Five summers ago, Dick Adams, the new baseball coach at Jamestown Community College, his wife, Wendy, and their daughter, Amie, were in search of a lake home.
So Wendy went on-line and checked out places in Oregon, Washington and California. She investigated locales in the Midwest and the East Coast just to see what was out there.
By the time she was through, she identified seven different lake homes in four different states that had potential.
Guess which body of water the Adams selected to look out at each morning?
Chautauqua Lake.
That decision could prove to be fortuitous for JCC and the Jayhawks.
Adams, who ended a successful 18-year run at Cerro Coso (Calif.) CC in 2010, is replacing Anthony Barone, who has accepted an assistant coaching position at University of California-Bakersfield.
All told, 115 student-athletes transferred to Division I, II and National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics universities and 11 joined professional baseball teams during Adams' tenure at Cerro Coso. He was also named the Foothill Conference coach of the year in 1999 and 2000 after leading his school to conference championships.
After retiring from teaching at Cerro Coso at the end of the fall term last year, Adams - as he had done for several years - returned to the area, helped out with a couple of Chautauqua County high school teams and then was hired by Barone to be the Jayhawks' pitching coach. And when Barone took the opportunity in California, Adams threw his hat in the ring at JCC and was hired for the head coaching position.
"I jumped in with both feet,'' Adams said.
The Jayhawks open their fall season today at Monroe CC and will square off with Niagara County CC on Sunday.
"The goal this fall is to come together, play together and have a goal to win the regionals in the spring,'' Adams said. "Anthony did a nice job, he found his niche and he's a wonderful coach. I was looking forward to being his pitching coach (again). Now I have to be on the other end. I appreciate that Keith Martin took a leap of faith.''
Adams inherits a team that finished the 2012 spring season with a 26-21 record and was two wins away from playing in the NJCAA Division III World Series.
"I want the best local kids here,'' he said. "My jollies are to get them across that stage (on graduation day), qualify for the playoffs, get deep into them and win the big one, but first thing's first."
Adams, whose staff includes assistant BJ Salerno of Warren, Pa., and graduate assistant Joe Spoto of Jamestown, inherits a freshmen-laden team. But he has some veteran sophomores, including middle infielder Jose Hernandez from Westin, Fla., who was an all-region selection last spring.
The other sophomores on the fall roster are first baseman/outfielder Connor Borowski of Bradford, Pa., pitcher Jake Harford of Silver Creek, outfielder Austin Zakroczemski of Lancaster, Josh Scott of Bradford and outfielder Nekyle Taylor of Jamestown.
The freshman include: middle infielder Jared Aiken of Falconer, pitcher Drew Bentham of Bemus Point, first baseman/outfielder Cody Crandall of Jamestown; third baseman/pitcher Connor Farnham of Fredonia, infielder Jordan Harrington of Bradford, shortstop Terrance Goodrum of Meadville, pitcher Matt Fowler of Maple Grove, outfielder Elon DeJesus of Dunkirk, pitcher Tim Grant of Silver Creek, third baseman Zach Hallberg of Maple Grove, pitcher Lyle Howard of Pine Valley, outfielder Bradley Johnson of Brocton, outfielder Kody Kondrilyk of Corry, catcher Tyler Petersen of Falconer and catcher Anthony Vinscavage of Olean.
"The freshmen are going to get their feet wet and and have a real competition for jobs,'' Adams said. "They're all good kids.''
Adams, who played professionally in the California Angels' organization, has only had a chance to practice with the Jayhawks since last weekend and had to do so around the Jamestown Jammers' schedule, but his return to the dugout is a welcome one, he said.
"I think it's a great opportunity for me, and I'm excited to try and make it happen and do well,'' he said. "I'm too competitive not to make it happen.''
JCC FALL BASEBALL SCHEDULE
All dates are doubleheaders
Sept. 1 - at Monroe CC, 1 p.m.
Sept. 2 - at Niagara County CC, 1 p.m.
Sept. 8 - Mercyhurst North East, 1 p.m.
Sept. 9 - Genesee CC, 1 p.m.
Sept. 16 - at Erie CC, 1 p.m.
Sept. 22 - Alfred State College, 1 p.m.
Sept. 25 - WYNAC first-round, TBA
Sept. 29-30 - WYNAC finals, TBA