Mustangs Baseball 
Saints' Sprout shares expertise with Mustangs
Aug 02, 2007 - 09:24:40 CDT.
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Mounds View hitting coach has storied history
by Patrick Johnson, Sports Editor, Press Publications
Brian Sprout is a person who hates to sit at home doing nothing.
Loafing has definitely not been a problem for him this past year.
In addition to being the hitting coach for the Mounds View baseball team, Sprout currently plays shortstop for the Saint Paul Saints, teaches hitting at the Blue Chip Academy in Burnsville and was a Social Studies teacher at Eagan High School last winter.
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"I'm working more than I should, at least according to my wife," Sprout said. "I've always coached and taught my entire life. It's a part of what I do."
2007 was coach Sprout's first season at Mounds View. A graduate of Lake City High School and St. Olaf College, he played two plus years in the Los Angeles Dodgers farm system, and last summer with the St. Paul Saints his .528 slugging percentage was tops on the team.
After being the lone member of the Saints selected to the 2006 post-season All-Star team, Sprout joined Saints teammates Brian Winnery, Marcel Longmire and Brent Krause in this season's American Association All-Star Game on Tuesday, July 17 in
Currently hitting .321 with six home runs, 44 RBI in 68 games as a shortstop and outfielder, Sprout was named Player of the Week in the American Association for the week of May 27 – June 3 when he went 14-for-24 (.583) with two home runs and seven RBIs in seven games.
In college, Sprout was a three time Conference Player of the Year while at St. Olaf, where he helped the Oles to three MIAC baseball titles. However, perhaps more impressive was this: In a 2002 game, he achieved a very rare feat by hitting a solo home run, a two-RBI homer, a three-RBI homer and a grand slam.
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Sprout attributes his success to a strong work-ethic.
"If you stick with it and have some of the skills you need, you can do what you need to at this level," he said. "But, you have to put the time in."
That philosophy is exactly what he is trying to instill in the Mustangs.
"That was one of our main focuses with the Mounds View team: to get them to work and work and work," he said.
Dan Reichert, who played first base for the Mustangs last season and will be a team captain next year along with David Bothwell and Phil Wessberg, said working with Sprout was invaluable.
"When I was in a little slump, I asked Brian if he'd come to practice a little early," he said. "I met him at school before everybody else got there. He'd get off work and be there to help me with my swing. He was always there to help us get better."
Reichert said Sprout's personality helped him relate to the high school players.
"He's outgoing," Reichert said. "He was always telling funny stories about the Saints and about baseball and him growing up. He knows the game very well. It helped a lot."
In addition to his sparkling personality, because of Sprout has done well at a higher level, Reichert said, none of the players would ever question what he was telling them.
"There's no question he knows what he's talking about and he knows how to explain it to you," Reichert said. "What you're doing wrong and what you need to do better."
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Mounds View snagged the help of Sprout because head coach Mark Downey worked with him in the past when he coached at St. Olaf.
Sprout said his four years at St. Olaf were probably the best time of his life.
"Baseball made it what it was, every day of it," he said. "It was probably the best four years of baseball I've ever had."
The thing that sticks out the most for Sprout was winning the three conference championships and being ranked No. 2 in the country at one point during his sophomore year.
"It was a team thing," he said. "All my best friends were on the team. That was the big thing for all of us."
After an outstanding college career at St. Olaf, Sprout signed with Fargo-Moorhead of the Northern League in the summer of 2002. He split time between there and
The Dodgers purchased his contract in the off-season and he started the year at
Then in 2005 a severe shoulder injury ended his season after just 57 games. Brian saw most of his action at third base but also played in left field. He was hitting .282 at the end of April but saw his average drop 49 points the next month. He returned for the start of the 2006 season, playing four games at second base and one at third base. His last game for the Suns was May 7 when he pinch-hit in a game against
"I had a good year my first year with the Dodgers and things were going well, but I had my shoulder reconstructed and shut down, so that kind of changed things a little bit," Sprout said.
The injury was a problem on and off the field.
"It effected a lot of things," Sprout said. "I couldn't do anything outside the baseball field because of my shoulder. It was making life really hard to live, because of the pain. It really diverted me from the path I was on."
After moving back to the Twin Cities, Sprout joined the American Association through the manager of the Saints, George Tsamis, who is a friend.
Spout said he's happy with what he is doing, but at some point he may have to turn the page and move on to some different things.
He said his future will most likely involve a teaching career or some more coaching at the high school or college level.
But for right now, he's working hard and having fun.
"I had a blast this past year," Sprout said. "I saw the varsity guys everyday. I really like them. Those guys are a good group of kids to work with. It makes the time worthwhile."
Sprout's Stats:
Brian Sprout
Position: SS
Date of Birth: 06/28/1980
Height: 6' 1" Weight: 205 lbs
Pro Experience: 5 Seasons
College Experience: St. Olaf
Bats: R
Throws: R
Resides: Lake City, MN
Career Statistics
Year League Club AVG G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SH SF HB BB SO SB CS SLUG OBP
2006 Southern Jacksonville .211 8 19 3 4 1 0 0 1 0 0 2 5 4 2 0 .253 .423
2006 American Association St. Paul .350 91 337 64 118 28 1 10 59 2 6 8 43 32 10 5 .528 .429
2005 Southern Jacksonville .254 57 205 30 52 11 1 5 23 0 1 3 17 32 2 0 .390 .319
2004 Florida State Vero Beach .282 89 305 49 86 15 2 12 45 0 1 12 37 57 5 5 .462 .380
2003 Northern Fargo-Moorhead .302 88 361 70 109 21 0 5 45 3 2 19 26 40 16 5 .402 .377
2002 Northern Joliet .292 62 253 50 74 17 3 6 23 6 0 12 18 37 11 5 .455 .367
2002 Northern Fargo-Moorhead .224 21 67 9 15 2 0 3 10 1 0 1 0 20 0 0 .388 .235
Patrick Johnson can be reached at 651-407-1232 or sports@presspubs.com