Bernatow Thrives as Coach/Info Director

BY SCOTT MORRISON

Some people believe that the lives of baseball players can be defined between dusty chalk lines of a baseball diamond.

For Mount Marty College Head Baseball Coach Andy Bernatow, life isn’t just about what happens on the field, but is also about the accomplishments off of it as well.

This cliché is often used by coaches looking to motivate their players to stay out of trouble while not playing, but in Bernatow’s case this is more requirement than encouragement for his players.

Entering his fourth year as coach for the Lancers baseball squad, Bernatow not only looks to help his players achieve success on the field, but prepare them for life afterwards.

“We never look to lose the value of education among the players. We want to make to make the college experience as good as possible for the kids,” Bernatow said.

And the kids are responding.

During the past two years Bernatow’s Lancers have lead all NAIA teams in grade point average. In this period as many as ten NAIA Academic All-Americans have made their way through the program.

“This is a sign that we have great student athletes as well as the right mind set coming from both the coaches and players,” Bernatow said.

Bernatow’s success can be measured through his players’ ability on the field as well.

As the Lancers transitioned from Coach Kelly Heller (Head Coach Williston State College) to Bernatow, certainty remained that it would be difficult to return the program from its present state to that of the glory days of the teams in the late 1990s.

Given that he had experienced these days as a pitcher during this period, it was obvious that Bernatow was the best choice to help restore it.

With a 60-80 record in four years, Bernatow’s teams have made gradual improvements as he continues to get comfortable in his leadership role.

In the past two seasons, each of Bernatow’s teams has earned appearances in the Great Plains Athletic Conference Tournament.

This continues to be a difficult task given that only the top eight teams in the GPAC are eligible for the conference tournament.
Last season the Lancers found themselves a base hit away from earning a trip to the regional tournament and finished as runners-up in the GPAC tournament.

“Our goal is to always be successful and this takes effort on my behalf as well as the players,” Bernatow said.

His efforts do not stop with just baseball. Bernatow prides himself on being a successful family man.

Shortly after graduating college Bernatow married fellow MMC graduate and Yankton native Steph Bernatow.

Since their marriage nearly eight years ago, the pair has had two children.

This starts with their oldest child and only daughter Brooklyn Bernatow. Brooklyn is six years old and is currently enrolled in kindergarten.

Their lone son Luke is three years old and is beginning his experience with baseball.

While with the team, Bernatow continually shifts from the role of coach to parent as he brings his children to various baseball events.

While providing for his family, Bernatow is not just a coach alone.

Hired last year as the Sports Information Director for the Mount Marty College Athletic Department, Bernatow helps each MMC team keep track of their progress.

This begins with the management of statistics. He keeps a detailed record of team and individual statistics throughout the course of each season.

“I help to oversee statistics in order to help each program run smoothly. I also work together with MMC College Relations program in order to make sure there are no tangles,” Bernatow said.

As Bernatow MMC career continues to expand, so to endures his search for excellence in everyday life.

“I try to offer everything that I have. I try to balance everything, but demand is high,” Bernatow added.