The Powers Catholic High School Chargers finished with a school-record 37 wins and just six losses, winning 19 of their final 20 games, including a victory over eventual Division 1 State Champion, Northville. Coach Tom Dutkowski (far left) was named the 2024 Michigan High School Baseball Coaches Association Coach of the Year.
With unmistakable enthusiasm in his voice, Tom Dutkowski speaks about the arc of his life, sprinkling in a fair amount of hearty chuckling.
It sounds as though he is describing an adventurous journey, rather than simply recounting all the enriching experiences, memorable moments and noteworthy accomplishments he has packed into nearly seven decades on Earth.
Dutkowski began a lifelong association with athletics as an elementary school student in 1960s Flint, playing sports of all sorts with friends in impromptu fashion on playgrounds and sandlot fields, especially baseball.
At Powers Catholic High School, he lettered in multiple sports while also overcoming the frustration of being cut from the varsity baseball squad as a junior. College offers did not come Dutkowski’s way, but he joined the Western Michigan football program as a walk-on. That also led to an entertaining stint as a semi-pro kicker.
He then embarked on a decades-long high school coaching career, mostly at Powers, and is now one of winningest baseball coaches in state history.
“We played all the sports growing up and made it work no matter how many guys we had, like playing 3-on-3 baseball with right field being out,” recalls Dutkowski, also a highly regarded English teacher at Powers from 1977-2020. “The 1960s were some glory days for Flint sports and we all aspired to be one of Flint’s great athletes. I’m 69, but still feel like that kid from the west of Flint who has always loved chasing a ball and still views myself as a work in progress.”
Since taking over the varsity baseball program at Powers in 1982, Dutkowski has also been chasing titles.
In June, he finally attained the ultimate prize when the Chargers clobbered Spring Lake, 11-0, in the Division 2 State Championship game at Michigan State University. The contest lasted only five innings due to the ten-run mercy rule.
Only nine of the 212 state championship games played since the state tournament began in 1971 have been won by a greater margin.
“Winning the state championship after more than 40 years as head coach was a deeply satisfying moment, one I’m really grateful for,” Dutkowski shares. “’Grateful’ is the big word, not only for this season’s incredible team and our amazing coaching staff, but for all the players and coaches who preceded this group. We owe them a ton, along with the thousands of supporters of our program. Winning by a comfortable margin allowed me to reflect more on things like that.”
Cheering grew ever louder as shortstop Connor Kelly scooped up a ground ball and fired it to first baseman Grant Garman for the game’s final out. Garman quickly removed his glove, with the ball still lodged inside, and flung it into the air.
Winning pitcher Fischer Hendershot tossed his glove to the ground before being swarmed by teammates as Garman raced over to join the ever-growing dogpile. Hats and gloves were soon strewn about the infield.
Garman’s father Dan, in his eighth season as one of Dutkowski’s assistants, leaped from the dugout and dashed toward the mound, eager to immerse himself in the pandemonium.
Dutkowski opted to hang back, basking in the moment.
“When I saw Dan jump out of the dugout and head for the dogpile, I wanted no part of that,” chuckles Dutkowski, who has dealt with disc and atrophy (foot) issues in recent years.
“In earlier times, I’d be jumping around like crazy in a situation like that, but I took my time getting out of the dugout, shaking hands with coaches who were still there and taking it all in. Then, it was time to go out and give Dan (and others) big hugs.”
Being part of the first team to bring Dutkowski a state championship left many players overcome with emotion, including outfielder and relief pitcher Isaac Sturgess, a three-time First-team All-Stater and two-time All-State Dream Team pick, along with Garman. Connor Kelly is a two-time, First-team All-Stater.
“To be the team that made it possible for coach Dutkowski to lift the state championship trophy, there is no better feeling,” Sturgess says. “After all the work we did in the offseason and the way we came together to get it done for him, it was very exciting after that last pitch was thrown. Afterward, Coach Dutkowski was the happiest I’ve ever seen him, of course.”
(L-R) The dedicated Chargers Baseball staff includes Bruce Miller, John Fitzko, Dan Garman, Tom Dutkowski, J.D. Garman and Vincenzo Mersino. Not pictured: Jim Cole
Of the former Powers players there to witness the winning of the crown, J.D. Garman, Grant’s brother, enjoyed perhaps the best vantage point. The 2021 First-team All-Stater and four-year varsity standout has been part of the coaching staff the past three seasons.
“Being on the front row of watching a dream Coach Dutkowski first set out to achieve long ago come true was very emotional,” he says. “Coach Dutkowski has poured his blood, sweat and tears into this school and its baseball program. I am so blessed to have been around him for part of his amazing career. The lessons
I have learned from him will stick with me forever.”
“I’m 69, but still feel like that kid from the west of Flint who has always loved chasing a ball and still views myself as a work in progress.”
Tom Dutkowski
It goes without saying that Dutkowski has always enjoyed the utmost respect of his coaching peers.
Among them is John Fitzko who, like Dutkowski, is a Michigan High School Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Famer. He racked up more than 400 victories as a head coach at Burton Bendle, Carman-Ainsworth and Swartz Creek, squaring off against Dutkowski’s teams from time to time.
Fitzko joined the Powers faculty as a counselor last fall and was soon invited to be part of Dutkowski’s staff. Saying “yes” was a no-brainer.
The Chargers clobbered Spring Lake, 11-0, in the Division 2 State Championship game at Michigan State University. The contest lasted only five innings due to the ten-run mercy rule.
“I missed coaching and what a great opportunity to coach with Tom, whom I’ve known since I started at Bendle about 30 years ago,” Fitzko says. “It was very satisfying to end up being part of Tom’s first state championship because he’s always been a great student of the game, very good at developing relationships with players, motivating them and developing great gameplans and conditioning programs. Seeing him get to the mountaintop was such a cool thing to witness.”
The coaching staff also includes Vinnie Mersino, Bruce Miller and Jim Cole.
Presenting the state championship trophy to Dutkowski was Powers Athletic Director Mike Watson, also among the first people he hugged after emerging from the dugout. Dutkowski briefly reveled in hoisting the trophy above his head before passing it off to the players.
“Powers is extremely lucky to have coach Dutkowski as he is a strong leader and understands how students have changed and evolved and has adapted his coaching style for what it takes to be very successful today,” Watson states. “For him to win the state title is more than well-deserved for all of the incredible time and hard work he has put in over the years. Words can’t explain how happy I was for Tom.”
Expectations were high for the Chargers entering the season with nine players returning, including future NCAA Division 1 talents Sturgess (Michigan State), Hendershot (Eastern Michigan) and Garman, who was looking for a new college home early after decommitting from Oakland University in early July.
They finished with a school-record 37 wins and just six losses, winning 19 of their final 20 games, including a victory over eventual Division 1 State Champion, Northville. They outscored opponents by a combined 57-13 during the state tournament and Dutkowski was named the 2024 Michigan High School Baseball Coaches Association Coach of the Year.
Powers’ lone close call came in the state semifinal game against Trenton, which went to extra innings before Gavin Darling’s single to deep left field allowed freshman Eli Sturgess to score the winning run in the bottom of the eighth.
“This group had great mental discipline to take it one pitch, one inning and one game at a time. Everybody put in tons of time in the offseason to become better, bigger, faster and mentally tougher.”
Tom Dutkowski
“The fact we had been in the final four last year and that we have won three regionals in a row really helped because the guys never became overwhelmed,” Dutkowski says. “This group had great mental discipline to take it one pitch, one inning and one game at a time. Everybody put in tons of time in the offseason to become better, bigger, faster and mentally tougher.”
Depth of talent was only one reason for the Chargers’ success.
“We had a bunch of talent coming back, but also a lot of chemistry between players which we couldn’t win the state title without,” Isaac Sturgess said. “Also, coach Dutkowski has always been great at keeping us consistent.”
Chargers winning pitcher, Fischer Hendershot
Concluding the season with a state championship brought Dutkowski’s career record to 873-543-10. Only seven coaches in state history have won more games. His teams have also made three state semifinal appearances and boast six regional, nine league, 19 district and seven Greater Flint Invitational titles.
Last year, Dutkowski was inducted into the Greater Flint Area Sports Hall of Fame.
“I’ve been blessed to coach so many great kids and the game itself still fascinates me,” he says. “Of course, there have been changes to adapt to, like the advent of social media and technology which has made it easier to keep in touch with players and send them positive messages to counteract negative things they see. Working on the mental side has become more of an emphasis.”
Dutkowski initially began to consider coaching while lettering in football, basketball, wrestling, track and baseball at Powers before graduating in 1973. Deciding to become a high school English teacher while attending WMU cemented the decision.
“I admired my high school coaches, so I began thinking about coaching myself and then, once I knew I was going to teach, I also knew I would coach because, especially back then, coaches came from the teaching staff,” he says. “When I started, I realized I didn’t know anything about coaching and was just trying to keep the job. Gradually, I realized how to improve and that it’s about the kids, not you, and about coaching them more so than the sport.”
He joined then-Powers baseball coach Bill Haley’s staff in 1978, helping the Chargers to their most recent state championship prior to this year in 1980. He succeeded Haley two years later when he stepped down to focus on other coaching roles.
Dutkowski also spent a total of 32 seasons coaching football at Powers, including a 20-year run as head junior varsity coach, compiling a 135-41-4 record with 11 conference titles.
Dutkowski, who remains dedicated to a regular workout regimen, is unsure of how many more seasons he’ll be guiding the Chargers, but will be in the dugout next spring.
“I’m taking it one year at a time, but still love making an impact on kids’ lives and teaching the game,” he says. “Building a team is still fun for me. It’s not easy, but I’ve always enjoyed that challenge.”
