Last Saturday’s 14-4 win over Kempner was more meaningful than most for Foster baseball coach Mick Tosch. It marked his 300th.
Of his 20 years as a head coach in baseball, Tosch has spent 16 at Foster. With the Falcons improving to 9-1 in District 24-5A, 15-8 overall, with the win over the Cougars, Tosch reached another milestone of a distinguished career.
“It’s gratifying. It also means I’ve been coaching a long time,” Tosch said, laughing. “It’s a cool milestone. I’ve been around the game and coaching profession pretty much my whole life, so it’s pretty neat to reach 300. You can’t win without good players, and I’ve been blessed with good players. I’ve also been blessed with a wonderful wife who’s been very understanding of the time needed to run a successful program. My kids are understanding and supportive. I’m just so fortunate for good players and a great support system at home.”
Tosch was coached by his father, Billy, as a standout shortstop at West Columbia High School. Tosch’s wife, Carmel, is a volleyball and track coach at Briscoe Junior High. Their two daughters, Mickayla, a junior, and Jordan, a freshman, are multi-sport athletes at Foster. Son Rob, the youngest of the kids, is an athlete as well.
Tosch, who played collegiately at then-University of Texas Pan American (now Texas-Rio Grande Valley) from 1994-1997, said he is not as fiery in the dugout as he used to be. As baseball and society has evolved, so has he.
The biggest adjustment Tosch said he’s had to make over his coaching career is infusing his team ideas and philosophies with that of the private instructors more and more kids are using nowadays.
Tosch still applies some of the coaching he absorbed from Billy.
“He’s probably the best hitting instructor I’ve ever listened to,” Tosch said. “Not just saying that because he’s my dad, but the way he breaks down a swing … he does a great job of simplifying things. So, I’ve been able to listen to him talk about hitting for a long time and use some of those things to teach the guys that come through Foster High School.”
During his 16 years, Tosch has led the Falcons to six district championships. Foster went to the regional finals in 2013 and the regional quarterfinals in 2018.
If Foster wins its remaining six games, it will be district title No. 7 for Tosch.
“Coach Tosch is a steady force,” junior Coleman Biggs said. “He’s unwavering in his beliefs and is humble in all of his achievements. As a player, he encourages me to get out of my comfort zone and expects me to be my best self, on and off the field. He inspires me to be better by example.”
Tosch has been just as inspired by this year’s team, which has won seven of its last nine games.
Guys like Biggs and junior Hayden Holchak have selflessly switched positions out of team need. Biggs, an outfielder, moved to second base this year. Holchak, a district Newcomer of the Year as an outfielder last season, is playing catcher.
“We’re starting to hit the ball now,” Tosch said. “Our pitching has been fine all year long, but we struggled early in the year being consistent hitting and giving run support to our pitchers. The last two weeks, we’re stringing multiple hits together in innings. They’ve been grinding every day to make themselves better.”