed working he will throw a lot of pitches with great movement. I want him to focus on trying to locate those breaking pitches a little bit better.
Lawton Schiphoff – Lawton might not make very many appearances, but he throws a lot of strikes. He is definitely a pitch to contact guy just like his brother! His off speed is hit or miss, but just needs to learn to locate and gain some velocity.
Grant Kunzman – Grant’s ceiling in baseball is extremely high. He has decent velocity for only being a freshman and has a nasty curveball. He can locate pretty well. He is also a routine fielder and the bat will come around because he has a great swing! I think Grant will be a ‘secret weapon’ in a year or two.
The coach was asked about the lineup playing behind his pitchers. “Our lineup is probably going to change a lot over the year based on effort in practice and performance in games,” said Schiphoff. “If you can hit the ball, we will find a spot for you. And if you work your tail off you have a higher chance of taking someone’s spot. Day in and day out, though, pitching-wise we should have just enough depth to be able to have a good fielding crew behind the pitcher.”
And as far as scoring runs to back those pitchers? “Our hitting needs work,” the coach reiterated. “Personally I believe this is where the game becomes very mental for these boys. A lot of our guys have good swings and timing is there sometimes and other times not. We have to believe we can hit faster pitching or whatever we are facing that night. This is where that confidence really comes into play.”
The new head coach talked about his experience as a player and in coaching. “I was a player at HMS and played JV as an 8th grader and varsity freshman through senior year,” shared Schiphoff. “I went to college at Southwest Minnesota State University and walked on to play baseball. Unfortunately, I found out very quickly just how tough it is to play at the next level. Especially that Division 2 level. I was cut a week or two into practice because I just wasn’t ready and didn’t put in enough extra work. Now that drives me to help these boys get to where they want to be in life or in baseball. My failures can turn into many successes and I will gladly trade that. That’s why I am going to be hard on them and want to drive them to be as good as they possibly can.”
Schiphoff, who is being assisted by James Mattingly, was then asked how the transition to head coach has been going. “It has honestly been a little stressful, but it turns out to be a lot of fun once the games really get rolling,” he responded. “There is a lot of behind-the-scenes things that go on that the average person wouldn’t know about. But, I am extremely thankful that I was given the opportunity to coach these boys and make a difference not only for these boys but, hopefully the program too.”
One of Schiphoff’s jobs as head as head coach is to provide the media with his opinions on which teams should be considered War Eagle Conference favorites in baseball. “I personally think that Akron-Westfield is the team to beat,” he offered. “Although it is hard to go against Remsen St. Mary’s with all of their success. Akron, St. Mary’s and Gehlen are all very good baseball teams. They are usually all right up in that top three.
As far as the Hawks are concerned, their coach remarked, “I think that we could fit right in the middle of the pack, but that’s where the confidence comes into play again. Every player on our team needs to believe that, too. This is the War Eagle Conference and there are no easy nights in this conference. So, you have to come ready to play every single game and bring your A game.”
Expanding on what would define success for HMS baseball in 2024, the coach added, “I think some really good goals for success going into this season would be to win our first playoff game. That is a goal the whole team feels like is achievable and it hasn’t been done here in a long time.”
Finally, Schiphoff commented on what he would like players to gain from their experience playing baseball at HMS. “It sounds cliche, but I really want them to have fun and be successful,” he said. “The message to this point is to not leave any regrets. I want to see 100 percent day in and day out from every single guy. That will create more wins and that will make it more fun. That’s why we are being hard on these kids and really trying to drive them to be the best because it’s like I said, I truly believe, the ceiling is high. We just need everyone on the same page. Also, once you get out of high school and you can’t play anymore you realize it’s gone. That feeling is not fun and it’s hard to try to play organized sports once you are out of school!”