It’s time to play ball! Yes, that’s right – Harrison High School baseball season is back. The bat swings, the ball is airborne, and the audience is cheering.
The spotlight is on the players, but it’s worth looking at the coach as well. This is his thirteenth year as a high school baseball coach, but his third year at Harrison. Toerner originally got the opportunity to coach baseball from his high school baseball coach. He had this to say about how he started to coach: “Once my playing time was basically over, I got a text to come in and help out at a youth camp with the coaching staff. After that day I was given a practice schedule and added to a text group of coaches that I had played for. I figured I had nailed the “interview” and I’ve been coaching ever since. I can’t thank that man enough for the opportunity he gave me. I always knew I’d have more luck coaching after college than playing.” Coaching at Harrison is a way for him to stay connected to the game he loves dearly.
Varsity baseball player Cameron Enneking had this to say about the coaches: “The coaches are always there for assistance and get us game ready. We’re really happy as a team with our staff because we feel comfortable with a group of coaches that cares, and it’s been that way for the past few years since they’ve been here.”
This year, Toerner feels incredibly confident about the team’s build. “We like to play the game at a fast pace, focusing on putting pressure on the defensive with our speed and contact, while throwing a lot of strikes and letting our athletic defense do their job. It’s very much the style I enjoy coaching.”
Toerner’s plan for the team this year is quite different from previous years. Unlike previous years, they lack a “power arm” as Toerner phrased it, so to compensate, they use other tactics. The pitching staff is more focused on quality over quantity in terms of innings pitched. Interestingly, the team plans on using multiple different pitchers in one game to keep the opposing team on their toes.
For them, baseball is more than just a sport. It’s a way of making incredible connections with other people. Enneking said this about baseball as a whole: “I grew up playing and being around the sport, and it very quickly became my first love. Everything about the game gets me excited for the next game or practice, or really any chance I can be around the sport.” Baseball isn’t something they play – it’s something they live.
When asked if there was any information he’d like to add, Coach Toerner said this: “As someone who has come in from outside of Harrison and has now been here for a couple years, is how great this community is. The support of the administration and staff. The willingness to accept myself, my family, my coaching staff with open arms is something that I know you don’t find everywhere. I really love it here. I see the vision and the commitment to making this school and this community a place that everyone respects and wants to be a part of. I feel very lucky to be here and I look forward to helping us reach our goals, on and off the field.”
As of writing this article, the team is 4-0. Good luck to the baseball team for the rest of the year, we hope that they continue their amazing winning streak!
