LA VERNE – You know the narrative. On baseball fields across America, the coach's son plays shortstop, pitches and bats cleanup—all in the same game—when he should be lucky to ride the pine.

It's been a different story at La Verne this season. Joe Winterburn, La Verne baseball team's star catcher, has done as much for his father, head coach Scott Winterburn, as his father has done for him.

Joe has been one of the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference's (SCIAC) best players this season, hitting .331 with three home runs, 39 RBI and 33 runs scored while playing the most demanding position on the diamond.

But neither had any idea Joe would end up at La Verne for his senior season. Coming out of the nearby Glendora High School, Joe was recruited by a bevy of top Division I programs in California, including USC, Pepperdine and UC San Diego, and eventually chose UC Santa Barbara.

His dad never pushed him to come to La Verne.

"By the time Joe's senior year had started, his opportunities were starting to develop and it was evident that he was going to get an opportunity to play Division I baseball," Scott said. "So at that point, my message to him was, 'go where you think you have the best opportunity for yourself. If that's La Verne, great. If it's somewhere else, I'm behind you.' "

Joe played in 23 games as a freshman at UCSB and showed flashes of potential, hitting .227 with a home run and eight RBI, both of which were team-highs among catchers. But UCSB replaced its coaching staff after Joe's rookie season and that threw off his rhythm. He still led the catchers on the roster with two homers and 13 RBI his sophomore year, but saw his playing time dip in the third year.

"My last year didn't really go the way I wanted it to," Joe said. "But my dad offered me an opportunity to come to La Verne."

Scott told his son that he would do whatever he could do to get Joe anywhere he wanted to go. He told Joe that he could go play with some high school teammates at other places and offered to call coaches around the country that would've been happy to have an all-around catcher as a part of their programs. But Joe told his dad, "No, dad. If I'm going to transfer, I want to come to La Verne."

Scott's first reaction was, "Really? Is that what you want to do?"

"I must have asked him if he was sure a hundred times," Scott said. "Because I wanted him to be comfortable with that decision just as when he left high school."

Joe settled in almost immediately on the field as a Leopard. After a tough 0-for-3 outing against the defending national champion Linfield (Ore.) in the season opener, he collected 10 hits in his next five games and since proved himself as one of the best all-around players in the SCIAC. His 39 RBI and 33 runs both rank him third in the SCIAC. He's also thrown out eight baserunners from behind the plate.

But the Winterburns admit the transition to coaching and playing for one another and managing the added attention have been a little tricky at first.

"I had to learn him all over again," Scott said. "I had to figure out what he could and couldn't do, what his strengths and areas of improvement are, and how hard I could push him mentally.

"But I have tried to be myself with him. I wasn't going to feel funny about the father-son relationship. He calls me 'dad' and I call him 'son' on the field—I don't call him 'Winterburn' and pretend it's something else."

Joe understands the added pressure and expectations that come with being the coach's son.

"I haven't really let [the expectations] affect me this year," Joe said. "I've been just trying to go out there, play baseball, have some fun and have a good year."

And the coach seems to have found the key to handling having the best player also be the kid whose diapers he's changed.

"The thing you don't want to do is treat him differently from he's ever been treated by me," Winterburn said. "Our players and fans are seeing me coach him for the first time, but he's been coached that way since he was a baby. So I try very hard to be consistent with him and that's why I think it works for both of us."

It's worked well for La Verne as well. The Leopards are currently sitting half a game behind 4^th place in the SCIAC standings with a conference record of 11-9 and are right in the thick of the playoff chase.

Although their ultimate objective is to win the SCIAC championship, the Winterburns are trying to enjoy their moments together as Joe's senior year winds down.

"I didn't think I would have an opportunity to coach Joe again, so this has really been a fun year for a different reason," Winterburn said. "The things that he adds to our team as a player are great, but the things he adds as a son for me really made this year different for me than all the rest."