Free State’s Hill nears milestone coaching victory

Lawrence Free State coach Mike Hill waits with catcher Jaden Moore for a new pitcher in the late innings of the Firebirds game against Shawnee Mission East Tuesday, April 25, at FSH.

Brad Stoll, a former assistant baseball coach at Free State High under head coach Mike Hill, still chuckles at the memory of the first game in program history.

Twenty seasons ago, the Firebirds opened in a doubleheader against then-perennial powerhouse Shawnee Mission South. Free State gave up 10 runs in the first inning, eventually losing by a mercy rule in its first game.

But in the nightcap, the Firebirds bounced back for their first victory in school history, and Stoll remembers his reaction with Hill.

“He and I both kind of looked at each other like, ‘Oh my God, what just happened?'” Stoll said.

Lawrence Free State infielder Nate Strathman, left, gets some instruction from FSH baseball coach Mike Hill during the Firebirds game against Shawnee Mission East Tuesday, April 25, at FSH.

Since that first win in 1998, the Firebirds have reached new heights in the program. They’ve earned back-to-back trips to the Class 6A state championship game, including their program’s second state title in 2015.

Hill, the only baseball coach in school history, is only two wins away from his 300th career coaching victory. The Firebirds will travel to Shawnee Mission North at 4:30 p.m. today.

Averaging more than 15 wins per season, Hill said he hasn’t had an opportunity to reflect on the program’s annual success. But perhaps that has a role in helping the team play at such a high level each season.

“He works tirelessly,” said assistant coach Layne Meyer, who joined Hill’s staff in 2004. “He gives every ounce he has for those kids. Wins and losses isn’t necessarily the most important thing for him. It never has been. I think it’s giving everything he has to see our kids be successful.”

Hill was a junior in high school when Lawrence High started its own baseball program in 1986, noting his “claim to fame” was hitting the second home run in school history behind Pat Karlin.

But during his time at Free State — the Firebirds own a 298-141-1 record — Hill downplays his involvement.

“I’ve never taken a ground ball or thrown a strike,” said Hill, who also serves as the school’s athletic director.

Hill was the LHS pitching coach, under head coach Dirk Wedd, in 1997 when the Lions gave up one run in the state tournament and didn’t win it all — losing 1-0 in the state championship.

He insists his job is to put players in the right position to make plays. He credits parents for supporting the program and said that he’s been blessed with a strong group of assistant coaches.

“Mike has this ability that I’ve never seen from another person to motivate the people he’s around to be their best,” Meyer said. “Not just baseball. I can’t tell you how many times he’s talked with our kids just about giving their best effort and doing the best they can in all walks of life.”

Stoll, an assistant at Free State for seven seasons, has coached against Hill since he became Lawrence High’s head baseball coach in 2005 — Stoll is three wins from tying Lynn Harrod for the most wins in LHS program history — and credits his former boss on teaching him how to run a practice.

Plus, he cherishes their bond away from the field. When Lawrence High won a state championship in 2009, Stoll said the first phone call the following day was from Hill.

“I learned how to do a lot of things from him and I’m forever indebted to him for it,” Stoll said. “I try to remind him of it as much as I can. He’s a good man and he runs a good program.”

Nearing a milestone victory, Hill and the Firebirds aren’t looking ahead. They are focusing one game at a time, the same way they’ve done it for the past 20 years.

“He is as passionate today,” Meyer said, “as the first day I worked with him.”