ABCA Podcast: Recent Episodes
American Baseball Coaches Association
The ABCA Podcast runs the gamut of baseball coaching topics, from pitching, to hitting, to the mental game, practice planning, recruiting and more. It's hosted by Ryan Brownlee, longtime coach and current Assistant Executive Director of the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA). The ABCA is the primary professional organization for baseball coaches at the amateur level, with more than 13,000 members representing all 50 U.S. states and 23 countries. Since 1945, Association membership has broadened to include: NCAA Division I, II and III, NAIA, Junior College, Pacific Association Division, High School, Youth and Travel Ball. Each January, the ABCA hosts the largest baseball convention in the world. Over 7,000 coaches attend the convention, which is held at various locations around the country. The ABCA's official website is http://www.ABCA.org.
Next up on the ABCA Podcast is ABCA/ATEC High School Division II Coach of the Year, Jim Ozella.
After an illustrious 40-year coaching career, including 25 years at Hart High School (CA), Ozella retired on a high note, leading Hart to the 2024 CIF SS Div. 2 Championship with a 26-5 record. Hart High School's storied program has captured 36 League Championships, and Ozella has played a pivotal role in developing talent, with eight of his former players, including Tyler Glasnow, James Shields, and Trevor Bauer, reaching the big leagues.
Originally from Illinois, Ozella moved to California in 1983, beginning his coaching journey at Bishop Alemany before his impactful tenure at Hart. He’s also an author, having recently published The Greatest Time to Be a Kid, reflecting on his childhood in Illinois.
Get ready to take notes as Coach Ozella shares his vast experience and insights on fostering competitive spirit in young athletes.
The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
This episode is brought to you by Driveline Baseball. Ready to take your pitchers' workload management to the next level? Meet PULSE from Driveline Baseball—a wearable sensor that goes beyond basic pitch counts to precisely measure every throw. PULSE tracks both the number and intensity of throws, providing invaluable data. Trusted by MLB teams like the Cincinnati Reds, top college programs, and athletes at all levels, PULSE is transforming how pitching workloads are managed. With the PULSE Team Dashboard, you can make data-driven decisions to optimize training and prevent injuries. Visit drivelinebaseball.com/pulse to revolutionize your pitching staff's development and health today.
Joining us this week on the ABCA Podcast is ABCA/ATEC Pacific Association Coach of the Year, Sommer McCartney, head coach of Saddleback College.
McCartney led the Bobcats to a stellar 34-17 record and the 3C2A Championship this season, continuing his legacy of excellence since taking over from his mentor, Jack Hodges, in 2011. With back-to-back Orange Empire Conference titles in 2022 and 2023, McCartney has firmly established Saddleback as one of the top programs in the region.
An Associate Professor in Kinesiology, McCartney brings a wealth of experience from his playing days, which include a national championship with UC Riverside and a professional stint with the Florida Marlins.
Tune in to hear McCartney’s journey, insights, and an in-depth discussion that builds on his recent interview from the May/June issue of Inside Pitch Magazine.
The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
This episode is brought to you by Driveline Baseball. Ready to take your pitchers' workload management to the next level? Meet PULSE from Driveline Baseball—a wearable sensor that goes beyond basic pitch counts to precisely measure every throw. PULSE tracks both the number and intensity of throws, providing invaluable data. Trusted by MLB teams like the Cincinnati Reds, top college programs, and athletes at all levels, PULSE is transforming how pitching workloads are managed. With the PULSE Team Dashboard, you can make data-driven decisions to optimize training and prevent injuries. Visit drivelinebaseball.com/pulse to revolutionize your pitching staff's development and health today.
This week on the ABCA Podcast, we're joined by ABCA/ATEC High School Division III Coach of the Year, Brian Fowler.
Fowler, who led Taylor High School (AR) to their third consecutive State Championship and eighth overall, reflects on a remarkable season where the Tigers finished 23-4. Known for his old-school approach to coaching, Coach Fowler emphasizes the core values of honesty, accountability, and respect—principles that have been instrumental in his team's sustained success.
In this episode, Coach Fowler shares his insights on bridging traditional coaching methods with the unique needs of today’s players, offering a blend of wisdom and adaptability that’s sure to resonate with coaches at every level.
The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
This episode is brought to you by Driveline Baseball. Ready to take your pitchers' workload management to the next level? Meet PULSE from Driveline Baseball—a wearable sensor that goes beyond basic pitch counts to precisely measure every throw. PULSE tracks both the number and intensity of throws, providing invaluable data. Trusted by MLB teams like the Cincinnati Reds, top college programs, and athletes at all levels, PULSE is transforming how pitching workloads are managed. With the PULSE Team Dashboard, you can make data-driven decisions to optimize training and prevent injuries. Visit drivelinebaseball.com/pulse to revolutionize your pitching staff's development and health today.
Next up on the ABCA Podcast is ABCA/ATEC NCAA Div. III National Coach of the Year, Pete Egbert.
Heading into his 18th season as head coach at Misericordia University, Egbert led the Cougars to their first National Championship this season, with his 600th career win clinching the title game. This year marked back-to-back appearances for the Cougars in the NCAA Division III College World Series, and they also had an appearance in 2018. Misericordia finished the season with a 41-11 record, including a 19-2 mark in conference play.
Egbert has been a collegiate coach for 21 seasons between Fitchburg and Misericordia. He has been named Conference Coach of the Year six times and was an ABCA Regional Coach of the Year the past two seasons.
Under Egbert's leadership, Misericordia plays an impressive style of baseball, putting pressure on the defense (.318 AVG & 161 SB), pitching at an elite level (3.77 ERA), and taking care of the ball defensively (.969 FLD).
Tune in to hear Coach Egbert share his strategies, insights, and experiences from his team's remarkable season.
The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
This episode is brought to you by Driveline Baseball. Ready to take your pitchers' workload management to the next level? Meet PULSE from Driveline Baseball—a wearable sensor that goes beyond basic pitch counts to precisely measure every throw. PULSE tracks both the number and intensity of throws, providing invaluable data. Trusted by MLB teams like the Cincinnati Reds, top college programs, and athletes at all levels, PULSE is transforming how pitching workloads are managed. With the PULSE Team Dashboard, you can make data-driven decisions to optimize training and prevent injuries. Visit drivelinebaseball.com/pulse to revolutionize your pitching staff's development and health today.
This week on the ABCA Podcast, we are honored to feature ABCA Hall of Famer, Marc Johnson.
Johnson, who retired following the 2024 season, had been the head coach at Cherry Creek High School for an astonishing 52 seasons. He capped off his illustrious career with a Colorado State Championship this Spring, bringing his record to a remarkable 871 wins, 15 State Championship appearances, and nine State Championships. His stellar final year earned him ABCA/ATEC High School Division I Coach of the Year honors.
Not only has Johnson excelled during the high school season, but he also ran the Cherry Creek summer baseball program, which has produced seven MLB first round draft picks. His contributions to the sport were recognized with his induction into the ABCA Hall of Fame in 2011.
In this episode, Coach Johnson shares invaluable insights and advice from his decades of experience. Whether you're a seasoned coach or just starting, you'll want to have your pad and pen ready for this coaching masterclass. Don't miss this opportunity to learn from one of the true legends of high school baseball.
The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
This episode is brought to you by Driveline Baseball. Ready to take your pitchers' workload management to the next level? Meet PULSE from Driveline Baseball—a wearable sensor that goes beyond basic pitch counts to precisely measure every throw. PULSE tracks both the number and intensity of throws, providing invaluable data. Trusted by MLB teams like the Cincinnati Reds, top college programs, and athletes at all levels, PULSE is transforming how pitching workloads are managed. With the PULSE Team Dashboard, you can make data-driven decisions to optimize training and prevent injuries. Visit drivelinebaseball.com/pulse to revolutionize your pitching staff's development and health today.
In this week's episode of the ABCA Podcast, we welcome ABCA Board Member and head coach at Chapman University, Scott Laverty.
Laverty, entering his 12th season at Chapman, has firmly established the program as one of the best in NCAA Division III, highlighted by a National Championship in 2019. Laverty began his coaching career at his alma mater, UC Riverside, in 1997. He then moved on to his first head coaching position at the University of Redlands, where he accumulated 298 wins over 14 seasons.
Beyond his on-field success, Laverty has been a vital contributor to the ABCA, serving two terms as Chair of the NCAA Division III on the ABCA Executive Committee and a member of the ABCA Hall of Fame Committee. This past June, he was nominated by the ABCA Board of Directors to serve as the incoming Fourth Vice President of the Association.
Tune in as we dive into Laverty’s journey, his insights on building a successful program, and his contributions to the ABCA and the broader baseball community.
The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
This episode is brought to you by Driveline Baseball. Ready to take your pitchers' workload management to the next level? Meet PULSE from Driveline Baseball—a wearable sensor that goes beyond basic pitch counts to precisely measure every throw. PULSE tracks both the number and intensity of throws, providing invaluable data. Trusted by MLB teams like the Cincinnati Reds, top college programs, and athletes at all levels, PULSE is transforming how pitching workloads are managed. With the PULSE Team Dashboard, you can make data-driven decisions to optimize training and prevent injuries. Visit drivelinebaseball.com/pulse to revolutionize your pitching staff's development and health today.
Join us on the ABCA Podcast as we sit down with Johnny Hernandez, head coach of Bethune-Cookman University.
Growing up in South Florida and coaching at Hialeah High School, Hernandez's journey in baseball has been remarkable. He founded the ASA College program in Miami in 2014 and worked with USA Baseball as a scouting task force member. Since taking over the Bethune-Cookman program in 2018, Hernandez has led the team to impressive victories and a strong season finish in the SWAC East, earning the Black College Nines Coach of the Year Award.
Tune in to hear Hernandez discuss building a winning program and his vision for the future of Bethune-Cookman and HBCU baseball.
The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
This episode is sponsored by AWRE Sports. Are you looking to improve your use of video for player development, live-streaming, instant replay or opponent scouting? Most coaches answer "Yes." That's how AWRE Sports began: To solve the video challenges in baseball & softball. Whether you are using their multi-angle, fixed camera system or their mobile software, AWRE empowers coaches to maximize every aspect of video, all in one comprehensive solution. Their users range from MLB teams and reigning Collegiate National Champions to strong high school programs and literally everything in between. So the real questions becomes: Will you turn video into a powerful tool to elevate your program or stick with the status quo. You can find out more information at awresports.com.
This week on the ABCA podcast is VELO Sports’ Michael Napoleon and Dr. Tyler Standifird. Napoleon owned and operated Catalyst Golf Performance in the Chicago area. Napoleon developed an overspeed training product called the SuperSpeed Golf Training System. Napoleon brought overspeed training to the baseball world in 2017 and quickly was adopted by MLB organizations and collegiate teams. Dr. Standifird is an associate professor of Biomechanics at Utah Valley University. Standifird received his PhD from the University of Tennessee in 2015. Standifird is the director of the Biomechanics Laboratory at Utah Valley University, where he conducts research related to sports performance and injury prevention. Standifird currently serves as a consultant for VELO Sports and SuperSpeed Golf as well as recently named the Research and Science Director for Smart 2 Move Force Plates. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more. New ABCA Podcast Sponsor is AWRE Sports. Are you looking to improve your use of video for player development, live-streaming, instant replay or opponent scouting? Most coaches answer "Yes." That's how AWRE Sports began: To solve the video challenges in baseball & softball. Whether you are using their multi-angle, fixed camera system or their mobile softward, AWRE empowers coaches to maximize every aspect of video, all in one comprehensive solution. Their users range from MLB teams and reigning Collegiate National Champions to strong high school programs and literally everything in between. So the real questions becomes: Will you turn video into a powerful tool to elevate your program or stick with the status quo. You can find out more information at awresports.com
This week’s ABCA Podcast episode is the final episode that was recorded on-location at a championship site –– the NCAA Div. III World Series in Eastlake, Ohio.
We had a chance to sit down with coaches of the program's that competed in the tournament, including Travis Beazley (Lynchburg), Eric Cirella (Salve Regina), Pete Egbert (Misericordia), Ray Hedrick (Randolph Macon), Frank Pericolosi (Pomona Pitzer), John Vodenlich (UW-Whitewater) and Jan Weisberg (Birmingham Southern).
Congratulations to Pete Egbert, the 2024 ABCA/ATEC NCAA Div. III National Coach of the Year, and his Misericordia program for capturing their first National Championship in a hard-fought series against UW-Whitewater.
The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
This episode is sponsored by AWRE Sports. Are you looking to improve your use of video for player development, live-streaming, instant replay or opponent scouting? Most coaches answer "Yes." That's how AWRE Sports began: To solve the video challenges in baseball & softball. Whether you are using their multi-angle, fixed camera system or their mobile software, AWRE empowers coaches to maximize every aspect of video, all in one comprehensive solution. Their users range from MLB teams and reigning Collegiate National Champions to strong high school programs and literally everything in between. So the real questions becomes: Will you turn video into a powerful tool to elevate your program or stick with the status quo. You can find out more information at awresports.com.
A recurring guest on the ABCA Podcast, Nathan Hemphill, PSP3 Owner & Director of Sports Performance, joins us in this week's episode. Hemphill was previously a guest on the ABCA Podcast in 2022 and has also spoken at multiple events, like the 2021 Kansas City Barnstormers Regional Clinic and the 2024 ABCA Convention. You can listen in to his previous podcast appearance (5/23/22) online at www.ABCA.org/podcast or using your favorite podcast streaming platform and watch his former presentations in the ABCA Video Library at www.ABCA.org/videos.
Hemphill has been training baseball players for almost 20 years and has developed a great track record for keeping players healthy and thriving on the field. This episode highlights some of the new assessments that PSP3 is using with their athletes.
The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
This episode is sponsored by AWRE Sports. Are you looking to improve your use of video for player development, live-streaming, instant replay or opponent scouting? Most coaches answer "Yes." That's how AWRE Sports began: To solve the video challenges in baseball & softball. Whether you are using their multi-angle, fixed camera system or their mobile software, AWRE empowers coaches to maximize every aspect of video, all in one comprehensive solution. Their users range from MLB teams and reigning Collegiate National Champions to strong high school programs and literally everything in between. So the real questions becomes: Will you turn video into a powerful tool to elevate your program or stick with the status quo. You can find out more information at awresports.com.
This week joining us on the ABCA Podcast is a pioneer in the peak performance field, Dr. Tom Hanson.
Hanson is the former Director of Performance Enhancement for the New York Yankees and also worked with the Texas Rangers, Los Angeles Angels and Minnesota Twins. He wrote one of the seminal baseball peak performance books with Ken Ravizza, Heads Up Baseball. Hanson also is author of the book, Play Big: Mental Toughness Secrets That Take Baseball Players to the Next Level. Hanson is widely known for his studies and work utilizing tapping to help players with the throwing yips.
Hanson received a Ph.D. in sport psychology from the University of Virginia, where he worked with legendary sports psychologist Bob Rotella. He spent eight years coaching baseball and teaching in the Sport and Exercise Science department at Skidmore College. Recently, Hanson has been helping business professionals at companies such as Microsoft, Verizon and Pepperidge Farm.
The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
This episode is sponsored by AWRE Sports. Are you looking to improve your use of video for player development, live-streaming, instant replay or opponent scouting? Most coaches answer "Yes." That's how AWRE Sports began: To solve the video challenges in baseball & softball. Whether you are using their multi-angle, fixed camera system or their mobile software, AWRE empowers coaches to maximize every aspect of video, all in one comprehensive solution. Their users range from MLB teams and reigning Collegiate National Champions to strong high school programs and literally everything in between. So the real questions becomes: Will you turn video into a powerful tool to elevate your program or stick with the status quo. You can find out more information at awresports.com.
This week’s ABCA Podcast episode was recorded on-location at the JUCO World Series in Grand Junction, Colorado.
In this episode, we're joined by some of the coaches of the competing programs, including Travis Lallemand (Crowder), Preston McDonald (Florence-Darlington Tech), Eric Horner (Johnson County), Dash O’Neil (Georgia Highland) and national champion Dusty Hart (Blinn).
The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more. New
This episode is sponsored by AWRE Sports. Are you looking to improve your use of video for player development, live-streaming, instant replay or opponent scouting? Most coaches answer "Yes." That's how AWRE Sports began: To solve the video challenges in baseball & softball. Whether you are using their multi-angle, fixed camera system or their mobile softward, AWRE empowers coaches to maximize every aspect of video, all in one comprehensive solution. Their users range from MLB teams and reigning Collegiate National Champions to strong high school programs and literally everything in between. So the real questions becomes: Will you turn video into a powerful tool to elevate your program or stick with the status quo. You can find out more information at awresports.com.
This week’s ABCA Podcast episode was recorded on-location at the NAIA World Series in Lewiston, Idaho. Lewiston has hosted the NAIA World Series for 22 years and the town always rallies around the event. The night prior to the opening game, the ABCA and City of Lewiston host a youth clinic, which had over 400 kids in attendance this year and we thank the coaches and players from the competing teams that took part in making the youth clinic a success once again!
In this episode, we're joined by Billy Berry (Tennessee Wesleyan), Jonathan Burton (Reinhardt), Adrian Dinkel (Southeastern), Bobby Halford (William Carey), Joe McDonald (Arizona Christian), Bill Neale (Kansas Wesleyan), Brett Neffendorf (Indiana Southeast), Jeremy Sheetinger (Georgia Gwinnett), and Brad Shelton (Cumberland) to discuss their season's and NAIA baseball as a whole.
National Champion, Larry Mahoney of Hope International will be joining the ABCA Podcast in a future episode to discuss his program's first NAIA national title!
The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more. New
This episode is sponsored by AWRE Sports. Are you looking to improve your use of video for player development, live-streaming, instant replay or opponent scouting? Most coaches answer "Yes." That's how AWRE Sports began: To solve the video challenges in baseball & softball. Whether you are using their multi-angle, fixed camera system or their mobile softward, AWRE empowers coaches to maximize every aspect of video, all in one comprehensive solution. Their users range from MLB teams and reigning Collegiate National Champions to strong high school programs and literally everything in between. So the real questions becomes: Will you turn video into a powerful tool to elevate your program or stick with the status quo. You can find out more information at awresports.com.
Wolf has been a practicing Exercise Physiologist and Biomechanist for 44 years, specializing in injury evaluation and gait & motion analysis. For nearly the last decade, Wolf has been conducting a study on UCL injuries and has found a significant correlation with hip immobility opposite the throwing arm, stride length, and elbow injuries. This episode is a deep dive into how the lower half affects arm health and arm injuries.
The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
The new ABCA Podcast supporting sponsor is AWRE Sports. Are you looking to improve your use of video for player development, live-streaming, instant replay or opponent scouting? Most coaches answer "Yes." That's how AWRE Sports began: To solve the video challenges in baseball & softball. Whether you are using their multi-angle, fixed camera system or their mobile software, AWRE empowers coaches to maximize every aspect of video, all in one comprehensive solution. Their users range from MLB teams and reigning Collegiate National Champions to strong high school programs and literally everything in between. So the real questions becomes: Will you turn video into a powerful tool to elevate your program or stick with the status quo. You can find out more information at awresports.com.
Joining us this week on the ABCA Podcast is Baseball Prodigy and Pro Source Athletics founder, Brandon Agamennone. Agamennone was Maryland’s Gatorade Player of the Year in 1994 before pitching for the University of Maryland in the mid 90’s. Agamennone pitched professionally for 8 seasons with the Expos, Orioles and Pirates. Agamennone scouted for the Padres, Braves and was with the Red Sox when they won their 2018 World Series. Agamennone founded Pro Source Athletics in 2004 and is the author of the book Pitching Prodigy: Unleashing Greatness on the Mound. Agamennone’s current project is Baseball Prodigy and the ProLook College Baseball Recruiting App. This is an entertaining listen on professional baseball, travel baseball, entrepenueriship and training pitchers. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more. New ABCA Podcast Sponser is AWRE Sports. Are you looking to improve your use of video for player development, live-streaming, instant replay or opponent scouting? Most coaches answer "Yes." That's how AWRE Sports began: To solve the video challenges in baseball & softball. Whether you are using their multi-angle, fixed camera system or their mobile softward, AWRE empowers coaches to maximize every aspect of video, all in one comprehensive solution. Their users range from MLB teams and reigning Collegiate National Champions to strong high school programs and literally everything in between. So the real questions becomes: Will you turn video into a powerful tool to elevate your program or stick with the status quo. You can find out more information at awresports.com
Next up on the ABCA Podcast are Minority Prospects’ Alex Wyche and Reggie Hollins. Wyche founded Minority Prospects after a successful stint coaching high school baseball in the State of Georgia. Wyche served as an educator and coach for 13 years. Wyche was the first black head coach at Griffin High School. Wyche’s next opportunity was at Redan High School, which is historically one of the best high school programs in the country. In seven seasons Wyche had over 100 wins, seven MLB draft picks and 60 players obtaining college scholarships. Wyche was the 2022 recipient of the Georgia High School State Coach of the Year. Hollins is currently the President/COO of Minority Prospects. Hollins came from the college side after 13 seasons as an assistant and head coach at Tuskegee University. In Hollins’ time coaching at Tuskegee the Golden Tigers had the most wins since 1999 in his first season as head coach and played for an SIAC Conference Championship for the first time since 1989. In 2021 Hollins spoke for the ABCA Virtual Convention during COVID, if you want to dive into his talk on the website. This is a highly entertaining listen. The three of us had a great time. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more. Coaches: Let's talk about your new assistant: Rapsodo. With Rapsodo's products you can track everything from how fast a pitcher throws to a batter's spin rate off the bat. Rapsodo's pro-level data gives you the power to look deeper into every athlete's skills, helping them take their game to the next level. Whether you want the basic data points or a more advanced look at a player, Coaches can customize their dashboard to help identify strengths and weaknesses that the naked eye can't see. Turn the cage into a simulated field to make competition and practice more engaging. Take the guesswork out of coaching. From youth baseball to Major League Baseball, Rapsodo is used by thousands of colleges, facilities, and high schools to help their athletes train. Visit Rapsodo.com/baseball to check out their lineup of game-changing technology and how you can implement them into your program. Play On.
This week on the ABCA Podcast is the owner of Elevate Sports Academy, Adam Sarancik. Sarancik mentors student-athletes in physical conditioning, nutrition, career & college counseling and sport skills. Sarancik has spent most of his adult life mentoring youth ages 8-22 in baseball, softball, soccer and basketball. In baseball, Sarancik’s teams have consistently won championships at every youth league and high school level. In administration, Sarancik has served as a league founder, board member and coaches’ & players’ clinic director over the course of his 40+ year coaching career. Sarancik earned his Bachelor of Science Degree from San Diego State University, Juris Doctor Degree from the University of San Diego and his Masters of Arts in Teaching Degree from Western Oregon University. Sarancik has written 11 articles for the ABCA’s Inside Pitch Magazine and is the author of 3 books. Sarancik’s fourth book “Teacher, Role Model, Mentor: Lessons Learned from a Lifetime of Coaching” will be published later this year. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more. Coaches: Let's talk about your new assistant: Rapsodo. With Rapsodo's products you can track everything from how fast a pitcher throws to a batter's spin rate off the bat. Rapsodo's pro-level data gives you the power to look deeper into every athlete's skills, helping them take their game to the next level. Whether you want the basic data points or a more advanced look at a player, Coaches can customize their dashboard to help identify strengths and weaknesses that the naked eye can't see. Turn the cage into a simulated field to make competition and practice more engaging. Take the guesswork out of coaching. From youth baseball to Major League Baseball, Rapsodo is used by thousands of colleges, facilities, and high schools to help their athletes train. Visit Rapsodo.com/baseball to check out their lineup of game-changing technology and how you can implement them into your program. Play On.
Next up on the ABCA Podcast is Corona High School head coach, Andy Wise. Wise has led Corona to a historic season winning the USA Baseball NHSI and going undefeated in league play for the first time in school history. Corona is ranked #1 in most high school polls. Wise started his playing career for ABCA Hall of Famer Don Sneddon at Santa Ana CC before heading to Long Beach State to play for another legend in Dave Snow. Wise pitched on the 1993 Long Beach State College World Series team. After a brief stint in professional baseball, Wise started his coaching career with another ABCA Hall of Famer Dave Demarest at La Quinta High School. Wise took over the Corona program in 2009 after starting the program at Segerstrom Fundamental in 2006. Wise has built Corona into a nationally known program from a team that was 3-11 in league play the year before Wise showed up on campus. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more. Coaches: Let's talk about your new assistant: Rapsodo. With Rapsodo's products you can track everything from how fast a pitcher throws to a batter's spin rate off the bat. Rapsodo's pro-level data gives you the power to look deeper into every athlete's skills, helping them take their game to the next level. Whether you want the basic data points or a more advanced look at a player, Coaches can customize their dashboard to help identify strengths and weaknesses that the naked eye can't see. Turn the cage into a simulated field to make competition and practice more engaging. Take the guesswork out of coaching. From youth baseball to Major League Baseball, Rapsodo is used by thousands of colleges, facilities, and high schools to help their athletes train. Visit Rapsodo.com/baseball to check out their lineup of game-changing technology and how you can implement them into your program. Play On.
Next up on the ABCA Podcast we welcome members of our Travel Committee for an open forum on travel baseball. This is a look behind the curtain of the conversations we have at the ABCA convention and the Youth Summit in November. Rob Hahne, Blake Hibler, Taylor McCollough, Jeff Petty and Jordan Baltimore give us some great insights on what is going on currently in travel baseball. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more. Coaches: Let's talk about your new assistant: Rapsodo. With Rapsodo's products you can track everything from how fast a pitcher throws to a batter's spin rate off the bat. Rapsodo's pro-level data gives you the power to look deeper into every athlete's skills, helping them take their game to the next level. Whether you want the basic data points or a more advanced look at a player, Coaches can customize their dashboard to help identify strengths and weaknesses that the naked eye can't see. Turn the cage into a simulated field to make competition and practice more engaging. Take the guesswork out of coaching. From youth baseball to Major League Baseball, Rapsodo is used by thousands of colleges, facilities, and high schools to help their athletes train. Visit Rapsodo.com/baseball to check out their lineup of game-changing technology and how you can implement them into your program. Play On.
This week on the ABCA Podcast is Missoula Mavericks head coach, Brent Hathaway. Hathaway is one of the winningest coaches at any level with over 1500 wins in 40 years of coaching. Hathaway played collegiately at Gonzaga and UTEP for college coaching legend, Jim Lawler. After college Hathaway went to work as a civil engineer before figuring out coaching and teaching was his passion. Hathaway spent 30 years teaching math at Hellgate Middle School and took over the Mavericks AA program in 1993. Hathaway is the longest tenured Legion coach in Montana. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more. Coaches: Let's talk about your new assistant: Rapsodo. With Rapsodo's products you can track everything from how fast a pitcher throws to a batter's spin rate off the bat. Rapsodo's pro-level data gives you the power to look deeper into every athlete's skills, helping them take their game to the next level. Whether you want the basic data points or a more advanced look at a player, Coaches can customize their dashboard to help identify strengths and weaknesses that the naked eye can't see. Turn the cage into a simulated field to make competition and practice more engaging. Take the guesswork out of coaching. From youth baseball to Major League Baseball, Rapsodo is used by thousands of colleges, facilities, and high schools to help their athletes train. Visit Rapsodo.com/baseball to check out their lineup of game-changing technology and how you can implement them into your program. Play On.
Next up on the ABCA Podcast is Program 15 Sports President, Jeremy Booth. Booth started his collegiate playing career at Cypress and New Mexico State. Booth went on to play professionally until the age of 30. Booth was a long time scout for the Mariners, Brewers and Twins. Booth now is the President of Baseball Operations for The New Balance Future Stars Series as well as a Baseball Analyst for CBS TV KHOU 11 in Houston and the Co-Host of the Extra Bases Podcast. This episode is a great example of the many paths we have in the Game of Baseball. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more. Coaches: Let's talk about your new assistant: Rapsodo. With Rapsodo's products you can track everything from how fast a pitcher throws to a batter's spin rate off the bat. Rapsodo's pro-level data gives you the power to look deeper into every athlete's skills, helping them take their game to the next level. Whether you want the basic data points or a more advanced look at a player, Coaches can customize their dashboard to help identify strengths and weaknesses that the naked eye can't see. Turn the cage into a simulated field to make competition and practice more engaging. Take the guesswork out of coaching. From youth baseball to Major League Baseball, Rapsodo is used by thousands of colleges, facilities, and high schools to help their athletes train. Visit Rapsodo.com/baseball to check out their lineup of game-changing technology and how you can implement them into your program. Play On.
This week on the ABCA Podcast we welcome members of our Youth Committee for an open forum on youth baseball. This is a look behind the curtain of the conversations we have at the ABCA convention and the Youth Summit in November. Deven Morgan, Dan Keller, Paul Gallo, Jimmy Fillingeri, Jeff Sopha, Shon Plack, Jimmy Onate and David Klein give us some great ideas to help youth baseball in this one. Shoutout to everyone that listens to the ABCA Podcast. This is episode 400!!!! The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more. Coaches: Let's talk about your new assistant: Rapsodo. With Rapsodo's products you can track everything from how fast a pitcher throws to a batter's spin rate off the bat. Rapsodo's pro-level data gives you the power to look deeper into every athlete's skills, helping them take their game to the next level. Whether you want the basic data points or a more advanced look at a player, Coaches can customize their dashboard to help identify strengths and weaknesses that the naked eye can't see. Turn the cage into a simulated field to make competition and practice more engaging. Take the guesswork out of coaching. From youth baseball to Major League Baseball, Rapsodo is used by thousands of colleges, facilities, and high schools to help their athletes train. Visit Rapsodo.com/baseball to check out their lineup of game-changing technology and how you can implement them into your program. Play On.
Next up on the ABCA Podcast is Wagner head coach Craig Noto. Noto has an interview with Adam Revelette in the March/April issue of Inside Pitch Magazine. Revelette, Keith Madison, Jon Litchfield and Zach Haile have put together another great issue. Make sure to dive into the magazine if you haven’t. Shoutout to all of our contributors and Delaware head coach, Greg Mamula for his “Frame by Frame” breakdown of former player, Nolan Schanuel. Noto has had an intriguing path in the game of baseball with coaching on the travel side, college and collegiate summer league circuit. Wagner always plays a challenging early season schedule and Noto has the Seahawks rolling in conference play with a 9-2 record. We were able to connect for this podcast due to Wagner being rained out on Friday and with limited time we jump right into the interview. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more. Coaches: Let's talk about your new assistant: Rapsodo. With Rapsodo's products you can track everything from how fast a pitcher throws to a batter's spin rate off the bat. Rapsodo's pro-level data gives you the power to look deeper into every athlete's skills, helping them take their game to the next level. Whether you want the basic data points or a more advanced look at a player, Coaches can customize their dashboard to help identify strengths and weaknesses that the naked eye can't see. Turn the cage into a simulated field to make competition and practice more engaging. Take the guesswork out of coaching. From youth baseball to Major League Baseball, Rapsodo is used by thousands of colleges, facilities, and high schools to help their athletes train. Visit Rapsodo.com/baseball to check out their lineup of game-changing technology and how you can implement them into your program. Play On.
This week on the ABCA Podcast is Connors State head coach, Perry Keith. Keith has over 1700 wins in 36 seasons as head coach at Connors State. Keith currently ranks first in wins among active NJCAA baseball coaches and is believed to be the youngest collegiate baseball coach to reach the 1000-win plateau at the age of 42. Keith has guided the Cowboys to 18 Bi-State East Conference championships, eight Region II titles and six appearances at the Div. I JUCO World Series. Keith has coached 40 NJCAA All-Americans with over 120 players drafted and thirteen former players making it to the Major Leagues. The Cowboys are off to a hot start in 2024 with a 29-3 record and hitting close to .400 as a team. Get your pad and pen ready because Coach Keith is a living legend and continues to evolve in his career. Coach Keith gives us a ton of great nuggets in this one. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more. Coaches: Let's talk about your new assistant: Rapsodo. With Rapsodo's products you can track everything from how fast a pitcher throws to a batter's spin rate off the bat. Rapsodo's pro-level data gives you the power to look deeper into every athlete's skills, helping them take their game to the next level. Whether you want the basic data points or a more advanced look at a player, Coaches can customize their dashboard to help identify strengths and weaknesses that the naked eye can't see. Turn the cage into a simulated field to make competition and practice more engaging. Take the guesswork out of coaching. From youth baseball to Major League Baseball, Rapsodo is used by thousands of colleges, facilities, and high schools to help their athletes train. Visit Rapsodo.com/baseball to check out their lineup of game-changing technology and how you can implement them into your program. Play On.
Next up on the ABCA Podcast is Alabama State head coach and this summer’s USA Collegiate Team manager, Jose Vazquez. Vazquez was hired as the head coach at Alabama State in the summer of 2016. In 8 seasons the Hornets have 6 SWAC East titles and won the SWAC championship in 2022. The 2023 squad posted a 41-18 record and a 26-4 conference mark. They were the NCAA Div. I leader in batting average at a .334 clip. Vazquez spent 14 years as an assistant at Alabama State and Bethune-Cookman and was honored with the ABCA Div. I Assistant Coach of the Year in 2013. Vazquez’ final 6 years at Bethune they posted a 100-4 record in the MEAC. In this episode we do a deep dive into pre-game & in season practice planning. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more. Coaches: Let's talk about your new assistant: Rapsodo. With Rapsodo's products you can track everything from how fast a pitcher throws to a batter's spin rate off the bat. Rapsodo's pro-level data gives you the power to look deeper into every athlete's skills, helping them take their game to the next level. Whether you want the basic data points or a more advanced look at a player, Coaches can customize their dashboard to help identify strengths and weaknesses that the naked eye can't see. Turn the cage into a simulated field to make competition and practice more engaging. Take the guesswork out of coaching. From youth baseball to Major League Baseball, Rapsodo is used by thousands of colleges, facilities, and high schools to help their athletes train. Visit Rapsodo.com/baseball to check out their lineup of game-changing technology and how you can implement them into your program. Play On.
Heading back into the training world on this week’s ABCA Podcast with Baseball Flows, Dr. Ismael Gallo. Dr. Gallo is a former professional baseball player and current Doctor of Physical Therapy. Dr. Gallo received his Bachelor of Science at Cal State Fullerton and Doctorate of Physical Therapy from Loma Linda University. Dr. Gallo has been an Orthopaedic Physical Resident in Orange, CA for the last 13 years. Dr. Gallo is a renowned expert in the field of baseball and softball training, dedicated to empowering players, coaches, and parents to take charge of their training. Dr. Gallo created the Baseball Flows app which includes therapeutic exercises and instructional videos, carefully selected to address the specific needs of players. Dr. Gallo also works with the general population in his practice so has a unique perspective on training modalities for all age groups. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
This week on the ABCA Podcast is 2024 ABCA Hall of Fame class inductee former College of Wooster head coach, Tim Pettorini. In 38 seasons as the head baseball coach at The College of Wooster, Pettorini became one of the winningest NCAA Div. III coaches of all-time. From 1982 until his retirement in 2019, Pettorini led the Fighting Scots to a 1,243-461-6 (.727) record, ranking him seventh all-time in NCAA Div. III wins. Under Pettorini, the Fighting Scots won a league-leading 19 conference championships and made 26 NCAA tournament appearances, advancing to the NCAA Div. III World Series six times and finishing national runners-up in 1997 and 2009.To go along with his 14 North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) Coach of the Year honors, Pettorini is also a six-time ABCA Mideast Region Coach of the Year. A 44-year Lifetime Member of the ABCA, Pettorini coached 59 All-Americans during his tenure and his players received over 200 All-NCAC honors. Prior to taking over at Wooster in 1982, Pettorini taught and coached baseball at Fremont Ross High School in Fremont, Ohio. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
We have another great minority spotlight ABCA Podcast this week with Adairsville High School head coach, Billy Roper. Roper has 29 years coaching baseball in the State of Georgia. Roper also spent 28 years coaching football and stopped this year to watch his son Chris play football at Dartmouth College. Roper played collegiately at Shorter College and upon graduation went right into coaching and teaching. Roper took over as head coach at his alma mater, Adairsville, in 2013 after spending 4 seasons as an assistant for the Tigers. Prior to joining the staff at Adairsville, Roper was the head coach at Newton High School in Covington for 8 years. Roper has a great story being one of the first people in his family to graduate from high school and college. In this episode we go in depth on what Coach Roper feels like sets Adairsville apart as a community and program. We spend a good portion of the episode on strength training tips for high school baseball players. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
This week on the ABCA Podcast is 2024 ABCA Hall of Fame class inductee UW-Whitewater head coach, John Vodenlich. Vodenlich is 2-time Div. III National Coach of the Year leading Whitewater to National Championships in 2005 and 2014. Vodenlich is a 10 time WIAC Coach of the Year and 6 time NCAA Regional Coach of the Year. During Vodenlich’s 18 full seasons as head coach, the Warhawks have won 14 WIAC championships and qualified for the NCAA tournament 16 times with 6 College World Series appearances. Vodelnich is a Warhawk alum and is a 2-time ABCA All-American. Following his collegiate career, Vodenlich went on to play professionally in Europe, winning the Slovenian National Championship in 1994. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
Always an exciting week with all levels of college baseball going. Happy opening week of Div. I Baseball. Next up on the ABCA Podcast is our Div. I preview. I give our sports writers a lot of credit for work they put in throughout the year to help grow the game of baseball. We start things off with Craig Cozart from Perfect Game. After that we check in with D1Baseball.com’s Aaron Fitt. Then we hand it over to Teddy Cahill from Baseball America and we finish it off with D1Baseball.com’s Mike Rooney. As a life-long fan of College Baseball, this is always an exciting time of the year for me. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more. Support for this episode is brought to you by The Headset App. Are you looking for a simple solution for coach to catcher communication for this season that doesn’t require bulky hardware in the dugout? Traditional communication gear can be a headache to set up and carry from game to game. But what if there was a game-changing solution? Introducing The Headset App – your new MVP in communication for coaches and catchers. Enjoy crystal-clear, ultra-HD audio without the major league price tag. It’s compatible with any Bluetooth headset or earbuds. Say goodbye to tangled wires and extra hardware. Ready to step up to the plate? Download The Headset App for free today. Getting started is as easy as a home run trot: create your account, invite your team, and start calling pitches. The Headset App is ready for download in the App Store and on Google Play. Swing for the fences and download today to get a 5-day free trial. And for a limited time, use ABCA24, when you buy your pass for next season and save 10%. Find out more at theheadsetapp.com
Next up on the ABCA Podcast is our Div. II, NJCAA, Div. III and NAIA preview. Wayne Cavadi from NCAA.com kicks us off with the Div. II preview. After that we send it over to Troy Sutherland from Perfect Game and Noah Sharp from the Juco Ball Blog to cover all things junior college baseball. Then we hand it over to Jim Dixon from D3Baseball.com, who has been covering Div. III baseball since 1994 to talk all things Div III. Finally, we finish up with Robby Gutierrez from NAIA Ball, who has been with the ABCA college baseball preview since we started this 4 years ago. This is the best time of the year with season’s already kicking off and season’s getting ready to start. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more. Support for this episode is brought to you by The Headset App. Are you looking for a simple solution for coach to catcher communication for this season that doesn’t require bulky hardware in the dugout? Traditional communication gear can be a headache to set up and carry from game to game. But what if there was a game-changing solution? Introducing The Headset App – your new MVP in communication for coaches and catchers. Enjoy crystal-clear, ultra-HD audio without the major league price tag. It’s compatible with any Bluetooth headset or earbuds. Say goodbye to tangled wires and extra hardware. Ready to step up to the plate? Download The Headset App for free today. Getting started is as easy as a home run trot: create your account, invite your team, and start calling pitches. The Headset App is ready for download in the App Store and on Google Play. Swing for the fences and download today to get a 5-day free trial. And for a limited time, use ABCA24, when you buy your pass for next season and save 10%. Find out more at theheadsetapp.com
Next up on the ABCA Podcast is current Red Sox Triple A bullpen coach and P3 throwing trainer, Noah Junis. Junis is a Rock Falls, Illinois native having played for Illinois coaching legend Donnie Chappell. Junis got his coaching start at Illinois Central College with another Illinois coaching great Bret Kelley. After ICC, Junis headed to Tempe, Arizona to work at Push Performance where he started to dive into throwing performance techniques. Junis then head to St. Louis to work for P3. Junis has a number of MLB pitchers that he has worked with on his resume including his brother Jake, Logan Webb, Shelby Miller, Sean Doolittle, Sam Coonrod, John Means and Jackson Rutledge. Junis recently was hired by the Boston Red Sox to serve as their Triple A bullpen coach in Worcester. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more. Support for this episode is brought to you by The Headset App. Are you looking for a simple solution for coach to catcher communication for this season that doesn’t require bulky hardware in the dugout? Traditional communication gear can be a headache to set up and carry from game to game. But what if there was a game-changing solution? Introducing The Headset App – your new MVP in communication for coaches and catchers. Enjoy crystal-clear, ultra-HD audio without the major league price tag. It’s compatible with any Bluetooth headset or earbuds. Say goodbye to tangled wires and extra hardware. Ready to step up to the plate? Download The Headset App for free today. Getting started is as easy as a home run trot: create your account, invite your team, and start calling pitches. The Headset App is ready for download in the App Store and on Google Play. Swing for the fences and download today to get a 5-day free trial. And for a limited time, use ABCA24, when you buy your pass for next season and save 10%. Find out more at theheadsetapp.com
Joining us on the ABCA Podcast this week is Jackson State head coach, Omar Johnson.
Since taking over the helm of the program prior to the 2007 season, Johnson has led JSU baseball to a winning season every year. He eclipsed the 500-win mark in 2022 and his team's have averaged 32 wins per season while capturing seven Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Eastern Division titles and two SWAC Championships.
Johnson is a huge proponent of the student portion of student-athlete and the Tigers' program has posted a Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.0 or better in every season. Prior to coaching at Jackson State, Johnson coached at the University of North Alabama for four years, where he led the 1999 team to its first ever NCAA Div. II College World Series.
The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
Support for this episode is brought to you by The Headset App. Are you looking for a simple solution for coach to catcher communication for this season that doesn’t require bulky hardware in the dugout? Traditional communication gear can be a headache to set up and carry from game to game. But what if there was a game-changing solution? Introducing The Headset App – your new MVP in communication for coaches and catchers. Enjoy crystal-clear, ultra-HD audio without the major league price tag. It’s compatible with any Bluetooth headset or earbuds. Say goodbye to tangled wires and extra hardware. Ready to step up to the plate? Download The Headset App for free today. Getting started is as easy as a home run trot: create your account, invite your team, and start calling pitches. The Headset App is ready for download in the App Store and on Google Play. Swing for the fences and download today to get a 5-day free trial. And for a limited time, use ABCA24, when you buy your pass for next season and save 10%. Find out more at theheadsetapp.com.
Next up on the ABCA Podcast is University of Maryland strength and conditioning coach, Henry Bergmann. Bergmann is a strength and conditioning coach at the University of Maryland where he oversees all aspects of sports performance for the baseball team and track & field throwers. Before arriving in College Park, he spent two years at Towson University working with the women's basketball, baseball, and men's & women's golf teams. Prior to that, Bergmann was a graduate assistant sports performance coach at the University of Wyoming and also spent time at San Diego State University and the University of Minnesota working with their olympic sports teams. Originally from Minneapolis, Minnesota, Bergmann received his undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire. He is certified by the National Strength and Conditioning Association, United States Weightlifting, and U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more. Support for this episode is brought to you by The Headset App. Are you looking for a simple solution for coach to catcher communication for this season that doesn’t require bulky hardware in the dugout? Traditional communication gear can be a headache to set up and carry from game to game. But what if there was a game-changing solution? Introducing The Headset App – your new MVP in communication for coaches and catchers. Enjoy crystal-clear, ultra-HD audio without the major league price tag. It’s compatible with any Bluetooth headset or earbuds. Say goodbye to tangled wires and extra hardware. Ready to step up to the plate? Download The Headset App for free today. Getting started is as easy as a home run trot: create your account, invite your team, and start calling pitches. The Headset App is ready for download in the App Store and on Google Play. Swing for the fences and download today to get a 5-day free trial. And for a limited time, use ABCA24, when you buy your pass for next season and save 10%. Find out more at theheadsetapp.com
As we like to do with the ABCA Podcast in January, we are diving into all things nutrition with TCU Assistant AD for Sports Nutrition, Jessica Hylander. Hylander started her role as the Assistanat Director of Sports Nutrition at TCU in 2021. Prior to her fulltime position at TCU, she was a Sports Nutrition Graduate Assistant from 2019-2021. Hylander is a Registered Dietician (RD) through the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND) and is a licensed dietitian (LD) in the state of Texas. Hylander’s primary responsibility is assisting in the caring for the nutrition needs of all TCU’s student-athletes primarily through team education and individual counseling. Hylander is passionate about mentoring, mental health, and using up to date, evidence-based research and practices to improve her athletes performance. Hylander received her bachelor’s of science in Dietics, with a minor in chemistry from Olivet Nazarene University. Hylander went on to do her dietetic internship and receive a master’s degree in business administration (MBA) from Dominican University. Most recently, Hylander received an additional master’s degree in Higher Education Leadership (M. Ed) from TCU. Prior to TCU, Hylander was involved in the Sports Nutrition Departments at both Northwestern University and the University of Florida. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more. Support for this episode is brought to you by The Headset App. Are you looking for a simple solution for coach to catcher communication for this season that doesn’t require bulky hardware in the dugout? Traditional communication gear can be a headache to set up and carry from game to game. But what if there was a game-changing solution? Introducing The Headset App – your new MVP in communication for coaches and catchers. Enjoy crystal-clear, ultra-HD audio without the major league price tag. It’s compatible with any Bluetooth headset or earbuds. Say goodbye to tangled wires and extra hardware. Ready to step up to the plate? Download The Headset App for free today. Getting started is as easy as a home run trot: create your account, invite your team, and start calling pitches. The Headset App is ready for download in the App Store and on Google Play. Swing for the fences and download today to get a 5-day free trial. And for a limited time, use ABCA24, when you buy your pass for next season and save 10%. Find out more at theheadsetapp.com
Next on the ABCA Podcast is Jaeger Sports, Alan Jaeger. Jaeger is a longtime friend of the ABCA and one of the main reasons the podcast got started in 2016. We are starting something new in 2024 by providing an Inside Pitch Magazine preview episode with one of that edition’s contributors. Jaeger’s interview with Adam Revelette is titled “Put It in Neutral”. One page is not enough to go in depth on neutrality, so we dive deeper into the topic in this episode. Big shoutout to all of our contributors to the Convention edition and to Adam Revelette, Keith Madison and Jon Litchfield on all their hard work on Inside Pitch. Today officially kicks off the convention, so wishing everyone a great one! The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more. Support for this episode is brought to you by The Headset App. Are you looking for a simple solution for coach to catcher communication for this season that doesn’t require bulky hardware in the dugout? Traditional communication gear can be a headache to set up and carry from game to game. But what if there was a game-changing solution? Introducing The Headset App – your new MVP in communication for coaches and catchers. Enjoy crystal-clear, ultra-HD audio without the major league price tag. It’s compatible with any Bluetooth headset or earbuds. Say goodbye to tangled wires and extra hardware. Ready to step up to the plate? Download The Headset App for free today. Getting started is as easy as a home run trot: create your account, invite your team, and start calling pitches. The Headset App is ready for download in the App Store and on Google Play. Swing for the fences and download today to get a 5-day free trial. And for a limited time, use ABCA24, when you buy your pass for next season and save 10%. Find out more at theheadsetapp.com
Happy Convention Travel Day! This episode is with the ABCA Staff to help you get ready for the convention. Safe travels to everyone coming to the Gaylord Texan January 4 to January 7 or following along with the livestream. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more. Support for this episode is brought to you by The Headset App. Are you looking for a simple solution for coach to catcher communication for this season that doesn’t require bulky hardware in the dugout? Traditional communication gear can be a headache to set up and carry from game to game. But what if there was a game-changing solution? Introducing The Headset App – your new MVP in communication for coaches and catchers. Enjoy crystal-clear, ultra-HD audio without the major league price tag. It’s compatible with any Bluetooth headset or earbuds. Say goodbye to tangled wires and extra hardware. Ready to step up to the plate? Download The Headset App for free today. Getting started is as easy as a home run trot: create your account, invite your team, and start calling pitches. The Headset App is ready for download in the App Store and on Google Play. Swing for the fences and download today to get a 5-day free trial. And for a limited time, use ABCA24, when you buy your pass for next season and save 10%. Find out more at theheadsetapp.com
As we keep rolling for convention week, this week’s ABCA Podcast guest is the Marines Captain Alexander Goetz. Goetz was born in Denver, CO where he graduated from Regis Jesuit High School. Goetz was a 4-year varsity letter winner in baseball. Goetz played baseball at Princeton University and was the 2011 Ivy League Closer of the Year. After graduation, Goetz reported to Officer Candidate School and completed the 10-week Officer Candidate Course and was then assigned the MOS of 1802, Tank Officer, at The Basic School where he received further training at Armor Basic Officer Leader Course in Fort Benning, GA. Goetz served as the Marine Officer Instructor of the Auburn-Tuskegee NROTC Consortium and has his Master’s Degree in Sports Coaching. Currently Goetz lives in Charlotte, NC and works with Tread Athletics. The Marines sponsored our barnstormers events this Fall. The Marines will also be at the convention sponsoring our Rookie Mentorship meeting, have an Expo Theater presentation and our available to talk on their on campus initiative in Booth #1029. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more. Support for this episode is brought to you by The Headset App. Are you looking for a simple solution for coach to catcher communication for this season that doesn’t require bulky hardware in the dugout? Traditional communication gear can be a headache to set up and carry from game to game. But what if there was a game-changing solution? Introducing The Headset App – your new MVP in communication for coaches and catchers. Enjoy crystal-clear, ultra-HD audio without the major league price tag. It’s compatible with any Bluetooth headset or earbuds. Say goodbye to tangled wires and extra hardware. Ready to step up to the plate? Download The Headset App for free today. Getting started is as easy as a home run trot: create your account, invite your team, and start calling pitches. The Headset App is ready for download in the App Store and on Google Play. Swing for the fences and download today to get a 5-day free trial. And for a limited time, use ABCA24, when you buy your pass for next season and save 10%. Find out more at theheadsetapp.com
Next up on the ABCA Podcast is 2024 ABCA Hall of Fame class inductee former Miami head coach, Jim Morris. Morris retired in 2020. In his 25-season tenure at Miami, no program has qualified for the College World Series as much as Morris and the Hurricanes. Miami which qualified for the NCAA Tournament a college baseball record 44 consecutive years, made it to Omaha in 13 of Morris’ 25 seasons in Coral Gables. Morris set an NCAA record for guiding a program to the CWS in each of his first six seasons at Miami. A three-time national coach of the year and 2008 Atlantic Coast Conference Coach of the Year, Morris won almost 1100 games at Miami and including his 12 years at Georgia Tech he is 10 wins shy of 1600 wins at the Div. I level. Overall, Morris was the head coach at the collegiate level for 41 seasons, spending the first four at Dekalb (Ga.) Community College from 1976-1979, and registered 1721 wins total. Morris was inducted into the National College Baseball Hall of Fame in 2020. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more. Support for this episode is brought to you by The Headset App. Are you looking for a simple solution for coach to catcher communication for this season that doesn’t require bulky hardware in the dugout? Traditional communication gear can be a headache to set up and carry from game to game. But what if there was a game-changing solution? Introducing The Headset App – your new MVP in communication for coaches and catchers. Enjoy crystal-clear, ultra-HD audio without the major league price tag. It’s compatible with any Bluetooth headset or earbuds. Say goodbye to tangled wires and extra hardware. Ready to step up to the plate? Download The Headset App for free today. Getting started is as easy as a home run trot: create your account, invite your team, and start calling pitches. The Headset App is ready for download in the App Store and on Google Play. Swing for the fences and download today to get a 5-day free trial. And for a limited time, use ABCA24, when you buy your pass for next season and save 10%. Find out more at theheadsetapp.com
This week on the ABCA Podcast is 2024 ABCA Hall of Fame class inductee former Alabama head coach, Jim Wells. Wells retired in 2009, in his 15 seasons at Alabama he finished as all-time winningest coach for the Crimson Tide, most SEC wins in that time period, three trips to Omaha and tied for most SEC tournament titles with Skip Bertman and Paul Maineiri. Wells led the Crimson Tide to back-to-back CWS appearances in 96’ and 97’. Wells got his start in coaching as a 7th grade baseball coach. Wells joined Skip Bertman’s LSU staff as a graduate assistant in 1987. Wells went back to his alma mater Northwestern State in 1990 as head coach. Wells first season at Northwestern State they posted 38 wins and had not had a winning season in 13 years. Wells did the same thing at Alabama in 1995 winning 42 games which was most wins for a first-year head coach since 1907. Success followed Wells to every spot he went to and finished with 817 wins in 21 seasons as a head coach. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more. Support for this episode is brought to you by The Headset App. Are you looking for a simple solution for coach to catcher communication for this season that doesn’t require bulky hardware in the dugout? Traditional communication gear can be a headache to set up and carry from game to game. But what if there was a game-changing solution? Introducing The Headset App – your new MVP in communication for coaches and catchers. Enjoy crystal-clear, ultra-HD audio without the major league price tag. It’s compatible with any Bluetooth headset or earbuds. Say goodbye to tangled wires and extra hardware. Ready to step up to the plate? Download The Headset App for free today. Getting started is as easy as a home run trot: create your account, invite your team, and start calling pitches. The Headset App is ready for download in the App Store and on Google Play. Swing for the fences and download today to get a 5-day free trial. And for a limited time, use ABCA24, when you buy your pass for next season and save 10%. Find out more at theheadsetapp.com
Next up on the ABCA Podcast is 2024 ABCA Hall of Fame class inductee Nova High School head coach and athletic director, Pat McQuaid. McQuaid is a Nova grad and played collegiately at Catawba. He received his Masters from Appalachian State and was a graduate assistant football coach. McQuaid began coaching baseball at Nova in 1974. In 45 seasons at Nova McQuaid compiled 947 wins, 18 District Titles, 2 State Championships and 1 National Title. McQuaid spent time coaching football, cross country and took over athletic director duties in 2001. McQuaid is the baseball chairman for the Florida Athletic Coaches Association and a member of the FHSAA Baseball Advisory Committee. McQuaid is in the Florida High School Association and Broward County Hall of Fame. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more. Support for this episode is brought to you by The Headset App. Are you looking for a simple solution for coach to catcher communication for this season that doesn’t require bulky hardware in the dugout? Traditional communication gear can be a headache to set up and carry from game to game. But what if there was a game-changing solution? Introducing The Headset App – your new MVP in communication for coaches and catchers. Enjoy crystal-clear, ultra-HD audio without the major league price tag. It’s compatible with any Bluetooth headset or earbuds. Say goodbye to tangled wires and extra hardware. Ready to step up to the plate? Download The Headset App for free today. Getting started is as easy as a home run trot: create your account, invite your team, and start calling pitches. The Headset App is ready for download in the App Store and on Google Play. Swing for the fences and download today to get a 5-day free trial. And for a limited time, use ABCA24, when you buy your pass for next season and save 10%. Find out more at theheadsetapp.com
Joining us this week on the ABCA Podcast is 2024 ABCA Hall of Fame class inductee Chelsea High School head coach and athletic director, Wayne Welton. Welton spent more than 30 years coaching the Bulldogs and became the Ann Arbor-area’s winningest coach with 767 wins, including a Class B state title in 1991. Welton also earned 13 Southeastern Conference titles and eight regional championships. The Chelsea native also served as the school’s athletic director for more than two decades and spent 10 years as the director of baseball at the University of Michigan. He worked for Rich Maloney and Erik Bakich during his tenure with the Wolverines. Helping them to a runner-up finish at the 2019 College World Series. Welton is still active with the MHSAA helping mentor first time athletic directors and was inducted into their hall of fame in 2003. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more. Support for this episode is brought to you by The Headset App. Are you looking for a simple solution for coach to catcher communication for this season that doesn’t require bulky hardware in the dugout? Traditional communication gear can be a headache to set up and carry from game to game. But what if there was a game-changing solution? Introducing The Headset App – your new MVP in communication for coaches and catchers. Enjoy crystal-clear, ultra-HD audio without the major league price tag. It’s compatible with any Bluetooth headset or earbuds. Say goodbye to tangled wires and extra hardware. Ready to step up to the plate? Download The Headset App for free today. Getting started is as easy as a home run trot: create your account, invite your team, and start calling pitches. The Headset App is ready for download in the App Store and on Google Play. Swing for the fences and download today to get a 5-day free trial. And for a limited time, use ABCA24, when you buy your pass for next season and save 10%. Find out more at theheadsetapp.com
Next up on the ABCA Podcast is 2024 ABCA Hall of Fame class inductee Georgia Tech head coach, Danny Hall. Hall has coached 36 seasons as a head coach at Kent State and Georgia Tech, closing in on 1400 wins. Hall is the Yellowjackets all-time winningest coach and the all-time winningest Div. I head coach in the state of Georgia. Prior to his time at Kent State and Georgia Tech, Hall was an assistant coach at Michigan and Miami (OH). Hall’s first year at Georgia Tech (94’), he led the Yellowjackets to a runner-up finish at the College World Series. Hall has led the Yellowjackets to 3 College World Series appearances, 23 NCAA Regionals, 6 Super Regionals and 5 ACC tournament championships. Hall is one of the best player development coaches in the game having coached some of the best players of their generation in Barry Larkin, Jim Abbott, Chris Sabo, Nomar Garciaparra, Jason Varitek, Jay Payton, Mark Teixeira, Matt Wieters and Charlie Blackmon. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more. Support for this episode is brought to you by The Headset App. Are you looking for a simple solution for coach to catcher communication for this season that doesn’t require bulky hardware in the dugout? Traditional communication gear can be a headache to set up and carry from game to game. But what if there was a game-changing solution? Introducing The Headset App – your new MVP in communication for coaches and catchers. Enjoy crystal-clear, ultra-HD audio without the major league price tag. It’s compatible with any Bluetooth headset or earbuds. Say goodbye to tangled wires and extra hardware. Ready to step up to the plate? Download The Headset App for free today. Getting started is as easy as a home run trot: create your account, invite your team, and start calling pitches. The Headset App is ready for download in the App Store and on Google Play. Swing for the fences and download today to get a 5-day free trial. And for a limited time, use ABCA24, when you buy your pass for next season and save 10%. Find out more at theheadsetapp.com
This week on the ABCA Podcast is 2024 ABCA Hall of Fame class inductee LSU Eunice head coach and Athletic Director, Jeff Willis. Willis is entering his 22nd season as skipper of the Bengals baseball team and 20th year as Athletic Director. LSU Eunice has won seven NJCAA National Championships, tying them for most championships in a sport by one school. Willis was inducted into the NJCAA Hall of Fame in 2023. In going into the ABCA Hall of Fame, Willis becomes the first NJCAA coach in the State of Louisiana to be inducted. He joins an illustrious group of Bayou State skippers Skip Bertman, Paul Mainieri, Roger Cador and Tony Robichaux who are also enshrined in the ABCA Hall of Fame. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more. Support for this episode is brought to you by The Headset App. Are you looking for a simple solution for coach to catcher communication for this season that doesn’t require bulky hardware in the dugout? Traditional communication gear can be a headache to set up and carry from game to game. But what if there was a game-changing solution? Introducing The Headset App – your new MVP in communication for coaches and catchers. Enjoy crystal-clear, ultra-HD audio without the major league price tag. It’s compatible with any Bluetooth headset or earbuds. Say goodbye to tangled wires and extra hardware. Ready to step up to the plate? Download The Headset App for free today. Getting started is as easy as a home run trot: create your account, invite your team, and start calling pitches. The Headset App is ready for download in the App Store and on Google Play. Swing for the fences and download today to get a 5-day free trial. And for a limited time, use ABCA24, when you buy your pass for next season and save 10%. Find out more at theheadsetapp.com
Next up on the ABCA Podcast is 2024 ABCA Hall of Fame class inductee, Brian O’Connor. O’Connor is a five-time ACC Coach of the Year and three-time National Coach of the Year. Virginia was named the ACC Program of the Decade by D1Baseball.com. O’Connor is heading into his 21st season as head coach of the Cavaliers. In O’Connor’s tenure with the Cavaliers they have one National Championship in 2015, 6 College World Series appearances, 14 straight NCAA tournament appearances and 9 NCAA regional championships. O’Connor has 839 wins at UVA and his .704 winning percentage is the highest among active NCAA coaches. UVA’s program is built on great recruiting and development. 29 Cavaliers that have played for O’Connor and Kevin McMullan have made it to the big leagues. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more. Support for this episode is brought to you by The Headset App. Are you looking for a simple solution for coach to catcher communication for this season that doesn’t require bulky hardware in the dugout? Traditional communication gear can be a headache to set up and carry from game to game. But what if there was a game-changing solution? Introducing The Headset App – your new MVP in communication for coaches and catchers. Enjoy crystal-clear, ultra-HD audio without the major league price tag. It’s compatible with any Bluetooth headset or earbuds. Say goodbye to tangled wires and extra hardware. Ready to step up to the plate? Download The Headset App for free today. Getting started is as easy as a home run trot: create your account, invite your team, and start calling pitches. The Headset App is ready for download in the App Store and on Google Play. Swing for the fences and download today to get a 5-day free trial. And for a limited time, use ABCA24, when you buy your pass for next season and save 10%. Find out more at theheadsetapp.com
This week on the ABCA Podcast we are joined by Tidewater Phillies and Grassfield High School’s Lee Banks. Banks has been a staple on the travel baseball scene for over 25 years. Banks’ initial travel squad was the Tidewater Mets then transitioned to the Tidewater Orioles. Over his career, Banks has had the opportunity to coach future big leaguers Michael Cuddyer, Jason Dubois, David Wright, BJ Upton, Justin Upton, Ryan Zimmerman and Mark Reynolds. Banks coaches travel and high school baseball part-time, he is a full-time consultant for Cox Media. Banks is an 89’ graduate of Norfolk State. In this episode we cover high school & travel baseball, tips for parents in the process, coaching elite players, the impact that Virginia coaches & scouts had on both of us and keeping coaching simple. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more. Support for this episode is brought to you by The Headset App. Are you looking for a simple solution for coach to catcher communication for this season that doesn’t require bulky hardware in the dugout? Traditional communication gear can be a headache to set up and carry from game to game. But what if there was a game-changing solution? Introducing The Headset App – your new MVP in communication for coaches and catchers. Enjoy crystal-clear, ultra-HD audio without the major league price tag. It’s compatible with any Bluetooth headset or earbuds. Say goodbye to tangled wires and extra hardware. Ready to step up to the plate? Download The Headset App for free today. Getting started is as easy as a home run trot: create your account, invite your team, and start calling pitches. The Headset App is ready for download in the App Store and on Google Play. Swing for the fences and download today to get a 5-day free trial. And for a limited time, use ABCA24, when you buy your pass for next season and save 10%. Find out more at theheadsetapp.com
Next up on the ABCA Podcast is this year’s Dave Keilitz Ethics in Coaching Award winner Lee University head coach, Mark Brew. Following 10 seasons as an assistant coach for the Flames under ABCA Hall of Fame coach, Dave Altopp, Brew took over the Lee baseball program in 2007. Now in his 18th season as the program’s head coach, Brew has guided his teams to 671 wins. The Flames advanced to the NAIA World Series in each of Brew’s first seven seasons as head coach while reaching the 50-win mark each season. In 2008 Brew was named the NAIA National Coach of the Year after leading the Flames to a 63-win season and runner-up finish at the NAIA World Series. After transitioning to NCAA Div. II and the Gulf South Conference in 2014, Brew has led the Flames to back to back NCAA Tournament appearances in 2021 and 2022. A 30-year member of the ABCA, Brew currently serves on the ABCA’s College Playing Rules Committee and our NCAA Competition Committee. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more. Support for this episode is brought to you by The Headset App. Are you looking for a simple solution for coach to catcher communication for this season that doesn’t require bulky hardware in the dugout? Traditional communication gear can be a headache to set up and carry from game to game. But what if there was a game-changing solution? Introducing The Headset App – your new MVP in communication for coaches and catchers. Enjoy crystal-clear, ultra-HD audio without the major league price tag. It’s compatible with any Bluetooth headset or earbuds. Say goodbye to tangled wires and extra hardware. Ready to step up to the plate? Download The Headset App for free today. Getting started is as easy as a home run trot: create your account, invite your team, and start calling pitches. The Headset App is ready for download in the App Store and on Google Play. Swing for the fences and download today to get a 5-day free trial. And for a limited time, use ABCA24, when you buy your pass for next season and save 10%. Find out more at theheadsetapp.com
This week on the ABCA Podcast is ABCA/ATEC Div. I High School Coach of the Year Lewisburg head coach, Rusty Cagle. Lewisburg High School has won their first ever 6A State Championship and second overall in school history. The Patriots finished the season with a 29-8 record. Cagle is one of the few remaining staff members from the start of Lewisburg High School and teaches social studies in addition to his role as athletic director and baseball coach. Cagle started the program 17 years ago. The Patriots also won a 4A State Championship early in Cagle’s tenure at Lewisburg. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
Next up on the ABCA Podcast is ABCA/ATEC Div. III Coach of the Year University of Lynchburg head coach, Lucas Jones. Jones is a Lynchburg alum so this was a special season for him bringing home Lynchburg’s first National Championship. Jones took over the Hornets program in 2017 from his head coaching position at Washington and Lee. Jones also had experience as a Div. I assistant coach with stops at VCU and George Mason. The 2023 Hornets squad had 48 wins and captured their 10th ODAC title, first regional, super-regional and National Championship. Jones announced this summer he was stepping away from the program to focus on his mental health. This is an open and honest conversation on what coaches go through on a daily basis. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
We head back over to the player development side on this week’s ABCA Podcast with Cubs Minor League Hitting Coordinator, Rachel Folden. Folden was a standout player at Marshall being inducted into their Hall of Fame. After college, Folden spent time playing for the Chicago Bandits. Folden spent 1 season coaching at Valparaiso University and left coaching to focus on running her own training facility, Folden Fastpitch. Folden was hired by the Cubs in November 20’ as a minor league hitting coach and she has made an immediate impact on the organization working her way up to Minor League Hitting Coordinator. This is a wide-open conversation on developing hitters so get your pad and pen ready. Folden gives us great advice on coaching hitters in this episode. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
Joining us on the ABCA Podcast this week is ABCA/ATEC NAIA Coach of the Year Westmont College head coach, Tyler LaTorre. LaTorre guided Westmont to a 48-9 record and their first NAIA Championship in his inaugural season as head coach. Westmont is transitioning to Div. II this season, so it was a great way to cap off their final season of NAIA baseball. LaTorre had multiple coaching stops at San Jose State, San Francisco State and Sacramento State before taking over the Westmont program. LaTorre played collegiately at UC-Davis from 2002-2006 and professionally with the San Francisco Giants from 2006-2015. LaTorre was also a catcher for the Italian National team from 2012-2016, competing in the World Baseball Classic in 2013. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
We head back over to the high school side with ABCA All America Committee member and ABCA/ATEC Div. III Coach of the Year, Scott Steltz. Steltz has led Chatham High School to back-to-back State Championships in New York. Steltz has over 25 years of teaching, coaching and administrative experience. Chatham High School is a great example of what happens when kids play baseball together all the way through their careers, a majority of Chatham players having played Little League together. Steltz is also on the youth and facility side giving lessons and coaching his own kids in youth baseball. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
Next up on the ABCA podcast is ABCA/ATEC Div. I Coach of the Year, LSU head coach, Jay Johnson. Johnson led LSU to this year’s National Championship and was his third appearance in Omaha with two previous at the University of Arizona. Johnson got his coaching start at Point Loma with ABCA Hall of Famer Dr. Carroll Land after he finished playing. Johnson continued his coaching journey in Southern California heading to San Diego to be the recruiting coordinator. Johnson put together top 25 recruiting classes while he was at San Diego including Golden Spikes award winner and future MLB star Kris Bryant. Johnson took over the Nevada program in 2014 being named Mountain West Coach of the Year in 2015. Johnson coached at Arizona from 2016-2021 taking the Wildcats to 2 World Series appearances and playing for the National Championship in 2016. Johnson was hired by LSU in the Fall of 2021. Johnson has a blueprint for recruiting and developing players and it is no different now that he is with the Tigers’ program. This episode is a deep dive into running an elite program, coaching elite players, recruiting and player development. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
This week on the ABCA Podcast is Mizzou assistant coach, Jabari Brown. Brown is entering his first season with the Tigers program after ABCA 4th Vice President Kerrick Jackson took over this past Summer. Brown spent the last 2 years on Tim Corbin’s staff at Vanderbilt, becoming the first recipient of the Maggie Corbin Minority Baseball Apprenticeship Scholarship. Brown coached at Eastern Kentucky University and received his Master’s degree in Sports Administration, while he was in Richmond, KY. Brown got his coaching start at Claflin University where he was a 4 year starter. In this episode we cover player development, strength training, finding the right mentors, the Chicago White Sox ACE program, and how to handle coaching at a new program. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
Joining us on the ABCA Podcast this week is ABCA/ATEC NJCAA Div. III Coach of the Year Rowan College head coach, Rob Valli. Valli guided Rowan to a 53-5 record and an NJCAA Championship this season. Valli has taken Rowan to 12 out of the last 13 NJCAA World Series. Valli is entering his 24th season of collegiate baseball with 20 years of experience as a head coach. Valli has over 650 wins averaging 35 wins per season. Rowan College and Coach Valli have a great track record of sending players onto the pro and 4 year level with 69 going into professional baseball and 7 big leaguers so this episode is a deep dive into player development. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
This week on the ABCA Podcast is ABCA/ATEC Div. II High School Coach of the Year McPherson head coach, Heath Gerstner. McPherson High School has won back to back Kansas 4A State Championships. The Bullpups finished the season with a 21-4 record and outscored their tournament opponents 23-5. Gerstner is on the ABCA High School All America Committee and is a great example of why all high school coaches should be ABCA members. This episode is a deep dive into running a championship high school program. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
Joining us on the ABCA Podcast this week is ABCA/ATEC Div. II Coach of the Year Angelo State head coach, Kevin Brooks. Brooks has guided the Angelo State baseball program to six NCAA Div. II College World Series appearances and captured the program’s first National Championship this year. Brooks is the only head coach in ASU baseball history and has not had a losing season during his tenure. The Rams are the only Lone Star Conference team to make the College World Series. The Rams finished with a 56-9 record, setting the program and LSC record for wins in a season. Brooks is a graduate of Baylor University and had previous coaching stints at Incarnate Word, Texas A&M, UTSA and Hardin-Simmons University. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
Next up on the ABCA Podcast is Kofa High School head coach, Gabe Ortiz. Ortiz was honored with the 2023 Central Valley Region Coach of the Year Award after Kofa went 11-1 in region play. Ortiz is also a USA Baseball veteran helping with the Socal/SW NTIS and helping with the USA Baseball trials in Cary, NC. Ortiz has been at the forefront of outfield development. Ortiz spoke at the 2022 ABCA Chicago convention. I would highly recommend going back and watching his talk on developing athletic outfielders if you haven’t seen it. Ortiz will also be speaking at our UC-San Diego Barnstormers this Fall on reimagining your warm-up. He has some great ideas on an actionable warm-up to get your players game ready. Ortiz gives us a bunch of great nuggets in this one so get your pad and pen ready. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
This week on the ABCA Podcast is ABCA ATEC NJCAA Div. I Coach of the Year, Marty Smith. Smith has been the head coach at the College of Central Florida for 28 seasons with 865 career wins. The Patriots finished this season with 56 wins and winning their first World Series Championship in Grand Junction. Smith has a long history in the game and has been around some the best coaches we have had playing for Paul Mainieri at St. Thomas and coaching with Demie Mainieri at Miami Dade. Smith has a tremendous track record of producing high level 4 year college and professional baseball players. This is a great episode on being a lifelong learner. Smith has continued to push the College of Central Florida program forward by adjusting with the times. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
ABCA Podcast Part II with Nate Trosky. Trosky is one of the most forward-thinking infield coaches we have in the baseball community. Trosky has always had the ability to think outside the box and implement new ideas into his training. We had to end part I due to technical difficulties, but ended up being a huge positive because it allowed us to reset and go more in depth at a later date. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
Joining us on the ABCA Podcast this week is one of the best infield minds we have in the game, Nate Trosky. There isn’t a place in the world that Trosky hasn’t touched coaching infielders. Trosky has been pushing the envelope in developing infielders for over 30 years. Trosky has contributed to over 10,000 players playing in college and over 500 in professional baseball including 20 plus first round MLB selections. This is a wide-open conversation on developing infielders. This is Part I of a two part series with Nate. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
The final on location episode takes us to Cedar Rapids, IA for the Div. III National Championship. We had a chance to sit down with Johns Hopkins’ Bob Babb, Baldwin Wallace’s Brian Harrison, Endicott’s Bryan Haley, Lacrosse’s Chris Schwartz, East Texas Baptist’s Jared Hood, Miscricordia’s Pete Engbert, Salisbury’s Troy Brohawn and Lynchburg’s Lucas Jones. Congrats to Lucas Jones and the Lynchburg program for capturing their first National Championship. Once again, thanks to all the coaches who took time to sit down with me. It is an extremely hectic time for coaches and can’t thank them enough for carving out time out of their busy schedules. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
Joining us on the ABCA Podcast this week is North Carolina A&T recruiting coordinator, Elliott McCummings. McCummings has been an assistant for the Aggies since October 2021. Besides recruiting responsibilities, McCummings coaches the outfielders and hitters. Prior to A&T, McCummings spent time coaching at Austin Peay, Radford and Louisburg College. McCummings collegiate career started at Potomac State and finished at Jacksonville State. McCummings was a NJCAA second-team All-America freshman in 2013. In this episode we cover coaching outfielders, baserunning, hitting, the ABCA Diversity Committee, his coaching path and the mentors he has had along the way. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
Two more weeks of on location episodes. This week we head to Enid, OK for the NJCAA Divi. II Championship. Enid is another bucket list location for a baseball fan. The NJCAA and the town of Enid provide a phenomenal student-athlete experience. These interviews were going on during the tournament, so thanks to the coaches for sitting down with me. In this episode we will hear from Frederick’s Rodney Bennett, St. John’s Rivers’ Ross Jones, Lackawanna’s Mike McCarry, South Arkansas’ Cannon Lester, Lansing’ Steven Cutter, Southeastern’s Justin Schulte and Heartland’s Chris Razo. Congrats to Heartland for bringing home their first NJCAA Baseball Championship. My Mother, Candace, was enrollment director there for a long time so happy for her and the Hawks. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
This week’s ABCA Podcast is an on-location episode from Lewiston, ID for the NAIA World Series. It was my first time in Lewiston and was impressed with how the event was run. The ABCA and Lewiston host a youth clinic the night before the tournament starts and had 600 kids this year. Lewis Clark State has hosted the National Tournament for 21 years. In this episode we will hear from Indiana Wesleyan’s Rich Benjamin, Taylor’s Kyle Gould, Bellevue’s Duane Monlux, Georgia Gwinnett’s Jeremy Sheetinger, Cumberlands Brad Shelton, Southeastern’s Adrian Dinkel, MidAmerica Nazarene’s Ryan Thompson, Lewis Clark’s Jake Taylor, and Westmont’s Tyler LaTorre. Congrats to Westmont for winning their first NAIA Championship. As always, I appreciate the coaches for taking time out of their schedules to sit down with me. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
We head over to youth baseball on this week’s ABCA Podcast. David Klein is the founder of Menlo Parks Legends Baseball and Speedball. Klein has been recognized by the Positive Coaching Alliance for his work with youth baseball. Klein founded Legends Camp in 2008. Klein is a self-described “Experience Designer & Holistic Coach”. Klein finished his college baseball career at UC-Santa Barbara and had a chance to play on the Jewish National Team for ABCA Hall of Famer, Jerry Weinstein. In this episode we cover holistic coaching, fixes for youth baseball, speedball, coaching this generation of kids and how to create a fun environment for players. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
Next up on the ABCA Podcast is K25 and Top Tier West Owner & Director, Kris Jenkins. Jenkins has been coaching & training 6 year olds up to collegiate athletes for the last 16 years. The K25 facility is located in Aurora, west of Chicago where Jenkins grew up. Jenkins got his start coaching at Plainfield South High School. Jenkins was a tremendous 3 sport athlete at West Aurora High School and played collegiately at Triton and Illinois State University. Jenkins has great feel for blending new technology into coaching this generations’ baseball and softball players. You can watch his Barnstormers talk he gave on hitting on the website. In this episode we cover training, certifications, coaching hitters and differences between running a facility & coaching on the field. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
We have two very special guests on this week’s ABCA Podcast with the Kansas City Royals’ Shon Plack and Mike Arbuckle. Plack is the Manager of Sport Development for the Royals. Arbuckle is the Senior Advisor to the GM for Scouting and Player Development. Both have a wealth of experience in the game. Plack previously worked for PBR, Building Champions and coached at Avila. Arbuckle has worked at every level of professional baseball as a scout, getting his start in scouting with the Phillies and Braves. Arbuckle was the Assistant GM for the Phillies before coming over to the Royals. The Kansas City Royals have been at the forefront of community involvement in youth baseball and softball. Their Urban Youth Academy is a phenomenal facility in the heart of Kansas City. The Royals recently started “The Royals Amateur Development System”, R.A.D.S. which has a website full of information for youth baseball development. The Royals are in partnerships with 15 youth leagues in the metro Kansas City area in both baseball and softball. The link to the website is royals.mobilecoach.org. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
Joining us on the ABCA Podcast this week are the Walking Tall Movement founders Dr. Vanetta LaRosa, Todd Blyleven and Chris Maliszewski. The Walking Tall Movement was born out of tragic events with Todd being involved in the Las Vegas shooting and Chris being involved in the Highland Park shooting. Their mission statement is “To inspire humanity to Walk Tall for those suffering with their mental health until they can Walk Tall on their own”. LaRosa is the founder of Helping Hands Children Services and received her Doctorate from SIU in Educational Psychology and Applied Behavior Analysis. Blyleven is the founder of the Scout Hub and was on the podcast with me in the Summer of 22’. Maliszewski played for and coached with me at the University of Iowa and now runs the Highland Park park district. My hope with this episode is to make it okay for people to open up and be vulnerable about their struggles during life’s journey. This is an open and honest conversation with the four of us. I hope that it helps someone out there be okay with reaching out when you are struggling or need help. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
Next up on the ABCA Podcast is Colorada Mesa head coach, Chris Hanks. Hanks is in his 25th season with the Mavericks winning over 1000 games. He has averaged 40 wins a season. Hanks is a 24-year continuous member of the ABCA and has been an active committee member for the organization as Div. II Committee Chair. Hanks is also a member of the Competition, Organization and Rules Committees. Hanks has the Mavericks rolling this season with a 48-9 record and a 20 game winning streak heading into Super Regional play against Angelo State (May 26-27). Hanks was a standout player at the College of Southern Idaho being name to the NJCAA Golden Anniversary Team. The NJCAA honored 20 players and 2 coaches from the last 50 years. Hanks is an avid reader, so we dive into his favorite leadership books. We also cover leadership training, hitting development, what he has learned over his playing and coaching career and how he has changed his players workload late in the season to handle post season play. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
Next up on the ABCA Podcast is Andrean High School head coach, Dave Pishkur. Pishkur started teaching at Andrean in 1977. Since then, he has built a powerhouse program in Northern Indiana. Pishkur has over 1000 wins and is now tied with Lafayette Central Catholic and ABCA member Tim Bordenet with 8 Indiana State Championships. Pishkur is a great example of persistence as it took him 25 years to win his first state championship. Pishkur has also found a way to stay current in his coaching with Andrean baseball having HitTrax, KVest and IPitch. In this episode we cover how to win a championship, developing high school athletes, blending new and old coaching techniques and Andrean baseball’s pillars for their program. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
Joining us on the ABCA Podcast this week is Aberdeen Iron Birds manager, Roberto Mercado. Mercado is entering his second season as manager with the Orioles High A affiliate. Mercado spent 19 seasons coaching at New Britain High School and five seasons in the Cape Cod League with the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox with ABCA Hall of Famer Scott Pickler. In this episode we cover the transition from coaching amateur to professional baseball, what he learned coaching high school and elite college players, outfield play, his role as manager, the outfield zoom chat we started during COVID and what he got out of presenting at the 2023 ABCA convention in Nashville. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
Next up on the ABCA Podcast is Boston Red Sox catching coordinator, Tyson Blaser. Blaser is entering his first season with the Red Sox after 6 years working in the Yankees organization. Blaser signed a free agent contract with the Yankees out of the University of Iowa in 2011. Blaser spent 4 seasons playing in the Yankees organization. After he was released, Blaser started coaching and teaching at United Township High School in the Quad Cities. Blaser still gives lessons to youth and high school players in the offseason. This is a special episode for me since Tyson played for me at the University of Iowa from 2007-2011. In this episode we cover tips on getting a job in pro ball, all ages catching development, how to handle players with injuries and how to make things work in pro ball with your family. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
On this week’s ABCA Podcast we check in with Coastal Carolina Associate Head Coach, Kevin Schnall. Schnall’s fingerprints are all over the Chanticleers program as a player and 20 years as an assistant coach. In Schnall’s 20 seasons, the Chanticleers have 15 NCAA Div. I Regional appearances, 35 All-Americans, top 5 winning percentage in Div. I, 13 conference tournament championships and the 2016 Div. I National Championship. Schnall spent 3 seasons (2013-15) at Central Florida. In this episode we cover recruiting and player development. I have a lot of respect for Coach Schnall and what he has done over the course of his career, so was excited to have him on. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
Next up on the ABCA Podcast is Advanced Baseball Academy owner and ABCA Travel Committee member, Luke Town. Town has been working with baseball and softball players for 33 years. Town is also an NFCA member. Town has been studying biomechanics since 2000. Advanced Baseball Academy trains baseball and softball players from ages 8 up through professional. They have over 400 athletes in their organization. Advanced Baseball Academy implements suicide and bully prevention training as soon as athletes join the organization. This is an impactful episode on how to introduce this type of training with your organization. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
Joining us on this week’s ABCA Podcast is Thomas Jefferson High School, Alexandria Aces, EWBC and DC Girls Baseball coach, Jennifer Hammond. Hammond also works for the Washington Nationals on the game day entertainment side. Hammond spent 5 seasons at Falls Church High School serving as Associate Head Coach of the JV Baseball Team and Varsity Assistant Coach. In this episode we cover catching, in game tips, coaching journey and differences in coaching youth, high school and college players. This is our second installment of our monthly diversity spotlight episodes. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
Next up on the ABCA Podcast is Cox High School head coach, Matt Ittner. Ittner is in his sixth season at the helm of the Cox baseball program. Ittner is a 2008 graduate of Cox High School, where he was a 3-year varsity letterman for the baseball team. Ittner played baseball at College of Albermarle and Virginia Wesleyan. Ittner spent time at Salem High School and JV head coach at Cox. The 2021 Cox baseball team won the 5A State Championship. Get your pad and pen ready because Coach Ittner has a wealth of information and resources on program building. In this episode we cover the Iron Falcon Challenge, player development, game tips, how to manage your staff and how Cox baseball uses their military area to develop team building. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
This week on the ABCA podcast we head back into the training world with Rockland Peak Performance owner, Nunzio Signore. Rockland Peak Performance is a high-performance indoor training facility located in north New Jersey. RPP trains professional and amateur baseball players. Signore is the author of Velocity Baseball Training and Pitchers Arm Care. Signore has written articles for the ABCA’s Inside Pitch Magazine and has spoken at many of the larger baseball clinics in the US. Signore also has served as an adjunct professor at St. Thomas Aquinas College, teaching theories and applications of strength and conditioning. In addition, he is a lecturer at Springfield College, SUNY Cortland, and Penn State. In this episode we cover VBT, remote training, long term athlete development and new & old training protocols. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
Next up on the ABCA Podcast is Troy University head coach, Skylar Meade. Meade is heading into his second season as head coach of the Trojans. Meade led Troy to a 32-win season and an appearance in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament semifinals last year. Meade spent 14 years as an assistant coach with stops at South Carolina, Michigan State, Middle Tennessee State and Eastern Illinois. Meade played collegiately at Louisville and led the Cardinals to a CWS appearance his senior season in 07’. Meade is highly regarded in the baseball industry as an elite pitching coach and recruiter. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
I want to thank everyone for listening to the ABCA Podcast. This is my 200th episode since taking over. I am so thankful for everyone that listens in every week. I appreciate when people reach out about what is speaking to them with the episodes. As always, I hope I am asking the right questions for you all. The ABCA Podcast was nominated for the Sports Podcast Awards again this year. If you want to vote for us, head over to sportspodcastgroup.com and put a vote in for the ABCA Podcast. We are starting monthly minority spotlight episodes. Kicking us off is Georgetown University Associate Head Coach and Recruiting Coordinator, Julius McDougal. McDougal was an integral part of the Hoyas’ historic 2022 season breaking program records for wins, home runs, total bases and end of season RPI. McDougal has had success at every stop of the way helping turn around Eastern Kentucky with back to back 30 win seasons in 18’ & 19’. Prior to Eastern Kentucky, McDougal, was an assistant and head coach at Stillman College. He got his coaching start as an assistant at Kentucky State University in 14’. This is a great episode on developing a winning culture, player development and coaching hitters. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
This week’s ABCA Podcast guest is current professional baseball player, Nashville artist and Proud To Be In Baseball cofounder, Bryan Ruby. Ruby played high school baseball for his father in Pennsylvania and collegiately at Vassar College. Ruby is currently playing for the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes in Oregon. In the offseason he works in Nashville writing songs for country music. Heading into his senior season at Vassar, Ruby decided to come out to his coaches and teammates. Since then he has been an advocate for LGBTQ baseball players. Proud To Be In Baseball had a booth at the Nashville convention this year. Ruby has been coming to the ABCA convention with his father since he was a kid. This episode is an open and honest conversation about how inclusion can help the players that you coach. Ruby is a good example of how numbers on the field improve when players feel comfortable and seen. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
On this week’s ABCA Podcast we check in with Wake Forest Associate Head Coach, Bill Cilento. Cilento is in his 14th season with the Demon Deacons working primarily with hitters and infielders. He has a great track record of developing players with 65 drafts and 7 big leaguers. Wake Forest has had 19 hitters earn all-ACC honors the last five seasons, including National Player of the Year and first round pick Will Craig. Wake Forest has ranked in the top 50 nationally in home runs in six of the past seven seasons, also ranking among the nation’s leaders in batting average, doubles, walks, slugging and on-base percentage every season. The Deacs made the NCAA tournament in 2022 after posting the program’s seventh 40-win season. The 2022 team also broke school records for home runs, walks, RBIs, runs scored, runs per game and slugging percentage. Cilento played collegiately and coached at Siena. He also spent time coaching at New Orleans and Brown. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
Staying on the MLB side with this week’s ABCA Podcast. We check in with Oakland A’s Major League pitching coach, Scott Emerson. Emerson grew up in Phoenix and was drafted by the San Diego Padres in 1990 out of Shadow Mountain High School and by the Baltimore Orioles in 1991 out of Scottsdale Community College. Emerson pitched in the minor leagues from 1992 to 1997. In 2000 Emerson joined the Pittsburgh Pirates Organization as Pitching Coach of their Gulf Coast League. Emerson joined the Athletics’ Organization in 2001. Emerson worked his way up through the minor leagues through 2014 and ended as the Athletics Minor League Pitching Coordinator. After the 2014 season Emerson was named the Athletics major league bullpen coach. Emerson was promoted to pitching coach on June 15, 2017. We cover all things pitching in this one. Emerson has a great perspective on how to blend the old with the new. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
Next up on the ABCA Podcast is Houston Astros Assistant Director of Player Development and Minor League Coordinator, Jason Bell. Bell started his career path on the college side as the Director of Baseball Operations at Ohio University in 2015. From there Bell went on to be the pitching coach at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. In 2017 Bell was hired by the Houston Astros as the development coach for Quad Cities in 2017. In 2019 Bell was hired as the Astros fundamentals coordinator. That year the Astros led all 30 organizations with an overall fielding percentage of .975. With Major League pitchers and catchers reporting for Spring Training, we are jumping into a couple professional baseball episodes. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
Best time of the year with every level of college baseball going now. Happy opening week of Div. I Baseball. Next up on the ABCA Podcast is our Div. I preview. We have an intelligent and entertaining line up of college baseball writers in this episode. New to this year’s Div. I preview is former college coach, Craig Cozart from Perfect Game. Then we hand it over to Teddy Cahill from Baseball America and we finish it off with D1Baseball’s Mike Rooney, Aaron Fitt & Kendall Rogers. As a life-long fan of College Baseball, this is always an exciting time of the year for me. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
Next up on the ABCA Podcast is our NAIA, Junior College, Div. III and Div. II preview. Robby Gutierrez from NAIA Ball leads us off. After that we kick it over to Brian Sakowski from Perfect Game and Noah Sharp from the Juco Ball Blog to cover all things junior college baseball. Then we hand it over to Jordan Shusterman and Jake Mintz from Cespedes Family BBQ fame and the Podcast About Division III Baseball to talk all things Div III. Finally, we finish up with Wayne Cavadi, Wayne covers all things Div II for NCAA.com. This is the best time of the year with season’s already kicking off and season’s getting ready to start. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
Our final January episode on the “Foundations for Optimal Living” is with Eleat Nutrition CEO and Owner, Angie Asche. Asche got her Bachelors of Science degrees in both Dietetics and Exercise Science at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Asche went onto graduate school at Saint Louis University and earned her Registered Dietician title and a Masters of Science Degree in Nutrition & Physical Performance. Asche founded Eleat Nutrition in June 2014. She has worked with hundgreds of high school, college and professional athletes nationwide in MLB, NFL and NHL. We cover all things nutrition and supplements in this one to hopefully springboard you into a great season. This episode is sponsored by our friends at Rapsodo. The industry leader in baseball player development technology, has a special offer on their HITTING & PITCHING 2.0 units. Go to Rapsodo.com/rapsodo-savings and get up to a $1,000 off! Trusted by the best in baseball, Rapsodo is used by all 30 MLB teams, 100% of D1 Champions since 2010, and 100% of the Top 100 Prospects in this year’s MLB draft. Scott Brown, Vanderbilt’s pitching coach and associate head coach has this to say about Rapsodo, “everyone involved in teaching pitchers this day and age could benefit from owning Rapsodo and using it for immediate feedback to educate their pitchers.” Again, save up to $1,000 when you decide to train and build champions with Rapsodo. Visit Rapsodo.com/savings and take advantage of this great offer. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
The third Foundation for Optimal Living is exercise & movement. Today we check in with Texas Rangers Assistant Strength & Conditioning coach, Al Sandoval. Sandoval has over 15 years of experience working at the professional level with the Rangers, Angels and Rockies. Sandoval got his start in strength and conditioning working with the CSU-Pueblo baseball program. Sandoval is a certified & registered NSCA Strength and Conditioning Coach. Sandoval has been an integral part of the Professional Baseball Strength & Conditioning Coaches Society. You can dive into resources on their website at baseballstrength.org. I love his philosophy of strength and conditioning in professional baseball is to help athletes develop as much strength as possible then teach them to use that strength to put force into the ground in a quick, timely manner. This episode is sponsored by our friends at Rapsodo. The industry leader in baseball player development technology, has a special offer on their HITTING & PITCHING 2.0 units. Go to Rapsodo.com/rapsodo-savings and get up to a $1,000 off! Trusted by the best in baseball, Rapsodo is used by all 30 MLB teams, 100% of D1 Champions since 2010, and 100% of the Top 100 Prospects in this year’s MLB draft. Scott Brown, Vanderbilt’s pitching coach and associate head coach has this to say about Rapsodo, “everyone involved in teaching pitchers this day and age could benefit from owning Rapsodo and using it for immediate feedback to educate their pitchers.” Again, save up to $1,000 when you decide to train and build champions with Rapsodo. Visit Rapsodo.com/savings and take advantage of this great offer. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
Continuing our Foundations for Optimal Living theme for this month on the ABCA Podcast is CEO and Founder of AIM7, Dr. Erik Korem. Erik played football at Texas A&M. He covered a lot of ground in the football world after graduating. He has traveled all over the world studying elite performance. He was in the NFL for 15 years as Sports Scientist and High-Performance Director. He was at William & Mary for 2 years as Associate Athletics Director for Student-Athlete Performance. And he also participated in the Presidential Leadership Scholars Program. This Episode is a deep dive into Sleep and High Performance. You can directly link mental and physical health issues to lack of sleep. Conversely, you can also link high performance to quality sleep. This was also Dr. Korem’s first experience with the ABCA Convention, so we get his thoughts on how everything went. This episode is sponsored by our friends at Rapsodo. The industry leader in baseball player development technology, has a special offer on their HITTING & PITCHING 2.0 units. Go to Rapsodo.com/rapsodo-savings and get up to a $1,000 off! Trusted by the best in baseball, Rapsodo is used by all 30 MLB teams, 100% of D1 Champions since 2010, and 100% of the Top 100 Prospects in this year’s MLB draft. Scott Brown, Vanderbilt’s pitching coach and associate head coach has this to say about Rapsodo, “everyone involved in teaching pitchers this day and age could benefit from owning Rapsodo and using it for immediate feedback to educate their pitchers.” Again, save up to $1,000 when you decide to train and build champions with Rapsodo. Visit Rapsodo.com/savings and take advantage of this great offer. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
Our goal every year with the January episodes has been to shine a light on the foundations of optimal living. Hopefully, these episodes give you some tips you can implement with yourself personally or with your team. Next up on the ABCA podcast is Major League Mindset’s, Brandon Guyer. Guyer was drafted and signed by the Chicago Cubs coming out of the University of Virginia in 2010. Guyer made his major league debut in 2011 with the Tampa Bay Rays. Guyer retired from baseball July 20’. Because peak performance helped Guyer so much as a player, getting into the profession was always in the back of his mind. Guyer had the opportunity to play for Joe Maddon and work with Ken Ravizza with the Tampa Bay Rays. Guyer lso sights Heads Up Baseball as helping him in high school. In this episode we cover peak performance, mental health and fail forward moments. This episode is sponsored by our friends at Rapsodo. The industry leader in baseball player development technology, has a special offer on their HITTING & PITCHING 2.0 units. Go to Rapsodo.com/rapsodo-savings and get up to a $1,000 off! Trusted by the best in baseball, Rapsodo is used by all 30 MLB teams, 100% of D1 Champions since 2010, and 100% of the Top 100 Prospects in this year’s MLB draft. Scott Brown, Vanderbilt’s pitching coach and associate head coach has this to say about Rapsodo, “everyone involved in teaching pitchers this day and age could benefit from owning Rapsodo and using it for immediate feedback to educate their pitchers.” Again, save up to $1,000 when you decide to train and build champions with Rapsodo. Visit Rapsodo.com/savings and take advantage of this great offer. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
The ABCA Convention and the City of Nashville have a long history together. If you talk to anyone who has been to the ABCA convention and you ask them a favorite convention story, Nashville will probably come up at some point. Today’s episode covers everything you need to know about the convention. Our goal every year is to make this a wonderful experience for our attendees, guests, sponsors and exbibitors. I hope you enjoy and we look forward to seeing everyone at the 79th ABCA convention on January 5th. Thanks again for your support and trust. This episode is sponsored by our friends at Rapsodo. The industry leader in baseball player development technology, has a special offer on their HITTING & PITCHING 2.0 units. Go to Rapsodo.com/rapsodo-savings and get up to a $1,000 off! Trusted by the best in baseball, Rapsodo is used by all 30 MLB teams, 100% of D1 Champions since 2010, and 100% of the Top 100 Prospects in this year’s MLB draft. Scott Brown, Vanderbilt’s pitching coach and associate head coach has this to say about Rapsodo, “everyone involved in teaching pitchers this day and age could benefit from owning Rapsodo and using it for immediate feedback to educate their pitchers.” Again, save up to $1,000 when you decide to train and build champions with Rapsodo. Visit Rapsodo.com/savings and take advantage of this great offer. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
Finishing up our 2023 ABCA Hall of Fame inductee podcasts is Slippery Rock head coach, Jeff Messer. Messer is heading into his 38th season at Slippery Rock University. Messer enters the 2023 season as the all-time winningest coach in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference history and his 1072 career victories put him 12th in Div. II baseball. Messer has led Slippery Rock to 13 NCAA Regionals and 4 College World Series appearances. Messer has done a tremendous job building consistency in the program with only three losing seasons in 37 years with only one scholarship. Messer has been instrumental to the ABCA with his work as the Div. II Committee Chair and as a Board Member. This is a great way to kick off convention week. We will have our convention preview with the ABCA Staff coming up tomorrow. Thanks again to everyone that has made this a record year for the ABCA. This episode is sponsored by our friends at Rapsodo. The industry leader in baseball player development technology, has a special offer on their HITTING & PITCHING 2.0 units. Go to Rapsodo.com/rapsodo-savings and get up to a $1,000 off! Trusted by the best in baseball, Rapsodo is used by all 30 MLB teams, 100% of D1 Champions since 2010, and 100% of the Top 100 Prospects in this year’s MLB draft. Scott Brown, Vanderbilt’s pitching coach and associate head coach has this to say about Rapsodo, “everyone involved in teaching pitchers this day and age could benefit from owning Rapsodo and using it for immediate feedback to educate their pitchers.” Again, save up to $1,000 when you decide to train and build champions with Rapsodo. Visit Rapsodo.com/savings and take advantage of this great offer. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
Another titan in the game joins us this week on the ABCA Podcast with Jefferson High School head coach, John Lowery. Lowery is a well-deserved inductee in the 2023 Hall of Fame class. Lowery is heading into his 52nd season at Jefferson High School. Lowery has amassed 1392 wins, 12 West Virginia State Championships and 26 state tournament appearances. Lowery got an opportunity to coach all three of his sons in high school and all three went on to play college baseball. In this episode we discuss practice planning, holding players accountable, fundraising, history of West Virginia baseball players and we even had an opportunity to get some insight from his wife Vicky in this one. This episode is sponsored by our friends at Rapsodo. The industry leader in baseball player development technology, has a special offer on their HITTING & PITCHING 2.0 units. Go to Rapsodo.com/rapsodo-savings and get up to a $1,000 off! Trusted by the best in baseball, Rapsodo is used by all 30 MLB teams, 100% of D1 Champions since 2010, and 100% of the Top 100 Prospects in this year’s MLB draft. Scott Brown, Vanderbilt’s pitching coach and associate head coach has this to say about Rapsodo, “everyone involved in teaching pitchers this day and age could benefit from owning Rapsodo and using it for immediate feedback to educate their pitchers.” Again, save up to $1,000 when you decide to train and build champions with Rapsodo. Visit Rapsodo.com/savings and take advantage of this great offer. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
Next up on the ABCA Podcast is 2023 Hall of Fame inductee, Jerry Dawson. Dawson spent 37 seasons at Chaparral High School winning 773 games and 8 State Championships. Chaparral High School produced 7 big leaguers including Ike Davis, Paul Konerko and Brian Bannister. Dawson left Chaparral as the all-time winningest coach in the State of Arizona. In 2004 Dawson was honored with the ABCA/Diamond Sports National High School Coach of the Year Award. Dawson moved on to be the pitching coach at Yavapaii in 2010 and is currently the pitching coach at Scottsdale Community College. Dawson took his blueprint of developing players to Yavapaii. In Dawson’s 12 years at Yavapaii, they produced big leaguers Kenny Giles, Chance Adams and Jojo Romero. In this episode you will have an opportunity to see why Coach Dawson is still coaching at a high level. We get right into pitching development and player relationships. You will get an inside look at how important it is for coaches to develop a relationship with their players. This episode is sponsored by our friends at Rapsodo. The industry leader in baseball player development technology, has a special offer on their HITTING & PITCHING 2.0 units. Go to Rapsodo.com/rapsodo-savings and get up to a $1,000 off! Trusted by the best in baseball, Rapsodo is used by all 30 MLB teams, 100% of D1 Champions since 2010, and 100% of the Top 100 Prospects in this year’s MLB draft. Scott Brown, Vanderbilt’s pitching coach and associate head coach has this to say about Rapsodo, “everyone involved in teaching pitchers this day and age could benefit from owning Rapsodo and using it for immediate feedback to educate their pitchers.” Again, save up to $1,000 when you decide to train and build champions with Rapsodo. Visit Rapsodo.com/savings and take advantage of this great offer. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
Joining us on the ABCA Podcast is 2023 Hall of Fame inductee, Dave Demarest. Demarest spent 34 seasons as head coach at La Quinta High School and is still the winningest coach in Orange County with 753 wins. He led La Quinta to 15 consecutive league championships from 1993-2007 and 3 CIF Championships. La Quinta has a great history of producing MLB players. Demarest coached future big leaguers Gerald Laird, Brandon Laird, Bobby Crosby, Ian Kennedy, Cole Garner, Jeff Heathcott and Ian Stewart. Demarest retired his position from teaching and head coach at La Quinta in 2007 but has stayed active coaching since. Demarest continues to give back to the game helping college, high school and youth teams in Southern California. This episode is sponsored by our friends at Rapsodo. The industry leader in baseball player development technology, has a special offer on their HITTING & PITCHING 2.0 units. Go to Rapsodo.com/rapsodo-savings and get up to a $1,000 off! Trusted by the best in baseball, Rapsodo is used by all 30 MLB teams, 100% of D1 Champions since 2010, and 100% of the Top 100 Prospects in this year’s MLB draft. Scott Brown, Vanderbilt’s pitching coach and associate head coach has this to say about Rapsodo, “everyone involved in teaching pitchers this day and age could benefit from owning Rapsodo and using it for immediate feedback to educate their pitchers.” Again, save up to $1,000 when you decide to train and build champions with Rapsodo. Visit Rapsodo.com/savings and take advantage of this great offer. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
With Covid pushing our 2020 ABCA convention to a virtual, we felt like it would be beneficial to interview our Hall of Fame inductees for that year. We have continued that tradition since. At the Hall of Fame banquet, our inductees only get 3 to 5 minutes to talk so these podcasts allow them to tell their stories and get a few more thank-you’s in before the ABCA convention. These have been some of my favorite interviews the last 3 years. I encourage you to go back and listen to past Hall of Fame interviews if you haven’t. I hope to see all of you at this year’s ABCA convention in Nashville. It truly is a celebration of the coaching community. We continue our 2023 ABCA Hall of Fame inductee podcasts with former Dublin Coffman and current Dublin Jerome head coach, Tim Saunders. Saunders will be our first OHSAA coach going into the ABCA Hall of Fame. Saunders retired from coaching Dublin Coffman after the Spring of 2020 after 33 seasons as head coach and 40 seasons coaching overall. He finished his career with 589 wins and .600 winning percentage. The Shamrocks had 10 league titles, five district championships, two regional titles and won the 2001 state championship. Saunders is an Ohio native and got his coaching start as an assistant at Portsmouth. Saunders took over the Meggs High School program in 1981 and spent time on Bob Morgan’s staff at IU before taking over the Dublin Coffman program in 1988. Saunders is a 38 year continuous lifetime member of the ABCA. He was the former ABCA High School Divisional Chair and past President of the Ohio High School Baseball Coaches Association. He currently serves as the Executive Director of the NHSBCA. This episode is sponsored by our friends at Rapsodo. The industry leader in baseball player development technology, has a special offer on their HITTING & PITCHING 2.0 units. Go to Rapsodo.com/rapsodo-savings and get up to a $1,000 off! Trusted by the best in baseball, Rapsodo is used by all 30 MLB teams, 100% of D1 Champions since 2010, and 100% of the Top 100 Prospects in this year’s MLB draft. Scott Brown, Vanderbilt’s pitching coach and associate head coach has this to say about Rapsodo, “everyone involved in teaching pitchers this day and age could benefit from owning Rapsodo and using it for immediate feedback to educate their pitchers.” Again, save up to $1,000 when you decide to train and build champions with Rapsodo. Visit Rapsodo.com/savings and take advantage of this great offer. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
Next up on the ABCA podcast is our 2023 Dave Keiltiz Ethics in Coaching Award winner, Ball State head coach, Rich Maloney. Maloney has been a Div. I head coach for 27 seasons with stops at Ball State twice and Michigan. In 2022 he eclipsed the 900-win mark ranking him 16th among active Div. I coaches. Maloney is the winningest baseball coach in Ball State history. In his 10 seasons at Michigan, Maloney led the Wolverines to 3 straight Big Ten Championships and 4 straight NCAA regional appearances from 2005-2008. In his 17 seasons at Ball State, the Cardinals have 5 MAC Regular Season and 6 MAC West Division Titles. Maloney has been known for player development over the course of his career. He has coached 65 draft picks including 6 first rounders. Maloney is a Western Michigan alum, playing for the legendary Fred Decker. Maloney played 6 seasons of professional baseball before starting his coaching career with Coach Decker at Western Michigan. Maloney was the 2018 ABCA President, served 6 years as the ABCA Div. I Chair and is on our Board of Directors. This episode is sponsored by our friends at Rapsodo. The industry leader in baseball player development technology, has a special offer on their HITTING & PITCHING 2.0 units. Go to Rapsodo.com/savings and get up to a $1,000 off! Trusted by the best in baseball, Rapsodo is used by all 30 MLB teams, 100% of D1 Champions since 2010, and 100% of the Top 100 Prospects in this year’s MLB
We are honoring our 2023 award winners heading into the Nashville convention. Next up on the ABCA podcast is former Horizon High School head coach, Eric Kibler. Coach Kibler is being honored with the Dave Keilitz Ethics Award and also going into the ABCA Hall of Fame this year. In 1980, Kibler started the baseball program at Horizon High School. Kibler shaped the landscape of high school and youth baseball in the State of Arizona and nationally with a 2007 National Championship, 6 5A State Championships, 3 State Runner-ups, 7 National Invitational Championships and 881 career wins which is the most wins in Arizona history. Kibler has an illustrious career in the baseball industry. Over the last 4 decades he has racked up many honors including being inducted into the Arizona Baseball Coaches and the National High School Hall of Fame. He has been an integral part of USA Baseball and is a member of the ABCA Youth Committee. This episode is sponsored by our friends at Rapsodo. The industry leader in baseball player development technology, has a special offer on their HITTING & PITCHING 2.0 units. Go to Rapsodo.com/savings and get up to a $1,000 off! Trusted by the best in baseball, Rapsodo is used by all 30 MLB teams, 100% of D1 Champions since 2010, and 100% of the Top 100 Prospects in this year’s MLB draft. Scott Brown, Vanderbilt’s pitching coach and associate head coach has this to say about Rapsodo, “everyone involved in teaching pitchers this day and age could benefit from owning Rapsodo and using it for immediate feedback to educate their pitcher
This week on the ABCA podcast we sit down with ABCA Div. II Assistant Coach of the Year, Bob Mitcheltree. The 2022 season marked Mitcheltree’s 20th year overall as an assistant coach on Jeff Messer’s Slippery Rock staff. Slippery Rock had one of their most successful seasons going 33-18 and competed in the NCAA tournament. Mitcheltree has also been an assistant for Wilmington High School’s football program for over 40 years. He has helped the Greyhounds to state championships and several state runner-up honors as well as a multitude of WPIAL and District 10 titles. His goal is to make it 50 years coaching baseball and football. Mitcheltree played collegiately at Youngstown State University and he has scouted professionally for the St. Louis Cardinals, New York Mets and San Diego Padres. His success has already been recognized with inductions into the Lawrence County Sports Hall of Fame in 2004 and the North County Baseball League Hall of Fame in 2011. This episode is sponsored by our friends at Rapsodo.
Rapsodo, the industry leader in baseball player development technology, has a special offer on their HITTING & PITCHING 2.0 units. Go to Rapsodo.com/savings and get up to a $1,000 off! Trusted by the best in baseball, Rapsodo is used by all 30 MLB teams, 100% of D1 Champions since 2010, and 100% of the Top 100 Prospects in this year’s MLB draft. Scott Brown, Vanderbilt’s pitching coach and associate head coach has this to say about Rapsodo, “everyone involved in teach
We have a special edition of the ABCA Podcast this week on the road with Texas A&M Associate Head Coach, Nate Yeskie, during the Aggies pre-game. This is a must listen with one of the best pitching & baseball minds in the game. Yeskie led the Aggies to the 2022 College World Series in his first season in College Station. This was back to back trips for Yeskie in Omaha with Arizona competing in the 2021 College World Series. Yeskie is no stranger to Omaha as Oregon State’s pitching coach for 11 seasons and a 2018 National Championship. Yeskie is one of the premiere coaches we have in the game, so I am excited for everyone to listen in to this pre-game conversation. This episode is sponsored by our friends at Rapsodo.
Rapsodo, the industry leader in baseball player development technology, has a special offer on their HITTING & PITCHING 2.0 units. Go to Rapsodo.com/savings and get up to a $1,000 off! Trusted by the best in baseball, Rapsodo is used by all 30 MLB teams, 100% of D1 Champions since 2010, and 100% of the Top 100 Prospects in this year’s MLB draft. Scott Brown, Vanderbilt’s pitching coach and associate head coach has this to say about Rapsodo, “everyone involved in teaching pitchers this day and age could benefit from owning Rapsodo and using it for immediate feedback to educate their pitchers.” Again, save up to $1,000 when you decide to train and build champions with Rapsodo. Visit Rapsodo.com/savings and take advantage of this great offer. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall pa
Next up on the ABCA Podcast is NAIA Assistant Coach of the Year, Matt Saliba. The Webber International University recruiting coordinator guided the Warriors program to a 43-22 record and their first appearance at the NAIA World Series. Saliba is a Florida native attending Winter Haven High School where he was Polk County Player of the Year his senior season, playing for his Father. Saliba attended Daytona State College for two seasons, Valdosta State for a year and transferred back home to Webber for his senior season. Saliba led Webber to their first regional bid in school history and was named ABCA/Rawlings NAIA gold glove second baseman his senior season. After his playing career, former Webber head coach and current AD, Brad Niethammer, asked Saliba to join his staff as student-assistant. Saliba has worked his way up and now wears many hats as recruiting coordinator & head JV coach. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
This week on the podcast is ABCA Div. III High School Assistant Coach of the Year, Tonganoxie’s Brad Shelton. Shelton has 20+ years of experience as a coach and special education teacher. Tonganoxie High School had their best season in school history with a 20-4 record and losing to McPherson in the Kansas High School State Championship. In this episode we discuss what has kept Coach Shelton going in the special education & coaching field all these years, challenges & positives of being at a small school, traits of successful programs and what he has learned along the way coaching basketball & baseball. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
Next up on the ABCA podcast is Div. III Assistant Coach of the Year, Baldwin-Wallace’s Tom DeAngelis. Baldwin-Wallace had a phenomenal season going 32-11 and ended the year at the Div. III College World Series in Cedar Rapids, IA. DeAngelis finished his playing career at Seton Hill in 2011. He got his coaching start at Seton Hill and has been an assistant at Baldwin-Wallace since 2015. Success has followed Coach DeAngelis at every stop along the way. Offense and player development has been a staple of the Baldwin-Wallace program. In this episode we do a deep dive into all things that go into assisting student-athlete development. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
Keeping with the USA Baseball theme, this week’s ABCA Podcast is with 15U National Team manager and Centre College head coach, Drew Briese. Briese led the 15U National team to a World Cup Championship. Team USA had a great tournament going 8-1 and beating Cuba in back to back games to win the championship. Briese brings a unique perspective coaching the 15u team coming from the college side. He has worked with USA Baseball since 2013 so he has a great understanding of the process of developing high school players into World Champions. Briese has been the head coach at his alma matre, Centre College since 2016. He was also on Jan Weisberg’s staff at Birmingham Southern, building them into a perennial Div. III powerhouse. This is another great episode on player development and building championship players. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
Next up on the ABCA Podcast is 12U National Team Manager, Orange Lutheran associate head coach and Coastal Empire Baseball owner, RJ Farrell. Coach Farrell had an exciting summer leading the USA team to a World Cup Championship. Team USA had a great tournament going 8-0. He has been a part of multiple championship teams with USA Baseball. Coach Farrell is also a part of one of the best high school programs in the country at Orange Lutheran. In this episode we cover the 12U National Team championship run, the process for selecting the national team, how he and Eric Borba develop a championship culture at Orange Lutheran, and all things player development. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
Joining us next on the ABCA Podcast is Stow-Munroe head coach and Ohio Longhorns GM, Aaron Debord. Debord is another great example of someone who is positively affecting every level of baseball in their community. He has his footprint on youth, travel and high school baseball in Northeast Ohio. Debord has been the GM of the Ohio Longhorns since 2008 and head baseball coach at Stow-Munroe since 2015. He has worked his way up from every level of high school baseball coaching at Woodridge, Nordonia and Akron-Firestone high schools previously. This episode is on how to positively affect the baseball community in your area. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
Next up on the ABCA Podcast is Casteel High School head coach, Matt Denny. Casteel High School opened in 2016 and is on the Southeast side of Phoenix, AZ. Denny took over the Casteel program in the Spring of 2020. Denny was named the 2021 5A Co-Coach and Region Coach of the Year in his first full season with the Casteel program. Prior to Casteel, Denny was at Mountain Pointe. We had a chance to watch Coach Denny work with his players at the Chandler-Gilbert Barnstormers last February. He took us through their batting practice routine which was extremely competitive and transfers over to the game. Coach Denny gives us actionable tips on student-athlete development and program building in this episode. We also get an inside look at Arizona’s unique high school baseball calendar. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
Joining us this week for the ABCA Podcast is Div. I Assistant Coach of the Year, Karl Nonemaker. The Auburn recruiting coordinator and the Tigers had a great season finishing up in Omaha at the College World Series. Auburn was consistent all year with a 43-22 overall and 16-13 SEC record. Nonemaker is in charge of the infielders and assists with the hitters. They were strong on both sides with a .446 slugging percentage and .981 fielding percentage. Nonemaker’s has had two stints with the Auburn program. He has also had stops at Monmouth and Old Dominion. He was a four year starter for Vanderbilt University and played 2 seasons in the Phillies organization. This episode is all about life as a Div. I assistant and player development so get your pad and pen ready. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
Heading back into the training world on this week’s ABCA Podcast with Amplified Movement’s, Tracy Hayes. Tracy now works with 25 MLB teams on her mobility series. Tracy has a diverse background with a number of certifications and studied Neurolinguistics Programming, as well as Cognitive and Neurosciences studies at Northwestern University. She originally got her start in professional baseball teaching yoga to the Kansas City Royals in spring training. The Covid 20’ spring, she started offering online classes to all professional baseball players after spring training got shut down. She has more than 15 years of experience in working with professional athletes in functional movement and balance. In this episode we discuss betting on yourself, kinematic sequencing, how the best coaches now are more generalists and holistic training methods. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
Heading back into the training world on this week’s ABCA Podcast with Amplified Movement’s, Tracy Hayes. Tracy now works with 25 MLB teams on her mobility series. Tracy has a diverse background with a number of certifications and studied Neurolinguistics Programming, as well as Cognitive and Neurosciences studies at Northwestern University. She originally got her start in professional baseball teaching yoga to the Kansas City Royals in spring training. The Covid 20’ spring, she started offering online classes to all professional baseball players after spring training got shut down. She has more than 15 years of experience in working with professional athletes in functional movement and balance. In this episode we discuss betting on yourself, kinematic sequencing, how the best coaches now are more generalists and holistic training methods. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
Rounding out our ABCA/ATEC college coaching award winners, we sit down with Central Arizona head coach, Anthony Gilich. Gilich was honored with the NJCAA Div. I Coach of the Year Award. Gilich is heading into his 8th season as head coach and 15thoverall at Central Arizona. Gilich guided the 2022 Central Arizona squad to the NJCAA Div. I National Championship with a 59-13 record, which is best in school history. This was Central Arizona’s 4th national championship and the second for Coach Gilich. His 2019 squad was also national champions. Pitching and defense have always been a staple of the Central Arizona program and this year was no different with a 3.32 team ERA and .972 fielding percentage. The pitching staff had 11.79 k’s per 9 innings. In this episode Coach Gilich gives us great advice on how to get your players to be ready to go each and every day. Get your pad and pen ready because Coach Gilich has some great mottos that you will want to implement with your team or organization. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
This week on the ABCA Podcast we check in with current Yale head coach and former Eastern Connecticut State head coach, Brian Hamm. Eastern Connecticut took home the 2022 Div. III National Championship. Hamm was honored with the ABCA/ATEC Coach of the Year Award and the College Baseball Foundation’s Skip Bertman Award. Eastern Connecticut has been a Div. III powerhouse but this is their first national championship in 20 years. Eastern Connecticut tied for second most ever wins in a Div. III season with 49 and also finished the season with a school record 23 wins in a row. The Warriors had a formidable offense with a .336 batting average and scoring almost 10 runs per game. They were stout on the defensive side as well with a 2.91 era and .973 fielding percentage. Before coming to Eastern, Hamm coached at Amherst for 13 years. Amherst had their most successful stint in school history during that time. While at Amherst, Hamm started the baseball analytics team which has a half-dozen former members working for MLB teams. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
Next up on the ABCA Podcast is Div. II National Champion North Greenville head coach, Landon Powell. Powell was honored with the ABCA/ATEC Coach of the year award. Powell and the North Greenville program brought home their first national championship this year. The year before Coach Powell took over the program they were 8-35. North Greenville now has 4 regional appearances in a row. North Greenville had a complete squad this year with a .331 batting average and 3.59 era. They were a handful for their opponents stealing 145 bases and scoring almost 10 runs per game. Powell had a tremendous playing career as a 4 year starter at South Carolina and as a journeyman catcher in the big leagues. In this episode we discuss how he has built the program, player development, how he is blending his faith into the program and his work with Donors on the Diamond charity. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
Next up on the ABCA Podcast is Division I National Champion Ole Miss head coach, Mike Bianco. This continues our series of ABCA Coaches that were National Champions this year. Bianco was honored with the ABCA/ATEC Coach of the year award. Bianco just finished his 22nd season at Ole Miss and is the longest tenured coach in the SEC. In 22 seasons leading the program, Bianco has led Ole Miss to 18 postseason, 8 Super Regional and 2 College World Series appearances. Bianco is one of the best we have in the game and has had some tremendous mentors in Jim Wells and Skip Bertman. Bianco has had a busy summer going straight from winning a National Championship to managing the USA College National Team. If you want to dive back into the archives, Coach Bianco and his sons were on the podcast with me for the Father and Son series. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
This week on the ABCA Podcast we check in with ABCA/ATEC Pacific Association Regional Coach of the Year, Riverside CC head coach, Rudy Arguelles. Riverside CC is now in elite company having won their 5th CCCAA championship. Arguelles has been a part of all 5 championships as either a player, assistant or head coach. This year’s state championship moves Riverside into 3rd place and one win away from 2ndplace for California state championships. I had a chance to meet Coach Arguelles in Folsom, CA in May. I was extremely impressed with how he and the Riverside program carried themselves. Riverside plays with a team first mentality on both sides of the baseball. They had a .420 team on base percentage and 88 hit by pitches. Their pitching staff had over 8 strikeouts per 9 innings and they fielded .970. This is a heartfelt listen from two people who are passionate about the game of baseball. We are kindred spirits because we both wear are emotions on our sleeves. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
This week on the ABCA Podcast we check in with another ABCA/ATEC National Coach of the Year award recipient with Herkimer’s Jason Rathbun. Herkimer won this year’s NJCAA Div. III National Championship with a 41-7 record. Herkimer made their 7th world series appearance this year. The Generals had three ABCA/Rawlings All-American’s in Greg Farone, Ryan Packard, and Dakota Britt. Rathbun took over the program in 2005 and the impact was immediate, breaking the school record for wins in his first season. Rathbun has a unique path in that he started out in the military. His family has had 5 generations of military personnel. We got a chance to catch up with Coach Rathbun while he is with the reigning Cape League Champion Brewster Whitecaps this Summer. This is an entertaining listen, and we get on a deep dive on accountability. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
Next up on the ABCA Podcast is NAIA National Champion Southeastern University head coach, Adrian Dinkel. Dinkel was honored with the ABCA/ATEC NAIA Coach of the Year Award. Southeastern broke the school record for wins with a 59-4 record. The Fire had big time numbers on offense and pitching with a .360 team batting average and a 3.25 team era. Gary Lora, Robb Adams, Brian Fuentes and Abdel Guadalupe were named to the ABCA/Rawlings All America team. This was Southeastern’s second national championship, they also took home the crown in 2018. Dinkel has also had stops at Bethany, Clarendon College and Sterling. Success has followed Coach Dinkel at every stop on his coaching journey. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
Next up on the ABCA Podcast is Div. II NJCAA National Champion Pearl River College head coach, Michael Avalon. This kicks off our series of ABCA/ ATEC championship coaches. Avalon was honored with the ABCA/ATEC NJCAA Div. II Coach of the Year Award. Pearl River was 45-11, winning 11 of their last 12 games and advanced to Enid after winning the extremely competitive Region 23 tournament. Pearl River had gaudy offensive numbers this year with a .336 team batting average and 85 home runs. Pearl River outfielder, Tate Parker, was honored with the ABCA/Rawlings NJCAA Div. II Player of the Year Award. Parker ended the season with 90 hits, 19 home runs and 65 rbi. I had a chance to sit down with Coach Avalon in Enid, OK during the World Series. This pressbox conversation took us in a bunch of different directions and I appreciate Coach Avalon’s willingness to take time out of his schedule in Enid. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
The final on location episode takes us to Cedar Rapids, IA for the Div. III National Championship. We had a chance to sit down with American’s Ross Natoli, Marietta’s Brian Brewer, Trinity’s Tim Scannell, Eastern Connecticut State’s Brian Hamm, Salisbury’s Troy Brohawn, Baldwin Wallaces’ Brian Harrison, and American Rivers Commissioner Dan Hammes. Congrats to Brian Hamm and the Eastern Connecticut State program for bringing home this year’s championship. Once again, thanks to all the coaches who took time to sit down with me. It is an extremely hectic time for coaches and can’t thank them enough for carving out time out of their busy schedules. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
Two more weeks of on location episodes. This week we head to Enid, OK for the NJCAA Divi. II Championship. Enid does a phenomenal job of hosting this tournament. It is truly a mini-Omaha. The NJCAA and the town of Enid provide a phenomenal student-athlete experience. In this episode we will hear from Murray State’s Sam Bjorling, Lansing’s Steven Cutter, Heartland’s Chris Razo and Enid Sports Director Bill Mayberry. Pearl River’s Michael Avalon and I also sat down but went so long, he will have his own podcast coming up in the next couple of weeks. Congrats to Pearl River for taking home this year’s Championship. Once again, thanks to all the coaches who took time to sit down with me. It is an extremely hectic time for coaches and can’t thank them enough for carving out time out of their busy schedules. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
The next 3 weeks podcasts will be on location episodes. This week we got a chance to sit down with coaches at the California junior college championship in Folsom, CA. In this episode we will hear from Palomar’s Ben Adams, Ohlone’s Mike Curran, Riverside’s Rudy Arguelles, Folsom Lake’s Rich Gregory and CCCBCA President Chris Pedretti. This is a great time of the year with college championships going on. I appreciate coaches being willing to sit down in a hectic time for them getting their teams ready to compete for a championship. I am always impressed with the high level of baseball I see all over the country at every level of baseball. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
Our next guest on the ABCA podcast is Gaston College head coach and athletic director, Shohn Doty. Doty has 33 years of coaching experience and 18 at the Division I level. Doty has had stops at Arkansas, Indiana State, Old Dominion, UNC-Wilmington, and UNC-Charlotte. Gaston College had a 41-9 record this season but since they are a new NJCAA team, they were not eligible for the postseason. Doty was recently named the NJCAA Region 10 Coach of the Year. In this episode we discuss starting the program at Gaston, being around some of the best coaches in the game, what his journey has taught him, and coaching elite players like Justin Verlander. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
With this being our 300th ABCA Podcast episode, we wanted to have on the “Godfather of Baseball Podcasting”, Jack Warren. Warren runs the Top Coach Podcast and is owner of Cornbelt Sports. The Top Coach Podcast is the original baseball podcast. Warren showed everyone what was possible in baseball podcasting. Warren does a great job with his guests, and it is always an enjoyable listen. In this episode we discuss podcasting & interviewing tips, what he has learned from his guests, traits of the most successful coaches, growth mindset, tips that he is giving young coaches he is mentoring, and what both of us have learned through this whole process. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
Next up on the ABCA podcast is USA Women’s National Team Manager, Veronica Alvarez. Alvarez has been instrumental in putting the USA Women’s team on the map internationally. Alvarez played softball collegiately at Villanova. After college Alvarez had an opportunity to go to Spain and compete. From 2008 to 2015, Alvarez played with the USA Women’s Baseball squad winning gold medal in the Pan American Games in 2015. Her managerial debut was in 2019 and she was honored with the Rod Dedeaux Coach of the Year award. In this episode we discuss her path in baseball, her work with the Oakland Athletics as a catching instructor, the MLB Trailblazer Series and the similarities to coaching baseball & her work as a firefighter-paramedic. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
This is an important time of the year for athletes with Spring season’s ending and Summer ball getting ready to start. In this week’s ABCA Podcast we sit down with PSP3 Owner & Director of Sports Performance, Nathan Hemphill. Hemphill did his undergraduate work at Missouri State and worked with the St. Louis Cardinals rookie ball and double A affiliates. Hemphill did his graduate work at Seattle University. After getting his Master’s he headed to UC-Davis. Hemphill is running 3 training facilities in the Kansas City area. He gave a phenomenal talk at our Royals Youth Academy Barnstormers this past Fall. You can watch his video on the ABCA website or on the My ABCA app. In this episode we dive into summer training protocols, recommendations for the calendar year, the holistic approach to training athletes and finding your purpose in life. You are going to want to have your pad and pen ready for this one. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
In this week’s ABCA Podcast we check in with Homewood Flossmoor head baseball coach & counselor, John McCarthy. Coach McCarthy was a draft out of high school and headed to Mesa Community College out of the Chicagoland area. He finished his undergraduate degree playing for Tony Robichaux and the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajun baseball program. After his playing career Coach McCarthy got his Master’s in school counseling from Lewis University and coached with the Illinois Sparks travel program. His next step in his journey took him back to the Catholic League in Chicago coaching at Brother Rice. In this episode we discuss what he learned from Tony Robichaux & John Scefz, blending travel baseball with your high school program, getting things turned around at Homewood Flossmoor and how he is using his counseling degree to help his high school players. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
This week we head over to Cary, NC to talk to coaches at the National High School Invitational. This is an annual event that USA Baseball hosts, bringing in some of the best high school teams in the nation. The USA Baseball staff does a phenomenal job with the event. It is amazing the type of talent we have all over the country at the high school level. Congrats to Todd Fitz-Gerald and Stoneman Douglas High School for taking home the title this year. In this episode we talked to Orange Lutheran’s Eric Borba, Regis Jesuit’s Matt Darr, Stoneman Douglas’ Todd Fitz-Gerald, St. Johns Country Day’s Tom Lucas, DH Conley’s Jason Mills, Bishop Vero’s Casey Scott, The First Academy’s Scott Grove and Hamilton’s Mike Woods. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
Next up on the ABCA Podcast is Owner/CEO of the Ump-App, NCAA umpire and Director of Umpire Culture, Recruitment, Training and Retention at Perfect Game, Tim Cordill. Cordill took time out of his busy schedule in January to come to the ABCA convention in Chicago to talk to our high school, youth, and travel coaches. We are heading into a scary time where we are seeing an umpire shortage. It is something that is going to negatively impact the game if we don’t get it fixed. In this episode we discuss parent, coach, and umpire relationships, how we can recruit and retain a new generation of umpires and how all of us can help the game thrive for our players, coaches, and umpires. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
This week’s ABCA Podcast is with someone who touches every level of amateur baseball, ABCA Youth Committee Chair, Rob Hahne. Hahne is Westfield High School head coach, Executive Director of the Northern Virginia Travel Baseball League, Chair of the Fairfax County Baseball Council and was just elected to the ABCA Board of Directors. Since joining the ABCA Youth and Travel committees, Coach Hahne has jumped right in trying to help the organization help amateur baseball. He has brought a fresh set of ideas to help us better serve the game of baseball. Get your pad and pen ready because we discuss all things amateur baseball in this one. This episode should help any parent, coach, administrator, or organization. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
Next up on the ABCA Podcast is another baseball lifer, Todd Blyleven. Blyleven is another example of the many paths you can take in the game. He got a first-hand look at the game at a young age with his dad, Bert. Todd was a great player in his own right and carved out his own path excelling in high school, college and professionally. Once he finished playing, Blyvleven entered the real world in marketing but eventually found his way back to game through professional scouting with the Angels. Currently Blyleven is Owner/CEO of The Scout Hub and Marketing Manager at Pocket Radar. This episode is all about life’s lessons. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more. The ABCA podcast is also sponsored by TeamBuildr. TeamBuildr is offering both in-season & off-season strength and conditioning programs specific to pitchers or position players. These programs come free with any TeamBuildr free trial. Their software is trusted and used by the best. TeamBuildr has helped propel many teams to win championships, and most recently the World Series Championship, Atlanta Braves. Personally, we used TeamBuildr my last couple of years at Western Illinois. You can get the program once you start a 14-day trial with TeamBuildr. Use promo code ABCA when you sign up for your free trial at TeamBuildr.com that is T E A M B U I L D R.com.
In this week’s ABCA Podcast we talk about all things youth baseball with ABCA Youth & Dave Keilitz Ethics Award Committee member and former college pitching coach, Daniel Keller. Coach Keller is an 18-year continuous ABCA member and has spent over 22 years coaching pitchers. His last stop collegiately was at Cypress Community College. His path has taken him all over the baseball landscape as a coach, private instructor, and baseball entrepreneur. He started the Dugout Captain app and is now working on the Mojo app which just teamed up with Major League Baseball to provide coaching resources to the Boys and Girls club. This episode is a discussion on what we need to do to help youth baseball. Coach Keller is coaching his 9-year-old son now, so we talk about some of the things he has learned. There is a lot of positive energy in this one. We both believe that we need to build passion and love for the game from the bottom up which will help high school, college, and professional baseball. We also go into the nomination process for the ABCA Dave Keilitz Ethics Award. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more. The ABCA podcast is also sponsored by TeamBuildr. TeamBuildr is offering both in-season & off-season strength an
Our next guest on the ABCA Podcast is Fresno City Community College head coach, Ron Scott. Scott has spent 34 seasons at Fresno City and just broke the California Community College record for career wins this spring. Scott’s playing career started at the junior college level and ended up playing for coaching legend Ron Fraser at the University of Miami. Scott’s career path started at the high school level for 10 seasons at Chowchilla & Madera High Schools. Scott is another living legend of the game who has found a way to carve out a career with one college program and make history. In this episode we discuss what breaking the record means to him, what he learned from Ron Fraser, his two daughters that are in coaching, his assistant Eric Solberg who has been with him for 34 years, program management and we do a deep dive into game strategy. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more. The ABCA podcast is also sponsored by TeamBuildr. TeamBuildr is offering both in-season & off-season strength and conditioning programs specific to pitchers or position players. These programs come free with any TeamBuildr free trial. Their software is trusted and used by the best. TeamBuildr has helped propel many teams to win championships, and most recently the World Series Championship, Atlanta Braves. Personally, we used TeamBuildr my last couple of years at Western Illinois. You can get the program once you start a 14-day trial with TeamBuildr.
We head over to prep baseball on this week’s ABCA Podcast with, Phillips Academy Andover head coach, Kevin Graber. Graber also carries the title of senior associate director of admission at Andover. Phillips Andover has become a consistent winner during Coach Graber’s tenure. Graber has had a unique path in the game playing baseball at Winthrop, Saint Rose and professionally. He has coached at every level of baseball. He is also a cancer survivor. Graber spoke on the main stage at this year’s Chicago Convention. In this episode we cover cold weather practice planning, what he learned coaching summer ball, his battle with lymphoma, what he loves about teaching and coaching at Phillips Andover and his preparation for speaking on the Main Stage. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more. The ABCA podcast is also sponsored by TeamBuildr. TeamBuildr is offering both in-season & off-season strength and conditioning programs specific to pitchers or position players. These programs come free with any TeamBuildr free trial. Their software is trusted and used by the best. TeamBuildr has helped propel many teams to win championships, and most recently the World Series Championship, Atlanta Braves. Personally, we used TeamBuildr my last couple of years at Western Illinois. You can get the program once you start a 14-day trial with TeamBuildr. Use promo code ABCA when you sign up for your free trial at TeamBuildr.com that is T E A M B U I L D R.com.
All things hitting on this week’s ABCA Podcast with our guest, Maryland recruiting coordinator, Matt Swope. Coach Swope is a Maryland alum and he has a lot of passion and pride in the school. Offense has been a hallmark of the Maryland program since Coach Swope came back to his alma mater. The 2021 Maryland squad led the Big Ten in home runs, total bases, stolen bases, and hit by pitches. The Terps finished second in runs, rbi, on-base percentage, slugging percentage and base on balls. In this episode we cover coaching offense, recruiting, player development, what he learned as a professional hitter, why working in the real world first has helped him as a coach and his personal relationship to raising money for cancer research. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more. The ABCA podcast is also sponsored by TeamBuildr. TeamBuildr is offering both in-season & off-season strength and conditioning programs specific to pitchers or position players. These programs come free with any TeamBuildr free trial. Their software is trusted and used by the best. TeamBuildr has helped propel many teams to win championships, and most recently the World Series Championship, Atlanta Braves. Personally, we used TeamBuildr my last couple of years at Western Illinois. You can get the program once you start a 14-day trial with TeamBuildr. Use promo code ABCA when you sign up for your free trial at TeamBuildr.com that is T E A M B U I L D R.com.
This week’s ABCA Podcast is with 2021 Collegiate Baseball News Rawlings Pitching Coach of the Year, Fairfield University’s Jordan Tabakman. 2021 was a magical season for Fairfield and a lot of that had to do with their pitching staff. Their starting rotation was 28-4 last year with 9 shutouts and 8 complete games. Fairfield was awarded an at large bid and if you follow the Division I landscape, you know how hard that is to do for a mid-major program. Fairfield’s run ended in the NCAA Regional Finals. Tabakman has also spent time at Albany, Amherst College and UConn. Tabakman competed collegiately at UConn. We cover all things pitching in this episode. This is a deep dive into the yearly calendar, pitch development, throwing program, drills, bullpens, practice planning in cold weather, recovery and in season staff management. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more. The ABCA podcast is also sponsored by TeamBuildr. TeamBuildr is offering both in-season & off-season strength and conditioning programs specific to pitchers or position players. These programs come free with any TeamBuildr free trial. Their software is trusted and used by the best. TeamBuildr has helped propel many teams to win championships, and most recently the World Series Championship, Atlanta Braves. Personally, we used TeamBuildr my last couple of years at Western Illinois. You can get the program once you start a 14-day trial with TeamBuildr. Use promo code ABCA when
Next up on the ABCA Podcast is Boston Red Sox coach, Bianca Smith. Smith’s path in coaching started at Case Western University when she was working on her MBA and Law Degree. Smith was originally on a track to work in an MLB front office position but found her passion for coaching at Case Western. After her time at Case, she coached at the University of Dallas and interned for the Texas Rangers. She spent time with the Major League Baseball office and Cincinnati Reds. In 2019 Smith was hired to work for Carroll University as assistant baseball coach and hitting coordinator. This past Spring she was hired by the Boston Red Sox. Coach Smith is a Dartmouth grad where she started on the cheerleading squad but found her way onto the softball team and club baseball team. This is a great discussion on coaching journey, how working other jobs helps you find your true passion, and what she has learned along the way to help her coach her Red Sox players. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more. The ABCA podcast is also sponsored by TeamBuildr. TeamBuildr is offering both in-season & off-season strength and conditioning programs specific to pitchers or position players. These programs come free with any TeamBuildr free trial. Their software is trusted and used by the best. TeamBuildr has helped propel many teams to win championships, and most recent
This time of year we try to give coaches information they can implement with their team going into their seasons. Next up on the ABCA Podcast is sport dietician Wendi Irlbeck. Irlbeck is a registered dietician nutritionist. Irlbeck earned her M.S. in Food and Nutrional Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Stout. Irlbeck is accredited all over the health and wellness landscape and is also NSCA certified. Irlbeck’s website is nutritionwithendi.com. You can also find her on twitter, instagram, and linkedin. Irlbeck was a college athlete and also spent time in the body building space. Wendi and I are kindred spirits when it comes to nutrition and supplementation. There are a lot of myths out there so we do a deep dive into what the actual research is saying on nutrition and supplementation. She gives us a lot of actionable tips that should help you and your athletes. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more. The ABCA podcast is also sponsored by TeamBuildr. TeamBuildr is offering both in-season & off-season strength and conditioning programs specific to pitchers or position players. These programs come free with any TeamBuildr free trial. Their software is trusted and used by the best. TeamBuildr has helped propel many teams to win championships, and most recently the World Series Championship, Atlanta Braves. Personally, we used TeamBuildr my last couple of years at Western Illinois. You can get the program once you start a 14-day trial with TeamBuildr. Use promo code ABCA when you sign up for your free trial at TeamBuildr.com that is T E A M B U I L D R.com.
Happy Opening week of Division I Baseball. Great time of the year with every level of college baseball now going. Next up on the ABCA Podcast is our Division I Preview. We have an entertaining line up of College Baseball Writers in this episode. Vinnie Cervino from Perfect Game gets us started. Then we hand it over to Teddy Cahill from Baseball America and we finish it off with D1Baseball’s Mike Rooney, Aaron Fitt & Kendall Rogers. As a life-long fan of College Baseball, this is always an exciting time of the year for me. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more. The ABCA podcast is also sponsored by TeamBuildr. TeamBuildr is offering both in-season & off-season strength and conditioning programs specific to pitchers or position players. These programs come free with any TeamBuildr free trial. Their software is trusted and used by the best. TeamBuildr has helped propel many teams to win championships, and most recently the World Series Championship, Atlanta Braves. Personally, we used TeamBuildr my last couple of years at Western Illinois. You can get the program once you start a 14-day trial with TeamBuildr. Use promo code ABCA when you sign up for your free trial at TeamBuildr.com that is T E A M B U I L D R.com.
Next up on the ABCA Podcast is our NAIA, Junior College, Division III and Division II preview. Robby Gutierrez from NAIA Ball leads us off. After that we kick it over to Brian Sakowski from Perfect Game and Noah Sharp from the Juco Ball Blog to cover all things junior college baseball. Then we hand it over to Jordan Shusterman and Jake Mintz from Cespedes Family BBQ fame and the D3 Baseball Podcast to talk all things Div III. Finally, we finish up with Wayne Cavadi, Wayne covers all things Div II for NCAA.com. This is the best time of the year with season’s already kicking off and season’s getting ready to start. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more. The ABCA podcast is also sponsored by TeamBuildr. TeamBuildr is offering both in-season & off-season strength and conditioning programs specific to pitchers or position players. These programs come free with any TeamBuildr free trial. Their software is trusted and used by the best. TeamBuildr has helped propel many teams to win championships, and most recently the World Series Championship, Atlanta Braves. Personally, we used TeamBuildr my last couple of years at Western Illinois. You can get the program once you start a 14-day trial with TeamBuildr. Use promo code ABCA when you sign up for your free trial at TeamBuildr.com that is T E A M B U I L D R.com.
Our January 2022 episodes end with a bang here with Yankees’ Director of Performance Science, David Whiteside. Dillon Lawson and David gave one of the best presentations I have seen on training environment at the 2021 I-70 virtual clinic. Whiteside has worked for the New York Yankees for the last 5 years. Whiteside did his postdoctoral work at the University of Michigan. Whiteside also has two different stints working with Tennis Australia as a sports performance scientist. Whiteside is a great conversation because he isn’t afraid to ask questions and then test those questions. He is a fresh voice in the baseball community. We cover a wide range of topics in this episode including elite mindset, training environment, equipment modifications, drill design, his time with Michigan Baseball, Tennis Australia and the New York Yankees. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more. The ABCA podcast is also sponsored by TeamBuildr. TeamBuildr is offering both in-season & off-season strength and conditioning programs specific to pitchers or position players. These programs come free with any TeamBuildr free trial. Their software is trusted and used by the best. TeamBuildr has helped propel many teams to win championships, and most recently the World Series Championship, Atlanta Braves. Personally, we used TeamBuildr my last couple of years at Western Illinois. You can get the program once you start a 14-day trial with TeamBuildr. Use promo code ABCA when yo
Austin Byler from Major League University keeps us going in 2022. Byler had a phenomenal playing career at the University of Nevada. Byler was drafted in the 9thround by the Nationals in 2014 and the 11th round by the Diamondbacks in 2015. Byler was a semi-finalist for the Dick Howser Award. Byler founded Major League University with Nevada teammate Kewby Meyer. Major League University focuses on leadership and mental health. They have also started Project Sandlot NFT’s to benefit under privileged youth sports. This is a wide-open conversation on peak performance, mental health, being open to asking for help and NFT’s. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more. The ABCA podcast is also sponsored by TeamBuildr. TeamBuildr is offering both in-season & off-season strength and conditioning programs specific to pitchers or position players. These programs come free with any TeamBuildr free trial. Their software is trusted and used by the best. TeamBuildr has helped propel many teams to win championships, and most recently the World Series Championship, Atlanta Braves. Personally, we used TeamBuildr my last couple of years at Western Illinois. You can get the program once you start a 14-day trial with TeamBuildr. Use promo code ABCA when you sign up for your free trial at TeamBuildr.com that is T E A M B U I L D R.com.
2022 is rolling with our January podcasts. My hope is that we give you some different things to think about this month. We jump right into vision, cognition and skill acquisition with Dr. Luke Wilkins. Dr. Wilkins is a senior lecturer in sport and exercise psychology at Nottingham Trent University in the UK. He attained his PhD in Vision Testing and Visual Training in Sport from the University of Birmingham in 2015 under the supervision of Dr. Rob Gray. Prior to working at NTU, Dr. Wilkins worked for the New York Yankees as both a vision, perception, and cognition coach as well as a skill acquisition specialist. Get ready to see what is on the horizon from a player development standpoint. We dive into research on the role vision plays in performance, virtual reality, stroboscopic glasses and a whole host of other resources to dive into. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more. The ABCA podcast is also sponsored by TeamBuildr. TeamBuildr is offering both in-season & off-season strength and conditioning programs specific to pitchers or position players. These programs come free with any TeamBuildr free trial. Their software is trusted and used by the best. TeamBuildr has helped propel many teams to win championships, and most recently the World Series Championship, Atlanta Braves. Personally, we used TeamBuildr my last couple of years at Western Illinois. You can get the program once you start a 14-day trial with TeamBuildr. Use promo code ABCA when you sign up for your free trial at TeamBuildr.com that is T E A M B U I L D R.com.
Happy New Year and welcome to the ABCA podcast. This week’s guest is Dr. Chris Winter. This is a great way to kick off this year’s episodes. Dr. Winter has been called “The Sleep Whisperer”. He is certified by the American Board of Sleep Medicine & the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. He has his medical degree from the University of Virginia. He runs his practice at Charlottesville Neurology and Sleep Medicine. Dr. Winter has worked with MLB, NFL, NBA and NHL teams. He has two books out now, The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child. He got his start working with professional sports teams when he started to track how switching time zones affected won loss percentage with MLB teams. He coined the term “circadian advantage”. With his work he has brought to light how lack of sleep causes injuries. This episode will be a great resource for anyone. We go all over the map on sleep and performance. I am very passionate about the subject of sleep and how it affects you daily. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more. The ABCA podcast is also sponsored by Team
Finishing up our ABCA 2022 Hall of Fame Podcast Series is a tribute to John, Keri and Alyssa Altobelli. This episode is a celebration of their life and legacy. Altobelli led the Orange Coast College program for 27 seasons. At the time of his passing he was the winningest coach in school history. In 2019 he became just the 16th coach in California Community College Athletic Association history to reach the 700 win mark. Altobelli’s 4 State titles tied for 3rd all time and just behind coaching legends Wally Kincaid and Scott Pickler. In this episode we will hear from some of the people that the Altobelli Family impacted with University of Houston head coach Todd Whitting, former Santa Ana College head coach Don Sneddon, Cypress Community College head coach Scott Pickler, former Oregon head coach George Horton, Cal State Fullerton assistant Josh Belovsky, University of Texas head coach David Pierce and Orange Coast College assistant Tim Matz. We will finish the episode with a piece that Sports Illustrated’s Michael McKnight put together after the helicopter crash. I want to thank Michael for allowing us to use the interview. Thanks so much for listening and Leave it Better Those Behind You. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more. The ABCA podcast is also sponsored by TeamBuildr. TeamBuildr is offering both in-season & off-season strength and conditioning programs specific to pitchers or position players. These programs come free with any TeamBuildr free trial. Their software is trusted and used by the best. TeamBuildr has helped propel many teams to win championships, and most recently the World Series Championship, Atlanta Braves. Personally, we used TeamBuildr my last couple of years at Western Illinois. You can get the program once you start a 14-day trial with TeamBuildr. Use promo code ABCA when you sign up for your free trial at TeamBuildr.com.
We here at the ABCA office are so excited to be back on site this year in Chicago. Before we look forward to this year’s convention, we do want to thank everyone again that participated in last year’s Virtual convention. As soon as the virtual convention ended last year, we got right to work on making this year’s convention in Chicago one of the best in the history of the organization. Today’s episode covers everything you need to know about the convention. Our goal every year is to make this a wonderful experience for our attendees, guests, sponsors and exhibitors. I hope you enjoy and we look forward to seeing everyone January 6th. Thanks again for your support and trust. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more. The ABCA podcast is also sponsored by TeamBuildr. TeamBuildr is offering both in-season & off-season strength and conditioning programs specific to pitchers or position players. These programs come free with any TeamBuildr free trial. Their software is trusted and used by the best. TeamBuildr has helped propel many teams to win championships, and most recently the World Series Championship, Atlanta Braves. Personally, we used TeamBuildr my last couple of years at Western Illinois. You can get the program once you start a 14-day trial with TeamBuildr. Use promo code ABCA when you sign up for your free trial at TeamBuildr.com.
Last year’s virtual convention forced us to postpone the Hall of Fame banquet. In order to celebrate the 2021 class we did a series of podcasts with the inductees. We are using Christmas break here to reissue last year’s episodes to once again celebrate the 2021 class. We are so excited for the Chicago convention and to be able to honor the 2021 and 2022 classes at the Hall of Fame banquet on Friday January 7th. We can’t thank all of you enough for your continued trust and support. I hope you all enjoy listening to these legends of the game. This week we begin a new series of ABCA Podcast episodes featuring members of the ABCA Hall of Fame Class of 2021. We have a special one to start with newly elected Hal Baird along with UAB head coach Casey Dunn, who is representing his father, Sammy Dunn, who passed away in 2004. Baird spent the majority of his head coaching career at Auburn University, where he left as Auburn’s all-time winningest coach after 16 seasons. His tenure included two College World Series appearances, two 50-win seasons and nine regional appearances. He previously was head coach at East Carolina for five seasons, leading the Pirates to three NCAA Regionals, and finished with 779 victories between the two schools. Sammy Dunn was one of the most successful baseball coaches in the history of Alabama high school baseball, leading Vestavia Hills High School to 647 victories and nine Alabama 6A state titles in 27 seasons. At the time of his passing in 2004, he was Alabama's all-time winningest coach. Casey Dunn spent 16 seasons as head coach at Samford before being named UAB's head coach this past summer and had the honor of playing for both his father as well as Coach Baird. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
Last year’s virtual convention forced us to postpone the Hall of Fame banquet. In order to celebrate the 2021 class we did a series of podcasts with the inductees. We are using Christmas break here to reissue last year’s episodes to once again celebrate the 2021 class. We are so excited for the Chicago convention and to be able to honor the 2021 and 2022 classes at the Hall of Fame banquet on Friday January 7th. We can’t thank all of you enough for your continued trust and support. I hope you all enjoy listening to these legends of the game. In the second installment of our ABCA Hall of Fame Podcasts, George Horton joins us. Horton is one of the few people out there who can say he was on a coaching staff with Wally Kincaid, Dave Snow and Augie Garrido. He is a 38-year continuous ABCA member and his 2004 Cal State Fullerton Squad won the national championship. As an assistant coach, Horton was an integral part of helping Garrido build Fullerton into a powerhouse program. In 2007, Horton was hired to bring the baseball program back at the University of Oregon. Horton has 865 wins as a head coach. He took the Ducks to five NCAA Regionals and one Super Regional appearance in 11 seasons. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
Last year’s virtual convention forced us to postpone the Hall of Fame banquet. In order to celebrate the 2021 class we did a series of podcasts with the inductees. We are using Christmas break here to reissue last year’s episodes to once again celebrate the 2021 class. We are so excited for the Chicago convention and to be able to honor the 2021 and 2022 classes at the Hall of Fame banquet on Friday January 7th. We can’t thank all of you enough for your continued trust and support. I hope you all enjoy listening to these legends of the game. Next up on the ABCA Hall of Fame Series is long time Southern University Coach Roger Cador. Cador built the Southern program from no stadium or equipment to one of the best programs in the nation and made a lasting impact not only at Souther, but also with the MLB Diversity program. He retired from Southern with 913 wins, 14 conference championships, 11 NCAA appearances, two HBCU National Championships, and 62 players drafted, including 2003 Golden Spikes Award Winner Rickie Weeks. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
Last year’s virtual convention forced us to postpone the Hall of Fame banquet. In order to celebrate the 2021 class we did a series of podcasts with the inductees. We are using Christmas break here to reissue last year’s episodes to once again celebrate the 2021 class. We are so excited for the Chicago convention and to be able to honor the 2021 and 2022 classes at the Hall of Fame banquet on Friday January 7th. We can’t thank all of you enough for your continued trust and support. I hope you all enjoy listening to these legends of the game. Our next guest on the ABCA Podcast is Don Sneddon. This is the fourth installment of our ABCA Hall of Fame Podcasts. Coach Sneddon is a 2021 Hall of Fame inductee. Coach Sneddon played for Wally Kincaid, Dave Snow and Augie Garrido. Coach Sneddon spent 32 years as the Head Coach at Santa Ana College. He is the all time winningest Coach in California Community College History with 1072 Victories. He was the first coach to 900 and then 1000 wins. He also has experience on the pro side coaching with the Colorado Rockies. He also has experience coaching in the Cape Cod League. Coach Sneddon was an assistant for Jerry Weinstein with the Wareham Gateman in 2016 and 2017. He was the Gateman’s manager in 2018 leading them to the Cape League Championship. Coach Sneddon is a 42 year continuous ABCA member and is a 2015 California Community College Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame Inductee. Get ready to learn. Coach Sneddon is one of the best Educators we have in the game. He was one of the first coaches to work with Ken Ravizza. He taught the entire time he was coaching at Santa Ana and we dive into how he blended the classroom and the baseball field. We get right into how he used breathing techniques to help future firefighters and policeman. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
Last year’s virtual convention forced us to postpone the Hall of Fame banquet. In order to celebrate the 2021 class we did a series of podcasts with the inductees. We are using Christmas break here to reissue last year’s episodes to once again celebrate the 2021 class. We are so excited for the Chicago convention and to be able to honor the 2021 and 2022 classes at the Hall of Fame banquet on Friday January 7th. We can’t thank all of you enough for your continued trust and support. I hope you all enjoy listening to these legends of the game. In our fifth installment of the ABCA Hall of Fame Podcasts, we speak with Wayne Graham. He coached for 38 seasons between high school, San Jacinto College and Rice University. In 11 seasons at San Jac he won 675 games, had an .875 winning percentage and won five national championships in six seasons. He was named JUCO Coach of the Century by Baseball America. In 1992, he took over a Rice University program which had seven winning seasons and no postseason appearances in 78 years. From 1995-2017, Rice made 23-straight NCAA Regional appearances, seven College World Series appearances and won the national championship in 2003. Graham embodies winning and also balance. He had a keen recruiting eye for finding diamonds in the rough. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
Last year’s virtual convention forced us to postpone the Hall of Fame banquet. In order to celebrate the 2021 class we did a series of podcasts with the inductees. We are using Christmas break here to reissue last year’s episodes to once again celebrate the 2021 class. We are so excited for the Chicago convention and to be able to honor the 2021 and 2022 classes at the Hall of Fame banquet on Friday January 7th. We can’t thank all of you enough for your continued trust and support. I hope you all enjoy listening to these legends of the game. This episode is a tribute to Louisiana head coach Tony Robichaux, who passed away in 2019. Robichaux was the epitome of character and leadership. He coached 33 seasons at the NCAA Div. I level at McNeese State and Louisiana and ended with 1177 wins, 12 NCAA Regional appearances, four Super Regional appearances and one College World Series appearance. In this episode, we hear from six coaches that Coach Robichaux impacted greatly: Radford's Karl Kuhn, Louisiana's Matt Deggs, Virginia Tech's John Scefc, West Monroe's Wade Simoneaux, South Alabama's Mark Calvi and Louisiana assistant Anthony Babineaux. We heard time and again from Robichaux that it wasn’t about the wins or baseball, it was about developing people and making a positive impact on the World around you. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
Last year’s virtual convention forced us to postpone the Hall of Fame banquet. In order to celebrate the 2021 class we did a series of podcasts with the inductees. We are using Christmas break here to reissue last year’s episodes to once again celebrate the 2021 class. We are so excited for the Chicago convention and to be able to honor the 2021 and 2022 classes at the Hall of Fame banquet on Friday January 7th. We can’t thank all of you enough for your continued trust and support. I hope you all enjoy listening to these legends of the game. This week's ABCA Podcast features ABCA Dave Keilitz Ethics in Coaching Award recipients Lance Spigner and Ryan McGinnis. Dave Keiltitz was the ABCA Executive Director from 1994-2014 and was longtime head baseball coach and later Athletic Director at Central Michigan University. Keilitz was inducted to the ABCA Hall of Fame in 1989. Spigner is first on this week's podcast. He is going into his second season with the brand new junior college program at University of Arkansas Rich Mountain following 28 very successful years at Horatio High School, where he won five state championships. The second half of the episode is with McGinnis, Athletic Director and head baseball coach at Kimberly High School in Wisconsin. McGinnis has 345 career victories and Kimberly has nine state tournament trips with two state championships. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
Last year’s virtual convention forced us to postpone the Hall of Fame banquet. In order to celebrate the 2021 class we did a series of podcasts with the inductees. We are using Christmas break here to reissue last year’s episodes to once again celebrate the 2021 class. We are so excited for the Chicago convention and to be able to honor the 2021 and 2022 classes at the Hall of Fame banquet on Friday January 7th. We can’t thank all of you enough for your continued trust and support. I hope you all enjoy listening to these legends of the game. Next up on the ABCA Podcast is baseball coaching legend Jerry Weinstein, recipient of the 2021 ABCA/Wilson Lefty Gomez Award. Weinstein is an ambassador for the game around the world and his resume reads like a wish list for any coach. He coached in a College World Series with Miami as an assistant coach and, as a head coach at Sacramento City College, won 831 games, 16 league titles, a national championship and had 213 players drafted, including 28 big leaguers. He has also coached in the Cape Cod League, coached with Team USA, and was the manager for Team Israel in the World Baseball Classic. He currently coaches with the Colorado Rockies and is heading up the Catching Hot Stove at the Virtual ABCA Convention. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
Next up on the ABCA Podcast is ABCA 2022 Hall of Fame inductee Fond du Lac head coach, Marty Paulsen. Paulsen has coached in 7 different decades. Paulsen is entering his 54th season at Fond du Lac. Paulsen has over 600 wins and is 2nd in all-time wins for active coaches in the state of Wisconsin. The Cardinals have appeared in the state tournament in 5 different decades and won the 2000 state championship. Paulsen is still coaching at an elite level, taking Fondy to the state playoffs in 2019. In this episode you will see why Coach Paulsen is still having success. He has a passion for teaching and coaching. Get your pad and pen ready because Coach Paulsen gives out a ton of great nuggets in this episode. He is the blueprint for living a life well lived. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more. This episode is also brought to you by Marc Pro. That is M A R C Pro. Personally I used it as a coach for my ragged out BP arm and legs after a tough workout. We saw huge benefits with our pitchers and position players in decreased soreness and recovery time. It is an amazing machine that speeds up the recovery process by getting blood flow back to areas that need it. It is durable and cost effective. The Marc Pro needs to be a tool in your peak performance tool kit. I can’t recommend it enough. Hit me up if you have any questions. Order now on Marcpro.com and use the promo code ABCA to get 10% off.
Joining us this week on the ABCA Podcast is former Ohio Domincan athletic director and head coach, Paul Page. Page is in this year’s ATEC/ ABCA Hall of Fame class. In 29 seasons with Ohio Dominican, Page won over a thousand games. Page is in the top 15 for career wins in NAIA. Page started his coaching career with 2 legends in Mississippi State’s Ron Polk and Marietta’s Don Schaly. Page coached 2 national championship teams at Marietta and led Ohio Dominican to 6 NAIA World Series appearances. In his time at Ohio Dominican, Page produced 39 All-Americans and 20 Academic All Americans. This episode is all about work ethic, discipline and accountability. We discuss his sacrifices along the way, player management, and his work now with Coaches Fore Coaches. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more. This episode is also brought to you by Marc Pro. That is M A R C Pro. Personally I used it as a coach for my ragged out BP arm and legs after a tough workout. We saw huge benefits with our pitchers and position players in decreased soreness and recovery time. It is an amazing machine that speeds up the recovery process by getting blood flow back to areas that need it. It is durable and cost effective. The Marc Pro needs to be a tool in your peak performance tool kit. I can’t recommend it enough. Hit me up if you have any questions. Order now on Marcpro.com and use the promo code ABCA to get 10% off.
Next up on the ABCA Podcast is ABCA 2022 Hall of Fame inductee Dave Barnett. Barnett is entering his 35th season as the head coach at Flagler College. He is close to eclipsing the 1000 win mark and is 12th in wins among active Division II coaches. Barnett spent 15 seasons as athletic director and head coach at Flagler. He oversaw the transition from NAIA to Division II. Flagler competes in one of the most competitive conferences in Division II. Barnett has been at every level of baseball from high school all the way to pro baseball. He is a 36 year continuous lifetime member of the ABCA. Get ready for an entertaining episode. The game of baseball has taken Coach Barnett down many paths. We get a chance to discuss his playing career including his time with Eddie Feigner and The King & His Court. We also cover his coaching tree, his love of Flagler College and being grateful for your opportunities. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more. This episode is also brought to you by Marc Pro. That is M A R C Pro. Personally I used it as a coach for my ragged out BP arm and legs after a tough workout. We saw huge benefits with our pitchers and position players in decreased soreness and recovery time. It is an amazing machine that speeds up the recovery process by getting blood flow back to areas that need it. It is durable and cost effective. The Marc Pro needs to be a tool in your peak performance tool kit. I can’t recommend it enough. Hit me up if you have any questions. Order now on Marcpro.com and use the promo code ABCA to get 10% off.
This year’s Dave Keilitz Ethics in Coaching Award winner is Wake Forest head coach, Tom Walter. Walter is entering his 13th season at Wake. Walter is one of the best we have in the game on developing players. In the last 9 seasons, Wake Forest has had 34 players improve their draft stock from high school. 27 of those players were not drafted out of high school. Walter’s path has taken him all over the baseball industry. He has spent time at George Washington, the University of New Orelans, Wake Forest, the Cape League and was assistant GM of the Greensboro Bats. Walter and Kevin Jordan were the 2021 recipients of the Stuart Scott Enspire Award. You can dive more into their non-profit Get In The Game at getinthegame.org. This is a great episode on servant leadership and finding ways to give back. We also dive into player development, coaching at high academic institutions, similarities in dealing with Katrina & Covid and other life lessons learned on his journey. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more. This episode is also brought to you by Marc Pro. That is M A R C Pro. Personally I used it as a coach for my ragged out BP arm and legs after a tough workout. We saw huge benefits with our pitchers and position players in decreased soreness and recovery time. It is an amazing machine that speeds up the recovery process by getting blood flow back to areas that need it. It is durable and cost effective. The Marc Pro needs to be a tool in your peak performance tool kit. I can’t recommend it enough. Hit me up if you have any questions. Order now on Marcpro.com and use the promo code ABCA to get 10% off.
Next up on the ABCA Podcast is Baseball Coaching Legend, Ron Maestri. Maestri is the ABCA Wilson/Lefty Gomez Award Recipient this year. This is the highest award that the ABCA gives out every year. Maestri’s footprint is all over the Baseball Industry. Over 16 seasons as head coach at the University of New Orleans he had 543 wins and led UNO to the Division II and Division I World Series. Maestri was inducted into the ABCA Hall of Fame in 1991. Maestri carried dual athletic director/head coach duties in his time at UNO. Maestri has shown elite organizational skills with his work with the New Orleans Zephyrs, the New Orleans Sports Commission and was instrumental in turning the College World Series into what it is today. This episode is a celebration of Coach Maestri and what he has meant to the baseball industry. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more. This episode is also brought to you by Marc Pro. That is M A R C Pro. Personally I used it as a coach for my ragged out BP arm and legs after a tough workout. We saw huge benefits with our pitchers and position players in decreased soreness and recovery time. It is an amazing machine that speeds up the recovery process by getting blood flow back to areas that need it. It is durable and cost effective. The Marc Pro needs to be a tool in your peak performance tool kit. I can’t recommend it enough. Hit me up if you have any questions. Order now on Marcpro.com and use the promo code ABCA to get 10% off.
The name David McDonald is synonymous with baseball in the State of Georgia. His career in Georgia started at Wheeler High School in 1979. He ended his run as head coach in 2010. In that time he led Wheeler to almost 500 wins and 7 state playoff appearances. After his time at Wheeler, McDonald has been an assistant at Mt. Paran and the Lovett School. Outside of coaching, McDonald has made a larger impact on the game with his time with the Georgia Dugout Club. He is also a charter member of the National High School Baseball Coaches Association and is in this year’s ABCA Hall of Fame Class. In this episode we cover his work with the Georgia Dugout Club, what the military did for his coaching career, handling head and assistant coaching duties, fundraising and his experience with the ABCA. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more. This episode is also brought to you by Marc Pro. That is M A R C Pro. Personally I used it as a coach for my ragged out BP arm and legs after a tough workout. We saw huge benefits with our pitchers and position players in decreased soreness and recovery time. It is an amazing machine that speeds up the recovery process by getting blood flow back to areas that need it. It is durable and cost effective. The Marc Pro needs to be a tool in your peak performance tool kit. I can’t recommend it enough. Hit me up if you have any questions. Order now on Marcpro.com and use the promo code ABCA to get 10% off.
Our 2nd installment of our ABCA Award series continues with former Norfolk State athletic director and head coach, Marty Miller. Miller has spent over 50 years at Norfolk State as a player, coach, administrator and now his role in development. In 32 seasons as head coach, he was the CIAA’s winningest coach and was coach of the year 15 times. Norfolk State won 17 conference titles during his tenure. Miller’s impact on Norfolk State might have been felt even more in his 15 years as Athletic Director. Norfolk State’s graduation rate increased from 40% to 75% during his time as athletic director. This episode is all about servant leadership. Miller is a shining example of investing your heart and soul into something. He is the definition of leaving it better for those behind you. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more. This episode is also brought to you by Marc Pro. That is M A R C Pro. Personally I used it as a coach for my ragged out BP arm and legs after a tough workout. We saw huge benefits with our pitchers and position players in decreased soreness and recovery time. It is an amazing machine that speeds up the recovery process by getting blood flow back to areas that need it. It is durable and cost effective. The Marc Pro needs to be a tool in your peak performance tool kit. I can’t recommend it enough. Hit me up if you have any questions. Order now on Marcpro.com and use the promo code ABCA to get 10% off.
This week kicks off our celebration of our 2022 Hall of Fame, Lefty Gomez and Dave Keilitz Ethics Award winners. We start the series off with Coastal Carolina head coach Gary Gilmore. Gilmore is the definition of a program builder. He has amassed over 1200 wins as a head coach at Coastal and USC-Aiken. Since taking over the Coastal program in 1996, the Chanticleers have 16 regional births, 3 super regional appearances and were national champs in 2016. It took Coastal 5 seasons before they made their first regional appearance. This episode is all about fail forward moments. There are going to be bumps along the way on your journey. Coach Gilmore is a great example of showing grit and persistence on your path. This may be the most impactful episode we have recorded up to this point. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more. This episode is also brought to you by Marc Pro. That is M A R C Pro. Personally I used it as a coach for my ragged out BP arm and legs after a tough workout. We saw huge benefits with our pitchers and position players in decreased soreness and recovery time. It is an amazing machine that speeds up the recovery process by getting blood flow back to areas that need it. It is durable and cost effective. The Marc Pro needs to be a tool in your peak performance tool kit. I can’t recommend it enough. Hit me up if you have any questions. Order now on Marcpro.com and use the promo code ABCA to get 10% off.
On this week’s ABCA Podcast we head on location with Weatherford College assistant athletic director and head baseball coach, Jeff Lightfoot. Lightfoot has spent 22 years as a head baseball coach and the last 18 years at Weatherford College. Lightfoot is closing in on the 700 win plateau with his time at Eastfield and Weatherford. Lightfoot’s 1998 Eastfield team won the Division III Junior College World Series. In 18 years, more than 150 former Coyotes have moved on to play baseball at the next level. 31 former Coyotes have played professional baseball including four major leaguers. In this episode we cover player relationships, his dual role as an administrator & coach, what the ABCA has meant to him, evolving from his days as a young head coach, offensive approach and program building. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more. This episode is also brought to you by Marc Pro. That is M A R C Pro. Personally I used it as a coach for my ragged out BP arm and legs after a tough workout. We saw huge benefits with our pitchers and position players in decreased soreness and recovery time. It is an amazing machine that speeds up the recovery process by getting blood flow back to areas that need it. It is durable and cost effective. The Marc Pro needs to be a tool in your peak performance tool kit. I can’t recommend it enough. Hit me up if you have any questions. Order now on Marcpro.com and use the promo code ABCA to get 10% off.
Next up on the ABCA Podcast are Terry and Nick Gobert. Terry is a legend in Indiana High School Baseball. In his time at Jasper High School, Gobert has won six Indiana State Championships, including the final two single class titles. He is one of five coaches in the state to reach the 800-win plateau. Jasper High school is a tradition rich program that includes Scott Rolen and Matt Mauck as alums. Nick is entering his first season as an assistant at Walters State. He started on varsity for 4 years for Terry. After high school he attended Dayton University and the University of Southern Indiana. Gobert started his coaching career at USI and was with Indian Hills last season. Coach Gobert has the blueprint for running a successful organization. In this episode we cover how they handled the player coach relationship, developing winning traditions, how experience still has value, keeping things simple, knowing when to pivot your philosophy, practice planning and how to incorporate family into your program. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more. This episode is also brought to you by Marc Pro. Personally I used it as a coach for my ragged out BP arm and legs after a tough workout. We saw huge benefits with our pitchers and position players in decreased soreness and recovery time. It is an amazing machine that speeds up the recovery process by getting blood flow back to areas that need it. It is durable and cost effective. The Marc Pro needs to be a tool in your peak performance tool kit. I can’t recommend it enough. Hit me up if you have any questions. Order now on Marcpro.com and use the promo code ABCA to get 10% off.
Jumping on the ABCA Podcast this week is University of Tennessee Associate Director of Sports Medicine, Jeff Wood. Wood just finished his 21st season with the UT Baseball program. Wood is a baseball lifer in the athletic training world. His career path mirrors many of our players and coaches. Wood grew up in West Virginia and did his undergraduate work at Marshall. After graduation, Wood started his AT career in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization. He was named the Southern League Athletic Trainer of the year in 1987. 2001 was Wood’s first season with the Vols Baseball program and that season ended at the College World Series. The 2021 season was Wood’s 3rd trip to Omaha. Wood has a wealth of knowledge in the game. This is a heart felt episode on baseball, career path, trainer & coach relationship, keeping players healthy, lifestyle and family. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
Another great baseball family joins us on the ABCA Podcast with Mark & Sam Gjormand. This is our first Father & Daughter episode. Mark “Pudge” Gjormand is heading into his 27th season at James Madison High School in Northern Virginia and his 35th season overall. Gjormand has led James Madison to three state Championships. The 2021 squad had a phenomenal season finishing second in the nation and winning the class 6 state championship. He was named the Atec/ABCA Region II Coach of the Year this summer. Gjormand is very active on the speaking circuit and is an integral part of the ABCA, National Baseball Coaches Association and MVP International. Sam is blazing her own path in the game. Gjormand helped Pudge with the James Madison High School baseball program while she was in high school. After graduation, Gjormand went to James Madison University and worked with the baseball program. Gjormand had an exciting summer working with the Wareham Gatemen as the assistant to the GM and MLB scout liaison. Gjormand was just named Director of Baseball Operations & Assistant Executive to the Head Coach at the College of Charleston. We head down a lot of different rabbit holes in this episode. This is an impactful conversation on the many ways that you can help the Baseball Community. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
Our next guest on the ABCA Podcast is Driveline CEO, Mike Rathwell. Driveline has been on the forefront of testing data driven player development and they are continuing to push the envelope of cost effective player development. Rathwell has a lot of new things to discuss. In this episode we cover Driveline’s rebranding of the Motus Sleeve to Pulse, Traq, their new facility opening up in Arizona, his 3 books that he is re reading right now, Driveline’s hiring process, his views on leadership, their youth academy and starting a new collegiate developmental league in Summer 2022. Quick Reminder on ABCA Renewals, New Membership and Convention Registration. You can do all of that on our website www.abca.org or on the My ABCA app. We are anticipating our largest convention this year. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
We dive back into peak performance with Kris Goodman, Tampa Bay Rays minor league mental performance coach. Goodman had a phenomenal career at the University of Iowa and was drafted in the 32nd round of the 2015 draft by the Miami Marlins. After Goodman's playing career was finished he got into college coaching and received his Master of Sports Psychology degree at Minnesota State. This is a deep dive into peak performance and player development. Goodman works with the Rays minor leaguers. He is on the ground floor of trying to help players achieve their goal of playing in the Major Leagues. This is a deep dive into his time growing up as a multi-sport athlete, the role his parents had on his development, the recruiting process, his views on player development and what he is using with his players to help with peak performance in the Rays organization. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
Next up on the ABCA Podcast is Div. I NJCAA national champion McLennan Community College head coach, Mitch Thompson. This finishes our series of ABCA coaches that were national champions this year. Thompson was honored with the ABCA/ATEC Coach of the Year Award. The Highlanders were 47-16 winning their last 23 games and running the table in Grand Junction. They had a .961 OPS and 4.12 ERA as a team. This was McLennan’s second national championship in program history. Thompson has 30 plus seasons as a baseball coach. He spent time as a Div. I assistant at Mississippi State, Auburn, Radford and Baylor. He has created a culture of winning at McLennan with three World Series appearances and six straight Region V appearances since he took over in 2015. Not surprising that this is a great conversation with Coach Thompson’s wealth of experience in the game. We cover their championship run, his assistants, what he has learned over the course of his career, his fail forward moment and how he handled McLennan’s 4 game losing streak in the middle of the season. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
In this episode we cover all things high school baseball with Patrick Robey, Madison Central High School head baseball coach. Madison Central went 34-2 and won the class 6A Mississippi state championship ending the season ranked #1 in the Baseball America poll. Robey was honored with the NHSBCA Coach of the Year Award. Robey competed collegiately at Jones County Junior College and Delta State. After playing professionally Robey started his coaching career at Delta State and East Central Community College. From there Robey moved onto head coach at South Panola and Lafayette High School. He just finished his fifth season with the Madison Central program. In this episode we cover a wide range of topics with Robey’s mentors, practice planning, field work, travel baseball and how to handle coaching elite players. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
Next up on the ABCA Podcast is Div. I national champion Mississippi State University head coach, Chris Lemonis. This continues our series of ABCA coaches that were national champions this year. Lemonis was honored with the ABCA/ATEC coach of the year award. Lemonis just finished his 26th season as a collegiate coach with stops at the Citadel, Louisville, Indiana and Mississippi State. In that time span he has a national championship, five college world series appearances, 16 NCAA tournament appearances and four 50 win seasons. It is hard to believe that this is Mississippi State’s first national championship. It just shows how difficult it is to win the last game of the year. This is a great discussion on Division I baseball, his fail forward moment, handling the pressure of coaching at an elite program and what it takes to climb the ladder at that level. Lemonis has made many sacrifices to get to the position he is in. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
This week on the ABCA Podcast is Richard Kent. Kent did his undergrad work at Rutgers and got his law degree from Boston College. He represents basketball and lacrosse coaches. He currently is a sports law professor at Manhattanville and is the author of 11 books. In this episode we dive into the current topic of name, image and likeness. NLI is a new frontier. Kent came on to give us a deep dive into what is going on currently and what the future might look like. Kent’s 11 books cover a wide range of topics including a couple on Roger Federer. Kent coached tennis at Manhattanville so we weaved in a little coaching, elite mindsets and professional development. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
Next up on the ABCA Podcast is Jeff Willis, NJCAA Div. II national champion LSU-Eunice head coach. Willis has done remarkable things with the LSU Eunice program. They are now tied for most national titles in one sport at the junior college level with seven. Eunice had a phenomenal year, going 51-17 and scoring almost 400 more runs than their opponents. In this episode we break down Eunice’s national championship run, their coaching staff, people development, practice planning, wreaking havoc on offense, ideas to keep pushing junior college baseball forward and his biggest key to keeping the edge to his program. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
Up next on the ABCA Podcast is Doug Wren, head coach of NJCAA Div. III national champion Tyler Junior College. Wren is entering his 13th season as head coach at Tyler and has won five national championships and posted a 459-194 record. The Apaches have made eight World Series appearances in the last 11 years. He is very active with the NJCAA, serving on the Executive and International Committees. In this episode we break down Tyler’s national championship run, coaching staff, player development, practice planning, developing hitters and his "why" of still focusing on what is best for the player. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
This week on the ABCA Podcast, we hear from NCAA Div. II national champion coach Jeff Gregory of Wingate University. This continues our series of ABCA members who won national championships this year. Gregory just finished his 11th season as head coach at Wingate, going 39-13 this year, after time as an assistant coach and player. He has led Wingate to the NCAA Tournament four times. The Bulldogs got hot down the stretch, going 13-2 in the playoffs. Gregory takes us through how a team that hit .289, fielded .960 and had an ERA of 4.23 won the national title. Get your pad and pen ready because Coach Gregory gives us a ton of great nuggets on developing a program! His pride and love for Wingate University comes through in this episode. You can tell he is pouring his blood, sweat and tears into Wingate baseball. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
Next up on the ABCA Podcast is Georgia Gwinnett College head coach Jeremy Sheetinger. Sheetinger was an ABCA staffer before he took the GGC job, and he also spent time at Spalding, Kentucky, St Joe’s (KY), Brescia and Georgetown College. He has a 160-55 record in five seasons as a head coach. Georgia Gwinnett capped off a phenomenal season, going 51-10 and winning the NAIA national championship. Sheetinger has picked up some post season accolades with the Skip Bertman Award, Rawlings NAIA Coach of the Year and ABCA/ATEC Coach of the Year Awards. In this episode we dive into GGC’s season, assistants and players, actionable tips on developing a successful organization, getting started in the podcast game and how social media can help get messages across to your team. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
This week's ABCA Podcast features Troy Brohawn, head coach of 2021 NCAA Div. III champ Salisbury University. In his seven seasons as head coach, Salisbury has made the NCAA Regionals seven times and been to the College World Series twice, including this year's title. Salisbury has a great tradition, having been to the NCAA Regionals 22 years in a row. Brohawn is one of two coaches to win a Major League Baseball World Series as a player and a Division III National Championship as a coach. He played collegiately at Nebraska and was an ABCA/Rawlings All-American in 1993. He pitched 12+ seasons professionally, spent four seasons as an assistant at Salisbury and five years as head coach at Cambridge South Dorchester High School, where the team won the state championship in 2013. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
Next up on the ABCA Podcast is former Central Michigan head coach, Athletic Director and ABCA Executive Director Dave Keilitz. Keilitz spent 14 seasons as the Chippewas' head coach from 1971-1984. He led Central Michigan to six NCAA Regionals before spending 10 years as CMU Athletic Director. He was also chair of the NCAA Baseball Committee. From 1994-2014 he was the ABCA Executive Director, overseeing saw some of the most important legislation that was put in place for college baseball as well as significant growth of the organization. He is a Central Michigan and ABCA hall of Famer and was recently inducted into the College Baseball Hall of Fame. We got a chance to sit down with Keilitz in the Marriott Hotel in Omaha during the ABCA Board of Directors meetings at the College World Series. Dave is a 52 year continuous member of the ABCA and a shining example of having success as you transition from one step to another in your career. He gives great advice on leading a life of impact and tips on how to be successful as a coach, administrator and executive. This is also a great history lesson on the College game and the ABCA. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
Interviews in this week's ABCA Podcast were recorded on the scene with ABCA member coaches at the NJCAA Div. II Championship in Enid, Oklahoma, and the NCAA Div. III Championship in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. We kick it off in Enid with Kellog’s Eric Laskovy, Madison’s Mike Davenport, Lackawanna’s Mike McCarry, Frederick’s Rodney Bennett, Kirkwood’s Todd Rima, Phoenix’s Kevin Kimball, Lincoln Land’s Ron Riggle and national champ Jeff Willis from LSU-Eunice. Then we head over to Cedar Rapids with Adrian’s Craig Rainey, Johns Hopkins’ Bob Babb, Cortland’s Joe Brown, Rowan’s Mike Dickson and national champ Troy Brohawn from Salisbury. There was high level play at both of these championships. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
Next up on the ABCA Podcast are Falmouth Commodores manager and Gunnery head Coach Jeff Trundy, San Francisco Giants national crosschecker Brian Bridges and Lake County manager Greg DiCenzo. Trundy is heading into his 25th season coaching in the Cape Cod League and his 21st as the manager of Falmouth. He has coached a laundry list of Big Leaguers including David Aardsma, Luke Scott, Rhys Hoskins, Kyle Gibson, Cliff Pennington, Khalil Greene, Jacoby Ellsbury and current Rays manager Kevin Cash. Trundy has made a huge impact on the game of baseball with the players he has coached and the coaches he has had on his staff. Bridges has been with the San Francisco Giants since 2019 and previously was the Scouting Director for the Atlanta Braves and coached at Florida Southern. DiCenzo is currently managing the Lake County Captains in the Cleveland Indians organization. Prior to that, he had a successful 12-year run as head coach at Holy Cross and was previously as an assistant at Northeastern. DiCenzo was on Trundy’s staff at Falmouth from 2002-05. This episode is on leading a life of impact. It will also show how many different paths there are available to impacting the game of baseball. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
This week we hear from Tony Schifano, head coach at San Francisco State University on the ABCA Podcast. Schifano was named head coach in 2015 and led the Gators to a No. 17 final ranking in the Collegiate Baseball Poll in 2019. His team went to the CCAA Tournament for the second year in a row, which was something the program hadn’t done since 2004. Prior to San Francisco State, Schifano was the recruiting coordinator at his alma mater UC Davis, where the 2008 squad earned a bid to the NCAA Regionals and ended the year with the most wins at UC Davis in its Division I era. He also spent five seasons in the high school ranks at Los Gatos High School. He had a successful playing career at UC Davis where he is a member of the Hall of Fame and his 1995 squad competed in the Division II World Series. He signed with the Marlins out of UC Davis and played in multiple organizations, getting up to Triple-A with the Astros in 2001.This episode is a deep dive into pressure offense, building upon Schifano's presentation from the Virtual ABCA Convention. We also discuss recruiting, the disappointment of San Francisco State not having a season in 2021, and his best memories of spending time with Augie Garrido. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
Next up on the ABCA Podcast is former CIA Agent Marc Polymeropoulos. He spent 26 years in the CIA before retiring from the Senior Intelligence Service in June 2019. His positions included field and headquarters operational assignments covering the Middle East, Europe, Eurasia and Counter Terrorism. Marc is the recipient of the Distinguished Intelligence Medal, the Intelligence Commendation Medal and the Intelligence Medal of Merit. His Book Clarity in Crisis is available June 8. The book covers what he learned in his time in the CIA and has some phenomenal stories that anyone can use to help them become a better leader. Polymeropoulos is also a huge baseball fan and baseball parent. In this episode, we discuss being a baseball parent, his path to the CIA, his time outside the United States, how he would fix the current climate, parallels of leadership in the CIA and baseball, how to handle pressure and tips on how to not bring work home. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
This week's ABCA Podcast features University of Utah associate head coach Gary Henderson. Henderson has a long and successful track record in coaching, starting at the high school level and from there moving on to San Diego State, Cal State Fullerton, Riverside Community College, Chapman, Pepperdine, Florida, Oregon State, Kentucky, Mississippi State and now Utah. If you were going to map out coaches to learn from it would be guys like Jim Dietz, Dennis Rogers, Larry Cochell, Mike Weathers, Andy Lopez, John Cohen and Bill Kinneberg. Henderson has had success at every stop along the way as an assistant and head coach. He was named the Collegiate Baseball National Assistant Coach of the Year in 1996, the Southeastern Conference Coach of the year in 2012 and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Coach of the Year in 2018. He is one of the brightest pitching minds we have in the game. In this episode we cover his path, what makes a great coaching staff, how to handle conflicts on your staff, program and pitching staff development and recruiting. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
Next up on the ABCA Podcast is Dr. Matt White, an orthopedic surgeon in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, specializing in elbows and shoulders. He earned his undergraduate degree at Notre Dame, went to medical school at Indiana University and finished his residency at Wisconsin. After his residency, Dr. White went to Birmingham for his fellowship at the American Sports Medicine Institute working with some of world’s best surgeons, including Dr. James Andrews. We cover a lot of ground in this episode on arm surgery and arm health. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
This week on the ABCA Podcast we catch up with Eric Crozier, head coach at the Potomac School in Maryland and founder of the Mizuno Outlaws. Crozier grew up in Columbus, Ohio, played collegiately at Norfolk State and was drafted by the Cleveland Indians in 2000. He played pro baseball for 11 years and made his Major League Debut with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2004. He is one of our unique members who coaches at the high school level but also runs a facility and coaches travel baseball. This is a deep dive into differences in playing and coaching and also differences in coaching high school, training players in a facility and travel ball. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
Next up on the ABCA Podcast is Bonnie Hoffman, coach of DC Girls Baseball and member of the ABCA Diversity in Baseball Committee. Hoffman has spent a lifetime in the game of baseball. She had an opportunity to play in an all girls baseball league growing up in New York and later moved to the Washington D.C. area. After law school, Hoffman founded the Eastern Women’s Baseball Conference and pitched for over 20 years. DC Girls Baseball is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting girls' participation in baseball and fostering their love of the game. Hoffman was a Public Defender for 20 years, so she has a unique perspective on diversity. She currently is the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers Director of Public Defense reform and training. This is a phenomenal episode on holistic coaching, servant leadership, youth practice planning, the DC Girls Baseball Club, nonprofits, fundraising tips, grant writing, differences and similarities of being a trial lawyer and coaching, and with her background as a Public Defender and Public Defense Reform we get into implicit biases as well. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
This week on the ABCA Podcast we have Dr. Joe LaPlaca, founder of Ares Elite Sports Vision. He did his undergraduate work at Marquette and has a Doctorate of Optometry degree from the Illinois College of Optometry in Chicago. Dr. LaPlaca is an adjunct professor at Butler University and works with the Butler baseball team. He is also the Optometrist for the Final Four. Although all of us in the baseball industry understand how important vision is to the game, we are still on the ground floor of how to train that in our athletes. Dr. LaPlaca discusses several different topics here as it pertains to vision and performance. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
Next up on the ABCA Podcast is Joel Pelland, head coach at Glenbard East High School and founder of Pelland Performance Consulting. Pelland has the been the head baseball coach at Glenbard East in Illinois for the last 10 years and is the all-time winningest coach at the school. He played baseball at Central Michigan and is a certified John Maxwell Leadership trainer, PECI certified performance coach and an AFPA nutritional coach. He is also a board member for the Illinois High School Baseball Coaches Association. Pelland is a great presenter and is speaking on the Youth Stage for the 2022 ABCA Convention in Chicago. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
This week's ABCA Podcast features Andrew Riddell, National Player Development Director for Baseball Australia. Riddell grew up in Sydney, Australia and picked up the game of baseball at 14 years old and fulfilled his dream of playing in the United States by cold emailing 200 schools. He ended up at Dodge City Community College and finished his undergraduate and master's degrees at Nebraska-Kearney. He interned with USA baseball after college, working with the top 80 18U players in the U.S. Riddell is now back in Australia overseeing the development and transition of their players from 16U to their pathway to college. In this episode, we discuss Riddell's time in the U.S., how they are setting up the National Player Development Program, preparing for the 2028 Olympics, how they are helping players get to colleges in the U.S. and Baseball Australia’s partnerships with the ABCA, Blast and Driveline. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
Next up on the ABCA Podcast are Kimya Massey, Senior Associate Athletics Director at Oregon State, and Richard Kanter, Founder of Kanter Legal. Both are members of the ABCA Diversity in Baseball Committee. Massey has been an administrator at Oregon State since August 2015 and previously worked at Central Florida, Memphis, Indiana and Michigan State. He pitched collegiately at Michigan State in the late 1990s and received his Master’s in Sports Administration from Michigan State in 2004. Kanter has an extensive background in the Sports Agent Field. He had positions with University of Kentucky baseball and the Baltimore Orioles. He was a player agent for NBA and NFL players and also worked for the Washington Wizards and Brooklyn Nets. Kanter made a career switch from player agent to now representing college baseball coaches. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
This week's ABCA Podcast features Tim, Nolan and Doc Neiman. Tim is entering his 32nd season as the head coach at DeSales University. Tim's sons Noland and Doc both played at DeSales and served as assistant coaches. Nolan is a 2005 DeSales graduate, has coached at every level of baseball and also scouted professionally with the Texas Rangers. He is the general Manager at Square Up Academy and head coach at Manatee High School. Doc is a 2011 DeSales graduate and is in his second season as head coach at Clarion University. Along with their experience in baseball as well as playing and coaching together, we also discuss the March 6 car accident that took the lives of current DeSales player Sean Hanczaryk, former Bulldog player Nick White and his girlfriend Emily Kattner. The crash left current player Brandon DiChiacchio in critical condition. Tim gives great advice on how to handle tragedy in your program. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
Next up on the ABCA Podcast is Dr. Justine Siegal, founder of Baseball For All and the first woman to coach for a Major League Baseball organization. After earning her Ph.D. in Sports Psychology from Springfield College, Siegal became the first woman to coach with the Oakland A’s and to throw batting practice to an MLB team during Spring Training with the Cleveland Indians. In 2016, she served as Mental Performance Coach for Team Israel at the MLB World Baseball Classic Qualifier. She has also coached in Japan and Mexico. Currently, Siegal is a baseball consultant for the TV show A League of Their Own and is an advisor for the Mustard app with Dr. Tom House. Her jersey is now hanging in the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. Baseball For All is a non-profit organization that works toward gender equity in youth baseball by strongly encouraging and providing opportunities for girls to participate. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
This ABCA Podcast features Philadelphia Phillies Mental Skills Coach Hannah Huesman. She is a great example of the bright voices we have in the Peak Performance World and her Mental Sweat Mondays have provided a bright spot during the pandemic. Huesman was a dual sport athlete playing basketball and softball at UT Chattanooga and has her master's degree from UT Knoxville in Sports Psychology and Motor Behavior. Prior to working with the Phillies she worked with the Pittsburgh Pirates and also works with the New York City Fire Department. She has an extensive background in working with athletes, business people, health care workers, performing artists and first responders. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
Next up on the ABCA Podcast is current Johns Hopkins and former Yale University infielder Dai Dai Otaka. This is the first time we've interviewed a current player who is also an ABCA member. Otaka played high school ball at University of Detroit Jesuit and started his college career at Yale University with current Minnesota Twins Assistant Field Coordinator Tucker Frawley as an infield coach. Otaka is finishing up his playing career at Johns Hopkins University. At Ivy League Schools, graduate students have not been able to compete athletically, so you see a lot of impact grad transfers coming out of the Ivy League. This episode should be a resource for coaches on how to talk to players and is an example of how we can bridge the gap between the new and the old in today’s society. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
We catch up with Missouri State head coach Keith Guttin and assistant coach Paul Evans on this week's ABCA Podcast. Guttin is in his 43rd season with the Missouri State program as a player, assistant and head coach. He ranks 19th in NCAA Division I with 1,288 career wins in 38 seasons as head coach. Evans is in his 33rd season as an assistant at Missouri State after coaching at Shawnee Community College and Rend Lake Community College. In their 33 seasons together, they have had 127 players sign pro contracts, six first-round draft picks, 20 Major Leaguers, 19 regular season or conference tournament championships, 11 NCAA Regional appearances and a 2003 College World Series appearance. This is a great episode on staff longevity, how to handle disagreements as a staff, player development, recruiting, tips for coaches and a shared love for Missouri Valley Conference baseball. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
Next up on the ABCA Podcast is San Francisco Giants Minor League Mental Skills Coach Dr. Kellen Lee. Dr. Lee has a diverse background having played baseball at the UC San Diego and independent baseball. Professionally, he has worked with teams and athletes from the NCAA Division I, II, III, high school, youth and professional levels. He also has experience in working with military personnel on how to handle the mental challenges of combat environments. He wrote his dissertation on Effects of Sport-Specific Mental Imagery on Collegiate Athletes Confidence after an Orthopedic Injury, which is particularly relevant this year as we have seen changes at the college and professional levels with stops and starts as well as shortened ramp-up time. This episode is sponsored by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
Next up on the ABCA Podcast, we have Colorado Rockies hitting coach Trevor Burmeister. Burmeister is entering his second season as hitting coach with the Colorado Rockies and was the 2019 ABCA/Baseball America Assistant Coach of the Year in NJCAA while at Madison College. Burmeister played at Madison and then UW-Lacrosse, before moving into the coaching ranks at the University of Minnesota-Duluth. Burmeister also spent time on the Travel Baseball side, coaching with the GRB Rays, as well as the Collegiate Summer League level with the Madison Mallards. Burmeister has a bright future in the game as you will see from his detailed answers and information in this episode. This episode is sponsored by Netting Pros, improving programs one facility at a time. Netting Professionals specializes in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
This week on the ABCA Podcast is Chad Busick, owner of Championship Mindset. Busick is a master facilitator with Advance Sports Technology, working with college teams at the Division I, II, III and NAIA levels as well as high school and competitive teams across various sports. In addition, he is a certified trainer for the Power of Positive Leadership Training with the Jon Gordon Companies, is co-host of The Championship Mindset Podcast as well as the author of a new book, The Rock Tumbler. Busick hosted an ABCA webinar with Julie Nee, December 2, 2020, and they are hosting workshops on February 21 and 22. This episode is sponsored by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals specializes in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
Next up on the ABCA Podcast is our NCAA Division I Preview. We have a stout line up of college baseball media members in this episode with Mike Rooney leading us off. After that, we hand it off to Vinnie Cervino from Perfect Game, Teddy Cahill from Baseball America and we finish it off with Aaron Fitt and Kendall Rogers from D1Baseball. As life long fans of college baseball, this is always an exciting time of the year and we're excited to finally be able to head to the ballpark again to watch some baseball. This episode is sponsored by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals specializes in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
Next up on the ABCA Podcast is our 2021 NAIA, Junior College, Division III and Division II preview. Robby Gutierrez from NAIA Ball and special guest Cumberland head coach Woody Hunt lead us off. After that, we kick it over to Brian Sakowski from Perfect Game and Noah Sharp from the JUCO Ball Blog to cover all things junior college baseball. Then we hand it over to Jordan Shusterman and Jake Mintz of Cespedes Family BBQ fame and the D3 Baseball Podcast to talk all things Division III. Finally we finish up with Nick Herfordt, Perfect Game’s Small College specialist, to preview the Division II and III seasons. This is one the best times of the year with seasons getting ready to start and some already beginning. This episode is sponsored by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals specializes in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
Continuing our Foundations for Optimal Living theme for the ABCA Podcast, we speak with Dr. Erik Korem, CEO and Founder of AIM7. Korem played football at Texas A and M and has since traveled all over the world studying elite performance. He was in the NFL for 15 years as Sports Scientist and High Performance Director and more recently was Associate Athletics Director for Student-Athlete Performance at William and Mary. We cover a lot of territory here in this episode on habit forming, self improvement and why sleep is important. This episode is sponsored by Netting Pros, improving programs one facility at a time. Netting Professionals specializes in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.
This week we connect with Dr. Jackie Buell, Sport Dietician for Ohio State Sports Medicine and Consultant to the Department of Athletics. Dr. Buell's has a Ph.D. in Nutrition from Ohio State, a master's from the University of Arizona in Exercise Physiology and a bachelor's in Sports Medicine from Marietta. She was pivotal in starting the Food Innovation Center, which is an Ohio State University program to help feed the people in the state of Ohio. We tackle all things nutrition for coaches and players and have a speed round on supplements. She helps with some of the truths and myths around nutrition and supplements. This episode is sponsored by Netting Pros, an official partner of the ABCA. Netting Professionals specializes in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, BP screens, ball carts and more.
This week on the ABCA Podcast is the Kansas City Royals Director of Performance Science and Player Development John Wagle. He enters his first year as Director after serving as the Royals Minor League Strength and Conditioning Coordinator since 2019. Prior to joining the organization, he spent three years pursuing his PhD in Sport Physiology and Performance at East Tennessee State. He earned his Master’s in Exercise Science from Western Illinois, an MBA from Loyola and he played collegiately at Augustana College in the Quad Cities. He spent time as the Assistant Director of Sports Performance at Depaul University and coached at North Park and Dominican University. Having been both a coach and strength and conditioning coordinator, Wagle understands what both sides need and how to bridge the gap. This episode is sponsored by Netting Pros.
Next up on the ABCA Podcast is, China McCarney, Vice President of Jaeger Sports founder of the Athletes Against Anxiety and Depression Foundation. McCarney has been with Jaeger Sports full time since 2012 and started the Athletes Against Anxiety and Depression Foundation in 2016 because of his own personal struggles with panic attacks, anxiety and depression. Their mission is dedicated to providing resources to anyone that suffers from a mental health battle. On this episode, we also dive into why all of this will help players be more successful and programs win more games. This episode is sponsored by Netting Pros. Netting Pros specializes in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens, ball carts and more.
Happy New Year and to the week of the ABCA Convention! The first part of this episode is with the ABCA staff. The second part is with Vanderbilt head coach Tim Corbin, a member of the ABCA Board of Directors and ABCA Hall of Fame. He has 753 wins as a head coach and two national championships in 18 seasons at Vanderbilt. This episode is sponsored by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals specializes in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, BP screens and ball carts.
Next up on the ABCA Podcast is baseball coaching legend Jerry Weinstein, recipient of the 2021 ABCA/Wilson Lefty Gomez Award. Weinstein is an ambassador for the game around the world and his resume reads like a wish list for any coach. He coached in a College World Series with Miami as an assistant coach and, as a head coach at Sacramento City College, won 831 games, 16 league titles, a national championship and had 213 players drafted, including 28 big leaguers. He has also coached in the Cape Cod League, coached with Team USA, and was the manager for Team Israel in the World Baseball Classic. He is heading up the Catching Hot Stove at the Virtual ABCA Convention.
This week's ABCA Podcast features ABCA Dave Keilitz Ethics in Coaching Award recipients Lance Spigner and Ryan McGinnis. Dave Keiltitz was the ABCA Executive Director from 1994-2014 and was longtime head baseball coach and later Athletic Director at Central Michigan University. Keilitz was inducted to the ABCA Hall of Fame in 1989. Spigner is first on this week's podcast. He is going into his second season with the brand new junior college program at University of Arkansas Rich Mountain following 28 very successful years at Horatio High School, where he won five state championships. The second half of the episode is with McGinnis, Athletic Director and head baseball coach at Kimberly High School in Wisconsin. McGinnis has 345 career victories and Kimberly has nine state tournament trips with two state championships.
This week on the ABCA Podcast we hear from Los Angeles Dodgers Catching Coordinator Ryan Sienko, who is entering his third season in that position with the World Champions. Sienko will be joining the ABCA Convention Catching Hot Stove in January. He is also the founder of Catch and Throw. Prior to working with the Dodgers, Sienko was an associate scout for the Baltimore Orioles, Director of Operations for the National Pitching Association alongside Tom House and coached in the high school ranks. Sienko gives great advice on how to be patient in the development process as well as a look inside the Dodgers organization. Sienko joined the Dodgers in 2015 and was on the ground floor with the current management team.
Cleveland Indians Pitching Coordinator Joel Mangrum joins us on this week's ABCA Podcast. He is entering his second season as the Indians' Pitching Coordinator, after two seasons as a pitching coaching the Arizona League, having gone from the college side to pro baseball in 2017. At the collegiate level, Mangrum coached at New Mexico State, Austin Peay, Milligan College and Hinds College. Mangrum will be attending the Virtual ABCA Convention and gives great insight about why coaches will want to attend the event. We run the gamut here on player development, developing relationships with players and more.
Next up on the ABCA Podcast is Driveline Baseball's Director of Youth Baseball, Deven Morgan. His relationship with Driveline started when he took his 9-year-old son into the facility to learn more about what they were doing there. That relationship developed into him heading up Driveline’s youth program and now the Youth Academy. Driveline now has teams from high school-age down to 9U. This episode is going to be a great resource for any parent or coach as we discuss the entire year calendar for training and competing. We drill down to what we feel is important from a training and competing standpoint as well as the test and retest method that has built the philosophy at Driveline. Listeners should come into this episode with an open mind and be prepared to learn!
This week, we visit with ABCA Second Vice President Rick Hitt, who is the head baseball coach and Athletic Director at South Florida State College. Hitt organized the 24 main-stage clinic speakers for the Virtual ABCA Convention and serves on the ABCA Board of Directors and Standing Committee. Besides the ABCA, Hitt is the NJCAA Region 8 Assistant Men’s Director, NJCAA Baseball Coaches Association President and is on the NJCAA All-America Committee. He has also coached the NJCAA National Team six times. Hitt speaks on his journey to becoming the ABCA Second Vice President, this year’s challenges and what he is excited about for the Virtual Convention. We also dive into what he has seen as the common themes for the great coaches he has been around, his role as AD and coach, how being surrounded by educators in his immediate family has helped him as a coach, and what it means to him being inducted into three different Halls of Fame.
Next up on the ABCA Podcast is University of New Mexico head coach Ray Birmingham, a great example of staying true to yourself and trusting what you teach. Birmingham has head coaching experience at the high school, NAIA, junior college and NCAA Division I levels. He is one of the best offensive minds in the gameand understands how to develop hitters with keeping things simple. He has won championships at every level and has almost 1300 wins at the collegiate level. He won a JUCO national title in 2005. Birmingham is going into his 13th season as the University of New Mexico head coach and has led the Lobos to five NCAA Tournament appearances.
Finishing up our ABCA 2021 Hall of Fame Podcast Series is a tribute to Louisiana head coach Tony Robichaux, who passed away in 2019. Robichaux was the epitome of character and leadership. He coached 33 seasons at the NCAA Div. I level at McNeese State and Louisiana and ended with 1177 wins, 12 NCAA Regional appearances, four Super Regional appearances and one College World Series appearance. In this episode, we hear from six coaches that Coach Robichaux impacted greatly: Radford's Karl Kuhn, Louisiana's Matt Deggs, Virginia Tech's John Scefc, West Monroe's Wade Simoneaux, South Alabama's Mark Calvi and Louisiana assistant Anthony Babineaux. We heard time and again from Robichaux that it wasn’t about the wins or baseball, it was about developing people and making a positive impact on the World around you.
In our fifth installment of the ABCA Hall of Fame Podcasts, we speak with Wayne Graham. He coached for 38 seasons between high school, San Jacinto College and Rice University. In 11 seasons at San Jac he won 675 games, had an .875 winning percentage and won five national championships in six seasons. He was named JUCO Coach of the Century by Baseball America. In 1992, he took over a Rice University program which had seven winning seasons and no postseason appearances in 78 years. From 1995-2017, Rice made 23-straight NCAA Regional appearances, seven College World Series appearances and won the national championship in 2003. Graham embodies winning and also balance. He had a keen recruiting eye for finding diamonds in the rough.
Our next guest in our ABCA Podcast Hall of Fame Series is Don Sneddon, the all-time winningest coach in California Community College history with 1072 victories. Sneddon played for Wally Kincaid, Dave Snow and Augie Garrido and spent 32 years as head coach at Santa Ana College. He also has coaching experience on the pro side with the Colorado Rockies and in the Cape Cod Baseball League. He was an assistant for Jerry Weinstein with the Wareham Gateman in 2016 and 2017 before moving up to manager in 2018 and leading them to the Cape League title. Sneddon is a 42-year continuous ABCA member and is a 2015 California Community College Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame Inductee. Sneddon was one of the first coaches to work with Ken Ravizza and was a teacher the entire time he was coaching at Santa Ana. We dive into how he blended the classroom and the baseball field and how he used breathing techniques to help future firefighters and police officers.
Next up on the ABCA Hall of Fame Series is long time Southern University Coach Roger Cador. Cador built the Southern program from no stadium or equipment to one of the best programs in the nation and made a lasting impact not only at Souther, but also with the MLB Diversity program. He retired from Southern with 913 wins, 14 conference championships, 11 NCAA appearances, two HBCU National Championships, and 62 players drafted, including 2003 Golden Spikes Award Winner Rickie Weeks.
In the second installment of our ABCA Hall of Fame Podcasts, George Horton joins us. Horton is one of the few people out there who can say he was on a coaching staff with Wally Kincaid, Dave Snow and Augie Garrido. He is a 38-year continuous ABCA member and his 2004 Cal State Fullerton Squad won the national championship. As an assistant coach, Horton was an integral part of helping Garrido build Fullerton into a powerhouse program. In 2007, Horton was hired to bring the baseball program back at the University of Oregon. Horton has 865 wins as a head coach. He took the Ducks to five NCAA Regionals and one Super Regional appearance in 11 seasons.
This week we begin a new series of ABCA Podcast episodes featuring members of the ABCA Hall of Fame Class of 2021. We start with newly elected Hal Baird along with Samford head coach Casey Dunn, who is representing his father, Sammy Dunn, who passed away in 2004. Baird spent the majority of his head coaching career at Auburn University, where he left as the all-time winningest coach after 16 seasons. His tenure included two College World Series appearances, two 50-win seasons and nine regional appearances. He previously was head coach at East Carolina for five seasons, leading the Pirates to three NCAA Regionals. Sammy Dunn was one of the most successful baseball coaches in the history of Alabama high school baseball, leading Vestavia Hills High School to 647 victories and nine Alabama 6A state titles in 27 seasons. At the time of his passing in 2004, he was Alabama's all-time winningest coach. Casey Dunn has been the Samford head coach for 16 seasons and had the honor of playing for both his father as well as Coach Baird.
Next up on the ABCA Podcast is Illinois Wesleyan head coach Dennis Martel, who is entering his 34th season and has over 836 wins with the Titan program. Illinois Wesleyan won the 2010 Div. III national championship as Martel was named ABCA/Diamond Regional Coach of the Year for the second year in a row as well as 2010 ABCA/Diamond National Coach of the Year. We discuss what he loves about Illinois Wesleyan, having Div. I, Div. III and Junior College programs within two miles of each other, his mentors growing up, hanging banners, the national championship run and what he is enjoying about the recently released ABCA Convention videos.
Next up on the ABCA Podcast is Kent State University head coach Jeff Duncan. Kent State has a long history of winning. Since taking the reins in the summer of 2013, Duncan has guided Kent to two MAC Tournament titles (2014, 2018) and back-to-back-to-back regular season conference crowns in 2016, 2017 and 2018. Prior to Kent State, Duncan had a successful four-year stint at Purdue, which was the Big Ten regular season and tournament champ as well as an NCAA Regional host in 2012. Duncan played baseball professionally for nine seasons in the Mets, Padres, Blue Jays and Dodgers organizations, reaching the Majors with the Mets during the 2003 and 2004 seasons. Get ready to listen to all things Grit, Attitude, Effort, Trust and Enthusiasm. We also touch on practice planning, outfield play, player development and what he would like to see from a player development side at the youth and travel levels.
Up on this week's ABCA Podcast are Eric and Gordie Theisen, a father-son coaching duo from Hillsdale College. Eric is the head coach with Gordie as assistant coach of the NCAA Div. II school, which has reached the NCAA Tournament in two of the last three seasons. Eric was named the GLIAC Coach of the Year in 2016 and the Great Midwest Athletic Conference Coach of the Year in 2018. Before coming to Hillsdale, Eric was the pitching coach at Siena Heights. Gordie has been Eric's assistant since 2014 and has a wealth of experience in the college game. He was head coach at Siena Heights University from 1987-2003, racking up 341 career victories, and after that was the pitching coach at Adrian College. In this episode we discuss their relationship coaching together and what has helped Eric coaching by going to Brussels to pitch after college. Gordie gives great insight on being an older coach learning new technology. We also do a deep dive into the resources and habits that help both of them be successful coaches.
We put a different spin on the Father and Son episodes of the ABCA Podcast with Jake Boss Jr, head coach at Michigan State, and Jake Boss Sr. From 2008-12, Boss Sr. was Boss Jr.’s assistant coach. Boss Sr. coached baseball and football at Lansing Everett High School for 23 years and coached at Lansing Catholic High School as well. He mixed in college and high school coaching after that with stops as an assistant at Eastern Michigan, Alma College and Michigan State. Boss Jr. has been the head coach at Michigan State since 2008. His 333 wins in 11 seasons are the most in program history over any 11-year time span. Michigan State was Big Ten champ in 2011 and a regional participant in 2012. He was head coach at Eastern Michigan in 2008, winning the MAC West and going to the Regionals for the first time since 2003. We discuss Boss Sr.’s favorite memories as an assistant for Boss Jr. at Michigan State, hit on their experience together with Boss Jr. playing for Sr. in high school, their mentors along the way and both of their long histories in the game.
Mike Rathwell, CEO of Driveline Baseball, joins the ABCA Podcast this week. Driveline has been at the forefront of pushing data-driven player development and are continuing to push the envelope on cost-effective player development. We discuss Driveline's new initiative of Pitch AI, which uses motion capture on your phone. We also dive into his affinity for Warren Buffet and Charlie Munger, Driveline's partnership with Motus Sleeve, saving time with Driveline's TRAC program, keys to self discovery, and how the support team at Driveline can help any coach with any budget.
On this week's ABCA Podcast, we have the Iowa High School state championship coaches joining us for a roundtable on their seasons and how all of them dealt with COVID-19 protocols. This is a great episode for because it deals with the questions around COVID-19 and the answers each of these programs came up with. We hear from 1A coach Joel Shares from Don Bosco, 2A co-head coaches Eben Baumhover and Mike Kennedy from Van Meter, 3A coach Chad Wiedmann from Norwalk and 4A coach Michael Barta from Johnston.
We catch up with Tom Oldham, owner Dynamic Velocity, in this episode of the ABCA Podcast. He is an Omaha native, pitched collegiately at Creighton University and was an eighth-round draft pick of the Marlins in 2003. In this episode we cover his core beliefs in players development, habit building, building trust with your athletes by asking questions, challenges of running a facility, and some of his favorite books: Atomic Habits, It Takes What It Takes, The Power of Habit, The Inner Game of Tennis and The Golden Rules. We also dive into Rapscore, which is a new way to grade pitchers using Rapsodo.
This episode features Lauren Johnson, the Mental Conditioning Coordinator for the New York Yankees. She also has experience working at the IMG Academy with Justin Su’a and at the collegiate level with Sacramento State baseball and Point Loma Nazarene soccer. Johnson played soccer collegiately for San Francisco and Point Loma. We discuss how to help players that are dealing with injuries stay engaged, helping with triggers to get unstuck, how getting turned down for a job with the Army was the best thing that happened to her, staying away from the trap of 'What Ifs', her work with the Yankees and IMG, and when as a coach you should discuss with your players about when to see a mental health professional.
We continue with the second half of this special ABCA Podcast series as longtime longtime college coaches Mark Martinez (San Diego State) and Spencer Allen (Northwestern) serve as hosts again, this time interviewing Eastern Kentucky University head coach Edwin Thompson and Presbyterian College head coach Elton Pollock. Both Thompson and Pollock have very unique paths to becoming NCAA Div. I head coaches and are great examples of each person having an interesting journey in the coaching profession. Allen is in his fourth season as the head coach at Northwestern University and his 18th season coaching overall. Martinez is in his seventh season as the head coach at San Diego State and has more than 30 years of college coaching experience.
This ABCA Podcast features a new twist, as longtime longtime college coaches Mark Martinez (San Diego State) and Spencer Allen (Northwestern) will be hosts and are interviewing MLB Diversity Pipeline Director Tyrone Brooks and Brewers Outfield and Baserunning Coordinator Quintin Berry. Allen is in his fourth season as the head coach at Northwestern University and his 18th season coaching overall. Martinez is in his seventh season as the head coach at San Diego State and has more than 30 years of college coaching experience. Brooks has 20+ years of experience at the Major League Baseball level working with the Atlanta Braves, Cleveland Indians and Pittsburgh Pirates and now as the Senior Director of Major League Baseball's Front Office and Field Staff Diversity Pipeline Program. Berry played collegiately for Martinez and Tony Gwynn at San Diego State. He played professionally for 12 seasons, including five years at the MLB level for five different organizations. He is in his second season coaching with the Brewers.
This episode features University of Iowa pitching coach Robin Lund, who has a doctorate in exercise science and is a certified strength and conditioning coach. He spent 16 years in the classroom and lab teaching at the University of Northern Iowa, where he also helped with the baseball and softball programs. We dive deep into motor learning, the future of cognitive training for baseball players and his "Big Five" ideas on leveraging motor learning to improve effeciency. We also dive into his resource recommendations and his love of cooking.
ABCA official partner Rapsodo recently donated more than $50,000 to Turn Two for Youth, the official charity of the ABCA, to support youth baseball. In this podcast episode, we connect with Rapsodo Marketing Manager Kate Tuttle, Rapsodo Director of Diamond Sports Seth Daniels as well as Eric Smith and Billy Owens from Turn Two for Youth. We discuss Rapsodo’s donation to Turn Two for Youth, hear about how Turn Two for Youth got started, and both organizations go into what the ABCA has meant to both of them.
This episode features Steve Goody, the CEO and Co-Founder of Pocket Radar. He is also on the advisory board of On Base U. and has spent over 35 years in the technology industry as a system architect and designer of hardware and software systems and products. Steve is named an inventor/co-inventor on 17 patents and holds a BSEE from the UC-Davis. In this episode we discuss how Pocket Radar came to be as an idea and then a company, his mission for Pocket Radar, the updates to Smart Coach and his relationship with Dante and Bo Bichette.
We connect with LSU-Eunice head baseball coach and Athletic Director Jeff Willis in this episode of the ABCA Podcast. We cover everything that goes into being a coach and AD, and also discuss what it takes to develop a national championship program and championship-caliber people.
This episode with Creighton University assistant coach Connor Gandossy is a blue print for recruiting and developing at the NCAA Division I level. We deep dive into the 12-month calendar of recruiting and developing players. Is a great listen for anyone interested in the amount of time and preparation it takes to perform the job of recruiting and coaching at the Division I level.
We catch up with Alan Jaeger, CEO of Jaeger Sports in this ABCA Podcast episode. He is one of the Forefathers to the modern day warm up, training and throwing and founded Jaeger Sports on the principle that athletes need to develop both their physical and mental skills in order to be successful in game situations. He is also the author of the Year Round Throwing Manual and his “J Bands” can be seen at any baseball field in the world from the Pro Level on down to Youth Baseball. He has also been very active at the ABCA Convention, specifically with the Pitching Hot Stove.
We hear great perspectives in this episode with Blake Beemer, recruiting coordinator Ball State, Kenny Fullman, program manager Chicago White Sox ACE Program, and Edwin Thompson, head coach Eastern Kentucky University. Beemer has had previous coaching stints at Penn State and Eastern Illinois University. Fullman is one of the founders of the White Sox Amateur City Elite Program. He has been a member of the Chicago Police Department for 25 years. He was also the head coach at Harlan Academy for 24 years. He is an Illinois High School Baseball and Kentucky State University Hall of Famer. Thompson coached with Team USA for four years and has had previous coaching stops at Georgia State, Duke, Bates College and University of Maine-Farmington. He played collegiately at Howard, Maryland and Webber University.
We connect with Kerrick Jackson, head coach at Southern University, and Juahn Clark, Assistant Executive Director at the ABCA, to talk about diversity in this special episode. Jackson is going into his third season as head coach at Southern University. He is also the Chair of the ABCA Diversity Committee. Jackson has worked with the Boras Corporation and scouted with the Washington Nationals. Prior to coaching the Jaquars he had stops at Missouri, Nicholls State, Fairfield, Emporia State and Coffeyville College. Clark has been with the ABCA office for 19 years and currently manages the ABCA Trade Show. Clark played football at Central Michigan. We cover a variety of topics on racism and diversity. We give actionable solutions on communication and relationships.
Pete Savage, head coach of Reno High School and Reno Legion Baseball in Nevada, joins us as we resume our weekly ABCA Podcast episodes. We discuss his team core covenants of H.U.S.K.I.E.S, using outside resources to help his program, keys to building a successful program, accountabiity for players, great tips on parents in the program, his favorite team building exercises, fundraising ideas and tips for young coaches.
In the final episode of the Father-Son Miniseries, ABCA Podcast host Ryan Brownlee sits down with his own dad, Jim. Jim was a 30-year NCAA Div. I head coach at the University of Evansville and Illinois State and is a Lifetime ABCA member. He came out of retirement in 2013 to be the pitching coach at the University of Iowa. He currently works for his other son with Diamond Sports Promotions. Jim coached a son for eight-straight years and a coached with a son for 14 years. We also dive into some of the best baseball stories you will hear and a huge reason why I fell in love with baseball.
This Father-Son Miniseries episode features one of the most prolific father and son coaching combos in college baseball history: Mike Martin Senior and Junior. In 25 years together as a player/coach or head/assistant coach duo, they had 17 Super Regional berths, 10 College World Series appearances and averaged over 40 wins per season. Senior retired with 2029 wins, the all-time record for coaching wins in any division. Junior took over as head coach of the Florida State program this past season after 22 seasons as his father's assistant.
We connect with Andy, Michael and David Lopez in this ABCA Father-Son Miniseries episode. Andy is one of only three coaches to lead three different programs to the College World Series along with Larry Cochell and Ron Polk. He and Augie Garrido are the only coaches to win national championships at two different programs (1992 Pepperdine and 2012 Arizona). He retired from coaching in 2015 and was inducted to the ABCA Hall of Fame in 2018. Michael and David both were members of the 2012 national championship team. Michael coached with Andy for two seasons and is currently the head baseball coach at Howard College in Texas. David is Youth Program Director at Boys and Girls Clubs of America in Tuscon.
This ABCA Father-Son Miniseries episode features Mike, Ben, Drew and Sam Bianco. Mike has been the head coach at Ole Miss for 19 seasons and is the winningest and longest active coach in the SEC among all baseball, basketball and football coaches. He has 16 NCAA Tournament appearances, six Super Regional berths and one College World Series appearance. He won three national championships as a member of Skip Bertman's staff at LSU. Ben is a junior at Louisville, Drew is a sophomore at LSU and Sam is a senior at Oxford HS and is committed to play at the University of Louisiana.
We connect with Dr. Joe Eisenmann from Volt Athletics in this episode to discuss dynamic warmup and training recommendations, the Relative Age Effect, why he believes in No Lines, No Laps, No Lectures, why he loves Scott Berry (ABCA Board member and head coach at Mayville State) and his work with Volt Athletics. He also gives podcast and book recommendations for Long Term Athletic Development.
We speak with Bill and Kyle Decker in this Father-Son Miniseries episode. Bill has coached collegiately for 31 years, with a majority of those seasons at Trinity in Connecticut and the past eight seasons as head coach at Harvard. In 2019, Harvard won the Ivy League Championship and competed in the NCAA Regional. In 21 years as head coach at Trinity, the Bantams had nine NCAA Regional appearances, three College World Series appearances and won the national championship in 2008 with a 45-1 record. Kyle played for Bill in 2012 at Trinity, winning a conference championship an competing in the NCAA Regional, and finished his collegiate playing career at Oberlin. He played professionally in Australia and Belgium. Kyle has been on Harvard's coaching staff since 2018, helping the Crimison to their Regional appearance in 2019.
This Father-Son Miniseries episode features Eric and Jake Snider. Eric has coached at the University of Louisville for the past six seasons, helping the Cardinals to two CWS appearances, four ACC Atlantic Division Championships, and four NCAA Super Regional Appearances. Prior to Louisville, Eric was the Associate Head Coach at the University of Illinois and addition to several other stops before that. Jake played for Eric at Louisville from 2017-19. The 2018 and 2019 seasons ended in Omaha. Jake was drafted in 2019 by the Pittsburgh Pirates and is currently working his way through their farm system.
In this Father-Son Miniseries episode, we speak with Mitch and Derek Hannahs and they also discuss Mitch's youngest son, Kaleb. Mitch has been the head coach at Indiana State for seven seasons, returning to his alma mater in 2013, where he is a member of the school's Hall of Fame. Mitch has been part of six of the program's 10 NCAA Tournament appearances as a player, assistant or head coach, and also has experience at the junior college level. Derek started his collegiate career at Ohio State before transferring to Indiana State, playing for Mitch in 2014 and 2015. Kaleb is finishing his senior year of high school at West Vigo with plans to go into engineering and play baseball at Valparaiso University.
This Father-Son Miniseries episode features ABCA Board member John Casey along with his four sons, Brian, Kevin, Brendan and Chris, who have all gone on to become baseball coaches themselves. John has coached 38 seasons at Tufts, including 36 as head coach, and was inducted to the ABCA Hall of Fame in 2020. The Jumbos have qualified for the NCAA Tournament five of their last nine seasons. Brian and Kevin both played for John at Tufts. Brian is currently the pitching coach at William and Mary while Kevin is head coach at Johnson and Wales. Brendan played for John's former player and assistant Paul Svagdis at Azusa Pacific and currently coaches with John at Tufts. Chris played at Western New England and currently runs the Northeast Longhorns.
Northwestern University head baseball coach Spencer Allen joins us in this episode as we cover he and his staff's experience with On Base U, how they are implementing the assessments with their players, what separates good players, block and random practice, his biggest transition from assistant to head coach, delegating responsibility to assistant coaches, tips for youth practice planning and some great book and podcast recommendations.
This Father-Son Miniseries episode features Mike and Brian Roberts. Mike coached at the University of North Carolina for 20 seasons as well as multiple stops in the Cape Cod League. He has been the manager of the Cotuit Kettleers since 2004, leading them to three championships, and has coached with the Chicago Cubs for last seven years. Brian played for Mike for the Tar Heels in 1997 and 1998 before one season for Ray Tanner at South Carolina. Brian was drafted by the Orioles in he first round in 1999 and played 13 MLB seasons for the Orioles, leading the Majors in doubles twice and stolen bases once. He retired after one season with the Yankees in 2014.
We connect with living legend Woody Hunt and his sons, Scott and Ryan in this Father-Son Miniseries episode. Woody has over 1600 wins in four decades of coaching at Cumberland University and was recently honored with the Pat Summit Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2013, he was inducted to the ABCA Hall of Fame. Cumberland University has 12 World Series appearances and has won three national championships under his watch. Scott played for Woody from 1992-95, has extensive experience coaching at the high school level and is an associate scout for the Chicago Cubs. Ryan played for Woody for five seasons and coached with Woody for 13 seasons, including all three national championships. He has been the head coach at Volunteer State Community College for five seasons.
This Father-Son Miniseries episode features Ed and Mick Mathey. Ed has been a head coach for 27 seasons with 15 at North Central College and 12 at Northern Illinois University. North Central has won a record five-straight CCIW Championships. Mick played for Ed at North Central from 2017-19. The 2017 season ended with a College World Series appearance. Mick recently graduated from North Central College with a double major in finance and economics.
Continuing our Father-Son Miniseries, we speak with Scott and Jeff Pickler. Scott is an ABCA and Cape League Hall of Famer who is most well known as head coach at Cypress College and the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox. Jeff played for Scott at Cypress College in 1996 for one season and then transferred to the University of Tennessee, where he was the 1998 Southeastern Conference Player of the Year. He played in the minors for eight seasons, was a pro scout with the Arizona Diamondbacks and coached under Andy Lopez at Arizona and one summer with his dad at Yarmouth-Dennis. He is currently on the Cincinnatti Reds Major League coaching staff.
In this episode, we connect with Joe Moroney from Always Grind 365. We discuss his path from high school in California to the University of Kansas and playing for coach Rich Price. We get on the topic of independent baseball and playing for longtime manager Greg Tagert. He gives great info on how to implement journaling and how it helps your mental health and athletic performance.
We connect with Arizona State skipper Tracy Smith and his son, Casey, in this Father-Son Podcast. Tracy has coached for 30 years, including head coaching stints at Miami (Ohio), Indiana and now Arizona State. Tracy built the program at IU, where Casey played for him from 2010-14. He was a starter for the 2013 College World Series squad. Casey currently is a producer in the entertainment industry.
In this Father-Son Podcast, we speak with ABCA Board member and Hall of Famer Ed Blankmeyer along with his son, Ty. Ed was an assistant at Seton Hall for 15 years under legendary coach Mike Sheppard before 25 years as head coach at St. John's, where he is the programs all-time winningest coach. He is now manager of the New York Mets affiliate Brooklyn Cyclones. Ty played at St. John's from 2012-16, played professionally in the Cincinnatti Reds organization and is now a scout for the Milwaukee Brewers.
We connect with Mike, Dusty and Dillon Napoleon in this ABCA Father-Son Podcast Miniseries episode. The Napoleon family has been a coaching staple in the Chicagoland-area since Mike was the head coach at Niles Notre Dame and Providence Catholic High Schools before moving on to New Trier High School, where he led the program to Illinois State titles in 2000 and 2009. Dusty and Dillon both played for and coached with Mike. Dusty went on to play at the University of Iowa and coached with podcast host Ryan Brownlee at Iowa and Western Illinois. He currently works at Northwestern. Dillon played at Heartland Community College and UAB and has coached at Berry College, Concordia-Chicago and Northwestern. He is currently an assistant under Marc Rardin at Iowa Western Community College.
The fifth episode of our ABCA Father-Son Podcast Miniseries features Rich and Alex Maloney. Rich has been a head coach for 24 seasons and is on his second stint at Ball State University. The ABCA Board member was previously skipper at the University of Michigan and has more than 800 career wins. Alex was a two-way standout at Ball State from 2013-17. After college, he played professionally in the Chicago White Sox system and he is currently an assistant coach for Ryan Kelley at Wayne State in Michigan.
We're back to our typical ABCA Podcast with Episode 162 featuring Ron Wolforth from the Texas Baseball Ranch. Wolforth is one of the forefathers of modern day pitching and training. We discuss his pitching bootcamp that he started in 2003, the importance of having after action reviews to help learn and grow, and whether there is more or less trial and error now with the amount of technology and data at our disposal. He gives us his recommendations on ramping up, tools to stay active and his recommended pitching cycles during the COVID-19 lockdown.
We catch up with Jack and Casey Dahm in the fourth episode of the ABCA Father-Son Podcast Miniseries. Jack is the head coach at Mount Mercy University in Cedar Rapids, Iowa and played for Jim Hendry at Creighton, where he was also an assistant coach on the team that went to the College World Series and, in 1993 became the youngest head coach in NCAA Div. I. Jack was the head coach at the University of Iowa from 2003-13. Casey played at West High School in Iowa City and played under his father at Mount Mercy, where he is now a member of the coaching staff.
This episode of the ABCA Father-Son Podcast Miniseries features Ritch, Ritchie, Ryne and Robbie Price. Ritch has coached more than 2000 games, including the past 18 seasons at the University of Kansas. He had the unique experience of coaching a son for eight-straight years at the collegiate level. Ritchie, Ryne and Robbie had great careers in college and all played professionally. Ritchie has been Ritch's assistant for the last nine years at Kansas and had a successful run as a head coach at South Dakota State. Ryne and Robbie are working professionals in the Kansas City-area.
In the second episode of the ABCA Father-Son Podcast Miniseries, we talk to Lee, Justin and Eric Toole. Justin and Eric played under Lee at Lewis Central High School in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Both were All-State performers in high school, went on to have All-Big Ten Careers at the University of Iowa, and both played professionally. Justin is currently on the Major League coaching staff of the Cleveland Indians, while Eric is part owner of Diamond Dreams in Iowa City. Lee had over 900 career wins at three different high schools and is the President of the Iowa High School Coaches Association.
We kick off the ABCA's Father-Son Podcast Miniseries with Rob and Donnie Walton. This miniseries will run throughout the month of May! Rob has had a very successful coaching career and has been the pitching coach at Oklahoma State since 2012, where Donnie played from 2013-15. Rob was 2016 ABCA/Baseball America Assistant Coach of the Year, was previously assistant and head coach at Oral Roberts University and played at Oklahoma State under Gary Ward in the 1980s. Donnie was a two-time All-Big 12 first team honoree at Oklahoma State, was a fifth-round draft pick in 2016 and was called up by the Seattle Mariners in 2019.
Brian Cain is a best-selling author and one of the foremost authorities on mental performance. His mental performance training strategies have been used by thousands of elite performers and top athletes worldwide, including industry leading companies like Burton Snowboards, Fuddruckers, UFC World Champions, NCAA champions, and hundreds of athletes in UFC, NBA, PGA, NFL, NHL and MLB.
We connect with Mississippi State pitching coach Scott Foxhall in this episode of the ABCA Podcast. We discuss Rod Dedeaux, handling your first year with a new program, the beauty of baseball allowing different styles, the decision on whether to let guys pitch in summer ball, who had the most impact on him as a coach, what he would tell his 25 year old coaching self and take a deep dive into pitchers Ethan Small and JT Ginn.
Scott Fox is the Creator of Champion Playbook and the Director of Baseball at Dynamic Sport Performance in Alexandria, Virginia. We go deep here on how to help players on a lot of different levels. We dive into 'tapping' which has shown scientific benefits to help with trauma, PTSD and performance. We touch on kettlebell training. We also talk about things that have helped both of us on our journey in life and how we are getting through the quarantine.
Dr. Peter Fadde is the Co-Founder and Chief Science Officer of Gamesense and Matt Borgschulte is minor league hitting coach for the Minnesota Twins. We discuss the free month of April that Gamesense is offering to coaches, pitch recognition drills that coaches can use to develop their hitters, and protocols for the Gamesense App. Borgschulte goes into the tips he uses to help hitters develop and both Fadde and Borgschulte give us resources (books, podcasts) that will help coaches differentiate between training and competition.
Rachel Balkovec is a minor league hitting coach with the New York Yankees. She was previously a strength and conditioning coach for the St. Louis Cardinals and was the Houston Astros' Latin American strength and conditioning coordinator. Internationally, she has worked with the Dutch National Baseball and Softball Team. In this episode, we cover her work with Humans for Humans as well as her upcoming Female Executive Mentorship Conference, how her strength and conditioning background has helped coach hitters, her time and mentors with the three MLB organizations, how we can use social media positively and her book and podcast recommendations.
Matt Tanner and Jeff McGarry from Blast Motion jump on the podcast to talk about what is going on with player development during the COVID-19 situation. We discuss what is going on with the NCAA decision on athlete eligibility as well as free webinars that Blast Motion offering on Fridays. We go over tips on what players can do at home, what they are seeing out of their clients from a swing rate standpoint and some of the updates they have to the metrics that come with the bat sensor.
As baseball programs are mostly apart and many seasons cancelled, Dallas Baptist University strength and conditioning coach Al Spencer joins the ABCA Podcast to talk about what teams and athletes can be doing in this unprecedented time. We discuss how he is communicating with his players while they are away and the programming he is coming up with as many student-athletes don't have access to equipment and resources at home. Hopefully his insight can provide ideas for others who are at home.
With many baseball games and seasons interrupted, we decided to release this ABCA podcast episode with University of Virginia head Coach Brian O'Connor early. The episode was recorded prior to the 2020 season. We discuss learning from mistakes as a young coach, developing a relationship with your recruits before they show up on campus, why it is a great time to be a baseball coach, why youth players should play multiple sports, what was great about coaching Team USA, learning from other coaches and players and why he likes instant replay.
This week's episode features Tim Funkhouser, head coach at Edwardsville High School in Illinois. We discuss recommendations for players with aspirations to play in college, fundraising, a "Fail Forward Moment", being a parent, allowing players to seek outside training or summer ball teams, core values and his evolution from a young head coach to now.
In this episode with UNC Greensboro head coach Billy Godwin, we discuss his excitement for getting back on the field, the difference between pro, college, and high school baseball, the benefit of summer ball for college players, recommendations for youth players and recommendations for the ABCA National Convention. We also update Coach Godwin and ABCA member coach Gary Gilmore's health and pay tribute to John Altobelli.
With the other levels of college baseball off and running, we head into opening week of NCAA Division I for part 2 of our College Baseball Preview. We blanket the country, hearing from Baseball America's Teddy Cahill, D1Baseball's Aaron Fitt and Kendall Rogers as well as college baseball analyst Mike Rooney.
In part 1 of our College Baseball Preview, we dive into Junior College, NAIA, NCAA Division II and NCAA Division III. We start off with Noah Sharp and Brian Sakowski covering teams and players to watch in Junior College. Robby Gutierrez dives into the start of the NAIA season and has great stories from coaching and playing. Nick Herfordt takes us over to Division II. Jordan Shusterman and Jake Mintz off Cespedes Family BBQ cover all things Division III.
This episode of the ABCA Podcast features Seattle Mariners mental skills coach David Franco. We cover a variety of topics, including peak performance, lifestyle changes (intermittent fasting), using mental skills in training, where to start for youth players, the Mariners Funnel, book and podcast recommendations, and great stories about Braden Bishop and Chase Headley.
Gary Reinl, of Marc Pro, joins us to cover the MLB Winter meetings, the ABCA Convention, active recovery, why you shouldn't use the R.I.C.E. protocol for healthy athletes or post-op, introducing the Marc Pro to professional baseball, how the lymphatic system works in recovery, and his views on ice baths for recovery.
Sarah Howard, owner of Elite Mobilty Training, covers a variety of topics and how they relate to baseball in this week's episode. Howard discusses her path to Yoga, why not being flexible is OK, keys to finding the right instructor, why you should prime your lymph nodes, the Yoga Tune Up and Coregous Balls. She makes recommendations for youth athletes and discusses her work with pro baseball teams, including St. Louis Cardinal Jack Flaherty.
This episode features a variety of interviews with ABCA National Office Staff as well as college baseball coaches from South Carolina (Skylar Mead, Mike Current, Mark Kingston), Dallas Baptist (Dan Fitzgerald, Dan Heefner), St. Mary's Texas (Chris Ermis) and USA Baseball represenative Andrew Bartman. We discuss tips for attending the ABCA Convention as well as ways to maximize your experience from seasoned members.
The second episode of ABCA Podcast 2.0 is with former MLB player Jamey Carroll, who played 11 years in Major League Baseball and currently works in player development with the Pittsburgh Pirates. We discuss: what makes a great youth coach, the difference between pro baseball and college baseball, one thing he would go back and change, the best advice he got as a player, how he decompresses in a high stress job, and his thoughts on the ABCA Convention.
We lead off version 2.0 of the ABCA Podcast with Derek Johnson, pitching coach for the Cincinnati Reds, who is also a speaker at the 2020 ABCA Convention. We cover a wide range of topics in this episode: the difference between college and pro coaching, helpful daily habits, recommendations for youth players, balancing family in season, and if whether or not he thought Tim Corbin would retain him at Vanderbilt when Corbin took over the program.
This week’s podcast welcomes in Andy Schatzley, assistant coach at Harding University in Arkansas, who has proven to be one of the best teachers and developers of defenders on the small college level. Schatzley delivers countless ideas, language, drills, and mentalities that will make all of us better teachers on the infield. Schatzley always had coaching in his future, as his father was longtime ABCA member, and his true passion for developing his guys is apparent. The results speak for themselves as last year’s team fielded .977 a year ago, good for third in the country in Division II. That has been year after year with his defense. Schatzley not only delivers major value inside our chat but it is also his transparency and humility that will be palpable for our listeners as well.
We're back in the junior college ranks as Steve Dintaman, head coach at Sinclair Community College in Ohio, joins our show and we get to unpack the special program he has built there. JC baseball is such a special level, providing opportunity and development for so many players from exceptional teachers and coaches who see the bigger picture. With Dintaman behind the mic, we open up the ins and outs of his growth as a leader and communicator and the specifics of how he has built his coaching staff, selects the right kids to join him in the dugout and also how success seems to keep finding his program. Dintaman lays out his thoughts and ideas that guide his interactions with the players, being very transparent on campus and the common theme inside our podcast – the best of the best are not wrapped up in wins and losses. It’s all about relationships, growing up young men and women and molding a better person.
We dive headfirst into the summer baseball world and connect with Jesse Cole, the man in the yellow tux and owner of the Savannah Bananas and their manager, loyal ABCA member Tyler Gillum. This organization is known thinking outside of the box and the results cannot be denied, with 70+ sold out crowds since 2016, averaging 4,200 fans per game. They have a wealth of information to offer our listeners with a business and development model that works. Both Cole and Gillum give insight into how their operation runs in Savannah with mostly ideas and solutions to challenge coaches, owners and general managers to think differently about their clubs, the experience of the players and the fans, the environment at their ballparks and how we can keep growing this space and opportunity for college baseball players.
This week’s guest is Joe Ferraro, the pride of Brookfield, Connecticut and curator of the 1% Better Project. He is a four-year continuous member of the ABCA, a dedicated lifelong learner and thriving member of our podcast community. Many of our listeners have heard Ferraro referenced many times on this very show or out at the Barnstormers Clinics. A former college and high school coach who has also spent the past 20 years in the classroom, Ferraro brings an extraordinary dynamic to the airwaves this week. Ferraro takes us through his steep learning curve after becoming a college baseball head coach at the tender age of 21, working through the experience of coaching a 41-year-old pitcher and many players his own age which led him back in the high school ranks, maturing along the way and finding perspective of his coaching why. Ferraro now spends his time outside of the classroom interviewing world class leaders and authors on his 1% Better Podcast, exploring the mindset, language and behaviors of daily improvement.
With some of the USA Development Programs in close-by Cary, N.C., we visited some of our loyal members: Butch Chaffin from Cookeville High School in Tennessee, Wes Brooks from Oxford High School in Alabama and Tanner Vesely from Corona Del Sol High School in Arizona as well as Doug Creek, former MLB pitcher and now owner of The Barn in Southern Maryland. This episode was recorded live with all of us huddled around a table in the living room of their hotel and it was a special treat to talk baseball with these fantastic men. We pull back the curtain on USA Baseball, we get their personal takeaways and experiences and spend the bulk of the show talking the life of high school baseball coaches: the ups and downs, the lessons learned along the way, how to work with parents, how to train. This group has seen it all. It's an unfiltered, unplugged conversation that comes back to this key point: on behalf of the ABCA National Office, thank you to all of the special coaches out there on the high school level who are growing young men and impacting the game, working hard for their guys. Here are four of the very best to connect with this week!
For this week’s episode, we make a call to the bullpen and bring in Twitter sensation and MLB contributing analyst Rob Friedman, "The Pitching Ninja". We unpack Friedman's journey through coaching and his commitment to lifelong learning, questioning his thoughts on the game and bringing an open mind to the ballpark - and to Twitter - which helped lead him into his transformation into the most famous masked GIF warrior on the internet, the Pitching Ninja. Friedman breaks down the ins and outs of his path to social media stardom, connecting and even finding mechanical and pitch design solutions with MLB stars and his new venture, Flatground App. A first-year member of the ABCA, Friedman details his story of how he and Major League Baseball got on the same page about his account, which includes MLB footage and has his handiwork featured around the world.
This week we chat with Webster University head coach and 20-year ABCA member Bill Kurich about the building of the championship program he has in St. Louis and within NCAA Division III. Here’s the statline: in 13 years, they have won 13-straight conference championships, made four World Series appearances. We open up the first few months on campus instilling his vision and cultivating his culture within the existing team. We unpack every facet of the program from recruiting, player development and practice, fundraising, academics, strength and conditioning and all of the touch points that he feels has helped elevate his program and give it an opportunity to consistently win championships. It's a ‘take feverish notes’ show that will offer every listener real perspective through the lens of one of the best small college coaches in our game.
We make a call to the bullpen to bring in this week’s guest with Brent Kemnitz, former pitching coach at Wichita State University and a lifetime ABCA member of 40 years. Kemnitz, who might be the winningest pitching coach in college baseball, served under another coaching legend in Gene Stephenson and helped build Wichita State into a national powerhouse. In this episode, Kemnitz takes us not only through the height of the Shockers program but also what drove him to keep learning, find new information and keep getting better throughout his coaching career. He is now an Assistant Athletic Director at Wichita State and lives in a space of mentorship, helping guide and teach the other coaches within the department amongst other duties. He was certainly excited to see one of his own pupils - Eric Wedge - recently introduced as the new Shockers skipper. We often talk about timing in our game and this couldn’t have fallen at a better time with us recording this interview on June 10th, which marked the 30 year anniversary of the 1989 Wichita State national championship.
Recorded live from Lewiston, Idaho, we connect with Tennessee Wesleyan University skipper Billy Berry just one day before he and Bulldogs would dogpile just a few feet from where we sit. Boasting 18-straight regular season conference championships, 11-straight bids to the NAIA Tournament, five World Series appearances, an average of over 43 wins in 12 years and now two national championships, it could be said that TWU has cemented themselves at the forefront of NAIA baseball. We focus our time with Berry on the consistency that the team has found as he opens up and pays homage to the coaches who came before him and then details how he and his staffs over the years have held true to the values of the program. We work across all fronts as Berry details his approach to recruiting, practice, development, game strategy and even community involvement which includes adopting Neyland Pickel, who has given this program more perspective than they could have imagined. Join us for a walk through Coach Berry’s growth as a leader, how he molds leadership within his locker room and the principles that he holds true.
This week’s show finds us heading back into the Buckeye State to connect with Defiance College head coach and 23-year continuous member Derek Woodley. He has a terrific story in 2019 as Defiance was picked to finish last in the conference which gave Woodley’s squad all of the ammunition they needed finishing third in their conference tournament and reaching their highest win total since 1995. Humility will be present throughout as we navigate this amazing story of maturation that will resonate with our coaches, finding himself in his own words ‘transactional’ early on in his career and over time embracing the true calling of coaches - relationships and enhancing the experiences of his players. Woods is one of those coaches that believes that he hasn’t worked a day in his life since he started coaching and that energy is palpable over the airwaves as his passion is contagious and it’s an honor to shine our light on Coach Woodley inside this episode.
In this week’s episode, we welcome Alan Jaeger from Jaeger Sports back into the studio to open up a moving dialogue on the importance of bringing Mental Practice into your practice plans and into the culture in our program. Jaeger has mentioned countless times on social media “you become what you practice” and he is calling for coaches to bring this element of training to their players to better prepare them for the demands of the game. We cover a cornucopia of topics and ideas while taking questions directly from our listenership and delivering them to Jaeger over the airwaves. Questions range from the practice of meditation and breathing to the details of visualization and how to guide players through the uncovering of their own process. The most prominent point made throughout this show is that we do not need to have our Master’s Degree in Sports Psychology to implement this into our practice plan.
Buckle in for this week’s episode as we connect with Travis Hergert, the head coach at North Iowa Area Community College and take a transparent walk n his journey in the game. Coming off his presentation at our Dallas Convention, Hergert jumps on the podcast with us and opens up his growth as a learner and how he has never allowed low budgets to impact his passion for helping develop his players. Hergert details the many technologies that are present inside the Trojans program plus how he has evolved within his coaching 'why' to land where he is now. It’s all about the players, their experience and to create better men before baseball players. It is truly an inspiring interview and one full of humility, selflessness and tremendous insight from one of the many special coaches who are passionate about the ABCA.
This week’s podcast focuses on Travel Baseball with the Orlando Scorpions Baseball Club, an organization that has made a huge shift in how they provide value for their players moving forward. We sit down with President and CEO Bob Rikeman and Director of Baseball Operations Matt Gerber to hear what these positive changes will be and what that means for the perception and current model of Travel Baseball. The Scorpions are stepping outside of the current tournament model and adopting their own development model that includes a focus on training and development for the entire organization during the month of June before playing in a few select tournaments in the remainder of the summer. We hear about the value that they think it will bring to the players in their skill development, recruiting process, how it will positively effect the parents and their costs, enhance the experience and evaluation efforts for college coaches and scouts, how this will develop from within and raise up the current Scorpion coaches and overall, be a huge win for all involved.
In this episode, connect with Driveline Baseball’s CEO and friend of the ABCA Mike Rathwell to cover a plethora of topics, but mainly focusing on the parallels between running an organization and being a coach. It’s a deep dive into the life of an entrepreneur but also directly comparable to the life of all of us in the trenches as coaches. We talk communication systems, employee training ideas, personal growth and leadership principles with Rathwell, who transparently takes us inside his ups and downs within his current role. The back half of the show is where Rathwell truly shines as he takes us into his influences, how he is engineered as a learner plus the lessons learned from studying business leaders that help guide his direction in baseball.
In the midst of their 2019 campaigns, both Butch Thompson from Auburn and John Savage from UCLA jump on the call with us this week to open up a myriad of topics in the pitching space. Utilizing our social media, we gave our followers and loyal listeners an opportunity to submit their pitching questions and posed them to both Thompson and Savage. We dive into how each coach tailors individual routines to their pitchers, talk mental game ideas and approaches, plus we dive into teaching command and how this might look in our bullpens. Both coaches share their thoughts on dealing with arm slot issues, giving our coaches mechanical cues to look for plus approach the topics of drop-down pitchers and even two-way players and how to manage their routines. It’s a certain ‘take feverish notes’ episode with arguably two of the very best pitching minds in the college game today!
We touch down in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, a town with deep ABCA ties, to connect with the first-year skipper Jordan Bischel of Central Michigan University. He is leading one of the best turnarounds in college baseball this season and we open with Bischel on the details, including the new energy and focus on development that he feels has made the difference. Bischel details his unique perspective from working out of baseball and in accounting before following his passion for coaching, which led him through the small college route building up programs on the NAIA and Division II levels. Bischel also lays out his approach to coaching ‘northern baseball’, working every day to build a consistent winner. CMU and Mount Pleasant play a close role here at the ABCA with legendary Chippewas head coach, Athletic Director and former ABCA Executive Director Dave Keilitz still living in town. He has become a friend and mentor to Bischel through his transition.
In this week’s show, we head back to the Buckeye State and sit down with Denison University head coach and proud ABCA member Mike Deegan. It is amazing how much humility and transparency comes through the airwaves from Deegan and his contagious spirit to learn, grow and get better each day. Listeners will have an easy time finding themselves motivated to challenge themselves. We unpack Deegan’s journey in baseball and the path he has taken to leading the turnaround happening at Denison from setting the school record for wins and leading the Big Red to their first NCAA Tournament a year ago to rolling downhill this season as his team has bigger plans in its sights. It’s the culture change inside this transformation that will capture your attention, Mike’s spirit to chase personal growth and how our conversation keeps coming back to staying humble and impacting others around us. You’ll find Mudita – finding vicarious joy in other’s success – inside this episode plus so much more.
This week’s episode is a tremendous discussion on the offensive side of the baseball with Rob Ruiz, head coach at Westmont College, and Brett Thomas from Blast Motion, one of our proud ABCA partners and presenter of our Barnstormers Clinics. Both stop by to break down their approaches to developing and grooming elite level swings and the details inside their development plans. There’s something for everybody inside this show as we discuss movements and assessments and we get into the cages with Ruiz and Thomas to talk technologies, adjustments and coaching cues. We spend time breaking down group and individual training and throughout the entire episode, these guys drop knowledge from their growth as hitting coaches to packing the back half of the episode with drills and ideas that could show up on your next practice plan.
In this week’s episode, we connect with Ashley Bratcher, the Senior Director of Baseball Operations at USA Baseball and Mary Marandi, who serves as the Assistant Director of Corporate Communications for Minor League Baseball as we spotlight women who are blazing their own trails inside of this game. They help us answer the bell of celebrating Women’s History Month by discussing their journeys in baseball, from internship opportunities to being educated on the business side of baseball to how they have each carved out their own seats at the table in a male-dominated sport. We discuss inclusion in our game and how they see the progress that is being made in our current climate, leaving our listeners with encouragement for how far women have come in baseball but keeping in mind that there will always be more work to be done. An important podcast to bring to our coaches and an equally important one to the health and growth of our game.
We head back into the high school ranks to connect with Danny Hignight from Providence High School and Greg Simmons from Charlotte Christian School, both in North Carolina. Hignight and Simmons were paired up at this past fall’s Barnstormers Clinic in Charlotte and our staff felt that the entire listenership needed to hear from them. In this episode, we take the topic of building an elite level of culture in of our programs, from defining it specifically to detailing what it looks like across every front. Both Hignight and Simmons offer the details about what makes both of their programs stand as two of the top high school programs in North Carolina and we unpack how they build relationships with their players, their parents and even the umpires, all in an effort to hold up a first class program and make a difference in Simmons's words: "well past the seventh inning of life".
This week’s episode connects us with Brian Ryman, the Director of Baseball Operations and current Recruiting Coordinator at Lipscomb University in Nashville. Showcasing true humility, a servant’s heart and spirit and a wealth of perspective, Ryman takes us through his journey in baseball, the countless hats he wears and also offers his reflections on the various influences on his growth and development. Some of the real nuggets in this interview are the details of what truly makes up the duty list for the Director of Operations. It is a lot more than just booking hotel rooms. Ryman is a passionate and loyal member of the ABCA and it is our pleasure to shine our light on him this week.
We go back on the base paths as we connect with the coaching staff at Fordham University in head coach Kevin Leighton and assistant coach Rob DiToma. Fordham led all of NCAA Division I in stolen bases a year ago with 169 did so with an impressive 78 percent success clip. We invite Leighton and DiToma to detail out the decision to make base running a priority for the Rams offense, how it worked in bringing this aggressive approach into their practice plan and the details around the drills, setups, coaching cues they offer their players. We dive into how this looks in game, how is it communicated between players and especially coach-to-player, plus a look at how our listeners could introduce this into the fall, build throughout winter training and enhance during their training with their seasons. This episode is packed with tremendous insight that can help any program looking to diversify their offense and bring this mindset and plan to their respective plans to score more runs.
After attending the 2019 ABCA Convention, Dusty Baker joins this week’s show with 40 years of perspective from his MLB playing and managing experience. Baker, a first year member of the ABCA, recounts his experience in Dallas with over 6,500 coaches, attending our first Diversity in Baseball Committee Meeting and how impressed he was with the affinity of our coaches to share and find new ways to teach. Baker reflects on his journey through baseball, from being drafted out of high school, learning the ropes from legends such as Hank Aaron to now watching his son's path through college baseball. We dive into a myriad of topics, following up on his thoughts on the diversity and inclusion issues we have in baseball to his childhood and the various coaches and mentors that made an impact on him.
Connecting with two-time NCAA Div. II national champ Jad Prachniak from West Chester University and three-time NJCAA national champ Marc Rardin from Iowa Western Community College helped us bring together a truly unique perspective on practice planning. In this episode, both Prachniak and Rardin detail how they have learned over the years to see what truly matters and how that shows up on their specific practice plans. We get outside of the box with very unique and creative ideas that Prachniak and Rardin use to maximize time on the field with their players and dive headfirst into indoor training. They open up how to keep practice sessions fresh, how they get creative with the scheduling and add a level of competitiveness to their daily plans.
Dan McDonnell dials in from the offices at Jim Patterson Stadium at the University of Louisville to break down his journey through baseball. McDonnell, our ABCA 2nd Vice President this year, has built the Cardinals program into a perennial powerhouse, owning the best winning percentage in college baseball over the past 12 seasons. In this episode, we dive into MacDonnell’s growth as a coach since taking over at Louisville in 2006 and imparting his vision for the program. Eleven NCAA Regionals and four College World Series appearances later, McDonnell is still finding new ways to challenge himself, dialing into greater detail inside of his practice plan and offering insight into the Cardinals attack on the bases and at the plate.
This week, we connect with NCAA Umpires Scott Kennedy and Mark Winters to hear their perspectives on the field. Both Kennedy and Winters have taken impressive journeys throughout baseball, working into various levels of the professional ranks and now serving within the ACC, Big 12 and Southeastern Conferences. In this dialogue, we unpack countless ways to improve the coach-umpire relationship, plus we hear about how our players can better approach umpires on the field - especially our catchers behind the plate. We dive into rule interpretations, pro tips on how to better approach indifferences on the field and even ways that coaches can enhance the relationship off the field with a few small adjustments that can go for miles. This is an important conversation with the baseball season looming as we all can dial in and challenge ourselves to be part of the solution on the field.
It was so good the first time around that we had to run back another episode! Recorded from the floors of our Dallas Convention where 6,500 baseball coaches converged to bring ‘4 Days of Baseball Heaven’ to life! We connected with a number of former podcast guests and even some future guests to hear the positive spirit, find out why the annual ABCA Convention is truly a "can't-miss event" and how the relationships in this game are accentuated when our coaches gather together. Inside this episode, we welcome Chuck Box from Hartfield Academy (MS), Shaun Larkin from the Los Angeles Dodgers, Jim Schlossnagle from TCU, Donegal Fergus from UC Santa Barbara, Link Jarrett from UNC Greensboro, Justin Haire from Campbell University, Luther Bramblett from Midway University, John MacCormack from Florida Atlantic University, Mark Martinez from San Diego State University, Tanner Swanson from the Minnesota Twins and Brian Green from New Mexico State University.
Our first live interview of 2019 finds us dialing into Athens, Georgia to connect with University of Georgia head coach Scott Stricklin, a 22-year continuous ABCA member. Stricklin, two-time speaker at the ABCA Convention, jumps on our podcast to walk through his journey as a baseball coach and the lessons he has learned along the way that have helped shape him into the leader that he is today. We also unpack the turnaround happening with the Bulldogs. Being one of the best catching coaches in our game, Stricklin offers insight into his personal growth as a developer behind the plate, some of the various elements that he feels like elite defenders possess while also detailing the importance of communication from his catching corps to the pitching staff and team defense. This show is packed with terrific takeaways, pearls of wisdom from the top coaches in college baseball plus plenty of ‘Certified Audio Gold’ moments – pen and paper are needed for this one!
Our first episode of 2019 takes us through the largest ABCA Convention to date as 6,650 coaches joined us in Dallas. The convention was highlighted by over 60 clinics with terrific presentations on our Main Stage, the Expo Theater and our Youth Coaches Session, coaches walking the floor of the world’s largest baseball trade show, Hot Stoves, and networking at every turn in the hotels and Convention Center. From our podcast stage in Dallas, we worked to capture the energy, connecting with a number of longtime and more recent ABCA members to grab hold of the positive spirit, find out why our annual ABCA Convention is truly a "can't-miss event" for so many of them. Inside of this episode, we welcome in Dan McDonnell from the University of Louisville, Wes Brooks from Oxford High School (MS), Jeff Duncan from Kent State University, Laura Heise from Augsburg University, Billy Boyer from the Minnesota Twins, David Pierce from the University of Texas, Kerrick Jackson from Southern University, Paul Blanchard from Southwest Minnesota State University, Stu Fritz from Hope College and Kyle Boddy from Driveline Baseball.
It’s that time of the year again, coaches! In the ABCA National Office, we are putting the final touches on our upcoming ABCA Convention in Dallas and this is our preview episode to all of the great things happening at the Gaylord Texan in Grapevine. We have a few special treats as we connect with Billy Owens, the co-founder of Turn Two For Youth, the Official Charity of the ABCA, and also the outgoing ABCA President for 2018, Rich Maloney of Ball State University. Owens helps educate our listeners on the tremendous work being done by Turn Two For Youth, how it all came together and how more of our coaches can part of the solution to helping grow and support baseball communities around the country. Maloney stops by to reflect on his excitement for the Dallas Convention and the growth of the Association over the past few years, his thoughts on the state of the game today plus his call to action for all coaches to keep character and ethics at the forefront of their mission in coaching. Also, we walk day-by-day throughout ‘Four Days of Baseball Heaven’, key events to mark down on your calendars plus some action items and tips from the pros that can help every attendee maximize their opportunity to grow and develop at the ABCA Convention!
Almost everyone will know our guest as a seven-time MLB All-Star and one of the best closers in baseball history, but we invite him in as Billy Wagner, the head coach at Miller School in Charlottesville, Virginia, and one of the newest members of the ABCA. Entering his seventh season as skipper of the Mavericks, Wagner has captured back-to-back state championships, sent countless players into college baseball but it was his humility and commitment to keeping his players first that got our attention. Wagner opens up about the style of play and standards in place for his players, how he works at transforming lives through the game and also how continues to challenge himself to learn and improve for his guys.
This is an episode cloaked with new uniforms for our guests as Jeff Albert, the newly named MLB hitting coach for the St. Louis Cardinals and Dillon Lawson, the newly hired hitting coordinator for the New York Yankees join our podcast. We find out very quickly that both of these guys are deep thinkers. Our listeners will be challenged as they take us on a tour through how they learn, how they see the trends inside of our game, how they have both find themselves moving over from the Houston Astros organization to new clubs which are eager to adapt more fully into the current climate and build for the future. There are a lot of great takeaways inside of this one as we open training environments, body movements inside of the swing and ideas that apply directly to all levels of baseball.
Broadcasting directly from the Vanderbilt University baseball classroom, we connect with skipper Tim Corbin for a face-to-face interview with one of the best in our game. Known for his masterful way of teaching and developing his players, Corbin will be a featured clinician at our upcoming ABCA Convention in Dallas this January, was also chosen as one of the recipients of this year’s ABCA Dave Keilitz Ethics in Coaching Award, and he is a member of the ABCA Board of Directors. In this interview, we uncover Corbin’s passion and spirit for learning, his quest for knowledge and his growth inside the space of coaching and leading young men. There is humility throughout this episode as we unpack his ability to balance home life and baseball, his definitions of words like impact and success, plus one of the darkest times he faced in coaching and how he was able to bring himself, his players and his program to a place of celebration.
We go back into the strength and conditioning world with DJ Edwards from Push Performance in Colorado and Blaine Kinsley from the University of Arkansas baseball program with this week’s episode. Topics include coming back from injuries and the rehab process, coaching specific movements, player assessments and creative ways to train if you don’t have a huge budget or top notch facilities. We also get into some details of where our programs are right now - the offseason and how we can start preparing for the season, which is right around the corner. Both Edwards and Kinsley open their doors to their growth inside this space and are fully transparent, sharing anything and everything they have all in the name of growing other coaches and helping this community of learners.
Episode 108 finds us in Fort Worth, Texas, to connect with TCU’s Associate Head Coach Bill Mosiello, one of the key figures behind the construction of one of the elite college baseball programs in the country. Following the lead of his head coach, ABCA Fourth Vice President Jim Schlossnagle, Mosiello joins our show to break down his extensive and successful career in baseball plus we unpack his passion for teaching, learning and challenging himself to grow each and every day. With over 20 years in the college game and seven years as a minor league manager, Mosiello opens up his growth as a leader and a communicator, how he views development and keeping the game as simple as he can. Plus, he talks about how he learned to step back and make his players the most important people in his life.
This week’s show takes back on the infield grass as we connect with the Cleveland Indians’ Lower Level Infield Coordinator Kainoa Correa and the Associate Head Coach at Yale University Tucker Frawley to cover a myriad of topics that will challenge listeners across multiple fronts. Both Correa and Frawley open up with ideas as to how they have redesigned their catch play routines, daily drill work, teaching proper movements and actions plus a wealth of information that on utilizing game data to guide their development plans. These two are close friends, true brothers of infield play, and our coaches will see them both tackle the main stage clinics in Dallas at our upcoming ABCA Convention.
This week’s show takes us across the Canadian border to visit with Allen Cox from the Okotoks Dawgs Academy in Alberta and Mike Steed from the Ontario Blue Jays right outside Toronto. We find out what is going on inside two of the top Canadian amateur baseball programs and put a spotlight on two of our most loyal international members. They both offer up some great takeaways on indoor training and how they are preparing their players for success on the diamond. Inside this show, both Cox and Steed pull back the curtain on their programs as we open up the state of baseball in Canada, helping educate all of us on how these two coaches are making serious efforts to give their players the best in training environments and also players experiences. This is in an effort to help them move towards their dreams of playing college baseball and, hopefully, for an MLB club one day.
This week's episode connects us with Micah Gibbs from LSU and Russ Steinhorn from Clemson University, both of the Directors of Player Development within their respective programs. In this conversation, we find insight into the day-to-day activities for these guys, discussing the various technologies that each program is utilizing, the strength and conditioning programs, plus the analytics and data that each are tracking that help train their players for success. Gibbs has experience playing in the intense spotlight in Baton Rouge, then six seasons in Minor League Baseball before coming home to LSU. Steinhorn coached four years at the collegiate level, then spent five years as a manager in the Houston Astros organization before coming to Clemson. These guys have a wealth of perspective and experience to offer our listeners, including details of this new and unique position which is becoming more common around the country.
Looking at the demographics of ABCA membership, high school coaches make up around 40 percent of our base. We love to bring those guys into the spotlight and hear about their journeys inside the game. This week, we dialed up Eric Borba, head coach at Orange Lutheran High School in Orange, California, to hear about his unique story in coaching, how he has grown as a leader and truly finding the path that matters at the end of the day – the relationships with his guys! This is a great conversation as Borba discusses how he has built one of the best high school programs in the country, cementing a true championship culture, plus bringing the parents of his players along for the journey. This will hit home for every coach but particularly the other high school and travel coaches listening in. Plus, you will also find out the eight winners of our very first ABCA and Driveline Baseball Convention Scholarship Program which will help more folks find a way to join us at the world’s largest gathering of baseball coaches this coming January in Dallas.
This week, we connected with Larry Owens, head coach at Bellarmine University, and Wright State University assistant coach Matt Talarico to talk about the battle on the base paths between the pitcher and the base runner. They take us into their specific plans to limit steal attempts but then also blow those numbers up. Owens, a longtime ABCA member, has done an exceptional job raising the expectations on campus at NCAA Div. II Bellarmine, setting the school record for wins, leading the Knights to two-straight NCAA Tournament appearances and limiting their opponents to one steal attempt per game played over the past five seasons. Talarico is making his third appearance on the podcast, plus he’s getting prepped for his main-stage presentation at the ABCA Convention in Dallas. He is in his fourth year as assistant coach at Div. I Wright State University and has cemented himself as one of the premier thought-leaders when it comes to creating pressure on the bases. Inside this show, we walk the bases to see how each of these coaches addresses, coaches and teaches the various considerations from the pitching perspective and also the base stealing viewpoint.
We touch down in Austin, Texas, for episode 102 to connect with proud ABCA member and University of Texas head coach David Pierce. We talk through his journey in baseball and there are some terrific reflections from 30 years in the dugout. This was special episode for us since Pierce and his staff will be jumping up on the main stage in Dallas for our upcoming ABCA Convention in January. Pierce offers some great insight into the program at UT, how he measures success and how he has grown as a leader throughout the years. A dime that comes from this interview was Pierce offering that they knew exactly what the expectations were coming to Texas and, instead of working around them, they embraced them fully! His club is coming off their run to Omaha in only Pierce’s second year as head coach. We open his thoughts on the brand of baseball being played in Texas, plus his vision into what the future holds for the University of Texas.
This week’s show connects with past podcast guest Greg Brown, the head coach at Nova Southeastern University in Florida. The return trip opens up a great dialogue on developing the catcher position and how Brown has challenged himself to find ways to bring athleticism to the forefront for his guys. We open this conversation up as a precursor to his main-stage presentation in Dallas for our 75th ABCA Convention and we much take a deeper dive into his path as a catching coach, the mentors he had the privilege of working under with the lessons learned. Also, we open up on the young men that have moved into professional baseball and their journey through development. We even spend time talking through a dynamic that some of us may be sitting in front of right now: we were not catchers growing up but we are now catching coaches.
It took us two and a half years to get here, but we couldn’t be any more excited about reaching this milestone. Here are the stats after 100 shows: 134 guests, 85 state or national championships, 300+ state or World Series appearances and well over 7,500 minutes of “Certified Audio Gold”. What a perfect way for us to celebrate this accomplishment: we invited back several of our former guests to recount their experiences coming onto the show, how they view this medium inside the baseball community plus their thoughts on how the podcast and the ABCA overall has guided and shaped their coaching careers and development. We connected with Mike Rooney from ESPN and Perfect Game (Episode 38), CJ Gillman from the Air Force Academy (Episode 67), Patrick Murphy from the University of Alabama Softball (Episode 61), Matt Deggs from Sam Houston State University (Episode 44), Alan Jaeger from Jaeger Sports (Episode 1, 34 and 65), Butch Chaffin from Cookeville High School in Tennessee (Episode 37) and ABCA Hall of Famer Jerry Weinstein (Episode 16) all found time to weigh in their viewpoint of this podcast moving toward 100 shows and where they see this show continuing to move forward.
We release this show on September 11th, a day that gives all Americans a reason to reflect, so we connected with Mike Kazlausky from the Air Force Academy, Jim Foster from Army West Point and Paul Kostacopoulos from the Naval Academy to pull back the curtain on the college baseball programs affiliated with our United States Armed Forces. In this podcast, all three loyal ABCA members open a terrific dialogue into the experience of coaching at one of the very best universities in the country and what they represent to this country. We explore their day to day activities, how coaching these programs has not only helped them grow as coaches and how they see the big picture. Further, we open up how they see development and how they define the word ‘success’ which means something much bigger than baseball stats and wins to these guys and their players.
This week's show connects us with another 2018 national champion coach: Adrian Dinkel of Southeastern University and the NAIA. A longtime ABCA member, Dinkel opens up about his path in baseball and the inner details about program he is running. In this show, Dinkel will detail out how his coaching philosophies have shifted over the years, how his teams have gotten more proficient in their approach to practice time creating a fast-paced and, more importantly, competitive environment to train in. Their different style of batting practices and a highly effective plan on the mound are opened up by Dinkel. In keeping with our Dugout Chatter mission, we spotlight his journey in baseball including his growth as a leader of men, how he defines the word 'success' and how Dinkel views the best people, teammates, coaches that he has spent time with on the field, what makes them special and successful.
This episode features NCAA Div. I champion coach Pat Casey of Oregon State University. Casey will be the lead-off clinic speaker at the ABCA Convention in Dallas in 2019, a tradition of our 75 years of ABCA Conventions. In this show, we connect with Casey to focus on the championship culture he has in Corvallis, how he has built one of the premier college baseball programs in the nation and the details inside the club that helped bring the program’s third national championship back to campus. You will hear how the Beavers have built and found consistency in their program, how Casey and his staff have found the right solution inside their locker room and details into Casey’s perspective gained over the course of his career.
As coaches, we are always searching to find consistency in our program so that when you start playing your best baseball late in the year, the game can turn your way and you’re in a position to make that dogpile a reality. That is exactly what has happened for this week's guest Tim Huber, a 15-year continuous ABCA member and the leader of NCAA Division II national champion Augustana University out of Sioux Falls, South Dakota. This is an exceptional conversation through his journey as a leader, finding his voice and fanning his competitive flames to focus on the development of his guys. Huber gives details about the championships culture in place at Augustana, what he expects from his current players and even future recruits. The winningest coach in program history, Huber has led one of the most consistent northern baseball programs in Division II, which helped them build toward a banner 2018 season. It's Huber's drive that should jump through the earbuds for you as well as the appreciation for his mentors and coaches that have guided his own development. He offers advice and perspective throughout the show.
For all of us in the baseball community, no matter what level or involvement you have, it has been obvious that the game and how it can be coached has shifted towards technology and new verbiage, embracing data and numbers. This alone has had its own effect on coaches around the world. We connect with Driveline Baseball’s Director of Hitting, Jason Ochart, on this week’s show to help us see how we can use this data to drive our path towards developing players on the offensive side of the baseball. In this show, Ochart will show how he has brought his science background into the cages with him and also into an environment that has given him a hitting lab to work inside - testing and retesting with his hitters to help develop individual-specific plans to bring the best out of each of player. The best part of this is that no matter where you are and what your budget is, you are not very far from bringing this into our own program. We break down the definitions and descriptions of exit velocity, launch angles, how to create a batted ball profile for your hitters plus we explore changing the training environment and coaching cues to help players attain their maximum potential.
This week we connect with University of Virginia head coach Brian O’Connor, a perfect choice as Rawlings Sporting Goods begins its support of our Dugout Chatter episodes. We walk back through his ultra-successful career in the dugout and his experience coming off a summer coaching for the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team, sharing the dugout with two of his most impactful mentors on his career in the game. O’Connor takes us back to his early days playing at Creighton in the shadows of the College World Series in Omaha to getting his start in coaching and learning some of his most precious lessons. Walking into his 16th season as the skipper of the Cavaliers, O’Connor has turned Virginia into a national powerhouse and he takes us back to the early days of turning the tides in the community, on campus and in his athletic department. O’Connor details the dynamics around keeping the longest-tenured coaching staff in college baseball together, plus his take on the changes in baseball and how they have challenged him, as well as improving daily and connecting with his players.
Getting the call to lead your own program is a special time in your baseball career but you cannot stay in that moment for too long - there is plenty of work to be done! This week’s show connects with three loyal ABCA member coaches who recently earned opportunities to sit in the big chair at their respective programs as we chat with Jeff Mercer from Indiana University, Rick McCarty from Abilene Christian University and Eric Peterson from Benedictine College. These three men were packing boxes and moving their families this summer and we open up their process to getting their ducks in a row before fall practice and how they plan on making their mark on their programs. In this episode, we work to offer A-to-Z viewpoints behind the process including hiring assistant coaches, hitting the recruiting trails and finding players that fit the vision for the team. All three coaches detail out their first days on the job, what their priorities were and where they stand today.
This week, we head to the high school ranks to connect with Kimberly High School (WI) head coach Ryan McGinnis. A 24-year continuous member and past speaker at the ABCA Convention and Barnstormers Clinics, McGinnis opens up about his path in baseball and the details of how he is finding success on the baseball field and preparing his players to be successful in life. McGinnis details his growth as a leader and finding new ways to ask better questions, which has in turn helped him develop as a better listener. He also outlines how his role as Athletic Director has helped him see the 'greater good' in building an outstanding department as well as a baseball program. McGinnis opens up about his quest to learn more and improve himself, using failure and past mistakes to guide his development and how he gone about building a championship culture inside the Papermaker program.
Our game remains the same but the dynamics of how we coachand teach it, what we can measure and then train accordingly is ever-changing. This week's show connects us with the Coordinator of Skill Development for MLB's Los Angeles Dodgers, Shaun Larkin, who offers his perspective on how we can challenge status quo in our practice designs, taking a more holistic view of developing the entire person not just the ballplayer plus his unique background on understanding behavior and its effects on development. Our listeners will be challenged by Larkin’s offerings of how the Dodgers have turned practice planning on its head, found new ways to create game-like environments and explore opportunities to prepare their players differently.
This week we connect with a 21-year continuous ABCA member Chris Pollard of Duke University. He became head coach six years ago and has led the Blue Devils to two straight NCAA Tournaments after the program had previously not made the NCAA postseason since 1961. The team made its first Super Regional and had its first 40-win campaign in 2018. In this show, Pollard opens up about his path in baseball including finding himself as a head coach at the tender age of 24, to doing more with less. This episode includes a powerful segment in which Pollard offers his perspective on not letting the lack of resources get in your way, but instead maximizing and focusing on the resources that you do have to build your program. Plus, he offers his thoughts on embracing technology to guide development and the details behind one of the great stories in college baseball - building up the baseball program at a "basketball school" into one of the elite in NCAA Division I baseball.
Baseball coaches have long debated how much of this game is truly mental - is it 90, 95, or even 99 percent? If that is the case, it is time to connect our listeners to loyal ABCA member Dr. Bhrett McCabe from The Mind Side. Playing for and being mentored by ABCA Hall of Famer and legendary LSU skipper Skip Bertman, McCabe learned early in his career that training the mental game was not only paramount to success but a focus that he wanted to dedicate his career toward. In this episode, McCabe takes us on a journey through defining his position on sports psychology, the role that coaches play, mental toughness, and investing in the person first. McCabe also develops his thoughts on self belief and how this can be viewed differently from the hitter and pitcher. He delivers tangible takeaways that can help any coach further his practice plans to bring mental training material to the dugout and into their programs.
This episode is a unique opportunity to connect with one of the living legends in college baseball as we shine a light on Andy Lopez and his illustrious career. Lopez is one of only three coaches to lead three different college baseball programs to the College World Series and is one of only two head coaches to win a national championship at two different schools. A recent inductee into the ABCA Hall of Fame, Lopez reflects on his upbringing and how he used baseball to help his family, his journey as a young coach on the high school ranks and the lessons he still needed to learn, plus his path in building three programs on the Division I level and leading each of them to Omaha. From his miracle Pepperdine club in 1992 to his Arizona team that dogpiled in 2012, Lopez dives between those teams and discusses how he fell short and the important lessons he learned and can give back to our coaching community.
We head back into the outfield grass to connect with Lander University assistant coach JT Maguire, a young and passionate champion for closing the gaps and improving team defense through better development. Maguire has made a positive name for himself through his efforts on social media, joining the #FridayFielders crew and delivering drills, ideas, videos, etc. that help fuel discussions around fundamentals inside our game but also charge the coaching community with debate and sharing. A past clinician on our ABCA Barnstormers Clinics and at the 2018 ABCA Convention in the Expo Theater, we uncover his growth in coaching and how we came to adopt his passion for outfield play. Maguire opens up his standards, rules of thumb and creative viewpoints to help any coach challenge their thoughts on development in the outfield.
In this week's episode, we connect with the head coach of rising NCAA Div. II program University of Charleston, Andrew Wright. Wright is a longtime ABCA member who recently came home from the school's first trip the NCAA Tournament after winning the Golden Eagles' first Mountain East Conference Championship. He reflects on his journey as a coach and his unique approach to leading his club. Wright reveals how 'chasing rings' has long been forgotten, leaving him with relationships and preparing young men for life as his true mission in coaching. Wright also details his stance to include more young coaches in college baseball by getting creative within his own staff to open up more opportunities and mentor their development as leaders. This episode is packed with terrific ideas for any coach and will challenge you to think differently about your role as a developer and leader of young men.
Navigating the recruiting process for players and their families can be a daunting task. Plus, the high school and travel coaches need to stay up to speed on legislative changes and the evolving landscape of college baseball. In this week's episode, we connect with Mike Stawski (Concordia University-Chicago), Brad Stromdahl (Georgia Gwinnett College) and Jeff Willis (LSU-Eunice) who are three highly successful small college coaches in an effort to gain insight to this process for their recruits. We dive into evaluation, what the numbers mean to each coach and also the qualities that stand out above the radar gun or the stopwatch. They discuss timelines and how this process comes together for most small school programs. All three coaches deliver terrific insight into how high school and travel coaches can help the college coach sort through countless prospects and also detail the role of parents in how they can either positively or negatively affect this process. For any prospective student-athlete or current high school/travel baseball coach, this is a can't-miss episode that will offer tremendous information to help you tackle the recruiting trails.
In this week’s episode, we connect with a young coach who we know will continue to thrive in our coaching fraternity throughout his career. Clay Cox, head coach at Paris Junior College in Texas, jumps on the airwaves to discuss his path in baseball and the details inside how he is building the Dragons program. He offers his perspective on coaching high school baseball, creating his own luck, working to find his break into college baseball and now leading his own club in one of the most competitive regions. Cox pulls back the curtain to define exactly who ‘his kind of guys’ are. A strong advocate for Junior College baseball, we hear how Cox views that level and how more high school players should consider the two-year option. Plus, we gather his thoughts on building culture and developing young men to committing himself to stay on the ‘transformational’ side of coaching.
Coming off his time on the Youth Clinics stage at our ABCA Convention in Indianapolis this past January, we reconnected with Steve Nicollerat, the head coach at St. Louis University High School in St. Louis, Missouri, and also the creator of Coach Baseball Right. We explore how coaches can enhance their practice planning and provide a tremendous experience for their players. Nicollerat is a terrific steward of baseball, offering coaching and player clinics, educational resources, as well as his time and energy towards growing the game. We dive headfirst into practice planning, how coaches can improve time with their teams and find efficient ways to break down fundamentals, and how to add clarity to what they’re teaching their kids. Nicollerat offers his perspective on coaching for the right reasons and helping more players have fun and keep them playing baseball. Pen and paper are needed on this one as Nicollerat empties his pockets and delivers great takeaways for coaches to put right into their practices.
From the high school ranks, we connect with Chuck Box, the first year head coach at Hartfield Academy in Jackson, Mississippi. Here is the stat line on Chuck: 30-year continuous ABCA Member, 28 ABCA Conventions, head coaching experience on the four-year collegiate level, the two-year college level and now a high school head coach for the past 11 years. One of our most loyal members, we are proud to connect with him over the airwaves as this episode is packed with tremendous perspective from Box as the Hawks are preparing this week for the state championships games in Box's first year at the helm. You will hear his passion for learning, challenging himself to grow and evolve as a coach. He even offers his approach traveling around the country to connect with the nation's best college coaches to learn from them directly. Box opens up his charge to impact lives, what he has learned about championship culture over his career. He offers tremendous advice for coaches on how to implement positive change inside their own programs.
We open the airwaves to connect with loyal ABCA member and current Seattle Mariners Director of Player Development Andy McKay about all of the dynamics being considered by Major League Baseball clubs when it comes to developing their rosters throughout their organizations. This is a powerful show and McKay forces us all to take to pen and paper to keep up with this discussion on topics such as developing the mental game, adjustability in the box, controlling the strike zone on both sides of the baseball and the important analytics and technologies inside the game that are driving development. McKay opens up his growth, spending most of his career in the college ranks to evolving with the game and embracing the trends towards data-driven viewpoints and letting the numbers guide his department’s mission towards developing their Mariner players. We also uncover the culture inside the Seattle organization, how focusing on the ‘people’ and the ‘process’ has centered the club’s vision plus how the Mariners are focusing on building team chemistry and building selfless teams and teammates across all their various levels.
In this week’s episode, we dive into the travel baseball circuit and connect with Jeff Petty, who is the President and CEO of one of the top organizations in the country - Canes Baseball. Winners of 10 Perfect Game Championships since 2009 and four Wilson Premier Championships in two years, the Canes have built a stellar reputation of putting elite talent on the field but there is more behind the ‘C’ as Petty opens up about his unique approach to building an organization and growing young men. Petty also explores the positives of travel baseball and the potential negatives inside this space. Petty also opens up his stance on early recruiting, which leads us right into his mission of helping players and their families find the right fit in college baseball. As a member of our newly-created ABCA Travel Baseball Coaches Committee, Petty breaks down his membership inside the coaching fraternity plus highlights his career in baseball and the people who have impacted his life, as he hopes to do with his players.
Baseball is easy – score more runs than your opponent and you win. But there is a recipe for building your offense and we connected with two coaches who have consistently placed their programs at the top of offensive columns: Matt Bragga, head coach at Tennessee Tech University and Tom Eller, head coach at Harford Community College. Both coaches are having tremendous seasons so far. Bragga’s offense is ranked first nationally in multiple categories including 11.5 runs per game. Eller’s leads the country with 194 stolen bases and also walks. Inside this show, we pull back the curtain on what truly goes on inside the cages and batting practice, the inner details of what’s being taught and the language that drives each unique culture. We also explore constructing a lineup, which is different for both coaches, plus the statistics that they pay attention to that provide the true glimpse into who is producing inside their offensive group. This is yet another ‘take feverish notes’ episode as both Bragga and Eller offer up drills, ideas, concepts and specific batting practice routines and competitive situational routines that should find their way into your practice plans.
This week’s show takes us out to California to connect with a top young head coach as we chat with Jake McKinley from William Jessup University, who has turned the NAIA upside down this season. In his first season at WJU, McKinley has led the Warriors to their first-ever conference championship, getting the program ranked in the NAIA top 10 and closing in on 40+ wins (the previous school record was only 10). McKinley is a special coach and this comes out in full force inside this show as we discuss ‘constraint-led approaches’ inside the practice plan that McKinley feels have made all of the difference in developing his players plus team building and competition ideas from McKinley that coaches will want to implement right away. This is a ‘take-feverish-notes’ episode as McKinley offers terrific resources and becomes fully transparent as to what is being built at WJU while taking us through his growth inside coaching and the ups and downs throughout discovering his ‘why’ in coaching.
Following up from his main stage presentation at this year’s ABCA Convention in Indianapolis, we re-connect with Tim Cossins and dive deeper into his simplistic approach to player development, especially with his catchers. Cossins, who serves as the Chicago Cubs’ Field and Catching Coordinator, sat down with us and opened up on the approach he has taken to preparing his catchers daily as they look to thrive in the era of velocity and movement. Inside this episode, Cossins pulls back the curtain on the details from Spring Training and throughout the season as they teach the specifics inside receiving, blocking, throwing and the intangibles they want behind the dish. Cossins’ presentation was one of our most popular in Indy and he is regarded as one of the best developers in catching circles. His insight will challenge our listeners to think differently on the specific fundamentals we teach our catchers.
This week’s show finds us connecting with 14-year continuous ABCA member and UCF head coach Greg Lovelady to talk with a winner in all facets of life. From finding success on the field as a player to finding himself inside multiple NCAA Regionals throughout his coaching career, Lovelady has built a solid reputation as one of the top young coaches in college baseball. In this episode, Lovelady offers his perspective on the true mission and ‘why’ of coaching – guiding players towards their full potential and helping them realize their dreams. This is a powerful show that is packed with takeaways for any coach as Lovelady opens up his approach to helping players play the game without fear, how he and his staff teach the mental game inside their practice plans while also delivering tremendous advice at the end of the show that will be worth the wait.
Bruce Brown knows the ABCA Convention main stage as well as anyone and stands among our coaches as one of the most popular clinicians over the years. This episode shows us why. Brown delivers listeners content that will allow them to introspectively ‘inventory’ themselves, their approach to coaching and also where their teams/programs stand at this point in their seasons. Inside this show, Brown opens up the 10 lessons that he has observed from the very best leaders he has encountered and we hope you bring pen and paper with you! The back end of the show gives Brown the platform to open up the impact of trust inside our programs and he unravels the characteristics of low and high trust teams that each coach should be able to identify exactly in their teams. This is a powerful show at the perfect time to look ourselves in the mirror and get on the right track towards success.
There's a first time for everything and this week's episode brings the first MLB Hall of Famer to grace the air waves with us in San Diego Padre great Trevor Hoffman. It's a terrific chat with Hoffman, who currently serves as a Special Assistant to the Front Office of the Padres and also on staff with the Great Britain National Team. We unpack his illustrious career in baseball and so much more, including his experience and growth playing Junior College baseball in California and his time at Arizona playing under ABCA Hall of Famer Jerry Kindall. Hoffman details the important lessons he learned inside his college baseball career that prepared him for the game of life. We unravel his transition from shortstop to becoming one of the greatest closers in history, how Hoffman used his position player experience to guide him on the mound plus the development of his infamous changeup. A true humble spirit is apparent and it's evident why Hoffy was so beloved inside clubhouses and throughout baseball circles.
This week’s episode connects us with pitching coaches across every level as we welcome in University of South Carolina assistant coach Skylar Meade, UC San Diego assistant coach Justin James and Christian Academy of Knoxville head coach Tommy Pharr. We jump on to the mound with these three tremendous teachers and leaders. Dialing in with coaches who have experienced extraordinary success, we spend the majority of this show locked into in-season maintenance of our pitching staffs, how we prepare them for real live batters and the adjustments that come inside navigating our schedules. Each coach dives into the pillars that they have built their pitching staffs upon and the specific routines and developmental elements that prepare their arms for battle. We also open up how they manage the varying personalities within each staff and managing those roles. This episode is packed with great ideas that every listener can take right back to their program and evaluate how they can get more success on the mound.
Connecting with MLB Manager Clint Hurdle from the Pittsburgh Pirates is a treat in itself, but to listen in on the tremendous perspective he brings to the table each day is nothing short of powerful. Reflecting on his path in baseball, from being a first round talent and dealing with failure for the first time to finding his way as a coach and leader of men, Hurdle pulls back the curtain on himself and truly offers our listeners a transparent view of where he has been. We find out about Hurdle's ups and downs throughout his career, his personal growth journey and the people who have guided him. Plus, Hurdle shows all of us the lens through which he sees his place in life and a manager of men. Pen and paper are required for this episode as it’s full of terrific takeaways and lessons from Hurdle and his path to leading the Pirates into the 2018 MLB season.
This week's show connects with Northwestern University's Spencer Allen, Southern University's Kerrick Jackson and Florida International University's Mervyl Melendez to our show to unpack their perspective on the current state of the game. You are either part of the problem or part of the solution, and inside this show we open up solutions and action items that each of us can be aware of and work towards addressing minority inclusion and participation in baseball. All three head coaches break down their journey inside their careers and we pull back the curtain on the true concerns of the declining statistics of minorities playing baseball across all levels and how this adversely effects how many move into the coaching ranks. This episode is loaded with solutions to how we can all take a step in growing baseball in our communities and promoting positive changes towards more diversity in baseball.
East Carolina University skipper Cliff Godwin is another example on the endless list of exemplary coaches in our game, plus he’s a 15-year continuous ABCA member on this week’s show. He has an impressive career thus far, experiencing success at each stop but also coaching under a “who’s who” in college baseball, including ABCA Hall of Famer Paul Mainieri at two different stops, and SEC mainstays Tim Corbin and Mike Bianco, among others. Entering his fourth campaign as the head coach at ECU, we get Godwin to open up on his growth in the profession and developing lasting relationships with his guys. His program makes an impact in the classroom and the community and Godwin’s blue collar approach and humble spirit come through in this show. We also unpack the important lessons learned throughout his coaching stops plus Godwin’s view of the culture inside the Pirates locker room and dugout.
This week’s episode touches close to home for us as we highlight the ABCA’s new educational partnership with USA Baseball: the Baseball ACE Program. We invite Sean Campbell, USAB’s Senior Director of Sport Development plus our own ABCA Youth/High School Liaison Andrew Bartman, to open up a myriad of topics inside the combined efforts to grow baseball around the world and continue to help educate coaches and players about the game. Aspects of the Baseball ACE initiative are discussed including how more coaches can be involved with our ACE Community Clinics, plus details into the endless list of resources available through USA Baseball and the ABCA. We also open up and uncover some tremendous resources for coaches including various podcasts, websites and even social media handles that share great content. A clear mission with this show was to leave our listeners with tangible action items to bring back to their communities to heighten the awareness of their reach and ability to impact the growth of baseball. This is a pen and paper episode, packed with takeaways to collectively bring our listeners together to work toward a common goal – further baseball around the world.
With this week’s show, we are crossing international seas and multiple time zones to interview Great Britain National Team Manager Liam Carroll. What a terrific highlight of another loyal and proud member of the ABCA! Carroll helps organize an international group each year to navigate their way to our annual ABCA Convention and brings back with him so much value, new and strengthened networks and more knowledge to help accent their efforts to keep growing baseball in the United Kingdom. Inside this episode, we hear from Carroll about his unique journey as a coach, including attending his first ABCA Convention as a player who was reading the writing on the wall for his career. Plus, we explore the creativity inside modifying baseball to fit his teaching environments in England and also his students, who do not always have a solid background in the game. Also, building a national team brand and identity has its own challenges and Carroll offers us his approach to cutting to the core of his mission to lead, inspire and perform on the field as Great Britain Baseball looks to continue its growth on the world stage and on their home soil.
We attack the lineup of 2018 episodes with one that should help our offenses put runs on the scoreboard as we connect with C.J. Gillman from the Air Force Academy and Todd Guilliams from the University of Kentucky, leaders of two of the most prolific offenses in college baseball a year ago. Gillman led a Falcons offense that led all Div. I programs in six different offensive categories including team batting average, doubles and slugging percentage. Guilliams helped the Wildcats go from worst-to-first in his first year, guiding UK to the top spot in 10 offensive categories in the Southeastern Conference. This episode is packed with verbiage from inside the batting cages, the batting practice groups and even the inner details of the development plans that each coach has for their hitters. We unpack both Gillman and Guilliams's philosophies on scoring runs, how they implement these plans over the course of a year with their guys plus the in-game adjustments they are making to keep their players focused and moving towards their goals. An interesting dynamic arises as both guys start to play off of each other's responses and insight as we open up the lesson of learning from everyone and finding what works in your programs.
It was so good the first time around that we had to go back for seconds! More than 6,000 coaches attended the 74th annual ABCA Convention - the largest gathering of baseball coaches ever. The convention was highlighted by terrific presentations on our Main Stage plus on our Expo Theater stage, coaches walking the floor of the world’s largest baseball trade show, Hot Stoves, and networking at every turn in the hotels and Convention Center. We set up shop in Indy to capture the energy, connecting with a number of longtime and more recent ABCA members to grab hold of the positive spirit, find out why our annual ABCA Convention is truly a "can't-miss event" for so many and how the relationships are accentuated when our coaches gather together. We welcome Tom Griffin from Carson-Newman, Dan Heefner from Dallas Baptist, Nick Mingione from Kentucky, Rick Vanderhook from Cal State Fullerton, Patrick Murphy from Alabama Softball, Matt Talarico from Wright State, Stephen Mackey from 2Words, Liam Carroll from the Great Britain National Team and ABCA Hall of Famer and former Executive Director Dave Keilitz.
When more than 6,000 baseball coaches converge in one location, great things happen! Four days of baseball heaven in downtown Indianapolis proved to be the world's largest gathering of baseball coaches and the most convention-goers in the 74-year history of the American Baseball Coaches Association. Highlighted by so many terrific presentations in our clinics plus our Expo Theater and Youth Coaches Session, coaches walking the floor of the world's largest baseball trade show with 300+ exhibitors, Hot Stove discussions, networking opportunities at every turn – we set up shop to capture the energy in the air. Connecting with a number of former podcast guests and even some future guests allowed us to grab ahold of the positive spirit, find out why the annual ABCA Convention is truly a "can't-miss event" for so many and how the relationships inside this game are accentuated when our coaches gather together. We welcome Tim Corbin from Vanderbilt, Jake Boss from Michigan State, the legendary Augie Garrido, Phill Shallenberger from Cairn University, Clay Cox from Paris Junior College, Tyler Gillum from South Mountain Community College, Butch Thompson from Auburn and Alan Jaeger from Jaeger Sports on this episode.
In this podcast, we prepare our listeners with insight about our biggest event of the year – the 74th annual ABCA Convention - Jan. 4-7 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Our host, Jeremy "Sheets" Sheetinger, walks our coaches through the days leading up to the ABCA Convention plus a day-by-day approach of what to expect at the show and how to set themselves up to dominate their time in Indy. This show includes important reminders that will help coaches who are preparing for 'four days of baseball heaven', fully taking advantage of the important opportunity to network with over 5,000 coaches on site, exploring the floor of the World's Largest Baseball Trade Show and tips to maximize their experience at the convention. Also inside this show, we connect with special guest Craig Keilitz, the ABCA's Executive Director, who sits down to discuss the growth of the Association over his four years at the helm, the importance of hearing from our coaches and how we can assist plus his insight into the mission of the ABCA to help grow the game of baseball.
A true example of a lifelong learner, passionate teacher and loyal ABCA member is our guest today, Dan Heefner, head coach at Dallas Baptist University. A 19-year continuous ABCA member, Heefner was introduced to the association as a player by his college coach and he has made an impact, serving on our NCAA Division I All-American Committee and this year as a clinician at the ABCA Convention in Indianapolis. Heefner has helped build DBU into one of the top college baseball programs in the country and has staked a claim as one of the offenses that causes fits for opposing pitching coaches. In this show, we open up on the Patriots hitting approach, outlining the look and feel inside their cages plus their use of technology and competitions to guide growth and discovery. Heefner also opens up on his journey in coaching, starting during his playing days and accentuated by his constant search for more knowledge and personal growth. His humility is tangible, his passion for relationships and positively influencing young men is apparent and this is a can't-miss episode for our coaches to connect with another tremendous coach.
This episode connects our coaches with renowned author, speaker and leadership guru Jon Gordon to hear about “The Power of Positive Leadership” and how this mindset and approach can transform our programs. Gordon is very familiar with the ABCA, having presented at our 2016 Convention in Nashville, and he is currently working with several MLB organizations and some of the top college baseball programs. In this show, we work to unpack the dynamics around leading positively and the effects this can have with our teams while Gordon continues to challenge our coaches to lead from the inside-out. Gordon offers a call for servant leadership and keeping relationships at the forefront of every coach’s mission plus Jon pulls back the curtain on some of the best examples of positive leaders whom he has had the opportunity to work with, including Clemson football head coach Dabo Swinney and the Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. This is a powerful episode for any coach interested in arming his players with perspective and resilience to the adversity faced inside our game.
Highlighting the endless list of extraordinary coaches in the ABCA, this episode shines on 30-year continuous ABCA member and head coach of the University of Alabama SOFTBALL program, Patrick Murphy. A consistent ABCA Convention attendee and a coach who is widely respected inside baseball coaching circles, Murphy joins our show to discuss his PERSON-first approach to coaching and player development. Entering his 20th season as the Crimson Tide head coach, Murphy has vaulted Alabama to the upper echelon of college softball with 19-straight NCAA Tournament appearances, 11 trips to the College World Series and a CWS title in 2012. It's his approach to being a lifelong learner that has us dialing him up and onto this show. Murphy speaks about his personal journey through coaching, his growth and realization that winning becomes a biproduct of coaching the person well before he coaches the player. This episode is packed with 'Certified Audio Gold' for our listeners including resources, speakers, books, podcasts, etc. recommended by Murphy.
This is an infield coach's dream of an episode as we connect with the Miami Marlins' Perry "Bone" Hill to talk through his accomplished career in baseball and developing some of the best infielders in the game. The devil is in the details and we break it down with Hill, a passionate teacher with more than 40 years in coaching, opening up his famed '6 F's to Fielding" one by one as Hill dives into the coaching cues inside each one. Perry has multiple Rawlings Gold Glove Award winners under his leadership and even guided the Marlins defense to a Major League-fewest 73 errors in 2017. Plus, we unpack footwork around first base, an overlooked area for most infield coaches, and we get Hill's insight into how to make our first basemen more athletic on the field. A true giver of information, it was an honor to connect with one of the most respected infield coaches in all of baseball.
We welcome in SUNY Cortland head coach Joe Brown, a loyal ABCA member and one of the most successful small college baseball coaches, to this week's podcast to discuss his career in NCAA Division III and outline his approach to building a consistent winner with the Red Dragons. Bringing a .796 winning percentage, 18 straight appearances in the NCAA Division III Tournament along with 10 trips to the World Series to the air waves, we had a lot to unpack with Brown on this show. We open up about his growth as a coach throughout his career and how staying at the small college level has helped shape his knowledge across every front of the game. Plus, listen in as we walk through the highs and lows that Brown has encountered over the years and his special affinity for baseball coaches around the country. It's easy to see why the Red Dragon alumni base is so passionate and loyal to Brown as he unfolds his plan to invest in his players and guide their growth throughout their time at SUNY Cortland.
Strength training for baseball players has certainly evolved over the years and for this week's podcast, we connect with two of top strength coaches in college baseball in TCU's Zach Dechant and Coastal Carolina's Nick White. This episode is packed with tremendous insight as both Dechant and White speak about their growth as strength coaches and detail the specific plans they use at TCU and Coastal to help train some of the elite players in the country. We also open up their ideas for speed training and teaching explosion to their players while talking through some creative ways to maximize performance even when we may not have access to top notch facilities. This is a must-listen show for any coach who wants to improve their strength and conditioning knowledge and challenge their current program with advice and insight from two of the best.
We are connecting with legendary Stanford University coach Mark Marquess as we go ‘Extra Innings’ to reflect his journey in the game, elevating the Cardinal to one of the more prominent household names in college baseball. Inside this show, Marquess opens up on his growth as a coach throughout his over 1,600 wins, 25 NCAA Regional Appearances, 15 trips to Omaha and the College World Series, bringing two national championships home to Palo Alto. Marquess delivers his passionate approach to coaching for relationships while also offering his viewpoint on the surge of travel baseball and its effect on team building and specialization. This show also finds us getting more than a few chuckles from Marquess, who was one the more intense competitors in his dugout, and we uncover his approach to playing the game the right way, which exemplifies his designation as one of this year’s recipients of the ABCA Dave Keilitz Ethics in Coaching Award.
Darin Everson’s journey in baseball has included every level. He is currently the Albuquerque Isotopes hitting coach, the Triple-A affiliate for the Colorado Rockies. A longtime ABCA Convention-goer and former speaker on our main stage, Everson jumps on our call to deliver his thoughts on guiding our hitters towards becoming their own best hitting coach and the details in his approach to teaching hitting that has made him a rising star inside professional baseball. This is a can’t-miss episode for hitting coaches out there and pen and paper are needed as Everson opens his catalog of unique drills that help hitters capture their natural rhythm at the plate, sharpen their focus on timing within their swings plus creating adjustability to off-speed pitches. This episode is packed with Everson’s thoughts on being a great communicator, developing the relationships and trust to truly move the player towards ownership for writing his own story of his swing.
Today's guest is another exemplary ABCA member - Rob Cooper, the head coach at Penn State University. Cooper has been mentored by some of the greats inside our game, spending time with ABCA Hall of Famers Jerry Weinstein and Rick Jones among others. Those coaches helped shape his focus on coaching and developing young men. In this show, we discuss Cooper's break into coaching and the invaluable lessons he learned inside the dugout which have guided him towards coaching for relationships and preparing his players for the game of life. This episode is packed with takeaways as Cooper unpacks his growth as a coach and how he keeps a healthy perspective on the greater goal. We also hear about his passion for learning and evolving as a coach, ever-challenging his thoughts and philosophies on the fundamentals inside the game.
This episode offers us the unique opportunity to highlight a 26-year continuous ABCA member while also delivering tremendous insight on developing the catching position from one of the best: Carson-Newman University head coach Tom Griffin. A featured clinician on two occasions at the ABCA Convention plus a number of other coaching clinics, Griffin is well-known in coaching circles as one of the most passionate and creative catching coaches in the country who always delivers terrific drills and ideas for development behind the plate. Listen in as Griffin takes us through leadership development for his catchers, which translates to running the pitching staff, bullpens and even trickles into the dugout and locker room. Also, we could not hang up with Griffin until we emptied out his pockets with great receiving, blocking and arm strength drills as well as combination drills that incorporate all elements of the position and help spice up practice time and catch play. This is a can't-miss episode for catching coaches or anyone interested in learning more about developing behind the dish!
This week, we take our Dugout Chatter show off the beaten path to highlight our extraordinary baseball coaching community through the experience of University of Houston head coach Todd Whitting in the wake of Hurricane Harvey. Catching up with Whitting is important for us as he takes through his program's experience with the hurricane and how they worked tirelessly to help rebuild Houston, helping families begin to start over. Whitting also opens up on his tweet that went around the baseball world with a plea to coaches for their help in the relief efforts. That call was heard loud and clear! Programs and academies across every level of baseball sent boxes of gear. Whitting details his efforts to stay on top of the overwhelming response and the whiteboard that kept track of everything. This is a positive story of the power of our coaching community that highlights how special baseball people really are!
Southeastern Louisiana University head coach and loyal ABCA member coach Matt Riser opens up about his perspective on bringing a fearless and relentless approach to stealing bases to his game plan. One of the hottest young head coaches in college baseball and one of our featured speakers at the upcoming ABCA Convention, Riser was an easy choice for this show as we walk right into his locker room and dugout to explore his 'Stuck on Green' mentality on the base paths that has led SLU to new heights as a program over the past four seasons. Detailing the specific leads and distances in our tour around the bases, Riser talks about exactly how the Lions approach creating pressure on opposing defenses and ultimately towards scoring more runs. This episode is packed with tremendous takeaways including 'special teams' plays that Riser uses when the opportunity arises. He also speaks about his philosophies on why taking this ultra-aggressive approach to base running will translate into the win column. Pen and paper are needed for this one coaches!
This is yet another example of the quality coaches and people who are involved in the ABCA. We welcome in Stu Fritz, the head coach at Hope College in Michigan, to our show to explore his path in this game plus his ascent into leadership within the ABCA. Fritz currently serves as the ABCA's Third Vice President. He sat down to discuss his 25 years in the dugout and what continues to drive him today. Listening into Fritz's passion of coaching for relationships with his players, helping grow up young men and keeping this game in complete perspective are terrific takeaways inside this chat. Plus we connect on Fritz's reflections of the many people who impacted him throughout his career and the many important lessons he learned that has helped shape his mission in coaching and teaching.
We are connecting with one of the true legends inside our game and also one of our most popular ABCA Convention speakers throughout the years: mental game pioneer Dr. Ken Ravizza of Heads-Up Baseball. Ravizza, who will be speaking at the 2017 ABCA Convention in Indianapolis, joins our podcast to discuss his reflections from well over 30+ years in baseball. Ravizza discusses where we stand today in our mental game training, with tremendous takeaways including his analogy of a chicken sandwich and truly appreciating 'the fifteen seconds between pitches'. Ravizza also calls for a return back to simply 'competing' on the field and moving away from feeling 'good' to play, plus we dive into the locker room and his work with championship college and MLB teams and players, hearing how the very best combat their fears on the field and between their ears.
Winning just seems to follow this guy around and it's even better that he is one of our loyal ABCA members: Eddie Smith, the head coach at Lower Columbia College in Longview, Washington. Leading a storied program like LCC has its challenges but Smith has wrapped his arms around them and decided to 'Win Anyway', a mantra inside his program that keeps his players focused on finding a way to win and never allowing excuses to trickle in. This has helped propel the Red Devils to three straight West Region crowns and two out of the last three NWAC Championship trophies coming back to Longview. This interview has many takeaways, including terrific advice from Smith towards the end of the show for any coach out there, plus his viewpoints on learning as you go and taking invaluable lessons from each stop along the way.
It's ABCA tradition that the reigning NCAA Div. I national champion coach leads off the ABCA Convention Clinics. Keeping with that tradition, we open up our fall episodes with the University of Florida's Kevin O'Sullivan. A longtime member of the ABCA and architect of one of the most consistent programs in the country, we sat down with Sully to discuss the inner workings of the Gators baseball program and what led he and his staff towards winning their last game in Omaha this past June. Florida has been in Omaha in six of the past eight seasons, won 50+ games three times in a row, and possibly the most powerful stat of them all is that UF has been a Top-8 National Seed in eight of the 10 seasons with O’Sullivan at the helm. In this interview, Sully opens up about his approach to building leadership in his programs, allowing his players to steer the ship while also detailing his growth as a coach plus important advice for our listeners from one of the very best in college baseball.
Reflecting on 35 years in the dugout as head coach of one of the top NCAA Div. III programs in the country, Tufts University skipper John Casey joins our show and brings tremendous perspective to the air waves. After working his way up the ranks and now serving on the ABCA Board of Directors, Casey speaks about how impactful the organization has been on his development as a coach and how he stays motivated to keep developing young men in his program. A mentor to so many coaches around the country, Casey details his approach to developing perspective for his players and teaching life lessons through the game that will impact them well past their final pitch or at-bat.
Success leaves clues, and along each step of the way, both of this week's guests continue to leave sizeable impressions on the pitching staffs they oversee. We sat down with Jason Dietrich from the University of Oregon and Nate Yeskie from Oregon State University to discuss their successful approaches to developing arms and leading two of the top pitching staffs in the country. Both coaches dive into their growth as pitching coaches throughout their careers while also giving us a real glimpse into their bullpens and inner details of their plans for development. Being consistent and keeping it simple are common themes from Dietrich and Yeskie in this episode, plus insight into their recruiting focus and essential advice for young pitching coaches in the game.
In this episode, we go 'Extra Innings' with one of the all-time great coaches in college baseball as welcome in ABCA Hall of Famer and longtime Florida State University skipper Mike Martin, or more affectionately known as '11'. Not only is Martin a loyal ABCA member sitting at 40 years of continuous membership, but he also is staring down the record for all-time career wins in college baseball which would put the exclamation point on an illustrious career in the dugout. 11 breaks down his growth as a coach, offering us the important lessons he learned along the way even those handed down to him by coaching legends and ABCA Hall of Famers Ron Polk and Ron Fraser. This show is packed with both laughs and even tears but we also dig inside his passion for learning and his continued curiosity to challenge his beliefs inside this game and grow as a coach.
Transactional vs. Transformational: two completely different approaches to leading young men which will ultimately leave us with completely different results. Matt Deggs, the head coach at Sam Houston State University joins our podcast to detail his most improbable journey in coaching, a roller coaster ride which has led him to truly understanding his mission in coaching and in the business of growing up young men. In this episode, Deggs outlines his personal 'transformation' story, a powerful account of his path and 'rebirth' back into coaching while also offering our listeners a behind-the-scenes viewpoint of the standards of his new post at Sam Houston State. Deggs also details the standards inside the Bearkat program, their 'pack' mentality and the inner details of what makes Sam Houston State a special place to play.
In this episode, we connect with a loyal ABCA member who was recently elected to the ABCA Hall of Fame - St. John’s University head coach Ed Blankmeyer. Bringing 38 years in the dugout and all that perspective to this show, Blankmeyer delivers to our listeners his viewpoint on the real mission of teaching and coaching: develop and grow the individual and prepare them for LIFE! Blankmeyer reflects back on the important people throughout his career that impacted him, helped guide him down the right path while also outlining his advice for young coaches and the invaluable lessons he learned along his journey.
This is an offensive coach's dream podcast as we deliver Brian Green from New Mexico State and Link Jarrett from UNC Greensboro, two of the best in college baseball when it comes to scoring runs. Both Green and Jarrett have impressive resumes, especially relative to the statistical leaderboard, and we hear about their growth as coaches and how they each work to keep things as simple and as individualized as they can. In this episode, we dive into practice plans and even into the cages with Green and Jarrett as both coaches offer their perspective on developing high-powered offenses. Keep pen and paper handy as we uncover the absolutes inside the Aggie and Spartan offenses, while also discussing their growth and viewpoints on what truly matters and works in the batter's box.
Chalk up yet another tremendous baseball coach who is an ABCA member - this week's episode is with Mark Martinez, head coach at San Diego State University. With more than 30 years in the game, Martinez offers our listeners terrific insight into his career, the countless legendary coaches who have influenced his growth and his commitment to constantly challenging himself to develop as a teacher. We outline his time with Tony Gwynn and the impact that Gwynn had on Martinez's career while also spending time discussing some of the lighter moments throughout his journey as a coach. A true teacher at heart and a self-professed 'life-long learner', Martinez delivers "Audio Gold" on this show.
Thinking and speaking administratively can be a tall order for coaches so we rounded up three men who have walked the path from coaching on the field to serving as Athletic Directors. This episode features Jim Peeples of Piedmont College in Georgia, Ray Tanner of the University of South Carolina and Kevin Vest of Waubonsee Community College in Illinois. They have each seen their career paths shift from calling bunt coverages to overseeing athletic departments and being focused on the bigger picture on their campuses. They offer tremendous perspectives on this show into how we can communicate more effectively with our own administrations plus how their experiences in athletics have shaped their approach to building a positive culture inside their departments. Peeps, Ray and Kevin each deliver invaluable viewpoints for our listeners on this show, helping bridge the gap for our coaches from baseball men who walked in their shoes.
Another example of the tremendous baseball men inside this great game and the ABCA, we invited Darren Fenster, who serves as the Manager of the Greenville Drive in the Boston Red Sox organization, to this episode of Calls from the Clubhouse. Fenster has an obvious passion for teaching baseball and shares stories of why he approaches his opportunity the way he does. For baseball coaches and players, his Twitter account, @CoachYourKids, is an entertaining and informational follow as he emphasizes coaching for the right reasons and playing the game the right way. This show unveils Fenster's drive to be consistent each day for his players, his lack of hidden talents and hobbies which further shows his dedication and commitment to the game.
It's perfect timing for this show as the NCAA Division I College World Series is underway. We sat down with two of its biggest advocates in ESPN's Kyle Peterson and Mike Rooney. These two men have been longtime fans and supporters of the college game and we discussed the current state of the game. Roons and KP talk us through the positive trends in our game while also exploring the areas for concerns to keep college baseball healthy and thriving. Also, both men offer us their nod to our coaches and speak to the high level of development and coaching on the college level and we dive into their thoughts on the beauty of Omaha and the CWS.
This episode shines a light on one of the extraordinary men of the ABCA – Butch Chaffin, the head coach at Cookeville High School in Cookeville, Tennessee. Chaffin joins our show to discuss his journey through the game and the positive impact he hopes to have on it. A loyal ABCA member, Chaffin details his approach to helping young men grow up in the Cookeville program, his drive for enhancing relationships inside the game and his growth as a person and a coach. Chaffin has spent time as a high school and college assistant coach, professional scout and now as a high school head coach while also working with USA Baseball. Chaffin delivers some excellent perspective as he looks back through his years in the dugout, the people that have challenged and impacted him while also discussing the lessons learned along the way.
Two of the most engaging outfield presentations at recent ABCA Conventions have come from Darin Erstad from the University of Nebraska and Jake Boss from Michigan State University. These two tremendous baseball men gave very informative presentations on outfielding through focus on details and absolutes, and we worked to bring this information to the podcast. Erstad and Boss offer our listeners a glimpse into their evaluations of outfielders on the recruiting trail while also detailing the progressions in practice once their kids step foot on campus. Both Erstad and Boss break down specific drills they use to teach details of elite outfielding and how they each 'close the gaps' in the Husker and Spartan outfields.
In this episode, we welcome in one of the busiest retired coaches out there in ABCA Hall of Famer Keith Madison. Madison, who was head coach at the University of Kentucky for 25 years, discusses his activities and contributions to the game after stepping down at UK over a decade ago. He works with SCORE International, is Publisher of Inside Pitch Magazine and serves on the ABCA Board of Directors. Madison talks about his journey in the game and the lessons learned along the way. He delivers tremendous insight for any coach, guiding them through the stories from his career and time in the dugout.
We rounded up three of the top thought leaders in our game for information on arm care and development on one call - Alan Jaeger from Jaeger Sports, Eric Cressey from Cressey Sports Performance and Kyle Boddy from Driveline Baseball. These three joined our podcast to take us through an all-encompassing view of year-round training for our players. Critical elements include the off-season recovery and build-up, in-season maintenance plans and also the approach to navigating critical summer months for our players. Jaeger, Cressey and Boddy all offer insight and expertise on how players and their families as well as coaches should view these essential pieces development while adding their takes on evaluating college programs and Major League Baseball organizations for their viewpoints on arm health and training.
Opening up the extensive list of terrific high school coaches within the ABCA membership, we welcome in Trent Mongero, head coach at North Hall High School in Georgia, to our podcast to outline his unique path in our game and reflections from 24 years in the dugout. In this episode, Mongero discusses his consistent voice on social media that provides insight to playing the game the right way and competing while also sharing drills and coaching tips inside his feed. Mongero also expands on his passionate approach to coaching his players and his true coaching 'why' that leads his drive towards growing up young men. This is powerful insight from one of our loyal ABCA members and our first high school coach to grace the air waves.
This is a powerful episode with SIX national championships on the line. Greg Brown, head coach at Nova Southeastern University, Jeremiah Robbins from Lewis-Clark State College and Doug Wren, the skipper at Tyler Junior College, all joined our show to discuss the rise to the upper echelon inside their divisions and the effects that winning has had on their personal development as well as their programs. Brown (2016 NCAA Div. II champion), Robbins (2015 and 2016 NAIA) and Wren (2014, 2015 and 2016 NJCAA Div. III) each lay out their path in this game, pulling back the curtain on the program’s journey to the top of the mountain. Each coach also reflects on their focus with building deep player relationships, community and campus impact as well as the lasting effects that winning has had on within their locker rooms.
One of the true gentlemen in the college game, Florida Atlantic University head coach John McCormack joins our podcast to detail his 27-year career, with every season being in an Owl uniform. McCormack opens up his reflections within the FAU program and his advice for coaches across all levels of the game. This is a powerful episode as Mac details his successful battle with cancer while also fighting alongside one of his players, coming away with a new perspective on his passion for coaching. It's easy to hear why so many alumni and current players love playing for McCormack, a proud 26-year continuous ABCA member.
Creating havoc on the bases and scoring more runs is the name of the game for Matt Talarico, assistant coach at Wright State University and the creator of StealBases.com. In every stop he has made throughout his career, Talarico has elevated offenses to new levels by bringing an aggressive approach to running the bases. In this podcast, we outline Talarico’s overall vision and plan while also giving our listeners insight into how teaching the game on this level has raised the IQ of his players on the field. Talarico also provides great base-running drills to take into a practice setting and takes us in the dugout for insightful feedback on the implementation of his plan to attacking the base paths.
Tracy Archuleta has built one of the most prominent NCAA Division II programs in the country over the past 10 seasons at the University of Southern Indiana. With national championships in 2010 and 2014 and four trips to the NCAA Div. II World Series in six regional appearances, it's easy to see why Archuleta has something to offer our listeners. We sit down with "Arch" to talk through his career in college baseball and the tremendous mentors he has been blessed to work under along with transcendent advice for coaches across every level of baseball. A 'keep it simple' guy by nature, Archuleta dives into his approach to coaching for relationships and trusting his process for development, which are his guiding principles for success.
This is a special episode as we sit down with one of the true legends of our game, college baseball's the all-time wins leader Augie Garrido. Final numbers: 1,975 wins, 15 trips to the College World Series and five national championships across four different decades. Garrido walks us through his storied career and gives his reflections on the game itself. He chronicles his humble beginnings in coaching, learning invaluable lessons early on that helped shaped his coaching approach and style as he built a winning program from scratch at Cal State Fullerton plus returning the University of Texas to national prominence. Garrido also gives advice for coaches and players to change their perspective on the game, choosing to treat each pitch as simply an opportunity to learn. Packed with tremendous insight, this episode is for coaches across all levels of the game plus parents, players and baseball fans.
Dugout Chatter is all about placing the spotlight on some of our most loyal ABCA members and this episode highlights one of our youngest - Tyler Gillum of South Mountain Community College in Arizona. Gillum enters his eighth season in college baseball and his sixth as the assistant coach at South Mountain CC. Gillum is highly motivated, consumed with personal growth and positively impacting his players. This comes through the air waves as we dive into Gillum's successful stints in collegiate summer baseball, highlighted by three straight Texas Collegiate League championships, plus his personal growth program that originated at SMCC to help elevate team chemistry that has since expanded nationally. Gillum also offers tremendous insight into some of the lessons he has learned while studying successful coaches and business leaders.
Unpacking the "Mental Game" for coaches can be a tall task so we called in one of the best – the creator of Peak Performance, Brian Cain. Cain details his career in mental training and conditioning, from his early years with the Cal State Fullerton teams and Ken Ravizza to now training some of the high-profile college and high school teams around the country. In this episode, Cain offers our listeners coaching cues and systems to arm their players with to help tackle adversity and failure. Cain also details the successful habits and mindsets of the very best coaches in our game in how they work to become more consistent and effective in the mental game training for their players and programs.
This episode features our first NAIA coach on the podcast and one of the legendary figures in our game. Woody Hunt, the head coach at Cumberland University (Tennessee) joins the podcast to offer his insight and perspective from 38 years in the dugout, three national championships and an impressive 12 NAIA World Series appearances. Hunt dives into his reflections on the growth of NAIA baseball, his humble beginnings in our game and the hardships in building of the most prominent programs in the country.
This episode is an infield coach's dream, as we sit down with the brain trust behind Twitter's #FridayFielders crew – Billy Boyer from Washington, Kainoa Correa from Northern Colorado and Tucker Frawley from Yale. These are three young but progressive thinkers with infield play and how to creatively challenge our traditional drills, coaching cues and thoughts on developing our infielders. We open up the door to the creation and mission behind #FridayFielders, which has built an online community for positional coaches, along with "thinking outside the box" when it comes to structuring our practice plans, catch play routines, etc.
We dive into the small college ranks to highlight Jamie Shevchik, who is entering his 16th season as the skipper at Keystone College in Pennsylvania. Shevchik outlines an interesting path and commitment to the game. He became a head coach very early in his career and dedicates his summer months to growing his reach and networks in collegiate summer baseball, where he currently serves as the manager of the Brewster Whitecaps of the Cape Cod League. Shevchik reflects on the lessons learned throughout his career while providing insight into the special baseball men that guided his path.
We unpack the volunteer assistant coach position in college baseball with two coaches living it every day: Derek Simmons from the University of Alabama and Dillon Lawson from the University of Missouri. Both Simmons and Lawson experienced success as recruiting coordinators in their previous positions but saw the opportunity to join new coaching staffs, giving each of them a unique perspective on the volunteer role. This episode details each coach's daily activities and specific responsibilities within their coaching staffs and will provide all of us insight into this important role.
Entering his sixth season as the head coach and 27th overall in a Titan uniform, Rick Vanderhook joins our show to discuss his career in college baseball with most of those years at Cal State Fullerton. "Hooky" offers us insight into his life outside of the game but also his extensive experience being around incredible coaches and great quality baseball throughout his career. There are some truly introspective moments for Vanderhook on this show and our listeners will connect with his personality and reflections over many years on the field.
Tanner Swanson, assistant coach at the University of Washington is making a name for himself as a progressive thinker in developing catchers. Swanson has created a comprehensive plan that leads with a clear focus on achievement above simple activity for catchers, while adding in a complete drill progression that prepares players for the "chaos" of game competition. Tanner dives into his "outside the box" thinking that will challenge listeners on how they approach developing catchers.
In the first episode of "Dugout Chatter", we sat down with Jim Schlossnagle, head coach at Texas Christian University. On this episode, Schloss talks about his path in baseball over the past 28 years, diving into several highs and lows throughout his career while breaking down the true pivotal moments. The lighter side of this interview gives our listeners a glimpse into who Schloss is off the field, detailing his hobbies (or lack thereof) and also some of the funny happenings throughout the years on the road with his team. Schloss also divulges his personal "Mount Rushmore" – the men in baseball who impacted him the most while adding several key points to keep young coaches on the right track.
First-year head coaches Scott Jackson from Liberty, Nick Mingione from the Kentucky and Travis Jewett from Tulane join the first "Calls from the Clubhouse" podcast for 2017. The three coaches discuss their transitions from long-time assistant coaches to now leading college baseball programs. On this episode, each coach goes through their approaches to changing cultures, leaning on the lessons learned from their mentors while also talking through the adjustments to their daily routines as they sit in new office chairs. They also offer insight to assistant coaches and wrap up the episode with their new recruiting pitches.
As we approach the 2017 ABCA Convention in Anaheim, Jan. 5-8, a special edition of this podcast offers our coaches insight and ultimately the #ABCAkeys to DOMINATING their convention experience. Our host, Jeremy Sheetinger, takes listeners through the ABCA’s Top Ten list of very important reminders and tips to help our attendees plan for success during their time in Anaheim. Information includes the power of networking, fully exploring the Trade Show, being aware of your surroundings and opportunities while also helping plan your time for a tremendous experience surrounded by 4,000 fellow coaches.
In our final episode of 2016, we sat down with coaching legend and ABCA Hall of Famer Jerry Weinstein, who currently coaches in the Colorado Rockies organization and serves as the Manager for Team Israel. We dive into Weinstein's dedication to growing the game and impacting players plus his passion for challenging conventional thinking and enhance his perspective on baseball. Weinstein also offers insight into creative changes to our practice routines and how to let drills teach our players, leading them towards becoming more invested and independent. This episode is packed with terrific insight from one of the best baseball minds in our game.
This episode is all about infield play and we go straight to one of the very best infield coaches in the country - Marty Lees - in his second season as the head coach at Washington State University. Lees has a tremendous reputation as a tenacious recruiter and also a developer on the infield, helping guide his team to the NCAA postseason in 10 of his 15 seasons in college baseball. Lees takes our listeners through his development plan including insight into their warm-up and catch play routines, discusses how to spot infield potential on the recruiting trails and getting his players mentally prepared for the adversity in our game.
Having success as a pitching coach and taking a different approach, Greg Moore sits down to discuss in more detail his approach to "Pitching Mechanic-less". Moore, the head coach at Cal State Northridge, has worked to empower his pitching staff with an ability to cut ties with thoughts of mechanics to make adjustments in practice and in games. Instead, Moore has armed his staff with clear cues that keep his players focused on what they're doing with the baseball in relation to attacking hitters and staying simple with their thoughts. Moore offers our listeners a look inside the specifics of this approach with his hurlers and also the program culture change which has turned positive for the Matadors under his leadership.
With the 13th episode of our "Calls from the Clubhouse" podcast, we sat down with Dennis Rogers, longtime coach at Riverside City College in Riverside, California, to discuss his approach through the years of developing not only his players but also his assistant coaches and staff. Rogers is well-known throughout the country as a master of practice efficiency and he offers our listeners insight into his approaches to mental and visual development within his program along with enhancing baseball skills within his players. Rogers is a disciple of the legendary ABCA clinician and former Cal Poly Pomona head coach John Scolinos. Rogers provides tremendous reflections and stories from his time and sincere impact from Scolinos. Rogers has also used RCC as a breeding ground for exceptional young assistant coaches, giving them a platform to develop and hone their craft while also learning and growing himself from their influence.
Continuing to highlight the clinicians for our upcoming ABCA Convention in Anaheim, we sat down with Rusty Stroupe, the head coach at Gardner-Webb University, to discuss character and ethics in our great game. Coach Stroupe is well known throughout the baseball coaching community as one of the great people in our profession, as is evident by his 2013 Jerry Kindall Character in Coaching Award given to him by the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. In this 12th episode of our "Calls from the Clubhouse" podcast, Coach Stroupe gives us a glimpse into his program at GWU, what recruiting character looks like for our coaches and also specific game examples and stories of doing the right things by our players and for the game of baseball.
In our 11th episode, we are diving into infield play with Nate Trosky from Trosky Baseball. Trosky is an infield specialist who had dedicated his career to maximizing the elite infield defender from both the physical and mental sides of the game. Trosky gives us tremendous insight in the core principles of great infielders, the essential characteristics that will help each player move closer to consistency while also offering practice specifics and drills that will help raise our players' abilities. Trosky also spends time discussing the mental make-up of elite defenders and the mindset they possess, wrapping up this episode with his Sith Tool discussion of intangibles.
With the 10th episode of our "Calls from the Clubhouse" podcast, we continue to highlight featured speakers from our upcoming ABCA Convention in Anaheim and we know our coaches are excited for this one! We sat sat down to "Chat with Championship Coaches", winners of three of the last eight College World Series, loyal ABCA members and tremendous men who have built consistent winners at their respective programs. Tim Corbin - head coach at Vanderbilt University and 2014 national champion, John Savage – head coach at UCLA and 2013 national champion along with Paul Mainieri – head coach at LSU and 2009 national champion offer our coaches insight into their career paths, important lessons learned along the way and give our listeners advice to keep perspective on guiding our players. All three coaches dive into their humble beginnings as coaches and talk us through how they have worked to build three of the most consistent winning programs in the competitive world of college baseball.
In keeping with ABCA traditions and with a new membership year, its fitting that we lead off the fall podcast episodes with Gary Gilmore, head coach of NCAA Div. I national champion Coastal Carolina. Gilmore will be our first speaker at our upcoming ABCA Convention in Anaheim and we spoke to him about "Building a Championship Culture". From humble beginnings being named head coach in 1996 to national champions in 2016, Gilmore discussed the ups and downs of cementing culture throughout the entirety of his program, from the locker room to the weight room to the dugout and out on the field. Gilmore gives our listeners a unique glimpse into the pillars of the Coastal program, getting a program-wide buy-in into their covenants and the process that led them to bringing a trophy home from Omaha.
The eighth episode of the ABCA's "Calls from the Clubhouse", esteemed base running and base stealing coach Mike Roberts talks through his system of attacking the base paths. Roberts, a 2015 inductee into the ABCA's Hall of Fame and current base running consultant for the Chicago Cubs, discusses in detail the importance of developing a base running plan in your offense and how to incorporate this training into your practice plans. Roberts also spends time discussing the specifics of his base stealing approach, giving listeners tips and coaching cues to improving their players' reactions on the bases.
The ABCA welcomes Xan Barksdale from Catching 101 to "Calls from the Clubhouse" to discuss aspects of development around the catching position. Topics described include the essentials of a great catcher, how to implement skill development for catchers in practice planning along with various drills and coaching cues to improve receiving, blocking and throwing. Barksdale also offers insight into developing winning relationships with umpires and direction for non-catching coaches to strengthen their knowledge of the position.
The sixth episode of the ABCA's "Calls from the Clubhouse" dives into the life of a recruiting coordinator, welcoming guests Brad Bohannon from Auburn University, Donegal Fergus from the University of Washington and Kirk Saarloos from Texas Christian University. Catching our coaches in the middle of the recruiting season, we discussed the true details of this position within a coaching staff, the current state of baseball recruiting while also offering information for high school and travel coaches to better serve their players in this process.
The fifth episode of the ABCA’s "Calls from the Clubhouse" welcomes in guests Troy Silva and Jose Rijo-Berger from Rijo Athletics to discuss a variety of topics including the importance of changing the culture inside youth baseball, developing positive relationships with the players we coach while also talking through common myths in coaching hitters while developing the mental approach to hitting.
The fourth episode of the ABCA's "Calls from the Clubhouse" reflects on the College World Series in Omaha with former LSU head coach Skip Bertman, whose Tigers advanced to the CWS 11 times.
The third episode of the ABCA's "Calls from the Clubhouse" covers strength and conditioning issues for baseball players, featuring renown coach Eric Cressey.
The second episode of the ABCA's "Calls from the Clubhouse" covers the mental side of hitting, featuring Toronto Blue Jays mental coach Steve Springer.
The second part of episode 1 of the ABCA's "Calls from the Clubhouse" features NCAA Division I pitching coaches Nate Yeskie from Oregon State University, Scott Brown from Vanderbilt University and Butch Thompson from Auburn University. Alan Jaeger of Jaeger Sports also participated. Part 2 continues to expand on arm care for pitchers and how the collegiate pitching coaches manage this subject.
The first part of episode 1 of the ABCA's "Calls from the Clubhouse" covers baseball arm care and development and features Alan Jaeger of Jaeger Sports.