The baseball program at Madison Area Technical College is often overlooked. Success in previous years and present are due to the efforts of Mike Davenport, baseball head coach and physical education teacher at Madison College.

Davenport, who is in his eighth season as head coach, has been teaching at Madison College for eight years and is well known in the athletic department. Before his current job, Davenport coached at Kishwaukee Junior College for nine seasons before getting a job offer at Madison College.

“I never thought of leaving there, but MATC had a special job offer and we are very serious about athletics,” Davenport said.

Ever since arriving in Madison, the baseball team has competed at the national level each year. Six of the last seven seasons the WolfPack has competed in the game to advance to the national tournament. Last season, the baseball team was third at nationals, losing their final game on an extra inning walk against Western Oklahoma State.

“It was a tough loss to swallow,” Davenport said.

It is a new year, with new faces. As any team would, the WolfPack want another shot at the title. As older players leave and new ones come in, Davenport says the selection process can be tough when it comes to cutting players. Only 36 players make the fall roster, about half of those who try out.

“I try to be true to my word and give my honest opinion to players who don’t make the cut,” Davenport said. “To be great at anything you have to invest more time into it than you want.”

He said if he sees the work ethic in the players, he knows he will be able to work with them and make them the best player they can be.

Davenport, who has a busy schedule with baseball, is just as busy as a physical education teacher. He is the first and only full-time faculty member and athletic head coach. At Madison College he has what is called a combination position. Davenport has 75 percent of the class load given to regular faculty due to his other position of being the baseball team head coach.

Davenport has held other baseball jobs as well, including being a Major League scout. He has scouted for the Pittsburgh Pirates and most recently for the Chicago White Sox. Now his scouting consists of Minnesota and Wisconsin high school baseball prospects. He also writes reports on players from the Northwoods Collegiate League, where many top collegiate baseball players from all over the nation play a 76-game season. He wouldn’t necessarily say no a potential job offer but feels junior college is ideal for him, Davenport said.

Davenport, along with his 1999 National Championship with Kishwaukee, has a Masters degree in physical education and sports management. His appreciation of sports is partially attributed to his belief that they help form better, more balanced people.

“Team sports prepare anybody for anything. Even when you are out of college and for the players who do not go on to play baseball at a higher level, you will be working with others and that is why teamwork is important on every team,” he said.