Now that he's fully immersed in it, Justin Forsythe understands the firm roots of New Bloomfield's storied baseball heritage.
Forsythe - in his first year with the program - will seek to become the third head coach to steer New Bloomfield to a state baseball title when the Wildcats (16-9) open their pursuit against Norwood (19-8) in the Class 2 semifinals at 7 tonight at T.R. Hughes Ballpark in O'Fallon.
New Bloomfield already owns the most high school baseball championships in state history and will be attempting to add an extraordinary eighth title. The late Rod Haley directed the Wildcats to their first six championships, all at the Class 1A level (1986, "89, "91-93, "96), while Brandon Talbot led New Bloomfield to its first Class 2 title in 2011.
Forsythe wasn't aware of the Wildcats' baseball legacy until he became an assistant coach - and Show-Me Conference rival - at Russellville two years ago. Now that he's at the helm, Forsythe can appreciate New Bloomfield's obsession with the sport.
"If you're going to be a baseball coach, you want to go somewhere where they care about it," Forsythe, a Farmington native, said before Monday afternoon's practice at the high school. "This town eats, sleeps and breathes baseball. ... When you come here and you've got that kind of support, things like this happen."
The Wildcats' baseball success is embedded in junior shortstop Grant Nichols' DNA. His father, Kevin, was a shortstop and pitcher on New Bloomfield's state championship teams in 1991 and "92.
"Once I could hold a bat in my hands is when I first got interested in baseball," Grant Nichols said. "I've loved it ever since."
When the Wildcats ensured their trip to the final four with a 7-1 quarterfinal victory at Scotland County last week, Nichols experienced an unexpected show of emotion from his dad.
"It was probably a rare moment that he actually gave me a hug," Nichols said. "He usually tells me what I do wrong after a game and I'm used to it. After that I was like, "Man, he must be as excited as I was.'"
Nichols was an eighth-grader and just missed out on being a part of New Bloomfield's last state title four years ago. Now, he and his teammates have the chance to help the Wildcats separate themselves even further as the premier baseball program in state history.
"It would mean the world to me," he said.
Over the past month during New Bloomfield's playoff push, Forsythe recalled seeing an outpouring at home games of possible young prospects that could fuel pending title runs by the Wildcats.
"I've seen a ton of little kids here, wearing their New Bloomfield gear," Forsythe said. "That's great to see as a coach, because your future programs are seeing what we're doing now.
"It's only going to spark their interest and make them hopefully work a little bit harder at an early age - to get to where these boys are now."
With Haley having just passed away in early March, it's a fitting tribute that the Wildcats have positioned themselves to pick up another state championship.
"It would mean a lot to me because you've got a guy that ran this program for so many years in Rod Haley, who did a lot of great things," Forsythe said. "He's a man that everybody around this town respects and they look up to, and they miss.
"... It would be neat to win that eighth one this year and kind of put it in his memory. I never got a chance to meet Rod and I know putting my name up on that wall next to his would be special for me."