WESTERN SPRINGS — New Lyons baseball coach Kevin Diete is well aware of the tradition he inherits as part of the school’s program. Diete helped build it himself as a former standout player.
Diete was a senior starting third baseman for Lyons’ first Class AA state championship team in 2003. Diete was hired in the spring to take over for retiring coach George Ushela, who has remained in the program as Diete’s assistant coach for just this season. Diete played for Ushela and now takes over Ushela’s spot in the third base coaching box. In Saturday’s doubleheader split against Hinsdale Central, Ushela now mans the first base coaching box while Lyons is batting.
“Everyone has asked me (about returning),” Diete said. “It is an honor and a privilege to be back here as a head coach.
Diete, a Countryside native, returned to Lyons as a physical education teacher after previously coaching the Lincoln-Way Central sophomore team. Before that, Diete was a volunteer assistant coach at Lyons under Ushela in 2008. When he took the current position, Diete said he believed Ushela had already planned to retire, but having Ushela around an additional year should make it a much easier transition on this year’s players.
Diete already coached Lyons over the summer league season.
“He already knew us from last year coming in during the summer. He knew who we needed (for the team),” senior right-hander Tom Hickey said. “Coach Diete was with us in the summer, so there has not been much of a difference between coaches. It helps a lot getting coach Diete back in the program and having coach Ushela for the transition. He knows all of our strengths.”
Hickey (1-1) pitched a complete-game, four-hitter in Lyons’ 2-1 victory in the second game of a West Suburban Silver-opening doubleheader. Hickey walked two batters and struck out 11 over 114 pitches for his best outing of the season. In his season debut, he became the losing pitcher in Lyons’ 10-4 loss at Brother Rice March 30.
Lyons (3-4, 1-2) lost two of three games to Hinsdale Central (3-4, 2-1) after suffering a 7-3 defeat Monday in Hinsdale. The Red Devils won the first game of the doubleheader, 5-2, on Saturday.
Diete won his first game as Lyons coach in a 13-0, five-inning victory at Oak Lawn March 21. Lyons plays at perennial power Oak Park-River Forest in the first game of a doubleheader at 10 a.m. Saturday.
“I hope to continue the tradition we’ve had and the success we’ve had,” Diete said. “Hopefully we can carry that through during my tenure here.”
Diete said he has some ideas what he’d like to add to the program, but remains inspired by what Ushela taught him when Diete played.
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Ushela went 30-13 and finished fourth in the state in his first season in 2001 since taking over for longtime coach Terry Sullivan. Under Ushela, Lyons also won a state title in 2011 and placed second in 2012. Before coming to Lyons, Ushela went 44-30 in three years at Westmont from 1983-85.
Diete was part of Lyons’ 2003 state championship team, which beat Rockford Boylan 15-6 in the title game with stars Tim Brewer in the outfield and right-hander Grant Johnson.
In his final year, Diete batted .441 and led Lyons in doubles and was second in home runs.
Twitter @geomwilcox