Central Michigan University Athletics
Opalewski Promoted to Associate Head Coach
11/19/2014 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Andy Sneddon, CMUChippewas.com
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. - Central Michigan baseball Coach Steve Jaksa announced Wednesday the promotion of longtime assistant Jeff Opalewski to Associate Head Coach.
"He's just done a great job," said Jaksa, who is in his 13th year as CMU's head man. "Do I think a lot of him? Absolutely. We're saying to him, `Job well done.'"
Opalewski, who earned four letters as a pitcher in the Chippewa program and graduated from CMU in 2005, has been Jaksa's pitching coach for the past seven years and his recruiting coordinator for the past six.
He will retain those responsibilities under his new title.
"Having played in the program, this is a place that means a lot to me, this program means a lot to me," said Opalewski, a Saginaw native who is in his 13th year with CMU as either a player or coach. "It's more than a third of my life and I feel like it's been a wise investment that pays off on a daily basis.
"I'm thankful to have had the opportunity to work with these players and at the same time the opportunity to continue to build the program that coach (Dean) Kreiner and coach (Dave) Keilitz and coach (Waldo) Sauter and coach (Bill) Theunissen built before I was even born.
"We are the winningest program in the Midwest. To have the opportunity to invest in that on a day-to-day basis is something that's pretty special. Yeah, I contributed to that as a player. And now to have a chance to contribute to that every single day as the recruiting coordinator, as the pitching coach, all those things, it's tremendously special to me and my family."
Opalewski led a pitching staff that last season finished first in the Mid-American Conference in earned run average (3.39). Two members of that staff, Matt Trowbridge (Baltimore Orioles) and Jordan Foley (New York Yankees), were selected in June in the major league draft. A third, Pat Kaminska, signed as a free agent with the Texas Rangers.
Kaminska and Tim Black each earned All-MAC First Team honors, bringing to 11 the number of pitchers under Opalewski's tutelage who have earned first or second team all-conference accolades.
The Chippewas have had a pitcher drafted or signed as a free agent with a major league team in each of Opalewski's six years as the pitching coach. A total of 15 of his former CMU hurlers have either been drafted or signed contracts with major league organizations.
"I have great respect for him, for what he continues to accomplish, and for what he's done to help our program continue to grow," said Jaksa, who coached Opalewski during the latter's playing days at CMU. "He was a good teammate and that's carried over to his time with the coaching staff. He's loyal, very up front with his thoughts, very up front with what we ought to do as a program, and he works very hard.
"He loves Central Michigan. He has a deep-rooted affection for the maroon and gold. I enjoy being around him, I enjoy coaching with him, and I want him to be a part of this program for as long as he wants to be a part of it."
