Jeanes' says 'hard to leave' position as Hulbert pitching coach

May 17—When he sees his pitchers in trouble, Hulbert pitching coach Lance Jeanes likes to go out and lighten the mood to get his guys back on track.

In one instance, Jeanes went out to calm down Ethan Thompson and walked up with a big smile looking to talk about anything besides baseball. It instantly calmed down an angry Thompson and allowed him to settle in to strike out two of the next three hitters.

"I remember going out to him on one occasion and I was smiling and he was all worked up," said Jeanes. "I just went out and said 'I just wanted to come out and say hi, haven't seen you in a while,' after that he started smiling and settled in."

Getting his pitchers into the right headspace is one of the many philosophies for the 24-year coaching veteran.

A former baseball player himself, Jeanes' career took him to Crowder Junior College where he was eventually inducted into its Hall of Fame. The next step of his career brought Jeanes to Northeastern State University where he earned a spot on the All-Regional team.

A stint in the independent leagues followed before a shoulder injury turned Jeanes' attention to coaching.

"I had a good coach growing up," said Jeanes on his decision to go into coaching. "Really made a difference in my life through baseball and athletics. That is the reason I chose this profession, it was to make a difference in those players' lives."

In 1999, Jeanes officially got his coaching career off the ground at Vian. Quickly he would come back to the area coaching first for Muskogee, then Sequoyah, before spending 17 years on the Tahlequah Tigers coaching staff.

In three years of Jeanes' 17 with THS he was the head coach which included a State Finals appearance and the 2015 District 5A Coach of the Year Award.

Now Jeanes' latest stint as Hulbert's pitching coach is coming to an end after just one season. While it may sound like it is a short stint, Jeanes was not supposed to coach the 2023 Riders.

Despite planning on taking a year off to focus on helping his family, Jeanes was convinced by HHS head coach John Rozell to come work on a young team.

A native of Oilton, Oklahoma, Jeanes saw a lot of similarities between Hulbert and his hometown.

"I think that I connected so well with Hulbert because the town reminded me of my hometown," said Jeanes. "I told them that too. It was hard to leave Hulbert, out of all the jobs I had Hulbert was the hardest to leave."

Despite this connection, it still took some convincing from Rozell to get Jeanes on board.

"It took three times asking me," said Jeanes. "He has been a really good friend of mine over the years. We played together and everything. He has a way of pursuing and persuading and pursuing someone. He said we have a young team with three guys that you need to work with because they have some talent."

The three guys that Rozell said that Jeanes needed to work with were Ethan Ellis, Ethan Reese, and Thompson. The trio of underclassmen were the top three pitchers and players for the Riders.

The trio of Ethans served as the first three starting pitchers throughout the season. Thompson led the pack earning Hulbert's Pitcher of the Year Award.

One in particular Jeanes thinks he was meant to coach. When Jeanes watched Thompson pitch, he saw a lot of similarities to his time as a player.

"He reminds me a lot of myself," said Jeanes. "That boy right there I truly believe that is why I was sent to Hulbert; to coach this kid. He is built like me he has the same attitude. He didn't pitch against powderpuff teams. He beat some teams we shouldn't have beaten."

On the backs of the three Ethans, the future looks bright for the Riders. Though Jeanes will be absent for at least one year from the Riders. Jeanes said it was time to take care of his family and will help out a few with health problems before returning to the diamond.

The loss will be a big one according to Rozell.

"We have a great relationship and have been the best of friends for the last 25 years," said Rozell. "He will have to take a year off and that is tough I don't know a pitching coach in this part of the state better than Lance Jeans. He made my job a lot easier."

Despite leading this season, Jeanes knows he will be back in the sport sooner rather than later.

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