Head Baseball Coach Jason Smiga stood near the mound with his clipboard tucked under his arm and scans the field, as players jogged into position for afternoon practice. For 27 years, he had been an assistant coach, offering advice, running drills and supporting coaches. But this season, he takes the reins as head coach for the first time.

Smiga will take the filed with assistant coaches Jason Gunter, Chandler Crane and Will Silverthorn. It’s the first time the baseball team has four coaches during off-season.

“Normally it’s just been two of us,” Smiga said.

Gunter helps with the outfield and character development while Crane works with younger players. Silverthorn, a former professional pitcher, specializes in pitching.

Smiga said his coaching philosophy is rooted in simplicity. He believes that strong teams begin with strong fundamentals and that mastering the basics is the foundation for long-term success.

“I wanted to kind of go back to the fundamentals,” Smiga said. “Teach the fundamentals, and make sure that once they grasp those, then we can get better specific skills.”

Senior pitcher Sam Mitchell, whose played baseball since kindergarten, said he immediately noticed the shift in tone and structure under Smiga’s leadership.

“Coach Smiga just makes each and every single baseball player in the program want to try their hardest,” Mitchell said. “He brings out the best in every single person. He genuinely cares.”

Mitchell said practices now feel more focused and intentional. Players are split into their positions to work on individual skills, and there’s more emphasis on stretching, mechanics and preparation.

“We spend more time sectioned off into our individual positions to really refine our skills more individually,” Mitchell said.

Smiga introduced a new mindset to the team that’s centered on accountability. It’s the word he uses most often, and it’s become the team’s guiding principle.

“He wants each teammate to be accountable for what they do, trying hard in the weight room, being intentional in practice, being passionate in what they do,” Mitchell said.

Senior outfielder Eli Ahlemeier, whose been on the team since sophomore year, said he remembers Smiga as the assistant coach who was always steady and supportive.

“Now that he’s head coach, I think it’s a great opportunity for him and I’m looking forward to a great couple more years with him,” Ahlemeier said.

Ahlemeier said Smiga treats every player fairly, giving each grade level a chance to prove themselves. That sense of equality has helped build trust across the team.

“He gives everyone equal opportunity,” Ahlemeier said. “They all have a chance to display their skills.”

Mitchell said Smiga also connects with the players through stories and humor. He remembers one in particular a lesson from Smiga’s time on a triple-A team.

“He was telling us, whenever your teammate makes a mistake, you want to bring them up and say, ‘You got the next one,’” Mitchell said. “Because little do you know, you’re going to make the same mistake next.”

He said Smiga’s experience as a player and coach has shaped the team’s culture in meaningful ways.

“Now that he’s a head coach, you can really see the experience he has and the things that he has to offer,” Mitchell said. “He’s able to bring that forward and kind of do it his way just to better ourselves.”

For Smiga, the most rewarding part of coaching isn’t the wins. It’s watching his players grow not just as athletes, but as people.

“You have four years with them and being able to see them grow up, even the mental part of it how they mature, the maturation process of them growing into teenage boys, into young adults,” Smiga said. “That’s been probably my favorite part in all my years.”

As the team looks ahead to spring, Smiga is focused on more than just making playoffs. He’s preparing his players to carry what they learn into the rest of their lives.

“We want to coach them to be great human beings after high school,” Smiga said. “To be great fathers and do well in their job after high school.”