Sports : Homecoming for Coach Forsyth: Ellsworth CC vs Kirkwood CC‏ on VS baseball field

A little known game took place here in Vinton last month, when the Ellsworth Community College baseball team played Kirkwood on Oct. 16. The Ellsworth coach is Nate Forsyth, a VS alum. Nate Forsyth, the Ellsworth head coach, a former Vinton-Shellsurg student, is in his seventh year as the head baseball coach at Ellsworth.

Nate Forsyth, Head Coach

In the last six years the Panthers have experienced some tremendous success, highlighted with a third place finish at the 2008 Region XI Tournament and a second place finish in 2010, the highest finish for ECC in 18 years.

Coach Forsyth has had 22 All-Region performers and, with a strong commitment to academics, 83 Academic All-Region performers. The Pathers were recognized as an NJCAA Academic Team of the Year for the 2011-2012 school year with a team GPA of 3.16. There have been 73 players transfer to 4-year universities in the last six years. Two players under Coach Forsyth have gone into professional baseball. Current panthers pitching coach Hernan Ramos was signed by the Chicago Cubs in 2007 and John Santiago signed with the Washington Nationals in 2008.

Serving as the Panthers hitting coach, Forsyth also instructs the infielders and catchers. Since 2007, the Panthers have played sound defense and upgraded their offense. The team has stolen 425 bases in the last six years, his 2009 and 2010 teams combined to hit 90 home runs, and the team hit .349 in 2010. In 2012 the panthers also hit 36 home runs.

Coach Forsyth, originally from Vinton, IA, is a 2002 Mount Saint Clare College graduate, where he received a degree in athletic administration and psychology. He also played four years for the Mounties as an outfielder and pitcher.

In 2004, Forsyth was named the head assistant coach for Southwestern Community College in Creston, IA. He began his college coaching career in the fall of 2002 as head recruiting coordinator and assistant coach at The Franciscan University in Clinton, IA. Coach Forsyth is also an Admissions Counselor for ECC.