Center Township baseball strong as ever
CENTER TWP — Mike MacDonald has coached baseball at every level. He’s even been the strength and conditioning coach for the Minnesota Twins.
He appreciates the level he’s at now as much as any — coaching the Center Township 7U all-star team.
“At this age, you know the the players are going to listen to you,” MacDonald said, laughing.
Apparently, the 11 kids comprising this all-star team — Collin Kiddle, Braxton Myrlie, Blake MacDonald, Zeke Bennett, Dean Aufman, Kaylee Dolhi, Brady Wilkinson, Waylon Whitlach, Kingston Walton, Eddie Aufman and Connor Mutz — have been playing close attention.
The team reeled off 12 consecutive tournament wins — picking up championships at the Deer Lakes and Pine Township tourneys, respectively — and winning the first two games of its own Around the Horn Classic last weekend before finally dropping a game to Saxonburg.
“We drew this team from a pool of about 66 kids,” MacDonald said,. “These kids are into baseball. They want to learn. They want to improve.”
“We don’t strike out very much. Our kids put good swings on the ball. Put the ball in play at this age level and good things happen.”
MacDonald knows enough about coaching youth baseball to emphasize the importance of every position. He said his outfielders contribute a lot to an effective defense that limits the opponents’ run production.
“Our outfielders understand the importance of their position,” he said. “They know to get the ball in quickly to stop kids from running around the bases.”
MacDonald and his four assistant coaches — Brad Dolhi, Wes Wilkinson, Clint Kiddle and Kevin Aufman — all have kids on the team.
Kiddle is in his first year as president of the Center Township Baseball Association.
“We have kids starting as young as 3 years old and they can play until they’re 20, when we have a team in the Butler County league (BCABL), Kiddle said. ”We don’t have a team in that league this year.“
There were roughly 350 youths playing baseball for Center Township this season, however.
Kiddle described the 7U team as “a bunch of kids who love running around on a baseball field. They love being here. They want to be here and at this level, that’s half the battle. They’re not being forced to be here.”
Kids on the team get to pick their uniform numbers. Kiddle said that’s when you can see the influence of their fathers and grandfathers talking baseball with them.
“A kid wants to wear No. 3 because of Babe Ruth, another wants No. 21 because of Roberto Clemente ... they know the significance of those numbers,” he said.
Aufman has been coaching Center Township baseball for five years. He claims the biggest reason for the 7U team’s success is MacDonald.
“It all starts with the head coach,” Aufman said. “Mike is the best baseball guy I’ve ever been around. He’s coached at every level. He knows the game inside and out and he knows how to communicate it to the kids.
“The kids are dedicated. They show up for practice on time and they listen. The parents are supportive. You never see anybody yelling at anybody around here. There’s definitely a family feel.”
Which comes back to MacDonald.
“I’ve coached T-Ball to the pros,” he said. “This is the level where baseball begins. Kids learn how to hold the bat, what pitches to swing at, how to be aggressive.
“We’re at the foundation here and it’s so satisfying to see the kids watch, learn and improve.”
And in this team’s case, win.
