Terra Linda High School has finally found a replacement to be the head coach of the varsity baseball team: Patrick Conroy, a 23-year-old Drake High School alumnus. He has an extensive resume for his age and appears to be right guy for the job.

After his time at Drake, he went on to be the Bay Valley Conference Player of the Year while at College of Marin. After his college stint, he was drafted in the 32nd round by the Kansas City Royals. However, he was eventually released by the Royals. He then came back to Marin and played for the San Rafael Pacifics. As a rookie, he was named Pitcher of the Year and was a key piece in the Pacific’s league title run.

Conroy is ready for the season, saying, “When I heard the position opened up at TL, I immediately was excited about the potential opportunity. The chance to lead a program with a history of professional and collegiate athletes is humbling.” With this enthusiasm,  he is ready to lead the Trojans to the playoffs this year, something they haven’t been able to do for some time.

Conroy’s coaching philosophy is to “let the players play.”  He states that “the players will be encouraged to play at a high intensity and to not be afraid to make a mistake. If a player is scared to make mistakes, then they will play tight and inevitably make a mistake.” He is focused on creating an atmosphere where the players can learn and excel in their practices and games. He plans to practice with a game-like intensity, with repetitions of every drill and workout, so the team will be ready to compete against the best teams in the league.  

Conroy may be young, but he is knowledgeable about baseball. He has many role models from the game, and says he admires players who play the game the “right way.”  He says, “the Oakland A’s had a catcher by the name of Jason Kendall. Kendall was towards the end of his career, but he always sprinted on and off the field. Most players will barely break a sweat running to first base on a routine out for the defense. Kendall ran as if [his] cleats were on fire until he saw the umpire call him out.” He hopes all of his players will take an approach similar to that of Jason Kendall’s.

Having graduated from Drake, he will finally get a chance to play against his former school. “The games against Drake will be fun, but will be no different for me and the team than any other game. Hopefully we get a chance to play a third game against them in the MCAL Playoffs under the lights at Albert Park.”  

Conroy’s goal for this season is to at least make the MCAL playoffs. It’s something that hasn’t happened in a while here at TL, and if there’s anyone who can lead a team to the playoffs now, it’s Patrick Conroy.