Janine Karo
Section Editor

Head varsity baseball coach Erik Treese ’91 reached a milestone 100 wins on March 27 when his team defeated St. Benedict’s Prep 13-0 at home.

“It just represents how lucky I’ve been to be able to come out there and coach a bunch of really great kids,” Treese said.

While he has been coaching Peddie baseball for 16 years, his experience with the Peddie team extends back to his own high school years.

“We shared a Peddie uniform,” Dean Peter McClellan ’90 said. “Even cooler than that, we were the middle infielders of Peddie’s team my senior year and Mr. Treese’s junior year!”

Part of Treese’s success stems from his laid-back coaching method.

“Over the years I’ve tried to instill and present to some degree a kind of even keel in my approach, so that the players can play the game in a more relaxed way, which I think can help them succeed,” Treese said. “I think you can be both relaxed and play hard at the same time, but they’re not mutually exclusive.”

Treese’s players appreciate his vigilant, organized style.

“He observes everything and analyzes each situation before expressing his opinion on that subject,” Matthew DeAngelis ’15 said.

“His cool and collected style of coaching proves to be more effective than tougher coaches and brings better results in terms of performance from the players,” senior captain Greg Pascullo ’13 said.

Treese’s colleagues admire his tolerance on the field.

“Mr. Treese has a patience with kids that is unparalleled,” McClellan said. “A sage on the field, [he] reminds everyone that there is always the next game, so it is important to remain emotionally level.”

His patient approach enables him to be a teacher, both in and out of the classroom.

“One of the other lessons I have learned from working with Mr. Treese is to not over coach,” McClellan said. “While he can help to dictate the rhythm of the game and while he can encourage students to treat their craft with integrity, ultimately, the music is for the musicians. Attempting to over manage will impede their ability to perform.”

A genuine interest in the improvement of his players is one of his distinguishing characteristics.

“Mr. Treese and I have developed a player-coach relationship over the past few years unlike any I’ve had before,” Pascullo said. “He is consistently assisting me with what I need to work on while constantly reminding me to work my hardest if I want to succeed at the next level.”

Ultimately, Treese appreciates the opportunities he has had as a Peddie coach.

“It’s a great place to work. I don’t think I imagined working here for 16 years, but I’ve enjoyed every year, done different things and gotten to know some great people along the way.”