If Kurt Koshelnik has his way, super-strength stain remover will be a popular item this spring in Marysville.
Koshelnik was named the new head coach of the Marysville-Pilchuck High School baseball team Thursday. Koshelnik, an M-P varsity team assistant last season, said he plans to emphasize a down-and-dirty style that will have his players sliding and diving all over the field.
“My hope is that we don’t get outworked by anybody,” said Koshelnik, a 1996 Everett High graduate who teaches health and physical education at M-P.
Koshelnik was a utility player on two NAIA national championship baseball teams at Lewis-Clark State College (Lewiston, Idaho). At Everett High he earned all-state honors in baseball and football.
The M-P job is Koshelnik’s first as a head coach.
“I’m really excited. I enjoy baseball a lot. It’s gonna be a lot of responsibility, but I’m excited about the opportunity,” he said.
Koshelnik replaces Josh Rosenbach, who after six seasons resigned to become a school district administrator.
Koshelnik has some of the same coaching strengths that Rosenbach had, Marysville School District athletic director Greg Erickson said.
“The way they look at the game of baseball is similar. They want to have a quality product on the field in terms of how they represent themselves,” said Erickson. “They’re both constantly teaching.”
Asked about the influence Rosenbach had on him, Koshelnik said he admires the way Rosenbach communicated with players and organized practices.
Erickson called Koshelnik “an excellent teacher” who is soft-spoken but commands respect: “He demonstrates patience. I believe he has a real clear vision of what he wants to see on a baseball field and he doesn’t appear to want to compromise that.”
M-P must replace its top two starting pitchers, Brandon Kizer and Ricky Holm, both seniors last season. Koshelnik said he’s not sure how the Tomahawks will fare in the Western Conference North Division in 2008, but the squad will rely on the leadership of seniors Ryan Botham (catcher), Mike Gange (second base) and Joe Bray (outfielder).
Contact Herald Writer Mike Cane at mcane@heraldnet.com. For more high school sports news, check out the prep sports blog Double Team at www.heraldnet.com/doubleteam.
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