ONTARIO — For most high school baseball coaches, 500 career victories would make for an impressive first line on a Hall of Fame application.
Unless, of course, you already were a member of the Ohio High School Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame.
Ontario coach Dan Gorbett’s recent milestone victory proved the OHSBCA got it right when they enshrined him back in 2006.
Gorbett became just the 19th coach in state history to reach 500 wins when the Warriors stopped Willard 13-3 in six innings Wednesday evening. The mild-mannered mentor downplayed the achievement, instead turning the focus to his players.
“It’s a pretty big milestone but what I didn’t like is it took away from what the kids have accomplished this season,” Gorbett said. “It’s not about me and wins. It’s about the kids, so I feel a little awkward talking about it.
“I’ll admit that, for some reason, I was really nervous before that game. I’m usually not nervous. I’m just glad it’s done and we can focus on the rest of the season.”
What’s more, Gorbett’s Hall of Fame resume was written before he took over at Ontario in 2010. He was the head coach at Colonel Crawford from 1981 to 1995 and at Galion from 1996 to 2006, where he was 182-112 with three Northern Ohio League titles, nine straight sectional crowns from 1996 to 2004 and two district championships.
Perhaps his most memorable win came while at Galion.
“We beat Bellevue in the district championship in 1997,” Gorbett recalled. “We had lost to them three years in a row when I was at Colonel Crawford and Galion had a losing streak against them when I arrived there. It was a big accomplishment to finally get past them.”
What the Warriors have accomplished under Gorbett’s guidance is even more impressive. Ontario is 108-22 in four-plus seasons with back-to-back Division III state poll championships (2012, 2013) and a pair of district titles (2011, 2013).
“You’ve got to have some talent and we’ve always had supportive parents,” Gorbett said. “The kids have always worked hard in the offseason. It’s a combination of talent, kids who work hard and kids who buy into the system.
“We’ve also had supportive administrators and my assistant coaches have been great.”
There have been some memorable victories with the Warriors, too.
“We won a district championship in 2011 when (Gorbett’s son) Shane was a senior and we won a district championship last year when (son) Tyler was a junior,” Gorbett said. “Those were district championships and I had a son on the team, so that made it a little more special.
“Ironically, it’s the losses I remember more than the wins. Those are the ones that stick you, seeing the kids crying after regional games.”
As for the current group of Warriors, Ontario dropped to 15-3 overall and 8-2 in the Northern Ohio League after Friday’s 7-5 home loss to Tiffin Columbian. In their first year in the NOL, the Warriors are tied atop the league standings with the Tornadoes and Bellevue.
Most prognosticators thought this would be a rebuilding season after Ontario lost the core of the poll championship teams to graduation. Are the 2014 Warriors overachieving?
“When you say overachieving, it has a negative connotation,” Gorbett said. “We’ve got a bunch of kids who play to their ability and, for a lot of teams, that doesn’t happen.”
So what has been the secret to Ontario’s sustained success?
“A big key for us over that span has been not making mistakes, mentally or physically,” Gorbett said. “I have a saying, most high school games aren’t won. One of the two teams loses the game. We lost a game today and usually we’re the ones on the other side. Today we had four or five errors and that is uncharacteristic of us. We are a team that can’t afford to make mistakes because we don’t have a lot of big innings.”
Ontario surrendered six runs in the fifth inning Friday.
“I told the kids after the game we had some opportunities,” Gorbett said. “We just didn’t take advantage of them.”
In addition to the NOL title chase, Ontario will begin postseason play next Thursday when it hosts either Bellevue or Sandusky in a Division II sectional championship game. Bellevue and Sandusky meet today at Bellevue.
“Our kids are going to battle,” Gorbett said. “That is all you can ask of them.”
Follow Curt Conrad on Twitter @curtjconrad.
