Morton College Athletic Department issued the following announcement on Dec. 15
After five years as an assistant coach, Chris Wido moves from the passenger seat to the driver's seat in his new role as the head baseball coach at Morton College.
Wido's witnessed what Morton College's program can do as he's had a hand in helping send over 30 players to four-year schools in his time here as a coach. As a second-generation MC baseball alum, Wido's a shining example of Morton College's transformative powers. He came to Morton College with limited playing time at the high school level at St. Charles North and developed into a NCAA Division I player at Chicago State.Chris Wido
"We're going to sell players on the opportunities here," said Wido, who also is Morton College's director of the Fitness and Nutrition Center. "I go back to myself. I wasn't a starter in high school. Morton College was my only opportunity to continue playing college baseball. I was able to develop and get a Division I scholarship. Tell me that coming out of high school and I'd never would have believed you.
"That's the approach I'll take. This is a place you can have an opportunity to play right away, receive a quality education and a chance to continue developing. It's a chance to reshuffle the deck and see what opportunities are available."
Morton College also has been a place where Wido has spread his coaching wings as an assistant on the staffs of previous head coaches Nestor Carrillo and Tad Slowik, who spent over 20 years in the Houston Astros organization.
"The biggest thing Nestor taught me was how to make the tough decisions and do what's best for the team," Wido said. "I learned a lot about the game from Tad. He also helped in making connections and building relationships. That opened a lot of doors."
Looking back at it, Wido appreciated the amount of responsibility Morton College's past two head coaches gave him to get to this point. He'll definitely incorporate their strong points, yet bring in elements of his own.
"Both gave me the freedom to run with my own ideas and develop as a coach," Wido said. "They helped me with implementing player development and training protocols."
While Wido is a rookie head coach, he has a good handle on the ins and outs of Region IV and Skyway Conference baseball.
"I know the conference well," Wido stated. "I know the region well. I have a good understanding of the JUCO dynamic with quick turnarounds. I understand what we need to do be successful over the long haul."
He understands the vibe you get when you pull up into Madison and McHenry. That's something Wido wants to emulate. The Panthers made significant strides in that direction this season. Morton College's 27 wins was the most in over a decade. Plus, the Panthers sent three players to NCAA Division I programs in Rayth Petersen (UIC), Dom Milano (Butler) and Cy Kerber (Tennessee Tech).
"We're going to recruit high-class individuals who are not only going to get it done on the field but also in the classroom as well," Wido said. "We want to create a standard for what Morton College baseball will be about. Look at programs like Madison and McHenry. They do things the right way. It's something you pick up on right away. Their team culture is something special. It's something you see when you pull into their place."
Wido's goal is to continue to find four-year schools for those interested in playing at the next level.
"We want to make sure we keep them moving on, but also with an associate's degree in hand," noted Wido, whose father Mitch played baseball and hockey at Morton College. "We're really going to push the academic side and stress the importance for success in the classroom."
Wido played for Gene Rausch at Morton College in 2013 and 2014, earning all-Skyway Conference honors both seasons and the Morton College Foundation's Chico Carrasquel Scholarship in 2013.
He parlayed his time at Morton College into a baseball scholarship at Chicago State University, where Wido received a bachelor's degree in psychology. He also a master's degree in sports leadership from Concordia University Chicago.
Wido also has head coaching experience with the Windy City Prospects in the Metro Collegiate League the past three seasons. He also serves as a Midwest area scout for the Southern Shores Professional Baseball League, an independent professional league based in North Carolina.
Wido has watched the transformation of Morton College's athletic program and training facilities under the leadership of President Stan Fields and athletic director Jason Nichols. Morton College's home baseball field underwent a significant upgrade with the hiring of Chicago White Sox groundskeeper Roger Bossard to redo the playing surface.
New dugouts, a backstop, fencing and six batting cages are part of the upgrades for the 2022 season. Wido says these recent changes makes it feel like Morton College has a field it can call its own after years of playing at park district facilities.
"I'm grateful to Jason Nichols and Dr. Stan Fields for giving me the opportunity," said Wido, Morton College's director of fitness and nutrition center. "Both have been tremendously supportive of athletics. I love their vision. The program has taken a 180-degree turn in terms of facilities. It's an exciting time in Morton College athletic history."
Original source can be found here.
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