Once a Mike … Krause returns as baseball coach

In 2015, the Carmichaels baseball squad is being led by a new coach — but a familiar face — in veteran manager Richard Krause Jr.
Krause is entering his second stint as head coach for the Mikes, as he was calling the shots in the Carmichaels’ dugout for the 1998-99 teams.
Krause’s coaching resume includes several years in the Fayette County Baseball League, in which he won a league record in championships, as well as some jobs coaching the youth in Pony and other various leagues.
“I always wanted to be a coach and I just love the strategy around the game,” he said. “I have always been really organized and it’s never overwhelming for me. I was kind of thrown into my first coaching job in the county league, as the coach backed out on us before the season started. I was a player-coach for a number of years.”
“At any level, baseball is still baseball. You have to be disciplined on and off the field and rely on your fundamentals. You have to be patient at the plate, run the bases smartly, throw strikes and make the routine plays. If you can’t make the routine play, then you are going to be in trouble.”
Krause, who is also a professor at Waynesburg University, was an assistant coach for the Mikes last year under coach Scott VanSickle.
Carmichaels had a memorable season a year ago, as they went 15-4 overall and garnered playoff wins over Springdale, Western Beaver (defending champion) and Riverview.
The Mikes eventually dropped the WPIAL title game to rival California. Three of Carmichaels’ four losses came against the Trojans in 2014.
In the PIAA playoffs, Carmichaels was the lone WPIAL squad to capture a first round victory, a 5-4 triumph over Southern Fulton. The Mikes saw their season come to an end in the state’s quarterfinals with a 10-0 defeat to Elk County Catholic.
“That was a fun season for us,” he expressed. “We had a lot of talent and leaders on that team. There’s really not that one defining moment for me about that team, except for the hot streak we got on in the playoffs. We were playing our best baseball in the playoffs. There was a lot of intensity in those games and I loved how our kids matured and grew every game.”
In the off-season, VanSickle resigned from Carmichaels to pursue an assistant coaching job with Waynesburg University. A few months later, Krause was voted in as the new coach for the Mikes at a board meeting.
“I give a lot of credit to Scott for getting me back into the high school coaching ranks,” Krause said. “With my work schedule and other things I’m involved in, I wasn’t sure how it would go. But I was able to work around my schedule and I just love being back. Working with high school kids is a blessing because you can start to build and watch them grow as players and as young adults. I have a beautiful wife and my family is supportive, so I can’t ask for any more.”
The Mikes lost eight key players from last year’s team, but will rely on their lone senior, Michael Blasinsky.
“I can only say good things about Michael and his approach to the game this season,” Krause expressed. “He is a leader and our go-to guy. Every year he has improved his game and you knew from the first day of his freshman year that he was going to be a four-year starter for us. His work ethic and attitude are outstanding.”
Other key players for Carmichaels this season will be Billy Bowlen, Joel Spishock, Jacob Wamsley and Tyler Martin.
As of Wednesday, the Mikes are the lone unbeaten team in the county with non-section wins over Geibel Catholic, Beth-Center, Albert Gallatin and McGuffey.
“We are a young team and we are just bringing a basic approach to every game,” Krause said. “We have to take it day by day, game by game and inning by inning. We have to be prepared and ready to work every game. We have had some success in the early part of the season, but we all know we have a long way to go.”
The Section 1-A schedule for Carmichaels was supposed to start on Tuesday in the opener against rival California, but the contest got rained out and postponed until today.
Krause, who will be assisted this year by Gene Franks and Joby Lapkowicz, thinks that Section 1-A is up for grabs this year.
“In my opinion, Section 1 was the best section in Class A in 2014,” he said. “We had Cal winning the title and then we had us, a 10th seed, making it the title game. To me this section is going to be wide open and anybody is capable of getting hot.
“Cal is the number one ranked team in Class A during the preseason and I know they have high expectations again. Bentworth is back in our section and they are always a well-coached and well-prepared team. Jefferson has a solid number one pitcher and some good hitters, while I think West Greene and Mapletown are trending up in the right direction.”