Lehman High educator Jacob Kaase sets the ball for a teammate during the school’s annual Staff versus Students volleyball exhibition in December 2019 at the Lobo Den. Earlier this month, Kaase, who has worked as an assistant coach at Lehman High, was promoted to lead the Lobo baseball team in 2020-21.
For the fourth time in program history, Lehman High’s baseball team will have new leadership at the helm.
On June 17, Lehman athletic coordinator Bruce Salmon announced the promotion of assistant coach Jacob Kaase as the next Lobo head baseball coach. Kaase takes over for longtime head coach Toby Robinson who in 12 seasons at Lehman accumulated 111 total wins.
During his tenure, Robinson led Lehman baseball to the program’s lone playoff appearance in 2011 after finishing 4th in what was then District 27-4A. In his final season in spring 2020, Robinson guided the Lobos to a 9-5 overall record, which included a six game win streak during tournament play, before play abruptly ended March 13 due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
Salmon said in a statement Kaase is a "great fit" for the head coaching position after looking at program needs communicated through a recently conducted baseball survey, as well as assessing "the future of the baseball program."
Kaase, an Austin native and a Manor High graduate, has six years of experience coaching at the varsity level, according to a release. During his tenure at Lehman, Kaase served as an assistant coach in volleyball and baseball. Kaase played collegiately as a shortstop at Texas Lutheran University from 2004-2007, during which time he was a three-year letter winner and helped the Bulldog baseball program claim three straight American Southwest Conference championships.
Following his junior season at TLU, Kaase was drafted in the 23rd round of the 2007 MLB draft by the Texas Rangers. Additionally, Kaase was at the time the first TLU player to be drafted by a MLB club since the 1999 campaign.
During his professional career, Kaase played for several minor league ball clubs, reaching as high as the AA level in 2010 with the Frisco Roughriders.
Salmon said Kaase has a “never stop learning” attitude and studies the game tirelesslessly to provide the “best training and instruction for student-athletes.”
“Behind a 100 percent mindset, coach Kaase is determined to lead the Lobo baseball program, building young men of integrity on and off the field who are relevant in the community,” said Salmon in a statement.
