Dustin MajewskiWhen I think about Brenham baseball I think of tradition. A winning tradition. A program that has the respect of people all over the state of Texas and beyond. A program that every other program strives to be but always falls short, because you can’t just decide you want to be a winner. It takes years of hard work, dedication, great community support, great coaches, and great players.
Chandler JozwiakBeing able to play in this program on Fireman’s Park, under the lights in front of 100s – maybe 1000s of – of people is something I will never forget and something I wish I could do just one more time.
Justin LackeyWe were always playing for something that is bigger than one individual person, and that type of culture breeds success. Not just in baseball, but in life.
Zack BarnesAt Brenham, everyone is clean shaven, cuts their hair the same, and wears their uniform the same. That is because you aren’t playing for yourself – you’re playing for your teammates, the generations of Cubs who have stepped on Fireman’s Park before you, the generations of Cubs who will step on it after you, and the best community in the State of Texas – and in return you get to play the greatest sport ever invented with some of the best friends you’ll have in your life.
Dayne Wunderlich 2012-2013The baseball program taught me many life lessons. The competitiveness and drive you need to possess to be successful. The camaraderie and selflessness to win. And mental fortitude you need to withstand tough times. My coach, Coach Williams, was more than a Coach. A mentor through my high school years and a source of guidance in the years after, in my baseball, and professional, career.
Tradition. Post high school baseball, it would be rare to meet someone we played and them not mention how cool it was to play in Fireman’s Park. The aura around the program, built through history, winning, and great individuals, is very special.
Dane Rau 1994-1996Brenham Baseball has been something that I will carry with me my entire lifetime. It has given me a sense of pride that no one can take away. It is an honor to play for the Brenham Cub Baseball Program and at legendary Fireman’s Park. By being part of the Cub program and its rich history, it always ignites conversation wherever you are in the State of Texas. The Brenham Baseball Program has opened many doors in my life and it continues to be a focal point in everyday life which is respected not only locally but statewide.
When I think of Brenham Baseball, I think of…
- Contending for a State title each year
- Rich history
- Legendary Fireman’s Park where many generations have played
- High expectations year in and year out
Kyle Mangan 2007-2008Without Brenham baseball, I wouldn’t be the man I am today. Playing baseball for the Brenham Cubs teaches you that there is a standard to uphold. No matter what year it is, every player that puts that Brenham uniform on understands the expectation associated with it. We all wanted to (and continue to want to) win a state championship. Did we all do it? No. But we understood the standard that was demanded us by our coaches, our teammates, those who played before us and everyone who supported us. We prepared a certain way. We sacrificed time, energy and “fun times” to put in the work to achieve our goal. Was it fun doing at the time? Not always. But at the end of the day it was preparing us for the real game ahead of us called life. Baseball is a very difficult game. Just as life is very difficult. But the lessons we learned with the Brenham baseball program helped prepare us for the hardships of life. When things get hard and you want to quit, you remember how to dig down deep and fight through it and do whatever you have to so that you can be the best husband, father, employee and Christian that you can be. Because the desire to be the best and how to prepare was instilled in us as a Cub.
Coach Williams is like a father to me. Over the years, he and I had some heated exchanges between football and baseball and there were moments where I didn’t like him. But I always loved and respected him. He rode me harder than others because he knew that I could handle it, even when I didn’t know that I could handle it. I’ll never forget my junior season of baseball. I played basketball that year, so I came about two weeks late to baseball. Whether it was true or not, I felt like the coaches were holding it against me that I came to the team late because of basketball so I was not playing very much. An at bat here and an inning in the field there, but not what I THOUGHT I should be doing. At this point in time, I thought I had hung the moon. A few weeks earlier, I started getting recruited for football fairly heavily and ended up committing to play football for A&M during basketball season. So about my 2nd week in baseball, I still hadn’t started a game and we were playing in a tournament in Brenham. We played a double header on a Thursday night and I don’t think I played at all. In my pride and frustration, I texted Coach Williams on the way home after the game and told him I was going to quit. He asked why and I told him because I was one of the best hitters on the team and wasn’t playing and didn’t need to waste my time riding the bench for baseball when I could go to off-season football and be working on my future. The response I got was not the response I expected. I expected him to respond kindly and coddle me and tell me I was great. He could’ve done that and put me in the starting lineup the next game. That would’ve been to my detriment. Instead, he told me I wasn’t one of the best players on the team and I hadn’t showed anything in practice to make him or anyone else think otherwise and told me if I wanted to quit then quit. Although I took it wrong and only stayed on because his response infuriated me and I wanted to prove him wrong, it brought across the desired result he wanted. He didn’t want me to quit. He wanted me to work my tail off and prove why I should be starting. Within the next 2-3 games, somebody was in a slump and I got a chance to start. I hit a homerun my first at bat of the game and never missed a start again. Coach Williams gave me a reality check and humbled me and helped me come to the understanding nothing is handed to you, regardless of how talented you are. You’ve got to work for everything you want. Some of my favorite moments from Brenham baseball were his expressions when I was approaching 1st base after hitting a homerun. Especially when I hit the record breaking homerun the last game of my senior year. I’ll never forget that classic “yeahhhhh!!!!” yell he gave as I was rounding the bag. I’m grateful for Coach Williams and can guarantee I wouldn’t be the man I am today without his influence.
When I think of Brenham Baseball, I think….. of the best times of my life. Getting to play the best game in the world, in the best baseball town in the world with the best fans, coaches and teammates in the world. What I wouldn’t give for one more game at Fireman’s park
Dustin Majewski 1997-1999When I think about Brenham baseball I think of tradition. A winning tradition. A program that has the respect of people all over the state of Texas and beyond. A program that every other program strives to be but always falls short, because you can’t just decide you want to be a winner. It takes years of hard work, dedication, great community support, great coaches, and great players. It’s hard to be the best for that long. Everyone is always out to get you. Brenham baseball is about pride! Every team that plays at Fireman’s Park sees that pride on display when they pull into the parking lot. They see that huge billboard with all the playoff appearances and state championship. They see the name Baseball Capital of Texas!! A name that was not given but earned. Earned by the legends that have come through the storied program. That billboard lets teams know they better bring their best if they are going to play the best. Even with all that extra motivation staring them in the face, teams time and time again fall short. Why ? Well the answer is simple. Everyday when the cubs show up to practice they see that billboard to. They want their year on that board and are willing to stop at nothing to make it happen. Every year on that billboard has a different story, coaches, and players. Stories that you can hear if you hang around Brenham long enough. Although the stories might have different characters they all have one common theme, winning! That is Brenham baseball..
Words alone can not express what coach Williams means to me. Words like leader, mentor, and winner all come to mind but the most important word is friend. The type of friend that you can call no matter the situation or time. Coach Williams is not just a coach of baseball but a coach of life. His goal is not only winning baseball games but teaching young boys to be men, winners at life! A job that is not always appreciated and very hard to accomplish in today’s society.
Brenham baseball has had a profound effect on me. It has shaped every aspect of my life. Brenham baseball taught me about being a part of something that is way bigger than you. It’s a culture that taught me about hard work, dedication, respect, teamwork, and winning. These life lessons have been the foundation of my entire career. From playing in college, to professional baseball, and now coaching. Brenham baseball taught me that you can have anything you want want as long as you are willing to put in the work. Anything can be had but nothing will be given! It taught me that talent can be outworked and out hustled. It taught me that everyone has a role in life , every role is dependent on each other, and no role is more important than the other. As a coach and a father I try my best to instill the values that I learned as a cub into my children and players! Go Cubs!!
Chandler Jozwiak 2015-2017Being able to play in this program on Fireman’s Park, under the lights in front of 100s – maybe 1000s of – of people is something I will never forget and something I wish I could do just one more time.
Without Brenham Baseball I would not be anywhere near where I am in life now, baseball wise and just being a man in general. Brenham Baseball taught me not only how to play the game of baseball at an elite level, but also how to be a leader and handle situations on and off the field like a man, and that’s a huge thanks to Coach Williams and the rest of the coaches in the whole program.
Coach Williams to me is a guy that I can never thank enough for how he treated me and how much he did for me. No matter what he had going on in life he always had time to be there for me and talk to me whether it was about baseball or not. He always wanted the best for me and believed that I could do incredible things in this game, even when I didn’t. He was actually a good part of the reason I did not commit so early to some of the smaller D1’s and smaller jucos that had offered me early on, he told me straightforward “wait it out, you’ll get bigger and better offers, you got that kinda talent” and I don’t think he knows how much those words helped me out, and of course he was right. Even though we didn’t always look eye to eye and he was upset with me from time to time, he didn’t talk to me as any other normal high school baseball player, and he didn’t do that to any of his older players, he looked at us as young men and that’s how he treated us. I will always keep in touch with Coach Williams and will never forget everything he did for me, and he will always be the guy I will go to when I need to talk.
When I think of Brenham Baseball, I think of one of, if not the most elite baseball program in the state of Texas. From the history of elite ball players we’ve had come through this program from guys like Jon Peters, Dustin Majewski, Kasey Acker, Eric Weiss, Seth Spivey, Dane Acker, and even the talent they have on the team now and to come it will always be know as the Baseball Capital of Texas and that is something every Brenham Cub Baseball player takes pride in. I also think of getting to play with guys you got to play your whole life with and getting to play on maybe the best high school baseball field in the state of Texas. Being able to play in this program on Fireman’s Park under the lights in front of 100s, maybe even 1000s of people is something I will never forget and something I wish I could do just one more time. Brenham Baseball will always have a special place in my heart and I will never forget what it did for me in my life.
Eric Wellmann 2016-2018Brenham Baseball has taught me how to handle successes and failures in a positive way. Throughout the season, there are many times you have success and cannot get complacent. There is also constant adversity that you have to work through and not let it affect the way you play.
Coach Williams was more than my high school baseball coach. He was someone that I could talk to when I was struggling, whether it was on or off the field. He is also someone that would go to battle for any of his players no matter the circumstances.
When I think of Brenham Baseball, I think of a program that expects excellence every year and players who will work hard to accomplish any goal given.
Justin Lackey 2012-2013We were always playing for something that is bigger than one individual person, and that type of culture breeds success. Not just in baseball, but in life.
Brenham Baseball prepares you for the unknown. It’s not just about baseball, it’s about being successful in what you choose. Brenham baseball prepares you for the adversity, challenging times, and taking a leadership role. I was confident in everyone in my locker room, and I know the feeling was mutual. We were always playing for something that is bigger than one individual person, and that type of culture breeds success. Not just in baseball, but in life.
Coach Williams is a father figure is an understatement. I’m 23 and still can look back on times coach Williams has prepared to make the right decision. Not necessarily the easiest decision, but the one that will pay off in the long run. He would always say that you can’t tell the success of a team by looking in the near future, but looking 10 years ahead and seeing what kind of man, father, and positive influence they have become. We developed a bond that is uncommon, and much needed. I know today that I can pick up the phone and ask him for anything. I love the guy. He gave me a sense of pride and confidence that I utilize everyday. He taught me to own everything I do, and that is most valuable lesson you can teach to a young man.
When I think of Brenham Baseball, I think of young men that are prepared for every facet of their life. I think of a brotherhood that is unmatched, a support system that is there during the bad and most definitely there in the good. Team success breeds individual success, and I’m so proud to call myself an alumni of such a prestigious and genuine program.
And a kicker: I’m a nerd that works in finance and utilizes lessons I learned from brenham baseball everyday. It much bigger than 7 innings at Fireman’s Park.
Brian Thiebaud(Coach Williams) is able to build strong relationships with is players while also pushing them to be their best and holding them accountable to a championship standard. Brenham is the name brand for Texas high school baseball!