Timberland's "Coach's Son" Representing Wentzville

The 2011 High School Baseball Showcase, featuring the top high school talent in a St. Louis areawide All-Star Game, takes place today at Busch Stadium, with the first pitch at 1:15 p.m.

Admission is free, so Frank Masters won’t need a ticket, but the coach isn’t going to support his star shortstop’s appearance in the showcase.

Instead, Frank Masters will support his star shortstop as a father.

Timberland graduate David Masters, a three-year letterman and son of the Wolves’ 10-year coach, will take the field on Monday to represent Missouri in the bi-state matchup. But playing on a big league field won’t be his only new experience in the showcase. David’s appearance in that game will be unique in a way only the Masters will witness.

Frank has been David’s coach since he was 6 years old. Former Cardinals Steve Matheny and John Mabry will take that role on Monday, and so it will go when David leaves for the University of Arkansas in the fall.

“It has been fun watching my son as a little freshman turn into a young man,” Frank said. “He has grown up a lot, mentally and physically, and it has been a pleasure for me to watch that. Not all dads get that chance to be with their kids and interact with them at school. It was a special time for me to watch him grow up and go through high school.”

Both Masters will tell you the stereotype of being the “coach’s son” wasn’t lost on them. Ironically, it might have been the driving force behind all of David’s successes.

In his three-year career at Timberland, the Wolves tallied 49 wins, including the program’s first conference title in 2010. The squad topped that in 2011, reaching the state playoffs final eight and achieving the program’s first-ever sectional win. Solid his first two seasons, David stepped to another level that senior year, batting .436/.486/.584 and leading the team with 44 hits, 15 doubles, 35 RBIs and 31 runs. He stole 10 bases and struck out three times in 111 appearances--yet his defensive skills continue to reap him the most attention.

“I feel like I need to play extremely well because some people might think I’m only playing because my dad is the coach, and that’s not the case,” David said. “(My dad and I) did bump heads a little bit, but overall, it was fun and until now, I couldn’t really think about playing for any coach but my dad.”

David can recall specific games where Frank barked across the diamond, challenging his shortstop to dive for a ball, or, perhaps, “riding” his shortstop. David’s argument that he could not have possibly reached that ball did not go unheard by the coach.

“With any player on a team, you see someone struggling with something, and you go and be a coach to them,” Frank said. “But that can get hard on your own kids, they look at you like ‘Dad, you’re on me again about something?’

“Like any father, I think you want your son to do well. And if he doesn’t, you’re always there to point things out. So yeah, I probably overcoached him at times, rode his butt a little bit. But as a coach or father, I just wanted to keep pushing him and explain to him that, if he wants to play at the next level, there is a lot of work involved.”

David will head to that next level, in Arkansas, this August. And after being selected by Arizona in the 2011 MLB Draft, more levels await.

This Monday, Frank will drop the coach routine and take in one of his son’s games from the stands, for a change. For the first time, he sends off a player as the product of two influences--coach and father.

“As a coach, I’m proud of one of my players going to a Division I program,” Frank said. “As a father, I’m excited--and also there’s a point where I’m nervous. He’s leaving his comfort zone at Timberland, and he’s going to have to go out and work his tail off.”