BY STEVE KRAH
Only four men have held the title of head baseball coach at Bishop Luers High School in Fort Wayne, Ind.
One family represents bookends.
Entering his third season in charge of the Knights in 2020, Jeff Stanski is part of a legacy that started with his father, Ron Stanski, and also includes Gary Rogers and Larry Gerardot.
Ron Stanski played at Saint Joseph’s College in Rensselaer, Ind., and got the baseball program at Fort Wayne Central Catholic running smoothly and won a sectional title in 1970.
When CC closed and Luers opened, the elder Stanski was there to get the program started in 1973. He went on to serve as a baseball and football coach at Harding High School in Fort Wayne and was athletic director at Luers before retirement.
Rogers followed Ron Stanski, led the Knights for 32 years and is now head coach at Leo (Ind.) High School.
“They were into fundamentals, playing the right way and working hard,” says Jeff Stanski of his head coach predecessors.
Now in his mid-70s, Ron Stanski is part of son Jeff’s coaching staff.
“He is a great resource to fall back on,” says Jeff Stanski, who played baseball for Luers and graduated in 1992, got a degree from DePauw University in Greencastle, Ind. in 1996, and is now teachers U.S. History, Economics and Leadership at his high school alma mater.
Jeff Stanski is also offensive coordinator for a Luers football program which features Kyle Lindsay as head coach. Previous football coaching stops include assistant gigs at Luers, Tri-State University (now Trine University) and Fort Wane Snider High School.
Stanski has five baseball assistants.
“I have a great staff around me,” says Stanski.
Besides his father and “right-hand man” Tim Birkmeier, there’s former professional pitcher Pedro Hernandez, Luers graduate and former Michigan State player Larry Young as well as Ray Pickard and Miles Martinez.
Luers plays its home games on the turf at the World Baseball Academy.
“They treat us great out there,” says Stanski. “And I know how much time most coaches have to spend keeping the grounds up.
“I know coaches that every Sunday mow their baseball field. It’s a big time commitment.”
Luers (enrollment around 520) is a member of the Summit Athletic Conference (with Fort Wayne Concordia Lutheran, Fort Wayne Bishop Dwenger, Fort Wayne North Side, Fort Wayne Northrop, Fort Wayne Snider, Fort Wayne South Side and Fort Wayne Wayne as baseball-playing schools).
The Knights are part of an IHSAA Class 3A sectional grouping with Angola, Dwenger, Concordia, Garrett, Leo and New Haven. Luers has won seven sectional crowns — the last in 2012. Luers reigned as 2008 Class 2A state champions.
Kevin Kiemaier, who roams center fielder for the Tampa Bay Rays, is a Luers graduate. Some current players go to alum and former big league pitcher Mike Roesler.
Recent Luers graduates that moved on to college baseball include Evan Creager (Goshen College), Mikhail McCowin (University of Saint Francis) and Tyler Prince (University of Saint Francis). From the Class of 2019, Grant Lashure went to Ivy Tech Northeast in Fort Wayne, Karsten Ball became a redshirt freshman at Purdue Fort Wayne and valedictorian and Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Association all-star Josh Dippold joined the club team at the University of Notre Dame.
While they have not made any college commitments, Stanski says seniors Nick Birkmeier and Carter Pickard and junior Lukas North have drawn interest.
Luers is fed by several Catholic grade schools. Stanski says that while the school is diverse, many did come from one of those feeder schools.
Jeff and Sara Stanski have three children. Freshman Charlie Stanski is a Luers freshman who plays football and baseball. Daughter Sophie Stanski is an eighth grader who plays volleyball and basketball. First grader Sam Stanski plays baseball.
Jeff Stanski is the head baseball coach at Bishop Luers High School in Fort Wayne, Ind. (Bishop Luers Photo)
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