WINONA, Minn. — Nick Winecke will be making his NCAA Regional coaching debut when the Saint Mary's University baseball team takes the field on Thursday against Aurora in the opening round of the NCAA Regional Tournament at the University of Northwestern in St. Paul, Minn.
 
Yet, while this may be his first time in the national spotlight as a head coach, Winecke is no stranger to national tournaments.
 
His uncle, John Tschida, who has coached several women's fastpitch teams to national competition at both the University of Saint Thomas and Saint Mary's, has made sure of that, letting his nephew "tag along" for as long as either of them can remember.
 
"Nick loved baseball at a young age and wanted to watch and come to my baseball games in high school and college; and then my men's fastpitch games and world tournaments; and eventually when I was coaching," explained Tschida. "Nick would also go on trips with my father (his grandpa), to our (St. Thomas) playoff games. It's there that I think the coaching bug bit him. 
 
"Sitting next to his grandpa and watching all that went into developing a team and getting them ready to play at a high level seemed to get him excited to do the same when his playing days were over."
 
And Thursday, mentor and pupil will both take to the national stage.
 
Just hours after Winecke's Cardinals take the field against Aurora, Tschida will be at the helm as his St. Thomas fastpitch softball squad squares off against Virginia Wesleyan at the NCAA Division III World Series in Salem, Va.
 
"John is one of the most important, influential people in my life," said Winecke. "I spent so many hours with him growing up, going to practices, games, national tournaments, recruiting — I look up to him as a role model, and I think he enjoys his role as a mentor, too."
 
Winecke has many fond memories of his time as Tschida's "gopher" — from hitting fungos to throwing wiffle ball BP at a St. Thomas national tournament — but one stands out above all others, and helped shape him into the coach that he is today.
 
"I tagged along with John all the time when I was younger," explained Winecke. "But I'll never forget the second year he won a national title at St. Thomas. We were going through scouting reports and spray charts before they left for the World Series — and back then it was a lot more tedious that it is now. It was about 1 in the morning and I said, 'I gotta go, it's late and I'm tired.' He gets up and throws his national championship ring across the room and says, 'Yeah, let's just quit, who needs to prepare?'
 
"That has stuck with me to this day," Winecke added. "I spent every summer for seven years living with John and learned so much about his approach to his craft. That's why I feel so comfortable heading into this weekend — John's taught me how to prepare for everything."
 
Uncle or not, Winecke would be pretty hard-pressed to pick a more qualified mentor.
 
Tschida — who will return to his alma mater at Saint Mary's as the Cardinals' head fastpitch coach upon the completion of this season — will be bringing his eighth Tommie team to the eight-team national softball finals this week, including three in the last five World Series that have been contested. He boasts an incredible 1,009-195 record, including 115-39 in the postseason and 51-6 in the MIAC Playoffs. Throwing out 2020, when the year was halted by COVID after seven games, Tschida has guided 24 consecutive teams to 30 or more wins since his last four seasons at Saint Mary's.
 
Winecke has proven to be no slouch as a coach, having guided the Cardinals to five 20-win seasons in his 13 years at the helm — including a school-record 29 wins this season. His Cardinals have appeared in seven MIAC Playoffs, including capturing their first ever playoff title this season, and Winecke was named the Jim Dimick MIAC Coach of the Year in 2014.
 
But nothing has compared to what took place last weekend in Collegeville, Minn., when the Cardinals captured that elusive first-ever MIAC Playoff crown — ironically, getting the title-clinching win over Tschida's current employer, St. Thomas.
 
"I was cheering him on through the internet," explained Tschida. "I was very happy for him, but of course disappointed for our (St. Thomas) baseball team. Nick has put a lot of time and effort into his coaching. I am sure this has to be one of the highlights of his young career and will be a great experience for him and his players."
 
The Cardinals' 6-3 tournament-clinching win over St. Thomas late Saturday evening put the finishing touches on the family's Saturday sweep, since Tschida and the Tommies had notched a 3-0 win over top-seeded St. Olaf to secure its regional crown.
 
"I'm really happy and proud to see John going back to the World Series," said Winecke. "I know what he does on a day-to-day basis — the time and effort he puts into that program. People don't understand how much he puts in to develop those young ladies, not just as ball players, but as people.
 
"His work ethic behind the scenes is second-to-none."
 
As Tschida puts the finishing touches on his own national tournament preparations,  he had a few words of advice for his protege. (His Tommies, seeded seventh, open tournament play Thursday against second-seeded Virginia Wesleyan)
 
"One piece of advice … enjoy the competition," advised Tschida. "Have more fun than ever. The adrenaline will create the speed, and it will be important to not go any faster than they have gone in practice. Instead of getting uptight and expect perfection, go with the flow and play out of fun and not fear.
 
"Do what got you here and don't be afraid to be aggressive when in times you would normally be aggressive — so many coaches tighten up and play not to lose, rather than play to win," he added. "Nick is smart enough to know this, but it never hurts to get reminders."
 
And if this year is any indication, not only is Tschida a good teacher, but Winecke has proven to be a fast, efficient learner.