WDHS Baseball Fall Update

My name is Jesse Lawler, and I am beyond excited and extremely grateful for the opportunity to take on the role of Head Coach at Western Dubuque. This program is very special to me. I’ve had the opportunity to experience Western Dubuque Baseball as a player, coach, and member of this community, so stepping into this role means a lot personally.

I’m also incredibly fortunate to have an amazing wife, Kara, and three awesome kids who support me every step of the way. Coaching is a dream of mine, but it also comes with sacrifices for the people closest to me. The same goes for our coaching staff and their wives, fiancées, girlfriends, and families, who give up time and make sacrifices to support our passion for the game and to see our student-athletes become great people.

If you see Kara and the kids, or any of our coaches’ families around the ballpark, make sure to say hello and thank them for everything they do behind the scenes. Their support makes it possible for us to do what we love, and we’re grateful to have them in our corner as we begin this next chapter of Western Dubuque Baseball!

Our coaching staff are excited to continue building on the relationships we have developed with our players and their families. We look forward to strengthening those connections, continuing to grow our program, and making Western Dubuque Baseball something our players, families, and community can be proud of. There is a lot to look forward to, and our staff is ready to get to work and build on the foundation we’ve established together.

As we begin this transition with a new coaching staff, there is a lot of important information to share as we prepare for the upcoming season. This newsletter will help keep everyone informed about key dates, expectations, upcoming events, and other important updates. Please take some time to review everything included and mark any important dates on your calendar. We appreciate everyone’s patience and support as we get things organized and work to create a smooth transition. Our goal is to keep communication clear, build consistency throughout the program, and make sure everyone is on the same page moving forward. We’re excited about what lies ahead and look forward to working together to continue building a strong program!

At the end of this newsletter, you’ll find an option to subscribe to future updates. We strongly encourage all parents and players to subscribe so you don’t miss important announcements, upcoming dates, schedule changes, or other program information throughout the season. With a new coaching staff and plenty of information to share, staying connected will be important as we move forward together!

Varsity/JV
Head Coach: Jesse Lawler
Assistant Coaches: Josh Edwards (JV)

Assistant Coaches: OPEN

Sophomore

Head Coach: Noah Day

Assistant: OPEN

Freshman

Head Coach: Max Steffen

Head Coach: Bryn Vantiger

We cannot control the scoreboard, the umpire, the weather, or what our opponent does. We can control our attitude, our effort, our preparation, our communication, and how we respond to adversity. If we consistently win the controllables, we give ourselves the best opportunity to succeed.

Our mission is not to chase results; it is to master the process that produces them. Along the way, our goal is bigger than baseball: to develop great people, committed students, and selfless teammates. By focusing on becoming the best version of ourselves every day, we build the foundation for success in baseball and, more importantly, in life.

We believe student athletes and their families should have a voice in choosing the level they feel is the best fit for their athlete. Players will have the opportunity to try out for the level they believe is appropriate for their development, challenge, and confidence.

Our coaching staff will help guide that decision by using individual metrics, skill assessments, team-level metrics, positional needs, and overall evaluation to determine appropriate placement. We encourage players and families to communicate with our coaches, ask questions, and share their perspective throughout the process. At the same time, families can trust that coaches will use their evaluations to help make placement recommendations.

Coaches may recommend that a student-athlete move up or down a level based on their development, readiness, positional fit, or where they can best contribute to the program. Family input is an important part of the conversation, but final placement decisions will ultimately be made by the coaching staff.

Our goal is to make this a collaborative and transparent process while creating the best opportunities for individual development and building balanced, competitive teams at each level. Ultimately, we are working toward something bigger than individual seasons, we want to build a stronger Western Dubuque Baseball program while helping each student-athlete maximize their potential and create opportunities to have options after they have graduated.

Coach Day and Coach Steffen, both who are in building at DMS, will be pulling 8th graders interested in playing high school baseball in the coming weeks. They will be sharing program expectations, what to expect in high school ball, pros and cons of 8th graders playing, and much more.

**Seton families** - I have reached out to Mr. Ellsworth and he has graciously agreed to post the same information on there bulletin board outside the middle school office and have some flyers available for students to take home to their families!

Benefits of 8th Graders Playing High School Baseball

• Earlier exposure to the high school standard - Players learn the expectations for effort, preparation, communication, accountability, and being a great teammate.

• Faster player development - Training and competing against older, more experienced players can challenge athletes and expose areas for growth.

• Better baseball IQ - Player's gain experience with higher-level situations, pace of play, game strategy, and decision-making.

• Learn the program before high school - They become familiar with coaches, teammates, terminology, expectations, practice routines, and the overall culture.

• Build confidence and leadership - Being around older players gives younger athletes opportunities to learn how to compete, communicate, and eventually become leaders themselves.

• Create a smoother transition to high school - Instead of waiting until freshman year to learn the expectations, players begin developing those habits earlier.

• Opportunity to find the right challenge - Some 8th graders may benefit from being challenged at the high school level, while others may be better served developing at their current level.

• Long-term program development - Getting younger players involved helps create continuity from youth baseball through the high school program.

Potential Cons of Playing High School Baseball

• Physical Differences - Older players may be bigger, stronger, and more physically developed.

• Confidence - Facing older competition can be challenging and may affect confidence if a player struggles.

• Maturity - High school baseball comes with greater expectations and maturity than some 8th graders may be ready for.

• Time Commitment - High school baseball can require more practice, games, lifting, travel, and overall time.

Is the high school environment the best developmental environment for your player right now?”

8th Grade Info Sheet

Pitchers and Catcher - Old Gym at WDHS

• 1/10/27
• Varsity/JV – 11-1
• Sophomore – 1-3
• Freshman – 3-5

Off-season Hitting @ Delaney’s in Farley

• Varsity/JV – 3/11/27 - 6pm-8pm
• 2 sessions
• Sophomore - 3/11/27 - 5pm-6pm
• Freshman – 3/10/27 - 530-630pm
• Will add in 430-530 if numbers force us to split
• Our goal is that students that are in a middle school sport at this time can possibly walk to Delaney’s after middle school practice.

Parent/Player/Coaches Meeting - Date TBD, More INFO will come at a later date

• Date: ??
• Location: ??
• Time: 6 PM
• To go over level specific information
• Philosophy's
• Level Expectations
• Specific schedules
• Parent Standard/Concerns Process
• ETC.

**NOTE: STUDENT-ATHLETE SHOULD ATTEND LEVEL THEY INTEND ON TRYING OUT FOR**

We are exploring a possible spring league opportunity to give our players additional opportunities to develop their skills, gain experience, and continue to grow as baseball players.

We are still working through the details, so more information regarding the league, schedule, and potential participation will be shared soon. We wanted to give everyone an early heads-up as we continue to explore this opportunity. Thank you for your continued support of Western Dubuque Baseball! More information to come soon!

Our concession stands help support Vocal Music, Band, FFA, Quiz Bowl, Cheerleading, and all athletic programs. Volunteering is a great way to give back and make a difference for our students!

• Athletic families: 3 volunteer shifts

• Band, Vocal Music, FFA, and Quiz Bowl families: 2 volunteer shifts

With postseason events approaching, we still need volunteers! Please make sure your family has signed up for the required shifts. Thank you for giving your time and helping provide opportunities for all our Bobcat students and programs!

2026-27 Concession Sign up

More INFO to come on this soon!!!

BAND will be our primary form of communication between Coaches, Players, and Parents. This is new to us this year, but it has the ability to interact with posts, schedules, and more. Please feel free to sign-up now as info will also be sent through BAND. Sign-up by clicking link and following prompt. Please sign up for level that you feel your athlete is trying out for. This can be changed later if need be.

Freshman RED and BLACK links will be sent out to families when teams are separated in May. In the mean time we would like you to sign up with Freshman link below.

JV/Varsity Link

Sophomore Link

Freshman Off-Season Link

Jesse Lawler - Head Varsity Baseball Coach

Email - Jesse.lawler@wdbqschools.org

Phone - 563-451-6296

WDHS Baseball Website

Youth Baseball

WDHS Socials

Facebook - WDHS Baseball

Twitter (X) - @WDHSbaseball

Instagram - @wdhs_baseball

Youth Baseball Club Facebook - Western Dubuque Youth Baseball Club