Jackson Ironmen - Coach Rolston Resigned

[Crazy Legs]

To take a job with former Jackson coach Steve Little at Olentangy. Will be missed!! Left great facilities and a program headed in the right direction!!

[g w mclintock]

Best of luck to Lance.

[bengalfan76]

Wow. great guy and coach.

[QBear]

How many years was he at Jackson?
What was his record there?

[Crazy Legs]

3 years

36 wins --- 29 losses

*2008 S.E.O.A.L. South Division Champs and Overall Champs beating Zanesville.

[misterfrank55]

I wish Coach Rolston the best. He has done alot to turn the program around anything from teaching the fundmentals of the game to the field condition and local support of the community . I believe he has done a great job. Now I hope Jackson can hire another good coach that cares about baseball and the kids and not just a paycheck like coach Rolston did. I believe the assistant coach would be a good choice he seems to mesh well with the kids and he has a great knowledge of the game.

[Keyser_sozeThrice]

For this weekend's Times-Journal. Enjoy.

I wish Coach Rolston the best. Always great to talk to win, lose or draw.


Rolston resigns as Jackson baseball coach

3-year skipper set to join former JHS boss

By PAUL BOGGS

Sports Editor

Looking out at Haller Field from the home dugout, Lance Rolston reflected on the past three years.

Both “bittersweet” and "opportunity” were words which quickly came to mind.

That’s because Rolston — after three seasons skippering the Jackson High School baseball team — has resigned his teaching and coaching positions, as he is leaving the district to follow a similar path of another former Ironmen boss.

Rolston resigns to join former Jackson baseball coach Steve Little at Olentangy, as he will assist Little and be closer to his alma mater of Ohio State.

Rolston said in an interview with the The Jackson County Times-Journal on Wednesday that “ultimately, I want to coach college baseball.”

He is a former co-captain at Ohio State, was part of two teams which captured Big Ten championships, and has maintained multiple relationships with while making more connections to the university.

“This move at this time is a great opportunity for me,” said Rolston. “It allows me to be closer to and around Ohio State, and my ultimate goal is to coach at the college level. I still have many contacts at OSU, I’ve been a Buckeye, I am a Buckeye and coaching on the OSU staff would be a dream job.”

In the meantime, Rolston will become Little’s top assistant at Olentangy, and work primarily with the outfielders and on hitting.

Olentangy is a Division I school, and has experienced much success under Little’s leadership, including the 2006 Division I state runner-up.

In fact, Jackson traveled to Olentangy this past season for a non-league doubleheader on April 24.

“A job came open on Coach Little’s staff, he (Coach Little) told me about it and we discussed it,” said Rolston. “I don’t look at this as a sideways move or as a step down. That’s for sure. It’s a good stepping stone. Olentangy is a Division I school and Coach Little has built a good baseball program there. This is a good opportunity for me. These chances don’t come along very often.”

In the same sentence, though, he said it’s “bittersweet” to leave Jackson.

“I truly got my start in coaching here. I consider here where it all began,” said Rolston. “I feel we’ve improved the program, both baseball-wise between the lines and our facilities. Our numbers in the program have increased from 21 junior varsity and varsity to around 35 or 36. There is a great baseball atmosphere here with the music, announcing and fan support at games. I’ve had good, dedicated assistant coaches, and players that bought into what we were teaching them. We’ve had a lot of support from parents to businesses to the community. That makes it tough to leave. I was proud of what we were accomplishing and continuing to accomplish. I feel I’m leaving the program in better shape than when I took it over.”

After one season as the coach at Nelsonville-York, and one spring assisting his alma mater of Alexander where he starred, Rolston returned — after a one-year hiatus — to take over the Ironmen.

He inherited a team that finished last in the Southeastern Ohio Athletic League, and was Jackson’s third coach in as many seasons.

But, he needed just one campaign to take the Ironmen from worst to first in the SEOAL.

The Red and White went 16-4 in 2008, and captured the fifth league championship in school history when it rallied for an amazing 9-7 victory at Zanesville in theSEOAL Day of Champions championship tilt.

Jackson trailed Zanesville, which was 21-1 at the time, 7-0 after the first two innings.

But the Ironmen staged an unbelievable comeback, erased the deficit, and stunned the Blue Devils to win their first baseball league title since a co-championship under Little in 1997.

The other three titles, all outright, came in 1976, 1982 and 1996.

In fact, that title two years ago has been Jackson’s only league championship — in any sport — since the SEOAL expanded to 10 schools starting in the 2006-07 academic year.

“Obviously, that was a very special season. And that win, to bring a league title back to Jackson, has been the greatest win in my coaching career,” said Rolston. “Our guys believed in what we were teaching and preaching. All year long, we battled back in games, we believed we could win games, and we were just as talented as any team out there. That game was a microcosm. Zanesville was one of the top teams in the state, it was a big day and a long trip. We got down 7-0, but we just kept fighting, kept believing. We just started making the plays, we didn’t press the panic button, we climbed back into it, we got things to turn our way. I’ll never forget that game or that season. I was very proud.”

Rolston recorded a 35-29 overall record at Jackson, and went a perfect 3-for-3 in SEOAL DOC games.

Despite only one tournament triumph, this past season against Chillicothe, his Ironmen usually entered the postseason playing better than they did in the opening weeks.

This past year, they pushed top-seeded Warren to a dozen innings in the Division II sectional semifinals, losing to the Warriors 5-4 in a marathonheartbreaker.

“Our kids worked hard and were dedicated to becoming better baseball players,” he said. “That says a lot about them. They bought into what we taught them and always did their best at executing. I want to thank all of our players for their hard work and effort. I’ve enjoyed coaching them. You win with players, and they are responsible for building this program up.”

Rolston also played a role in improving the Haller Field facilities, which feature a re-done grass infield, new sod, a new home dugout with both dugouts re-painted red, sponsorship signs around the Haller Field fence, the signature “Red Monster” fence in left field, a 42x37-foot indoor hitting barn beyond the left-field fence, and the new giant scoreboard which was erected this past April.

“A lot of business owners came together, and with the support of the school administration, it’s like we have a brand new facility,” he said. “We have a new grass infield, new sod, we renovated the mound and home plate, this home dugout we’re sitting in is new with a storage area and coach’s office. We have two full-length cages in the hitting barn. The scoreboard is big, is bright, is great. We’ve done a lot of things in 30 months to make this one of the top fields, one of the top baseball complexes around.”

Rolston thanked the Jackson City Schools administration, several area businesses and individuals, his assistant coaches, his players, their parents, and the community at-large for its support.

“It’s been a great haul and I’ve been blessed to have had this opportunity. What we’ve done in three years is very special,” he said. “I wish everyone here well and I hope everyone keeps supporting the Ironmen baseball program.”

Jackson High School Athletic Director Bob Kight confirmed Rolston’s coaching and Special Education teaching position was officially posted on Monday afternoon.

sports@timesjournal.com

[Regulator]

I wonder who they will get to replace him.

Also, I don't know about the comment improving the program. Steve Little was a huge part of building the program and won many games, then Jason Wright took them to a level they haven't seen very often, winning the District Championship in the 2003 or 2004. A lot of games had been won over the 20 years before Rolston. Baseball has always been strong in Jackson. One thing they never did in three years was win a sectional!!

I also believe the team on the rise in Jackson Co. is Oak Hill. With former Jackson coach Jason Wright coaching the Oaks look for them to be the best team in the Co. next year.

Good luck to Coach Rolston next year at Olentangy. Two former Jackcson coaches teaming up!!

[Catch24]

What positions are opened right now at Jackson? I saw that Rolston was Special Edu. teacher.

[QBear]

I don't know about "turning the program around." "Maintaining the program" would be a better comment. Jackson has always had a pretty good program.
Who is the assistant that you talk about?

[Crazy Legs]

I don't know about "turning the program around." "Maintaining the program" would be a better comment. Jackson has always had a pretty good program.
Who is the assistant that you talk about?

I would agree.....The facilites are way better now though. The 2 assistants were Coach Castina and Coach Swackhammer. JMO I think both would do a great job they are very good with the kids, but Coach Castina has a better knowledge of the game from what I have seen.

[QBear]

Swackhammer played at Zane Trace.
I thought he still coached there.

[Catch24]

Swackhammer could hit a baseball about 3 1/2 miles back in the day.

[QBear]

You are thinking of the Swackhammer from Hillsboro that played for the Chillicothe Paints.
Different Swackhammer.
This one started in the outfield at ZT, but was a decent player.

[Ironman92]

Would Castina want it?

Would Swack want it?

Jonathan Ervin? Mike Moore? Paul Haller?

Just floating some names....I know less than nothing.

[Ironman92]

Gotta get back to at least winning sectionals. Jackson seemed to win them most years from Little's first in 1992 to about 2005.

[rivercat]

Would Castina want it?

Would Swack want it?

Jonathan Ervin? Mike Moore? Paul Haller?

Just floating some names....I know less than nothing.

All good names Ironman92. Does Jackson hire coaches outside of the school system ? If so Mike Moore would be an outstanding choice. Along with the "baseball knowledge" to do the job, he has a lot of intangibles in working with and teaching kids.
Just one guy's opinion.

[Ironman92]

Jay Martin, Don Kunz and Robin Profit are all outside the school district I believe.


If Mike has time....he would be tremendous.....I imagine most of those guys I mentioned could do a very good job.

[baseball16]

Good luck to the Ironmen!

2011

Thursday April 7

Oak Hill Oaks visit the friendly confines of Dick "Sparky" Haller Field to take on the Jackson Ironmen. First pitch 5:00!

[Ironman92]

Any updates on this?