(4-10-17) – Not to many athletic programs around the US have the same coach in place that started a varsity program. Mark Esselstein in 1987 became the first softball coach at Parkway (Ohio), 31 years later he picked up his 500th career win as the Panthers head man.
This past Saturday (4-8-17) was the day Esselstein, a 2008 Ohio High School Fastpitch Softball Coaches Association Hall of Fame member, would pick up his 500th win. The Panthers would beat Archbold 11-5 for #499 before they beat Crestview 6-3 and win #500.
500 wins say what????? 🤷🏼♀️ pic.twitter.com/QXDwcudtFU
— Lisa (@lisaa_grayy1) April 9, 2017
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Coach Esselstein on the journey to 500 wins.
Your first coaching win-
I don’t remember the first one☹ Asking a lot to remember back 31 years!
What happened in 1996?
1996 was just 7-4. We had a great team that never got a chance to play much because the weather was so bad. 66 practices for 11 games!
Memories over the years-
So many special moments. The regional final in 1997 when we won to make it to state the first time after being close so many times before. I remember hugging Annie in the middle of the diamond and getting the water/ice cooler dumped on us. So emotional!
Surprises over the Years-
For our first home game this year, the girls surprised me by all wearing the Esselstein Crazies t-shirts as warm-ups. These were shirts made up in support of Annie and her fight against cancer in recognition of us being Duke basketball fans (Cameron Crazies). Such a touching show of support!
Then this Saturday, Amber (Scheidt) Slusher surprised me before the Archbold game by bringing back the 1997 team. 8 starters were able to return—it was so great to see them all and reminisce a bit.
The 500th win-
Then the Crestview game. I didn’t know if the girls even knew anything about the upcoming milestone, but they sure did. The look of pure joy on their faces as they ran to me shouting 500 after the last out was recorded was priceless! They had a t-shirt ready for me and a special banner already prepared. They must have been very confident they would get it done that day!! Fitting as I consider them (Crestview) our oldest and most respected rival.
Keys to success—
Highly motivated athletes that want to be special and live up to our winning tradition. I have had great assistant coaches through the years (Rex Miller, Teri Samples, Kyle Ahrens, Trey Stover and many others), supportive parents, and communities that make up our school system that take softball seriously and prepare our kids for varsity ball.
Looking back over the years-
All I can say is that this community has given far more to me than I could ever give back to them!
Over the 31 years of Parkway softball the Panthers only lost 10 games in a season once (1994 – 11-10) and have never been below .500 in 31 years. Impressive to never had a losing season.
The ESSELSTEIN History
YEAR-BY-YEAR RESULTS
- 1987 8-7 SECTIONAL CHAMPS
- 1988 13-5 SECTIONAL CHAMPS, DISTRICT RUNNERSUP
- 1989 12-5 SECTIONAL CHAMPS, DISTRICT CHAMPS, REGIONAL RUNNERSUP
- 1990 14-3 SECTIONAL CHAMPS, DISTRICT CHAMPS
- 1991 21-3 SECTIONAL CHAMPS, DISTRICT CHAMPS, REGIONAL RUNNERSUP
- 1992 18-1 SECTIONAL CHAMPS, DISTRICT CHAMPS
- 1993 18-2 SECTIONAL CHAMPS, DISTRICT RUNNERSUP
- 1994 11-10 SECTIONAL CHAMPS, DISTRICT RUNNERSUP
- 1995 16-5 SECTIONAL CHAMPS, DISTRICT RUNNERSUP
- 1996 7-4 SECTIONAL RUNNERSUP
- 1997 22-3 MAC CHAMPS, SECTIONAL CHAMPS, DISTRICT CHAMPS, REGIONAL CHAMPS, STATE SEMI-FINALIST, AP/OHSFCA POLL #2
- 1998 27-2 MAC CHAMPS, SECTIONAL CHAMPS, DISTRICT CHAMPS, REGIONAL CHAMPS, STATE SEMI-FINALIST, AP/OHSFCA POLL #1
- 1999 16-3 MAC CHAMPS, SECTIONAL CHAMPS, AP/OHSFCA POLL #2
- 2000 13-8 MAC RUNNERSUP
- 2001 16-5 MAC CHAMPS, SECTIONAL CHAMPS, AP/OHSFCA POLL #9
- 2002 18-8 MAC CHAMPS, SECTIONAL CHAMPS, DISTRICT CHAMPS, AP/OHSFCA POLL #10
- 2003 15-8 SECTIONAL CHAMPS, DISTRICT RUNNERSUP, AP/OHSFCA POLL #5
- 2004 21-6 MAC CHAMPS, SECTIONAL CHAMPS, DISTRICT RUNNERSUP
- 2005 17-8 MAC RUNNERSUP, SECTIONAL CHAMPS, DISTRICT CHAMPS
- 2006 18-4 UNDEFEATED MAC CHAMPS, SECTIONAL CHAMPS, DISTRICT RUNNERSUP
- 2007 12-7 MAC RUNNERSUP, SECTIONAL CHAMPIONS
- 2008 18-7 SECTIONAL CHAMPS, DISTRICT CHAMPS, REGIONAL RUNNERSUP, AP/OHSFCA POLL #6
- 2009 17-6 MAC CHAMPS,SECTIONAL CHAMPS, DISTRICT CHAMPS, REGIONAL RUNNERSUP, AP/OHSFCA POLL #7
- 2010 13-9 MAC CHAMPS, SECTIONAL CHAMPS, DISTRICT RUNNERSUP.
- 2011 19-3 UNDEFEATED MAC CHAMPS, SECTIONAL CHAMPIONS.
- 2012 22-7 UNDEFEATED MAC CHAMPS, SECTIONAL CHAMPS, DIST. RUNNERSUP
- 2013 22-6 MAC RUNNERSUP, SECTIONAL CHAMPS, DISTRICT CHAMPS, REGIONAL CHAMPS, STATE SEMI-FINALIST, AP/OHSFSCA POLL #2
- 2014 15-6 MAC RUNNERSUP, SECTIONAL CHAMPIONS
- 2015 20-4 MAC RUNNERSUP, SECTIONAL CHAMPIONS, DISTRICT RUNNERSUP
- 2016 17-4
- 2017 4-1
Ohio High School Fastpitch Softball Coaches Association
Career Wins
722 152 Bud Weisgarber Strasburg-Franklin 630 142 Laura Ford Lima Bath 622 240 Jerry Kelbley Westerville South 605 229 Chuck Shuman Akron Ellet 591 204 Chuck Huggins Colonel Crawford 569 167 Jan Keatley South Point 569 208 Walt Snyder Bellevue 565 168 Paul Fernandez Ross 558 252 Kevin Moody Hilliard Darby 555 225 Jim Campolo Gahanna Lincoln 530 115 Reid Lamport Poland Seminary 502 93 Ken Fenik Elyria 500 159 Mark Esselstein Parkway
***note other coaches totals are thru 2016
Stateline Sports Network 