App-lying what he has learned

With spring sports on hold, some high school coaches have developed creative ways to stay in touch with their athletes and have a little fun.

Grafton High School baseball coach Brian Durst, who teaches English at the school, remembered a digital scavenger app he used at an education conference a couple of years ago. Attendees earned points for taking selfies at Milwaukee area landmarks.

Durst organized his own event on Goose Chase that had players and coaches complete all sorts of physical and mental exercises.

Some of the tasks included taking a baseball card photo, showing their batting stance, naming their favorite baseball player of all time, doing pull ups while wearing batting gloves, doing pushups in their favorite baseball cap, doing air squats while wearing their baseball mitts and doing burpees while wearing a jersey.

“I just know that guys are still excited about playing baseball. They’re definitely missing it and each other,” Durst said.

Players even were asked to play their own walk-up song as they entered the batter’s box.

The app limits videos to 15 seconds, but Durst made things more challenging by asking for a selfie photo 30 minutes into a workout.

One activity went beyond baseball. Players were to take a photo of themselves studying. Durst called it “not just a pretty face with a sweet swing.”

Durst’s favorite assignment was to send his players on a literal goose chase. They were to take a photo of themselves as they ran outside past geese.

Coaches got in on the action as well. Durst posted a video of him giving his 2-year-old French bulldog, Keiko, a motivational speech similar to what he would give to his team before the first practice. Keiko licked his lips twice during the 15 seconds of inspiration.

Durst ended with “1-2-3 Black Hawks!” after which Keiko immediately jumped off a footstool and chased down a ball.

“She was focused and ready and a good audience for me,” Durst said.

Each task earned a certain number of points. Senior star pitcher Tommy Lamb and freshman Bennett Hildebrand tied for first with 8,316 points each.

“I enjoyed watching Tommy and Bennett push each other at the top, raise the bar for the rest of us and lead the way. Both maxed out by completing all challenges and even earned several bonuses in the process,” Durst said.

Prizes, he said, much like the status of the season, are to be determined.

Durst said the scavenger hunt was important for his team.

“Even if they weren’t all serious competitive things to do, it was still designed to keep the guys connected. That was really the key for me. It wasn’t to keep players in shape,” he said.

The Black Hawks were scheduled to start the season, perhaps fittingly, on April 1. By Thursday, they were to have played seven games, including a few on its newly turfed infield at John Long Middle School.

Durst said he was with Lamb and senior Josh Merkle, who can play many positions, when the announcement was made that spring sports were suspended due to the coronavirus.

Durst’s message to them was, “Be patient but be ready,” he said.

The Black Hawks returned a strong team, especially on the mound. Lamb made the North Shore Conference first team. He went 4-0 in the league with one save and had an earned-run average of 1.18. In 35-2/3 innings, he allowed six earned runs, struck out 57 and walked 17, averaging 11.2 whiffs per game. His WHIP was 1.01. Opponents hit .173 against him.

Senior pitcher Jacob Aleknavicious earned honorable mention honors.

He went 5-4 and led the Hawks with three complete games and 45 innings pitched. He whiffed 28, walked 23 and had an ERA of 2.18. His WHIP was 1.38.

“I was anticipating to be a special season for us,” Durst said.

As time goes on, the hope for a spring season fades.

“I just know that guys are still excited about playing baseball. They’re definitely missing it and each other,” Durst said.

He is hoping the baseball season could be moved back to summer, when Grafton used to play.

The WIAA last season held baseball in spring only. The number of summer teams had dwindled to around 50 across the state.

Even an abbreviated season, Durst said, is better than none.

“We would definitely take whatever we could get,” he said.