It's just like old times for Deerfield's new head baseball coach, Class of '04

Without hesitation Deerfield senior Justin Orloff told how the Warriors' new baseball coach would affect the program.

“We're going to work hard and win most ballgames and just play our butts off,” said the Central Suburban League North all-conference pitcher and infielder.

It's a style familiar to the players on the team, to Deerfield's former head coach and to the program itself.

“The kids in our program loved him, they worked hard for him, they respected him,” said Kevin Marsh, who retired last year after 30 seasons and a 2021 regional title, Deerfield's first in baseball since 1985.

The new head coach is Mark Januszewski, 36, former Warriors star baseball and football player out of the Class of 2004.

After playing four years of football and a season of baseball at Carthage College, starting in 2008 Januszewski worked his way back into Deerfield's halls and fields on several levels. First as an assistant football coach, then as a teacher's assistant in Special Education.

Returning to local baseball also in 2008 with the Deerfield Youth Baseball and Softball Association — the league both he and Orloff played in before high school — Januszewski joined Marsh's squad as an assistant in 2016.

After interviewing for the head coach position last winter, early in the 2021 baseball season Deerfield athletic director Nate Flannery told Januszewski and the Warriors baseball family he'd succeed Marsh, who is now coaching pitchers and catchers at College of Lake County.

“Kevin always talked about it, once I stepped in here as an assistant — he always wanted to get that one regional championship before he was done,” Januszewski said.

An all-conference pitcher, right-fielder and third baseman his last two years in high school, Januszewski played in three straight regional finals, including a 13-inning loss against Loyola. As an assistant coach, he finally helped Marsh achieve that goal.

“It was good for us to do that for Kevin,” said Januszewski, who when he was a senior batted .548 with 7 home runs and on the pitcher's mound went 9-4 with a 1.77 earned-run average.

“Leaving to go to college then coming right back here, and now being head baseball coach, I guess it's pretty surreal,” he said.

“It seems like yesterday I was a senior in high school, even though it's 18 years ago. A lot of teachers and coaches who were here when I was in school are still here, and in the athletic department. It's pretty cool to have those relationships.”

An ability to develop relationships was one reason Januszewski earned the head coaching position. Marsh, who's known him since junior high, said Januszewski is respected as a coach, well-known in the community, brings a great sense of humor, was and is as tough as they come.

Though Januszewski lives in Palatine with his wife, Erin — a school psychologist, they met on the job — and two children, Marsh called him “a Deerfield guy.”

“Mark understood what we were about,” Marsh said. “Mark understood what it took, what our community was about, he understood what our style was. He was a part of that.”

Januszewski coaches the defensive line for his own high school football coach at Deerfield, Steve Winiecki, who was inducted into the Illinois High School Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame March 26 in Champaign.

From him Januszewski learned about developing a program's culture and creating success on and off the field.

“Yes, you want to have success on the field or the court, wherever you play, but we just want to make sure the kids have a great experience playing their sport. It's something we've bought into as an athletic department,” Januszewski said.

This spring he returns the Nos. 1-4 hitters — seniors Mason Stormoen, Ryan Cappas, Matt Dworsky and Orloff — from last year's 22-13 baseball team that won the Central Suburban League North at 13-3.

“I knew what I was getting in for,” Orloff said of playing for Januszewski.

He didn't say it with trepidation or fear; Orloff was excited by the prospect.

“I love Deerfield, I love the athletics here, I love the town. I'm trying to instill that pride into our athletes,” Januszewski said.

“We are Deerfield, we're going to be a tough game whenever you play us. That's the goal.”