Brent Schnieders has waited for his opportunity to be a head coach.
And with the start of fall baseball practice less than a month away, his wait is about to end.
"I've always loved baseball and this is an opportunity I couldn't pass up," said Schnieders, who recently was named the head coach at Jamestown High School. "I've always had a dream to be a head coach, the opportunity just wasn't there. But this is a perfect fit for me, I went for it and got it."
Schnieders, 46, pitched at Helias in the late 1980s, helping the Crusaders to three Final Four appearances and two Class 3 state championships.
"All I wanted to do was win, I was brought up to be competitive and we won a lot," Schnieders said. "I think I can bring that attitude to Jamestown and lead them to take that next step.
"I'm very competitive and I'm going to expect a lot from the players. I know losing is a part of any sport, but I like to win and I expect us to win."
Schnieders is still prominent throughout the Helias baseball record book, both at the plate and on the mound. On offense, Schnieders is third all-time in RBI for a career and is in the top 10 in hits in a single season and a career.
As a pitcher, he totaled a 1.08 ERA in 202 career innings. He won 15 games in the 1988 season and totaled 31 victories in his career.
Schnieders, who went on to play at the University of Missouri, has experience coaching at the high school level. He recently spent three years as a pitching coach at Helias.
"We will pitch, we're not just going to throw," Schnieders said. "Hitting your spots, using location, that's going to help your team win."
Schnieders lives in Jamestown with his wife, Shawna, and three children - Blake, Cameron and Reece.
"I've gone to a lot of games and seen the boys play a lot," Schnieders said. "There's a lot of talent on the team and I think I can help lead them in the right direction.
"The talent is there to get to state, I just want to help lead them there. I'm going to take the ball and run with it to see where we can go."
Jamestown finished with a record of 9-10 in the spring season.