SR baseball coach aims for turnaround

By Mike Kilroy Eagle Staff Writer

April 10, 2012 Last Updated: April 10, 2012 03:13 PM High School

SLIPPERY ROCK — For Sean White, it has been a rite of spring, like the swallows return to Capistrano and the sound of the first ting of an aluminum bat smacking a ball: A new baseball coach at Slippery Rock High.

White, now a senior middle infielder, has seen a new coach show up at the high school baseball field for four straight seasons.

It has worn on him.

“It's been really hard, trying to adapt to what they want, what they expect and their philosophy,” White said. “It's just been really tough.”

This year, the job has fallen to 2003 Karns City graduate Nathan McCollough, who like his predecessors, said he wants to stick around for a while.

This time, though, White believes it.

“He's recently played the game,” White said. “He knows the game. He doesn't try to over-coach. He's different.”

That's McCollough's plan. The same old, same old wasn't working, he said.

“I want to bring some kind of excitement to this program,” McCollough said. “They are so used to losing. They have gotten so comfortable with it, it didn't even seem to faze them.”

McCollough said he saw that firsthand as an assistant last season under Jim Revesz.

When Revesz resigned, McCollough threw his name into the hat to take over the program and was hired just a few weeks later.

His goal from the start was to bring some kind of stability to a team that has had little of it since Paul Malley left after three fairly successful years from 2006 to 2008.

“I just want to change the culture around here,” McCollough said. “Baseball is fun. I want them to realize that.”

Part of McCollough's plan has been to keep things uncomplicated.

There has been so much turnover, that seniors like White have had their heads spinning throughout their high school careers.

“Coaches have like 1,000 signs,” McCollough said. “I didn't want to do that. I'm keeping it simple.”

Slippery Rock is off to a 1-3 start this season. The three losses have come against non-region teams that are expected to compete for playoff spots.

McCollough is using the early part of the schedule to evaluate his players — and he has a lot of young ones.

There are five seniors, but two of them are injured. Mike Stutz broke his jaw on the first day of practice and Sam Furrh was hurt during football season, but is expected back soon.

White, Connor Hogue and Andrew Gieraltowski are also seniors.

McCollough would like nothing more than to send them out on a high note.

“The goal I have right now is to make the playoffs,” McCollough said. “I think we can be as good as anyone in (Region 7). I think as soon as we win a couple of games in a row, they will start to believe they can play with anyone.”

White said he and his teammates are buying in to McCollough's message.

“He has high expectations and expects us to share those with him,” White said. “He wants our desire to win to become second nature and I believe we can make the playoffs and go deep. I just want to go out on a positive note.”

McCollough has compiled quite a coaching resume in short period of time.

He played for Knoch graduate Chase Rowe at La Roche College and then became one of the assistants on his staff.

McCollough is currently a teacher at St. Stephens Lutheran Academy in Zelienople, where he instructs first- and second-graders with behavioral problems.

“The baseball field is like my sanctuary,” McCollough said. “I love the game and I hope these players will love it as much as I do.”