Coleman was a junior catcher on Salado’s 1986 squad guided by first-year coach Melvin Bates when the Eagles played Archer City at Austin’s Burger Field in a University Interscholastic League Class A state semifinal baseball game.
Despite allowing only one hit and waiting out a one-hour rain delay with the lead, Salado pitchers walked 22 batters and hit three in Archer City’s 14-9 victory, sending the Eagles home in their first and, until today, only state appearance.
“It was a great year for us because we had fun on the road to the state tournament,” Bates said. “Then we got down there and to have that happen, it’s kind of frustrating.”
Today, Coleman and Bates are making their long-awaited returns to the state tournament.
Bates still will be roaming the third-base line and the dugout, but instead of Coleman strapping on the catching gear, he’ll be watching his son, Salado senior first baseman Josh Coleman, try to help his team move one step closer to the school’s first-ever state baseball championship.
“I’m real proud,” said Cliff, who is Salado’s scorekeeper. “Following in my footsteps and playing at this level is a dream that not just me but about four or five of us dads had when the kids were eight years old.
“For me, the bad taste I have in my mouth about the Archer City loss, it’s almost like if we win this, the bad taste and the feeling of it being a failure might diminish.”
Third-ranked Salado (30-6) meets No. 8 San Angelo Grape Creek (30-6) at 10 a.m. today in a UIL Class 2A semifinal at Dell Diamond in Round Rock.
During the past decade, the parents of the Eagle players have sacrificed and devoted countless hours helping each of their sons reach today’s game.
For Cliff and Josh Coleman, who will report to the United States Military Academy at the end of this month, they share the distinction of being the only father-son pair to be coached by Bates, and both have qualified for state.
“It is (weird),” Bates said. “Cliff was a better athlete but Josh can’t be outworked.”
For Bates and the Colemans, this trip to the state tournament has been an extraordinary journey.
In Bates’ 22 years at Salado, he has led the Eagles to the playoffs 16 times but hasn’t been able to muster up the magic that brought them to the state tournament since his first year.
Several of Bates’ former players, including many off the 1986 team, still remain around the Salado area and check in to offer their support. Bates said he fielded 10-12 calls this week from ex-players who wanted to wish him luck and expect to cheer on the Eagles in the semifinals.
After Salado defeated Lexington for the Region IV championship last week, also at Dell Diamond, Bates was a little taken aback when he realized he was headed back to state. It was a feeling that had been long overdue after he had been denied the last 21 years.
“To realize that is something else, but we still have unfinished business,” Bates said after Friday’s victory.
For the Colemans, it’s been a roller-coaster seven months. In late November, Cliff’s wife and Josh’s mother, Christy, died.
Ever since, Josh has been playing with a heavy heart while battling through the difficult situation. Helping to bring home a state championship might go a long way toward easing the pain Josh’s family has had to endure this season without Christy in the stands.
“It’s something I deal with every day, which makes something like this more special,” Cliff Coleman said. “I’ll be emotional if we win this thing because she couldn’t see it. She was there when he was starting out and was probably wondering, ‘Why are you so crazy with baseball? Why are you going down there and hitting baseballs all the time? Why are you throwing him 500 pitches a day?’ And I wish she could see this."
cmeister@temple-telegram.com
