Kolle, Kasprzyk Take Coaching Honors
CORPUS CHRISTI - Wes Kolle and Gene Kasprzyk, who guided their teams to 2014 University Interscholastic League (UIL) state tournament appearances in Classes 4A and 3A, respectively, will be honored at the 11th Annual South Texas Winter Baseball Banquet next month.
After leading a Victoria team to the Final Four for the first time in 28 seasons, Kolle is the Coastal Bend's large school coach-of-the-year. His Victoria East Titans (30-10) advanced to the state championship game at The Dell Diamond in Round Rock before falling to Aledo, 4-0, on June 6. Behind senior Kyle Craft, East defeated Richmond George Ranch in the semifinals the previous afternoon, 4-1.
Along the way, the Titans dispatched Floresville, top-ranked Moody, Laredo Martin, Buda Hays, and Schertz Clemens. East advanced past the area round for the first time in school history on May 10, toppling the Trojans 2-0 in a weather-induced one-game playoff at Victoria's Riverside Park. Craft authored a one-hitter that day. Moody had eliminated the Titans in 2012 and 2013.
East, which finished second to Calallen in District 30-4A play at 9-3, lost ace pitcher Ryan Williams to a torn labrum in March.
Craft, senior second baseman Tim Gleinser, junior shortstop Jonathan Ortega, and senior pitcher/first baseman Adrian Gonzalez earned all-tournament honors in Round Rock. Craft and Ortega made first-team all-state by the Texas Sports Writers Association. Senior third baseman Cole Urban and senior catcher Mason Tipton were named second- and third-team, respectively. Freshman Trent Brown was an honorable mention selection. Kolle shared TSWA coach-of-the-year honors with Aledo's Chad Barry.
Craft, Ortega, and Urban were first-team all-state by the Texas High School Baseball Coaches Association.
Kolle, a former Texas Lutheran pitcher, has served as head coach of the Titans since their inaugural 2011 season. He played baseball at old Victoria High and was an assistant at Victoria Memorial before the latter split into East and West High Schools in the fall of 2010. His assistants are Mike Yates and Jamie Dorsett.
Kasprzyk, recipient of the 2010 Lifetime Achievement Award, is small school coach-of-the-year. He took Sinton (25-10-2) to Austin for the seventh time after a seven-year hiatus. The 1979 University of Texas graduate was tabbed Caller-Times South Texas Coach-of-the-Year a fourth time in the wake of his 28th Pirate campaign. Kasprzyk owns three state championships (1988-89; 2002) and his resume includes 21 district titles and 26 playoff appearances.
Though fifth-ranked Sinton fell 5-1 in the state semifinals to Argyle on June 4 at UFCU Disch-Falk Field, Kasprzyk and his staff of Adrian Alaniz, Andres Alaniz, and Paul Ynostrosa overcame the loss of six senior starters from last year's region finalist. The Pirates captured the District 30-3A championship (10-0) by four games and took care of Carrizo Springs, Zapata, Devine, Yoakum, and Hidalgo in the Region IV playoffs.
Senior shortstop Donnie Lopez (second team), senior pitcher Trey Burk (third team), and freshman pitcher Jordan Martinez (honorable mention) were all-state choices by the TSWA. Lopez made the Texas High School Baseball Coaches Association first team.
The 2015 South Texas Winter Baseball Banquet is presented by the Corpus Christi Caller-Times and iHeartMedia. Tickets for the January 28 event at the Solomon P. Ortiz Center are on sale now at the Whataburger Field Box Office. To order by phone, call 361-561-HOOK (4665).