Coming off three consecutive Ohio Community College Athletic Conference Championships, head coach Steve Dintaman has set the standard for Sinclair baseball.
But for the fifth year coach, reaching the regional tournament simply is not enough. Dintaman wants to win the regional tournament and make an impact in the Community College World Series.
“There’s no reason why we can’t go to the World Series and once you’re there, you’re there. I try to tell our guys not to talk about the World Series until we actually win the regional first. But then I kind of look back like, we’re one step away.”
Only two every day starters return for the Pride, but Dintaman feels that his team will be prepared when the season starts out.
“From an experience standpoint there’s not a lot coming back from last year,” Dintaman said. “But, we’ve got some key transfers in different positions…and a good freshman class. I think when it’s all said and done, when we start playing our season, this might be the most prepared team.”
Dintaman said the conference is continually improving each season since he took over as head coach. And each week the road tends to get tougher with teams gunning to take down the champs.
“We’re the team to beat every year in conference,” Dintaman said. “People look to bring their best game when they play us.”
A big change facing the Pride is the new schedule for conference play. Instead of the old format of 12 games versus conference opponents, it now has been bumped up to 24.
This season’s schedule is highlighted by a trip to Millington, Tenn. on March 2 to compete in the USA Kickoff Classic. Also, the Pride will play a game at Fifth Third Field, home of the Dayton Dragons, against the University of Northwest Ohio (JV) on April 15.
“This game will be marketed very well, and we’re hoping to have a good crowd on hand to watch us play Northwest Ohio,” Dintaman said.
Dintaman’s unique coaching style normally prepares his team physically and mentally. He frequently says, “baseball is a game of failure,” so he and his team continuously work on “the mental game.” But this year he has adapted new focus to his coaching philosophy–the spiritual game.
“We have a team chaplain now,” Dintaman said. “[He is] someone who is an outlet for guys spiritually and someone [for the players] to talk to.”
The Tartan Pride play home to one of the newer venues in community college baseball and Dintaman hopes to see plenty of Tartan Pride students and fans fill the stands at Grady’s Field in Xenia this season.
Sinclair’s next home game will be Feb. 28 against Urbana University (JV) at 4 p.m.