For most athletes in high school sports, competitive careers come to an inescapable end after the final event of their senior season.
For Cole Gueningsman, a senior catcher on the Cardinals baseball team, the end of prep playing days will simply mark a step up to higher competition.
Gueningsman has signed a National Letter of Intent to play baseball for Midland University in Fremont, Neb., a Division II school, starting in the fall. In return, Gueningsman has received an athletic scholarship that will cover 40 percent of his education for all four years.
A South Haven resident, Gueningsman said a number of things appealed to him about the private liberal arts college, including its emphasis on accommodation of athletics and athletes. Of the 1,300 students at the school more than 500 are athletes, according to the school’s website, and professors make a point to be flexible with athletes and work around schedules. Tutors are also readily available, because Midland has the self-proclaimed largest athletic department in the state of Nebraska.
"I like the small environment that they have," said Gueningsman. "You’re a person, not a number there, and you get one-on-one time with the professors. I liked that a lot."
Gueningsman said he also looked at Minnesota State University, Mankato, the University of Minnesota Duluth and the University of Nebraska Omaha.
"I didn’t care for how big they were," he said.
Asked whether he ever thought he would actually end up playing college baseball at a high level, Gueningsman said his association with Midland is the fulfillment of a long-held goal.
"It was a dream. Now it’s a reality," he said.
A new coaching staff is taking over this year, and Gueningsman was one of the first players brought in by the new regime.
"We’re thrilled that Cole has chosen to be a part of our 2015 recruiting class," said recruiting coordinator and assistant coach Andrew Bennett. "He is a versatile player and we’re excited about his athleticism behind the plate. Cole impressed us throughout the recruiting process with the quality of his communication, his team-first mentality, and his mature, thoughtful approach to his college decision.
"We expect him to make significant contributions to our program both on and off the field."
Catching the coach’s eye
Gueningsman has an area set up in a shed at home to practice his hitting, and has put in extra practice through Solid Foundation Baseball School since he was 12 years old. The school also has a SWAT elite tournament component, which includes tournaments in Arizona, Florida and Kansas City.
"He’s just been a baseball addict," said Gueningsman’s father, Jody, who along with his mother Linda are justifiably proud of his achievement.
Ironically, when Midland coaches first saw Gueningsman at the Senior Showcase tournament shortly after the last school baseball season, they envisioned a catcher despite the fact that Gueningsman hadn’t done much catching before.
"He maybe caught five to eight games before that showcase," said Jody.
Though he was mainly an outfielder and sometimes a pitcher previously, Annandale head baseball coach Luke MacLean saw Gueningsman’s potential behind the plate during his first season coaching last spring.
"His arm strength is what caught my eye, and his action too. He throws a true, straight ball," MacLean said.
MacLean added that when he mentioned catching to Gueningsman, there was no hesitation.
"His attitude impressed me. He just asked what he could do to learn the position and jumped right in."
For his part, Gueningsman relishes donning the "tools of ignorance," and managing the game from behind the plate.
"I like catcher a lot. You’re in on every play, every situation," he said.
His favorite aspect of the position is the responsibility to keep runners from advancing by stopping wild pitches.
"I like getting down and dirty and blocking the ball," he said.
There’s a lot more to the position than simply serving as a backstop, however. MacLean said that Gueningsman has worked on the art of framing to get strike calls on borderline pitches, the technical footwork needed to throw out base-stealers and the fundamentals of going from feet to knees to block pitches.
"It’s a lot of fun (to see his efforts pay off with a college opportunity)," MacLean said. "Cole has put a ton of time into his craft and works hard year-round."
More about Midland
Midland plays in the Great Plains Athletic Conference, and made it to the conference championship and the opening round of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics national championship last year.
Last season the team went 43-19 overall, including 16-4 in the conference.
While most of the conference schools are in western Iowa, Midland plays around the country during its season. Stops are made in Texas, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Missouri and more.
Excited for school
Gueningsman has already had the opportunity to practice with the Midland team during a visit in January, and instantly made his presence known by taking down the team’s starting shortstop on a slide during a double-play drill.
Even so, "the guys were very welcoming and positive. I loved the team environment," said Gueningsman.
He plans to pursue a degree in environmental science and seek a career as a conservation officer. Baseball aside, his favorite activities are hunting and fishing.
"It will be nice to give the deer a break up at the cabin (while he’s gone at school)," said Jody.
Before then, however, Gueningsman still has a career to finish at Annandale this spring. He played basketball and football in previous years, but has dedicated his time solely to baseball in the past few seasons.
"I’m very excited to get on the field and bond with the team," he said. "As a senior, people look up to you and I want to be the person to show the younger guys the way."