NEW BLUESTREAK BASEBALL LEADER … Archbold High School baseball coach Jeff Brunswick (middle) introduced himself and previewed the 2024 baseball season to Archbold Rotarians recently. Although Brunswick is starting his first year as the Bluestreaks head coach, he has been part of the baseball program for 28 years. The program was arranged by Kirk Weldy (left) and joined by fellow Rotarian and Bluestreak assistant baseball coach Lance Wyse (right).
As practice officially gets underway for high school baseball this week (February 19), Archbold’s Jeff Brunswick will start his 28th season with the Bluestreak, but it will be his first year as the team’s head coach.
A graduate of Coldwater (Ohio) High School, Brunswick grew up in a baseball family. His dad played in the Chicago Cubs organization and his brothers also played professional baseball.
Jeff played a couple years of college baseball, but when he transferred to Bowling Green State University, he decided to focus his studies on a career in education that would allow him to also spend time teaching baseball as a coach.
That decision led Brunswick to Archbold in 1996 as a volunteer coach and he decided to stay. “For a guy who didn’t grow up here, Archbold is a very special place,” he told Rotarians. He added that it’s not a lot different from Coldwater.
Based on the number of students who have signed up for this year’s Bluestreak squad, the coach said 41 players are interested in participating, plus two who are injured and can’t practice right away.
“Forty-three – that’s a lot,” he said. In addition to those who are injured, there are others who are currently playing basketball or wrestling who won’t be at practice in the beginning, though.
The group of 43 includes 13 seniors and seven players returning from last year’s varsity squad, including the top two pitchers.
He added that team depth is important, particularly in the pitching rotation as the team might play three or four games a week.
“I’m excited about the season,” he said. Brunswick explained that there will be one new wrinkle to high school baseball this spring.
For teams that purchase the equipment, there’s no need to use hand signs from the dugout to call pitches. Using wireless communication, one dug-out coach will be allowed to tell the catcher what pitch and placement to relay to the pitcher.
The coach said that he suspects the new rule is designed to speed up the game, although no explanation was specifically given.