Coaching Staff
Head Varsity CoaCh
BriAN BOGDA
Brian Bogda enters his eleventh year of coaching
baseball and sixth year coaching the varsity team. He
was named the 5th head baseball coach in school
history in July of 2007. In the summer of 2012, the
Gators advanced to the state Elite 8 in the Phil Lawler
Classic. In the Spring of 2012, his team won the Fox
Valley Conference and Regional titles. He is the only
coach in school history to win both in the same year. In
addition the 2012 club broke several team records,
including most wins in a season (28-10) In 2008, he led
them to their second Regional title in school history. In
addition to his head coaching duties, he will work with
the outfielders & hitters this season.
Brian played baseball and football at Huntley High
School and earned all-conference honors in both sports.
Coach Bogda played college baseball at Elmhurst
College where he was a pitcher and outfielder for four
years.
Coach Bogda earned a B.A. degree in Kinesiology in
2002 from Elmhurst College and earned a M.A. in
Teaching and Leadership from St. Xavier University in
2007. He has also completed over 30 hours of postgraduate studies. He is currently pursuing a second M.A.
in Administration. He resides in Crystal Lake with his
wife Katie, who is a math teacher at Cary-Grove High
School, along with their son Wesley.
E-mail Coach Bogda: [email protected]
ASSISTANT Varsity CoaCh
CHUCK AHSMANN
Coach Ahsmann enters his sixth year as pitching coach
for the Gators. Previously, he coached baseball in the
Gator program for 16 years before taking a 9 year break
to coach Little League and Travel ball with his sons.
Coach Ahsmann coached the freshman level for 9 years
before becoming a varsity assistant coach. That team
advanced through the state playoffs eventually falling in
the semi’s and finishing 4th in the state! Coach Ahsmann
became the head coach for the following six years
winning back to back FVC titles in 1995 and 1996.
Coach Ahsmann played high school baseball at Crystal
Lake Central winning back to back titles his junior and
senior seasons. He was all-conference his senior year
and voted team captain. He held three conference
batting records which have since been broken, most
AB’s, hits, and highest average. He believes he still
holds the school record at Central for highest season
average at .491. Coach Ahsmann also played varsity
football two years and wrestled one year.
Coach Ahsmann received a BS in Physics from NIU. He
received his MS in education from EIU in Physics and is
6 hours from a doctorate in Education Administration,
which he does not plan on completing any time soon.
Coach Ahsmann lives in Crystal Lake with his wife Ruth,
senior twins Will and Madi and freshmen Joey. He has
survived his battle with non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma for 15
years! He is excited to continue his work with the Gator
pitchers this season.
E-mail Coach Ahsmann: [email protected]
Coaching Staff
ASSISTANT Varsity CoaCh
Mark TSCHAPPAT
HEAD SOPHOMORE COACH
ROB FONTANA
Mark Tschappat (pron. CHAPP-IT) is entering his first
full year as a member of the Gator coaching staff.
Tschappat joined the Gators this past summer. This
season Coach Tschappat will work with catchers and
infielders.
Coach Tschappat has had several years of high school
coaching experience. He has been Head Baseball coach
at Woodstock North HS for three years as well as
spending four years as Head Coach at Lakes
Community HS. While at Lakes, Coach Tschappat led
the Eagles to a Regional Championship. He also
coached at St. Joseph High School in Westchester,
Illinois where he was the varsity assistant coach in
charge of their pitching staff and then at his high school
alma mater Luther North High School in Chicago. While
there he was the head sophomore baseball coach and a
varsity assistant in charge of pitchers.
Coach Tschappat also coached at Elmhurst College for
five years where he served as Pitching Coach and
Recruiting Coordinator. Coach Tschappat has worked
for the Chicago White Sox as Coordinator of Baseball
Operations at the Bulls White Sox Training Academy in
Lisle, Illinois. While with the Bulls Sox Academy also
helped coordinate and coach the Fall Wooden Bat
League and also gave private instruction.
Coach Tschappat has taught Special Education at Clay
Academy in Woodstock for the past five years. Coach
Tschappat graduated from Elmhurst College and has a
degree in Physical Education. Coach Tschappat
currently lives in Woodstock, Illinois and has two
daughters, Maggie and Emma.
Coach Fontana is going into his seventh year coaching
at South. He will lead the sophomores this year after
coaching the freshmen team for the past 5 seasons.
Coach Fontana will continue working with the pitchers
this year. Last year, his freshmen team won their
division. Prior to coming to South, Rob was a pitching
coach for his alma mater Aurora University for one
season. Along with coaching baseball, Coach Fontana is
an assistant girls basketball coach and assistant varsity
football coach.
As a player, Rob was a First Team All-Conference and
First Team All-Area pitcher at Jacobs High School. Rob
continued his baseball career at Aurora University where
he was a 4 year Varsity player and two time captain. He
helped lead the Spartans to three conference
championships, two NCAA regional appearances and
one trip to the College Baseball Championship Series;
finishing third place nationally. During his senior year, he
was third in the country in strikeouts (104 - also breaking
the school and conference record) and tied for 9th in the
country in wins. Rob was a First Team All-NIIC selection
during his senior year. Coach Fontana was invited by the
San Diego Padres to walk on as a free agent in 2004,
but was unable to play due to a shoulder surgery. Rob
signed a professional contract with the Schaumburg
Flyers during the 2007 season.
Coach Fontana is a 2004 graduate of Aurora University
where he earned his B.A. in Physical Education K-12.
He also received his driver’s education endorsement
from Chicago State University in 2005. Coach Fontana is
married to Jorie, a Spanish teacher at South. They
reside in Algonquin with their children Bella, Rob, Jr.,
and Lily
E-mail Coach Fontana:
[email protected]
Coaching Staff
FRESHMEN COACH
MIKE ROSS
Mike Ross is entering his first year as Freshmen coach.
Coach Ross has previous coaching experience,
assisting JV Baseball at Fort Atkinson High School in
Wisconsin. He is also currently working with Greg
Reinhard Baseball Academy, one of Wisconsin’s elite
travel programs, during the summers. Mike will work
with the outfielders in the baseball program at CLS.
Mike played outfield at the University of WisconsinWhitewater. He played for two years and his baseball
career was cut short due to injuries. In 2008 Mike was a
rd
part of the Whitewater team that took 3 place in the
Nation. He is a 2007 graduate of Crystal Lake South
High School, where he played baseball, soccer and
basketball.
Coach Ross is a 2011 graduate of The University of
Wisconsin-Whitewater where he earned a B.A in
Physical Education. He also received licenses in Health
and Coaching. Coach Ross resides in Crystal Lake. He
currently works as a paraprofessional at Crystal Lake
South HS. He is also a coach for the Gators Soccer
program.
E-mail Coach Ross:
[email protected]
FRESHMEN COACH
MIKE HART
Coach Hart enters the 2012 season in his fourth season
with the staff. Mike will work with the hitters at the
freshmen level as well as the infielders. He also helped
lead the summer sophomore team to an Elite 8
appearance along with a 13-2-1 record in 2010.
Mike is a 2003 Graduate of McHenry High School. He
played baseball and football there. He played baseball
all four years and was primarily an outfielder.
After high school Coach Hart attended Illinois State
University. While at ISU, he majored in Physical
Education. He was also part of the inaugural Club
Baseball Team for Illinois State. Coach Hart graduated
in December 2008 with a teaching degree in K-12
Physical Education. He currently teaches P.E. at a grade
school in Prairieview Elementary School in Grayslake.
Coaching Staff