'He expects nothing but 100 percent, 100 percent of the time'

The school and the level of coaching may have changed for Matt Palm. But his style, and what he expects from players? That hasn't. "I think my philosophy is the same," said Palm, who is in his first season as the University of Findlay's baseball coach. "We want to recruit athletic guys that can play multiple positions, that love to compete, and want to play the game the right way." Palm led the Heidelberg's baseball team from 1999-2014. He won 459 games for the Student Princes in a run that included five league championships and a trip to the Division III World Series in 2010. In those days, Palm was known for being not only a terrific coach, but an intense competitor who expected a commitment from his players on and off the field. "He definitely was, I'd consider an old-school coach," said Steve Decker, the starting catcher for Heidelberg in 2010. "You do things the right way, you take your hat off when you go in a building. You lead with respect. Play hard, get dirty, those type of things." And the former HU backstop said Palm – a former catcher for Wooster -- wasn't afraid to set the example himself. "We all respected coach Palm so much, because we knew he could do it," Decker said. "He'd line up on the base line, or the foul line, and do sprints with us, or throw with us." He also wasn't afraid to get at a player and show him who was boss. Everett Thomas, a pitcher on Heidelberg's 2010 team, remembers a game he started against Wooster, Palm's alma mater. "I didn't have my best outing in the first inning," Thomas said. "I want to say someone hit a home run off of me. Coach Palm sent someone down to the bullpen to start warming up. And it just fired me up. I ended up closing out the inning." But that wasn't the end of it. Thomas said after the inning, he went to Palm and told him to sit the reliever down. Palm had a quick response. "So, he took his helmet off, and he shoved it into my back, and he said, 'Oh, you wanna be the coach now?,'" Thomas remembered. "He gave it to me for an solid half inning. "I was like, 'Alright, I knew that. I need to humble myself here.'" Thomas laughs about it now. But he also said it was an important reminder. "Whether it was going into practice or whether it was going into a game, we all had to shift our mental models to the bigger goal. And that was buying in as a team. "It was all about the big goal." Now at Findlay, a Division II college program, Palm's message is reaching a different group of players. Like Findlay centerfielder Cam Farrar. The Clyde graduate is hitting .325 with 10 home runs. "Cam's probably the closest to being like me," Palm said. "I'm pretty fiery, as is Cam, and so it's interesting when I'm trying to talk to him about being even-keeled. Cam's had a great season; he's another guy who's been really selfless." Farrar said Palm has brought changes to the Oilers. "There's no more 'I' guys. It's a lot more for the team," Farrar said. "He always says you're either two feet in, and if you're not two feet in, he doesn't want you, and you can turn in your stuff. He'll see you on your way. He just preaches being bought in every day, and trusting the coaches and trusting your teammates." Farrar was praised by Palm for adjusting. He has played most of his career at first base, but shifted to center this season. But even though Palm sees a lot of himself in Farrar, that doesn't mean he'll go easy on him. Like Thomas before him, Farrar has been checked by Palm. Farrar brought up a game this season against Wayne State, where he tried to field a base hit to center and make a quick throw. Instead, Farrar bobbled the ball and it got behind him. "I don't know what was going through my head, but I kind of nonchalantly jogged to the ball," Farrar said. "I'm totally out of character." When Farrar returned to the dugout after the inning, Palm was waiting. "It was a (teachable) moment for me, just realizing things aren't gonna be like they used to be," Farrar said. "He grabbed me by my shirt, got in my face, and told me if I ever gave that kind of effort again, I'd find myself a spot on the bench." It's a new culture in Findlay. But Farrar said that's good. "He is a very upbeat, intense, in-your-face if (he) has to be kind of coach," Farrar said. "I feel like, here in Findlay, that's the coach we need." "In the past, no disrespect to our old coaches, but it was a little laid back, and that kind of reflected in our record, how our season went," he said. "In the past, we weren't very successful. So I feel like with coach Palm, he expects nothing but 100 percent, 100 percent of the time." And Findlay's record has improved. After going 14-25, 12-20 in the G-MAC in 2021, UF is 17-28, 12-14 this season. Of course, UF has played a much tougher schedule this season than in past years, with a number of non-conference games against ranked opponents. "I think if we'd played a similar schedule to what they played in the past, we might be .500 right now or better overall," Palm said. "But I'm not sure we'd be in the same position of competing the way we're able to compete." But if the games have been tough, the practices have been even tougher. Senior left-handed starting pitcher Anthony Kyle called this season "rewarding." But when it was mentioned former Heidelberg players were talked to for this story, he had a response: "I'm assuming they talked about all the conditioning stuff he would do in the fall," Kyle said. "The 5 a.m. practices." Actually, Decker said their practices started at 4:30. "He's kind of taken the reins off this year," Kyle said. Decker said practices were always intense, but there was a reason for it. "We had 4:30 a.m. practices to make sure we always had ample enough gym time," he said. "It just made it easier if we ever had an early game time, or thought that a doubleheader was tough. Well, our early-morning winter practices were the toughest part of our entire year. The games were the easy part." Kyle has succeeded with it; he's UF's No. 1 starter. While he boasts a 1-4 record with a 4.35 earned run average, Palm said it's deceiving to how well he's pitched. "(Kyle) has been consistent for us from start to start," Palm said. "He prepares the right way." It will be a big weekend for Kyle and his teammates. They have four games with Ohio Dominican, starting Sunday. Right now, Findlay is the sixth and final team that would qualify for the G-MAC tournament. But there are three other teams just behind Findlay for the sixth spot. No matter what happens, Palm said he's pleased with his players. "I couldn't be happier with the group of guys we've had," he said. "We talked about building and setting a culture of respect and hard work and competitiveness. The guys have really helped transition into that culture and worked really extremely hard." Thomas was asked if he had any advice for Findlay's players. "I think that every single person just needs to buy in early," Thomas said. And it sounds like that's happening. "We're playing 50 games a year," said Findlay shortstop Aiden Lao, a .335 hitter. "If guys aren't focused 100 percent of the time, things aren't going to work out. We've kind of seen that in the past. This year is a lot better. Everyone wants to be there." That includes Palm, whose passion for college baseball continues to burn. "I love that level of competition; I love the competitiveness, the camaraderie, everything that it takes to be good at something," he said. "You've got a group of people who are all bought in to something, and it's just a different feel." And it doesn't change.