06/23/2009 3:32 PM - When Eric Ebers speaks, his pitchers listen. Sounds simple, but often times summer-league coaching goes in one ear and out the other.
Then again, when your pitching coach was part of an SEC championship-winning staff at Mississippi State and later pitched a handful of seasons professionally in the Independent leagues, absorbing as much information as possible is probably the best course of action.
“Everybody on this pitching staff respects him, where he’s been and what he’s done as a player,” Niagara Power hurler Matt Schimpf said of his pitching coach. “He’s not treating it like a summer league. He wants us to get better so that when we go back to our respective schools, we’re better than when we left.”
Third-year Power skipper Sam Kirby also had high praise for Ebers, who currently teaches and coaches in the Columbus (Miss.) School District.
“He is the most prepared pitching coach I’ve ever coached with at any level,” Kirby said. “Guys definitely respect his knowledge and experience, but they also know he genuinely cares about them and how they can get better.”
Ebers believes the key to pitching is the ability to process information quickly, something he has been doing ever since playing for the legendary Ron Polk at Mississippi State. He’s brought that message to his pitchers — and coaches — on a daily basis while with Niagara.
“Every day he’s comes in with unique stats like first-pitch strikes with nobody on or on-base percentage for opponents with a full count,” Kirby said. “He really pays attention to detail and then communicates the information to his pitchers well.”
His philosophy appears to be working as Niagara’s top three pitchers Anthony Cimabue, Shelby Robertson and Schimpf each have a sub-3.00 ERA. Ebers credits the hard work his starters have put in in between starts.
“I love their work ethic and attitude,” the coach said. “They’re buying into the program and it’s beginning to lead to some nice things. They’ve become accountable and are showing that seven solid innings is something that can be done every time out.”
And while Ebers is currently focused on helping the Power staff improve, he’s also got an eye on his coaching future. With his wife, Katie, set to finish veterinarian school, he’s hoping to land a job in the collegiate ranks.
If Kirby, an assistant at Western Oregon, has any say, that will be sooner rather than later.
“When I hopefully get a head coaching job, he’s going to be my first call,” Kirby said. |
