Central Michigan University Athletics
Giving Back at CMU Baseball Day With The Pros
12/14/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Cullen Maksimowski, CMUChippewas.com
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. -- One thing is clear about the culture of the Central Michigan baseball program. It's about much more than playing the game. It's family.
This was evident Saturday, as the CMU baseball team hosted its annual Day With The Pros at the Indoor Athletic Complex.
CMU coaches along with current and former players, many of whom have or are now playing professionally, were on hand to teach and share their knowledge and experiences with more than 90 high school players from all over the state.
Activities included bullpen sessions, batting practice, agility drills and strength and conditioning.
"We teach the game the way Central Michigan teaches the game," said CMU coach Steve Jaksa, who led the Chippewas to the Mid-American Conference regular-season championship last spring and was named the MAC Coach of the Year. "We want these kids to get better and you have to define for them what better is.
"This game makes you better as a person, and if you really understand the discipline it makes you a good teammate, helps you make the right decisions when you're away from the field. We're all going to be done playing this game some day and you're going to have to be a certain kind person after the fact."
Several former CMU players currently playing in the minor leagues made the trip back to help out with the camp including pitcher Jake Sabol, who played in the Detroit Tigers' organization, and Bryce Morrow, who currently plays in the San Diego Padres' system.
"Obviously the program is very important to me," said Sabol, who played at CMU from 2007-11. "This place has a great family atmosphere and you see that with all the alumni that come back each year for this event and it's great to see."
Morrow, who played for the Chippewas from 2007-11, said it's important for him to come back each year for this camp to share his experiences.
"As a person who's been in their shoes I would have loved to pick some peoples' brains who were doing the things I wanted to do," he said. "That's why I like making myself available to be that kind of person for these kids.
"If I had to pick one thing to teach these kids is to do everything with a purpose. There is a lot of talent when you get to higher levels, but hard work will sometimes beat talent. You'll be surprised how much better you can become when you take everything seriously."
Among the other former Chippewas who have gone on to pro ball who were at the camp were pitchers Pat Kaminska (Texas Rangers organization), Matt Trowbridge (Orioles), Dylan Rheault (Orioles), Jordan Foley (Yankees), Zach Cooper (Brewers), Dietrich Enns (Yankees) and Jordan Dean, who played last season in the independent Frontier League.
The camp serves several purposes, Jaksa said, including a window into the CMU brand of baseball, both on and off the field.
"The last thing I told (the campers) was that no one in anything you do in life can take your heart away," said Jaksa. "If you have a good heart and you're passionate it will always go with you. Those things are important and they're real."
