BASEBALL COACHES UNPLUGGED
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BASEBALL COACHES UNPLUGGED
Want to Win a Baseball State Title? Focus on This First...
The journey to a state baseball championship begins with preparation long before the tournament starts. Coach Al Zeiher of Saline High School in Michigan joins us to share his championship philosophy as his team readies for the playoff gauntlet.
We dive deep into Michigan's fascinating tournament format where matchups are determined by a random draw—athletic directors literally pulling popsicle sticks from a hat—with no seeding system whatsoever. This creates scenarios where top-ranked teams might face each other in the first round, making mental preparation and competitive mindset crucial from game one.
Coach Zeiher reveals what truly separates championship teams when raw talent is removed from the equation. "Tough culture. Guys that can handle pressure. They stick together as a team," he explains. The conversation explores how creating player-led teams with strong senior leadership builds programs capable of performing under pressure when everything is on the line.
Perhaps most compelling is Zeiher's perspective on failure. "Hate losing or love winning?" When asked this question, his answer reveals volumes about his coaching philosophy: "Hate losing... because losing forces you to grow." He describes how sometimes winning can mask problems while losses demand honest assessment and improvement—a mindset that has helped build his successful program.
Whether you're a coach preparing for your own tournament run or a baseball enthusiast interested in championship mentality, this episode delivers practical insights on developing competitive players who execute when it matters most. Join us for a masterclass in tournament preparation, team culture, and the little things that lead to championship success.
Join the Baseball Coaches Unplugged podcast where an experienced baseball coach delves into the world of high school and travel baseball, offering insights on high school baseball coaching, leadership skills, hitting skills, pitching strategy, defensive skills, and overall baseball strategy, while also covering high school and college baseball, recruiting tips, youth and travel baseball, and fostering a winning mentality and attitude in baseball players through strong baseball leadership and mentality.
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While some are finished up with their high school baseball state tournament, others are gearing up for the start of what you prepare for all season a chance to win a state title. Today I'm joined by the highly successful Saline Michigan high school head baseball coach, al Zier, to discuss playing your best, going into the tournament, having a competitive edge, and why doing the little things might lead to a state championship Next on Baseball Coaches Unplugged.
Speaker 2:Welcome to Baseball Coaches Unplugged with Coach Ken Carpenter, presented by AthleteOne. Baseball Coaches Unplugged is a podcast for baseball coaches, with 27 years of high school baseball coaching under his belt, here to bring you the inside scoop on all things baseball, from game-winning strategies and pitching secrets to hitting drills and defensive drills. We're covering it all. Whether you're a high school coach, college coach or just a baseball enthusiast, we'll dive into the tactics and techniques that make the difference on and off the field. Discover how to build a winning mentality. Inspire your players and get them truly bought into your game philosophy Plus, get the latest insights on recruiting, coaching, leadership and crafting a team culture that champions productivity and success. Join Coach every week as he breaks down the game and shares incredible behind-the-scenes stories. Your competitive edge starts here, so check out the show weekly and hear from the best coaches in the game. On Baseball Coaches Unplugged.
Speaker 1:Today's episode of Baseball Coaches Unplugged is powered by the netting professionals, improving programs one facility at a time. The netting pros specialize in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for baseball and softball. This includes backstops, batting cages, bp turtles, screens, ball carts and more. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding, windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches and cubbies. They're not limited to just baseball and softball. They're also working with football, soccer, lacrosse and golf courses. Contact them today at 844-620-2707. That's 844-620-2707. Or visit them online at wwwnettingproscom. Check out Netting Pros on X, instagram, facebook and LinkedIn for all their latest products and projects.
Speaker 1:Hello and welcome to Baseball Coaches Unplugged. I'm your host, coach Ken Carpenter. Don't forget to hit the subscribe button If you get a chance. Rate and review the show. It helps us to grow the show. Also, be sure to share it with a friend. We have over 100 episodes and three seasons of sit-downs with some of the best coaches in high school travel and college baseball around the country. Now to my interview with Saline High School head baseball coach in Michigan, al Zeyer Coach. Thanks for taking time to be on the show.
Speaker 3:Thanks for having me Coach, Appreciate it.
Speaker 1:Coach, thanks for taking time to be on the show. Thanks for having me, coach, appreciate it. Well, this is the time of the year when you want your team to be playing their best, are?
Speaker 3:you ready to make a deep run? That's the goal. That's the goal is get ready for playoff baseball here. We kind of got Memorial Day here to recharge and then our district playoffs start next weekend.
Speaker 1:Let me ask you this Are you in your state? Do you guys do single elimination tournament or?
Speaker 3:do you do a two out of three or how do you guys do it? Yeah, so our tournament is single elimination. Uh, it is. There is there's no seating, there's no point system. It is, uh, predetermined districts where there is a random draw, where athletic directors pick popsicle sticks out of a hat and wherever your name falls, that's what time you're playing, that's who you're playing, and so, fortunately, this year we did not draw the pre-district, which is kind of the game on Tuesday. So there's a game Tuesday then to get into the district, you got to win that game. So, fortunately, this year we did not draw that pre-district game and um, so so, yeah, then we play at uh 10 on Saturday.
Speaker 1:So you're telling me that the two top teams could play each other right off the right off the bat?
Speaker 3:Right off the bat. Yes, and that happens. And what's crazy too is you can have two top five teams in the state be in the same district and play before even the district championship, because the districts are predetermined, there's no seating, there's no points. So, for example, last year we had a district that had three teams that had won 25 games. This year we kind of cross over with a district that's got five teams who've all been ranked in the top 25. That will meet even before a region, and so sometimes with that you can have a harder first game than it would be second and third and fourth game.
Speaker 1:That's wild. I can't believe that. It's complete opposite here in Ohio. So well, you need to have a competitive edge going into this tournament. Talk about how having a competitive edge helps a player to become better.
Speaker 3:That's a great. You know that's a. That's a great point, coach, um, a competitive edge and we've talked about this this week is like a, a commitment and intent to try and win each pitch. I'm, I'm watching, um, I'm watching, uh, watching college games this weekend and I'm seeing that the better team they take advantage of when other teams make mistakes and there's just like they make you pay for it If you make an error, if your freebie guys in an inning, they make you pay and on the flip side, the better team that makes a mistake.
Speaker 3:It doesn't compound, it doesn't go to the next one, the next one, it's an isolated incident because we've been talking a lot about. You know what's the quality of our outs, what do they look like? You know you make 21 of them. What are the quality? What, situationally, offensively, are you doing to really pressure the defense? And so, to do that, you have to have a willingness and an intent pitch to pitch. You can't in the playoffs, you know you can't wait till the end or just the beginning. It's got to be a sense of urgency right from the shoot.
Speaker 1:Right, and you know the little things matter. And you know simple things like hitting the cutoff or moving the runner over when he's on second base, or, you know, just getting a sack blunt down or limiting free bases. To me it's almost like if you can do that, you've increased your chances tremendously, if you cut down on the little mistakes, and that gives you a better opportunity to win.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it's like you know, in a playoff game you may only get six or seven hits. So how efficient then, if you're getting a hit in, any can your offense be with? With um, with your outs, with your bonds, with your run game, with a dirt ball read, trying to. You know, steal 90 feet, it's um, you know how efficient can you be doing those things and um, I'd like to think that preparation, whether that be in the winter, um, when you're, when you're in the gym or, uh, you know, going through going through the preseason work or going through games, you prepare for that. But being single elimination, there's a lot of variance and the hope is that having that sense of urgency from pitch number one, hopefully it goes your way- A guy I started out coaching with back in I want to say 97, 98, a friend of mine and he's been a.
Speaker 1:Him and his brother have been guests on the podcast. It's Rick Weaver, the head coach at Defiance High School here in Ohio and they're traditionally always a great team and I believe they were ranked number one in the state of Ohio and, opposite of what you guys do in Michigan, the top seed gets to be the top seed and it's like a traditional bracket and they ran into a pitcher that was on and they got upset in the sectionals this week. That's the nature of the game In baseball. Anything can happen. When you've got a better team at tournament time, like you guys are having a really good season, how do you get your team to focus on that? One game, one pitch at a time mentality.
Speaker 3:That's a really good question, because it's hard and we've found this in the past where sometimes when you get your draw, you kind of can overlook an opponent, and so trying to get our guys to take a look at like, hey, everything matters, you're playing against the game, you're not playing against the opponent matters. Uh, you're playing against the game, you're not playing against the opponent. And and right, there are days where it just it just doesn't go your way. But the idea is and we tried to do this um in 23, when um kind of did some different things culturally is like everything matters. Uh, we've got to have this like win now mentality, and it's not something like, well, shoot, all of a sudden we're just gonna flip it on. Well, it's playoff time, we're just all of a sudden, we're just gonna flip the switch and we're gonna go out at 10 am and we're just gonna flip the switch and it's all going to come together.
Speaker 3:That's not really how it works. So this idea that you know as soon as you get to school that that that switch has got to go on, you got to be that same dude, and that you are at seven 50 in English, that you are out at 3 PM at practice and it and, and you're going through your warmup, uh, for the game. You're the same guy that you were when you were in January, when you were in the weight room or you were going taking notes in nutrition or you were trying to lead your team in a challenge in the offseason. You don't have to change who you are. You're kind of the same guy and realizing that hopefully the situations that we put you in as a coach has weathered you to be comfortable, being uncomfortable and trying, as a coach, trying to put them in as many of those situations as we can and hopefully then, when the playoffs come, that all pays off.
Speaker 1:Well, if you were to remove talent from the game here in high school baseball? What separates the good teams from the great teams?
Speaker 3:Tough culture. Guys that can handle pressure. They stick together as a team. Guys that are committed to play team baseball. They're committed that they're unselfish. When it comes down to it, if they're asked to get the bunt down with two strikes, they compete and they move the baseball. They're not just looking, you know, for the reward. It's a team reward. The team that ultimately wins is going to have the most guys that are showcased as you keep going.
Speaker 3:In the state tournament and awards at the end of the season, players are recognized that are on great teams. So if we can buy into that, I think you can separate. But yeah, I think you know it's something that, as a coach, I'm constantly trying, because I think we have a talented group, group and trying to get them to gel together and work as one versus just individually. I think is that big challenge as a coach is to create that environment, whether it be in the offseason or throughout the season, that really promotes that. I think that can be a big separator.
Speaker 3:And then you've just got a bunch of guys who love tough situations. I'm watching a kid from Texas A&M who broke his stinking hand and he gets a pin in his hand before that uh that morning and he goes out and he competes for his team against the number one team in the country and he's he's wincing every swing and he drove. He drove in two of their runs. I mean, that's, that's toughness. That's a guy who's laying it on the line for his team. That's what. Trying to get nine of those guys out on the field.
Speaker 1:Well, fear of failure is something that high school players struggle with, and what steps do you take with your players to learn from past failures, whether it be earlier in the game or two games ago, and how do you to to not dwell on past failures?
Speaker 3:That's, uh, that's that. That's a really good question, I think. Um, one of the one of the pieces that that I'll look to is, like you know, we got 24 guys on our roster. Nine or ten guys play, depending on if we're going to run a DH, and so, whether you're really upset with yourself or you're not, you owe it to the other 14 guys in the dugout to still go give everything you got your body language, your energy. They're going to feed off of that.
Speaker 3:So, as soon as maybe you have a hard, maybe you come in and and, yeah, it's okay to be upset, but you can't bring others with you, and then somebody else has got to be there to pick you up, whether that be a coach or a player, and say, hey, look, I'm going to pick you up here, I'm going to pull the rope for you, I'm going to pull for you and even though you didn't, I trust my teammate enough. Through all the work that we've done, all the time we've put in, I know my teammate's going to pick me up, and getting there is a lot easier than what I just said. It's really hard, and so trying to point it out, get players to see that is something that we try to do, but again, it's easier. It's easier said than done.
Speaker 1:Well you, you just mentioned 24 players on your roster. Yeah, what steps do you take to ensure players and parents have a clear understanding of what their role is on the team? Parents?
Speaker 3:have a clear understanding of what their role is on the team. So we meet with each player before the season and we say, hey, this is what we envision for you, this is what we see. And Sometimes it's like, hey, a really good season would be Five innings for you pitched. But we feel like, through practice and development, we feel like if you take the Necessary steps, you could Really help us.
Speaker 3:As a senior, you know, of those 24, we have three guys, you know, bullpen catchers and and managers.
Speaker 3:We've had managers in the past. We've said, hey, we primarily see your role as a base runner, trying to lay crystal clear what that role is, and say, hey, look, if this isn't okay, if you kind of envision something else, then that's okay. We understand that it's not for you, but you need to make sure you go home and tell your parents, lay out what that role is. And then, um, if, if, if, you're all in, then then we're all in with you. And um, and then, and then during the season, kind of try and over-communicate with, with um what those roles are and how they evolve and and what's kind of happening, happening, why different decisions are made. Trying to over-communicate with those guys, and it's definitely something that I've had to get better at over the years and so constantly trying to work at that, especially as assistants, with guys in different position groups and making sure that it's clear like, hey, this is our identity, this is what gets you in the lineup, being crystal clear about those things and what that looks like.
Speaker 1:Okay, rank these four categories in order of importance with your team Pitching defense, offense and team culture.
Speaker 3:Number one for me is culture. I think with I played at Spring Arbor University in college I played under Sam Riggleman, who's won 1,000 games. He's a Hall of Famer. He's somebody who I greatly admire. In high school I played under Scott Tyson, who's a Hall of famer in our state.
Speaker 3:To, again, guys that I really look up to and I think being at all the teams, the really good teams that I was on, the teams where team chemistry and team culture was your MVP, those were the teams that always did the best, Regardless of how talented we were as an offense or a defense, as a pitching staff. When team culture and team was the MVP of the team and everybody was a part of it, those were the teams that did the best. And so I've tried to do that myself with our teams and having player-led teams with really strong leaders, senior leaders and promoting great culture, those are the teams that do the best. Do I have to rank the other three? After that Pitching, defense and all of that?
Speaker 3:Man, I think pitching and defense always gives you a chance to win, and then situational hitting, Pitching and defense is limiting 90 feet. If you've got guys that buy into your system and are willing to throw it over the plate and can throw and catch at a high level, I think you can win a lot of high school baseball games. And if you can situationally hit, you can win a lot of games. If you can have an offense that can bunt but can also play station to station, you've got a really good chance to win. But I think it all starts with that culture buying into the same objective and how you do it. That's number one.
Speaker 1:This is the question I ask every coach Hate losing or love winning?
Speaker 3:Hate losing.
Speaker 1:Why is?
Speaker 3:that I think sometimes winning can delay growth. There are times where you don't play so well and you can win. Losing forces you to grow and sometimes that's uncomfortable, at least for me. I've got to look in the mirror and say, hey, what's going on? Where's the breakdown, where's the breakdown happening? And it's something it it's something that I just wrestle with, where there are times you can, you can win and you're like, well, we're all right, you know we, we, we've still got to, we've still got to do these different things. But, um, we're, hey, we're getting, you know we're getting by, but you know in to.
Speaker 3:But with losing, there's a sense of urgency and it forces you to go back and say, hey, where's the breakdown? And it's that it's something that you know constantly looking at, like we've lost the last, our last three games, and I'm looking like, okay, where, where's the breakdown? What's going on? What's the? Uh? How can we get better to make sure we're prepared in the playoffs? And you know, even if we had won those games, maybe we didn't, and I I feel like this stretch is going to prepare us for what's next, but we've got to also be willing to make adjustments.
Speaker 1:If you could sit down with two people and spend a couple hours with them to help you become a better leader and it could be sports or any type of leadership position who would you like to sit down with?
Speaker 3:Sam Riggleman I talked about was my collegiate head coach. I think what he did with player and personal development I think was incredible was was um, it was incredible. The amount he poured into me as a person was just as much as me as a baseball player, and that's something I always appreciated. Um, how I genuinely felt like, regardless of the result, he cared about me as a person, as a uh, he cared about who I was as a student, who I was in the community, um, and so you know it's been. It's been 10 years now since I've really been around him a long time and I can pick up the phone and call him, but I think just picking his brain on those things, I think the second one and what stands out to me is what just permeates is Ryan Day.
Speaker 3:You lose your biggest game of the season, um, that everybody in your state wants to win and everybody wants you fired, and yet how are you able to get yourself off the mat and go win a national championship Like that's? That's incredible leadership. How do you fight your way, uh, out of that and how do you keep your team centered and and still focused on a goal? And what type of work? Because that wasn't like. That wasn't just one magical moment, that was like all the work in January, february, march, april. How does like what type of work, not just in the weight room but personally and connecting the team to be able to respond to that? I'd be really interested to see some of the different things that he did.
Speaker 1:Well, he made an incredible run and it's amazing. Living right here in the middle of all of that. It's amazing how things change from the Michigan game to winning the national title. Let me ask you this one If you could have one pitcher in Major League Baseball history to win Game 7 of the World Series, who would it be? And the second part of that is you get one hitter in Major League history with a runner on second base Bottom of the ninth tie game, who would that hitter be? Wowzers.
Speaker 3:That's man, let's see, I was hoping you'd say one pitcher that you'd want right now. Man, I would take my guy, logan Evans, saline High School. He was on my 2019 team. He's starting for the Mariners Right now. Yeah, let's man, I'd take him any day of the week. He's starting for the Mariners right now. Yeah, let's man, I'd take him any day of the week. He always believed he was the best when he took the ball, and his mentality, his mindset, was something that I always admired when I was his coach, and to see kind of that journey to where he's at now is pretty special. So, yeah, give me Logan. Hitter Made it be hard to not take jeter with that right center approach and, um, you know as many times as he broke my heart as a as an indians fan. So, yeah, give me jeter. Uh, current player, I gotta take jose ramirez, my guy with the guards. So, yeah, yeah, that's right, that's right. Indian yeah, I was an indian fan growing up, so jeter was always.
Speaker 1:The yankees were always our nemesis, so yes, uh, two great, two great choices there. Well, to finish up, every coach has got a story from their either playing career or as a coach. What is one that you can tell? That, when you sit down and think about it, you laugh every time.
Speaker 3:The game, the game I've always. When I look back and how much I've given to the game but how much it's given back to me and and just even being with you here today, ken, that's like to. Then I meet Tom through somebody that I coached with and got to know, and Wayne Welton. Like he was the director of ops at Michigan and he and I I remember we sat down, he spent a fall at Spring Arbor right before he got the volunteer job at Michigan. And then that connection, and then all of a sudden I'm, I end up at back at Saline and I'm coaching with his son, and then you meet coach marker and now now you're on a podcast, um, meeting coaches from all over the country.
Speaker 3:I think I almost can laugh like, how lucky am I that through this game I've gotten to meet so many great people and I've gotten to be around so many great kids and families. And despite the wins and the losses, man that's, uh, I'm, I'm pretty lucky and and, um, you know, I got to sometimes just sit back and smile like, uh, going to spring Harbor and having three of my teammates stand up in my wedding and and all the people that I got to meet through that. And then I hired a guy from spring Harbor that, um, I met through a collegiate summer league. He came and was my JV coach. We connected just from our love of of the Spring Harbor. We never even he played after I did. So I think I think those are, those are the little things that, uh, they always make me sit back and smile and laugh about Just being really lucky through a love, a shared love, of baseball and all the things that's come with it.
Speaker 1:Love it, Coach, and it's Coach Al Zier, head baseball coach at Saline High School. Coach. Best of luck in the upcoming tournament here and thank you so much for taking the time to be on Baseball Coaches Unplugged.
Speaker 3:Yeah, thanks for having me, Ken. Really appreciate getting to connect with you.
Speaker 1:Special thanks to Al Zier. Today's episode is powered by the Nettie Professionals Improving Programs, one facility at a time. Contact them today at 844-620-2707, or visit them online at wwwnettingproscom. As always, I'm your host, coach Ken Carpenter, and join me every Wednesday for a new episode here on Baseball Coaches Unplugged you.
