Collegiate Baseball The Voice Of Amateur Baseball

Started In 1958 At The Request Of Our Nation’s Baseball Coaches Vol. 61, No. 14 Friday, Oct. 5, 2018 $4.00 Record Strikeouts In NCAA Baseball Highest amount of strikeouts Fred Corral, pitching coach at the University of Missouri, had some interesting observations on why the take place in past 49 years which strikeout numbers are at an all-time high. could be caused by several factors, Corral has 25 years of coaching experience across including flat-seam baseball. all levels of baseball, 12 of them in the Southeastern Conference and three in professional baseball. By LOU PAVLOVICH, JR. “The strikeout numbers are surprising but not totally Editor/Collegiate Baseball unexpected,” said Corral “When the flat-seam ball came out, I was very excited. NDIANAPOLIS — The highest amount of strikeouts People told me it would go further than the raised-seam over the past 49 years of NCAA Division I baseball ball. I said it might, but hitting is still tough. What the Itook place during the 2018 season, according to the flat-seam ball did was allow the break on balls to be NCAA Division I Baseball Statistics Trends report. shorter and less recognizable to hitters. Compiled by Jeff Williams, Associate Director of “I believe with more power arms in college baseball Media Coordination and Statistics with the NCAA, the now, the break on pitches is not only shorter but later. 2018 NCAA Division I Strikeouts Per 9 Innings per Hitters are having a difficult time picking up the break game for each team was a record 7.88. of pitches with this late, shorter break.” Each of the last four years have featured strikeout But there also could be other factors involved, numbers that have gone over 7.00 which has never including velocity improvement programs for pitchers happened before in the past 49 years. that has allowed pitchers to throw harder than ever The strikeout average per 9 innings the last four years before. include: The other element involved is that a number of hitting 2015: 7.02 coaches are teaching batters to hit slightly up on pitches 2016: 7.17 for specific launch angles that get balls in the air. 2017: 7.54 For the previous 45 years prior to 2015 (1970-2014), 2018: 7.88 only twice have strikeout totals risen over 7.00, and that Interestingly, the first year of the flat-seam ball was in was in 1998 (7.07) and 1999 (7.12). 2015, the first year of this trend, and strikeout numbers “What I feel is going on, and I made this comment to have gone up every year since. a couple of my friends who are hitting coaches, is that So there may be a correlation with the ball that is being used. See HISTORIC STRIKEOUT, Page 7 Virginia’s Nick Howard celebrates after a strikeout.

Dennis Olejniczak Records 1,417 Wins During Incredible Career Second Winningest H.S. Coach In History Retires Fabulous system Schultz of Kee H.S. (Lansing, every team had the same amount of Iowa) for the most wins in high talent. None of the teams actually allows legendary school baseball history at 1,578. had coaches like you typically see skipper to rack up win Collegiate Baseball caught up on Little League teams. after win at Decorah with this giant in the coaching “We had three coaches during ranks and asked him to explain his each game which covered both High School in Iowa. fabulous system. teams involved. And every coach One of the keys to his success had to be approved by me and was By LOU PAVLOVICH, JR. was working with Little League usually someone who was involved Editor/Collegiate Baseball players in his town so they were with the Decorah H.S. baseball well versed on great baseball team. That way, all the coaches ECORAH, Iowa — One fundamentals prior to coming to were all on the same page. of the greatest high school Decorah H.S. “We would stop each game Db a s e b a l l c o a c h e s i n “In the summer of 1964, I took multiple times when teaching history recently retired in Dennis on the job of being director of points were needed. It might be Olejniczak. Decorah’s Little League program,” a great play or one where some The head coach of Decorah High said the 78-year-old Olejniczak. problem took place. We weren’t School (Decorah, Iowa) posted “I decided that we would treat caught up on wins and losses. We the second highest win total in anybody who ever showed up as focused on the development of United States history for a high fairly as we could. It didn’t matter these kids. school baseball coach with 1,417 to us if they didn’t have a mom, dad “Eight year old kids were taught victories. or brothers and sisters who could that pitches over the plate from He was the head coach at Decorah play some ball with them. Everyone the knees to the arm pits were High School for 55 years and led was given an opportunity to learn strikes they would swing at. If a teams to three state titles, nine and improve in the great game of pitch was not in that area, they title games, 11 state tournament baseball. wouldn’t swing at it. This taught appearances and 21 Northeast Iowa “Everyone was taught the same the kids immediately what a strike Conference championships. He also way as we had an 8-9-10 year age zone was. We emphasized that coached for one year at Janesville group and 11-12-13 division. We in the game of baseball, you get H.S. (Lansing, Iowa). always had a draft of only Decorah, DENNIS OLEJNICZAK Olejniczak is only behind Gene Iowa kids, and we tried to make sure See DYNAMIC, Page 23 Inside Collegiate Baseball Web Site: www.baseballnews.com NCAA Div. I Recruiting Rundown Cheat Codes For Exit Velocity Q&A Session With Pat Casey Louisiana St. lands No. 1 class for Perry Husband explains in detail Recently retired head coach at fifth time in history with others in his system for ramping up faster Oregon St. delves into how his 2014, 2010, 2007, 2004/Page 10 bat speeds for hitters/Page 26 teams had chemistry/Page 18 Page  Collegiate Baseball Friday, Oct. 5, 2018

Big League Chew was invented by Rob Nelson, a former Cornell University lefthander who was pitching in Oregon in 1977 for the fabled Portland Mavericks when he came up with the idea for a new type of bubble gum.

Rob was literally sitting in the Portland bullpen, watching his team- mates chewing other less salubrious stuff, when he thought that shredded bubble gum would be a much more fun option.

Rob shared the idea with Mav teammate Jim Bouton who liked the concept so much he spent the next two years searching for a gum company to manufacture and distribute Big League Chew. He succeeded, and BLC quickly became the must-have bubble gum for ballplayers in the littlest leagues to the Big Leagues.

Today, over 40 years later, Big League Chew is the #1-selling shredded bubble gum in the world — with over 800 million pouches sold. It is manufactured in the USA by Ford Gum of Akron, New York.

™ BIG LEAGUE CHEW® AMERICA’S BUBBLE GUM Coaches Discount now available at bigleaguechew.com Friday, Oct. 5, 2018 Collegiate Baseball Page  Collegiate Baseball The Voice Of Advertiser Directory Amateur Baseball Beam Clay/Partac Peat...... 5 Own The Zone...... 8 Big League Chew Bubble Gum...... 2 Performance Power Drive...... 23 Cheapbats...... 3 Picture Catcher Bat...... 23 Collegiate Baseball (ISSN 0530-9751) is published twice a month Diamond Sports...... 17 Pocket Radar...... 3 January-May and once in June, July, September and October Diamond Pro...... 31 PYT Sports...... 7 (14 total issues) by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper, Inc., 2515 Fast Chart...... 11 Rawlings Sports...... 15 N. Stone Ave., Tucson, AZ 85705. Periodicals postage paid at FollowThru Pro Training Bat...... 13 Reef Industries...... 21 Tucson, AZ. GameGrade...... 7 Scoremaster...... 5 gameSense...... 7 Sports Sensors...... 11 Postmaster: Send address changes to: Glover Scorebooks...... 9 Texas Baseball Ranch...... 29 Collegiate Baseball Heads-Up Baseball 2.0...... 11 The Strike Plate...... 11 P.O. Box 50566 HitTrax...... 19 Wood Bats 4 Sale...... 3 Tucson, AZ 85703 H.S. Baseball Coaches Convention...... 25 Yakkertech...... 5 Inside Baseball Clinics...... 12 Overnight Mail: 2515 N. Stone Ave., Tucson, AZ 85705 For more information on joining the American Baseball Coaches Past Publishers: Abe Chanin, Lou Pavlovich, Sr. Association, call (336) 821-3140 or see pages 16, 32. Single 1-Year Subscription Rate: $28 for 14 issues. For information on subscribing to Collegiate Baseball, Single 1-Year First Class U.S. Subscription: $45 call (520) 623-4530 or see pages 20, 27, 28. Single 1-Year Foreign Air Mail Subscription: $50 Special Team Subscriptions: 11 papers each issue sent to one address — $110 (save $198 off the single subscription price), and Find quick links to all our advertisers on www.baseballnews.com 21 papers each issue sent to one address — $189 (save $399). and let them know you saw their products in Collegiate Baseball. Other Multiple Subscription Offers: Please inquire with sub- scription department at (520) 623-4530. Directory Oregon State’s Casey Retires Area Code (520) CORVALLIS, Ore. — Pat Casey, “While I’m saddened to lose Publisher: Lou Pavlovich, Jr. (Call 623-4530) the winningest coach in Oregon Coach Casey in the dugout; I’m Editor: Lou Pavlovich, Jr. (Call 623-4530 to report stories) State Athletics history, announced thrilled to have Coach Casey remain Advertising Director: Diane Pavlovich (Call 623-4530) his retirement from coaching after on staff to serve as an ambassador Subscription Department: (Call 623-4530) 24 years in Corvallis and 31 seasons for our department, be a mentor (Call 624-5501) Fax Machine: at the collegiate level. for other coaches, and play a role E-Mail: [email protected] Web Site: www.baseballnews.com Collegiate Baseball’s 2018 in fundraising.” National Coach of The Year, he Barnes said Pat Bailey, who claimed 900 victories at Oregon served as an assistant coach and 2018 Publication Schedule State, with the last coming in the associate head coach under Casey final game of the 2018 College for 11 seasons at Oregon State, has January 5 March 9 May 4 September 1 World Series as the Beavers won been named interim head coach. January 26 March 23 May 18 October 5 their third national championship. A national search will begin at the February 9 April 6 June 15 February 23 April 20 July 13 While coaching at Oregon State, conclusion of the 2019 season. his teams made six visits to the OSU is the only program to College World Series and won 21 ever win six elimination games in games in Omaha, among the most Omaha, doing so in 2006 and 2018. Moving? in CWS history. His teams made Make Sure CB Moves Along With You! 13 total trips to the postseason, To change your address, please write us 30 days in advance if accounting for 64 of Oregon State Wood Bats 4 Sale you can. Mail to: Collegiate Baseball Newspaper baseball’s 69 all-time victories. PAT CASEY Dept. Address Change Casey coached 21 players who he has made on the lives of so many woodbats4sale.com P.O. Box 50566 have since appeared at the Major young people during his coaching 503.208.2009 Tucson, Ariz. 85703 League level and countless others career,” Barnes said. Pitchers 1. Please print OLD address here. who have gone on to successful careers off the field. Hate our Bats NAME “I would first like to thank all CheapBats.com Best Wood & Composite STREET APT. # the players who have given me the 1-800-589-HITS Wood Bats for Serious CITY STATE ZIP opportunity and honor to coach Baseball Teams and them over the last 31 years,” Casey Order today DATE OF said. have it tomorrow Players MOVE: “Your dedicated commitment has truly made the journey what it 2. Please print NEW address here. is and made what we do more than NAME special; I will be forever grateful. NEW STREET APT. # You have left me with memories FOR 2018 CITY STATE ZIP I will never forget. You are true warriors. “Thank you to our coaching staff at Oregon State – your work ethic Eastern Kentucky Hires Cole and loyalty are second-to-none; RICHMOND, Ky. — Shaun for the San Diego Padres. He was each and every one is the absolute Cole, who has served as the involved in all aspects of baseball best. We’ve had so many great coordinator of player development operations, scouting, and player times on and off the field which with the San Diego Padres and the development. will never be forgotten. And to pitching coach at the University He assisted in player development all the coaches and support staff of Arizona, was chosen as the for the Padres minor league members I’ve gotten to work with associate head coach/pitching coach system, over so many years, I thank you at Eastern Kentucky University. He cross-checked prospects all. Additionally, thank you to the From 2015-2017, Cole served throughout the country considered members of the administration as coordinator, player development for the 2016 MLB Draft, contributed at Oregon State for your support to the 2016 MLB Draft meeting and throughout the years. attended pre-draft workouts. “To my wife, Susan, and my Cole joined the University of family, thank you for being there FREE Issue Goes To INTRODUCING Companion App Arizona baseball staff in January every step of the way. Wide Circulation 2009 as the director of operations “I don’t have enough space or TUCSON, Ariz. — This issue and served in that position for time to thank all the individuals who SMART COACH™ of Collegiate Baseball is being seven months before moving to the I’ve had the pleasure of working brought to you by the American pitching coach position. with throughout the years. You First Pro-Level Speed Radar that can be used Baseball Coaches Association and He helped the team win the 2012 know who you are and I want to stand-alone or with Pocket Radar Companion App this publication. College World Series while serving thank each and every one of you.” This widely distributed issue will as the Wildcats’ pitching coach until Casey will remain at Oregon Instant Feedback with Remote Speed Display and be received by every baseball coach July 2014. State as a Senior Associate Athletics Audio Speed Announcement in our nation’s high schools, junior He was chosen as Collegiate Director/Special Assistant to Vice colleges and 4-year institutions. President and Director of Athletics Capture and Share Video with Speed for Remote Baseball’s 2012 National Pitching Coaching For more information about the Coach of The Year. Scott Barnes. ABCA and its offerings to baseball During his time with Arizona, “It’s very difficult to put into Track Results over time with Instant History Review coaches, please see pages 16 and the Wildcats made four regional words what Coach Casey has done and Data Export 32. We hope you enjoy reading appearances. He guided two for Oregon State University, the Collegiate Baseball newspaper. Arizona pitching staffs to the lowest state of Oregon, college baseball Learn more at PocketRadar.com/SmartCoach or call 888.381.2672 ERA season totals since 1978. overall and the tremendous impact Page  Collegiate Baseball Friday, Oct. 5, 2018 Collegiate Baseball The Voice Of Amateur Baseball Hitters Must Have Adjustable Swings DENVER, Colo. — The world’s two strikes. greatest hitter had it right a long Any deviation requires an time ago. Baseball adjustment from the hitter. Those The man with baseball’s best who can make the adjustments mechanics, Ted Williams, said: Thoughts make the money. “You’ve got to be level to the ball, This is pretty simple to understand OPINION not level to the ground.” but very difficult to execute without Publisher: Lou Pavlovich, Jr. Ted would say that over and a hitting technique which allows for Editor: Lou Pavlovich, Jr. over again, and he was absolutely these on-the-fly adjustments. right. In order for these adjustments to He was a 19-time All-Star and flow fluently, the body must follow The Topic: 2-time recipient of the American a mechanical blueprint that will League’s Most Valuable Player allow it to happen. Profanity Gone Wild Award and 6-time American League The only hitting technique Each issue, Collegiate Baseball explores a major batting champion. that allows this to happen is the development in the world of baseball. This issue’s Ted hit .406 in 1941 over 143 rotational technique. editorial explains why coaches and umpires must games and .407 in 1953 during Most coaches and parents know work together to stop the big jump in ejections. 37 games. He finished his 19-year nothing of this golden technique playing career with the Boston Red because they have come from a Sox with a .344 batting average. generation where linear hitting, Learning how to do this correctly With Mike Epstein Astroturf, and ultra-light, ultra- Ejection Totals Shed can make the difference between resistant aluminum bats were in success and failure especially in perfect swing ultimately becomes vogue. Bad Light On Baseball the current launch angle hitting the perfect situational hitter. Now launch angles for hitters The total number of ejections during NCAA baseball games is philosophy. For a hitter to have a perfect are the talk of hitting coaches and now bordering on the ridiculous. My definition of the perfect swing, three variables must be hitters across the USA. According to George Drouches, NCAA National Coordinator of swing is the adjustment the hitter simultaneously present: (1) They It is a fact that rotational hitters Umpires, the total number of ejections has gone up each of the past makes to the pitch they get. Far have to have anticipated the pitch have comprised 95 percent of four years with 90 percent directly related to profanity, according too often, hitters are taught to type correctly, (2) received it in baseball’s Hall of Fame hitters and to ejection reports he has received. grove their swing, which makes the the zone (area) they were looking, today’s most productive batsmen. Incredibly, total ejections have gone up by 200 since 2015. adjustment process impossible for and (3) it must be at the expected Hitting is a combination of Here are the dismal year-by-year numbers: even the elite hitter. pitch velocity. This is the only physics and biomechanics. The • 2018: 858 total ejections. Hitters must have adjustable time a hitter will execute a perfect correct swing must contain a built- • 2017: 708 total ejections. swings to not only counteract swing. in movement to naturally stay • 2016: 692 total ejections. different pitch planes but to also It only happens when these inside the ball (physics), a kinetic • 2015: 658 total ejections. be able to respond effectively to three variables become reality and link, or torque (biomechanics), and The biggest 1-year jump was 2017-2018 with 150 more changing game situations. normally occurs when the hitter is ejections. In other words, the hitter with the ahead in the count or has less than See HYBRID SWINGS, Page 5 What shocks us at Collegiate Baseball is that coaches continue to be tossed at a record pace despite receiving a mandatory warning from umpires now. Popular causes for ejections include ball/strike, safe/out and fair/foul — with ball/strike as the main cause of being tossed. Letters To The Editor If that wasn’t enough, Drouches said that over the past two seasons, 65 fight ejections have been handed down by umpires in Big, Big Mistake John Smith U.S. I carefully read your page one story in the Sept. 17 Mockingbird Lane Mail NCAA Divisions I, II and III baseball games. Pullman, WA 99164 In 2018, 35 took place while 30 occurred in 2017. 1 edition about how the NCAA Playing Rules We have no problems with coaches arguing with umpires over Oversight Panel rejected a proposal by the NCAA blown calls. But we feel it should be done in a civilized manner Baseball Rules Committee to have a 20-second Collegiate Baseball without dropping expletives every other word and getting in the clock with men on base to help speed up games. P.O. Box 50566 face of umpires. Along with this proposal, another was made to Tucson, AZ 85703 We have rarely met an umpire who didn’t love the game of have two clocks during games which potentially baseball and did his job to the best of his ability. Many are former could cost schools anywhere from $3,000-$10,000 baseball players who love the sport. depending on the clocks used, wiring, etc. Respect is a word that is sorely needed in the game with coach/ When I read that portable visual clocks would You can also FAX letters to umpire relations. And it goes both ways. have met the intent of the playing rule as told by the editor or At the core of many ejections are ball/strike calls. This can be Ben Brownlee, NCAA staff liaison to the NCAA E-Mail them: solved by having the entire strike zone called with consistency Baseball Rules Committee, smoke started coming which is defined in the NCAA Baseball Rule book and has a graphic out of my ears. FAX: E-Mail: (520) 624-5501 [email protected] as well showing what to call. In reality, all schools have portable clocks that Yet so many umpires have their own unique zone. Some are used for different activities. Collegiate Baseball welcomes letters from have peanut size strike zones which frustrates pitching coaches, So expensive clocks and wiring, which were readers. Letters must include the writer’s pitchers and catchers. Then you have the other extreme with extra undoubtedly the main reason for turning down this name, address and telephone number. We wide zones that cause the blood to boil with hitting coaches and fantastic proposal by the NCAA Baseball Rules reserve the right to condense or reject any hitters. Committee, were a non-factor. letter and to limit frequent writers. That is why consistently calling one, defined strike zone should Every single NCAA school could have used a be mandatory in the game. If an umpire doesn’t care to do this, he portable clock if they wanted to at no additional the ideal time for an athletic event is around two shouldn’t be working. cost! Both of these proposals were vital for the hours. Basketball is widely popular because games The best umpire we have ever seen was the late Bud Grainger game of baseball. don’t drag on and on. of Tucson, Ariz. He spent the vast majority of his life umpiring Does the NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Women’s softball is a fast moving sport that baseball games on the NCAA Division I level. He hustled after Panel even understand what a time crisis we are typically lasts around two hours. foul balls that were within 10-15 feet of him. having in baseball games now, especially during By simply having a 20-second clock with men He never baited a coach into a verbal fight when he blew a call. the playoffs? Apparently not. on base to speed up games, there is no doubt in Instead, he would admit that he made a mistake which shocked If they did, they would do everything they my mind that stall tactics would stop, and many more than one coach during his career. The typical response from could to see that games move along at a faster games would be around 2:30-2:45. a coach was for him to be better next time. The argument was pace. These long games are killing baseball, and The data is all there from the 1990 and 1991 over. the figures you had in your story are telling. seasons from the Missouri Valley Conference The art of defusing potential ejections should be a part of what In the 72-year-history of the College World as clocks played a huge role in times coming umpires learn. Series, two of the top three longest CWS average down. In 1990, games averaged 2:38 for 9-inning Because of this climate in the game, a powerful addition to the game times took place the past two years. The contests. This included 105 games, plus conference Fight Rule by the NCAA Baseball Rules Committee was proposed average game time for the 2018 CWS was 3:33 tournament games. and later put on hold by the NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel over 16 games, second highest in history. The next year in 1991, average game times this summer. All of college baseball should strive to lower the It featured the longest game in ’Series history were even shorter at 2:32 because players, coaches ejection numbers we currently have. at 4 hours and 24 minutes between North Carolina and umpires were now experienced with the time and Oregon State. clock. The 2017 College World Series saw an average Jim Gossett UOTE game time of 3:25 over 16 games, third highest Malibu, Calif. Unquote” in history. “Q Heading into the 2018 CWS, 13 of the last 14 Loss Of Great Man “Motivation is the art of getting people to do what you want College World Series have seen an average game Thanks so much for writing about how them to do because they want to do it.” time of 3:16. important Ken Ravizza was to baseball (Sept. 1, — Dwight D. Eisenhower The 2018 College World Series in Omaha 2018 edition). saw attendance drop to 333,482. It was the worst Your two stories really captured what this giant “The longer I live, the more I am certain that the great difference overall attendance at the event since 2012 when in sports psychology meant to everyone who came between the great and the insignificant, is energy — invincible 321,684 attended in 14 sessions. in contact with him from baseball and other sports determination — a purpose once fixed, and then death or NCAA administrators must come to their to the U.S. Army. victory.” senses on this issue. Brian Albright — Sir Thomas Fowell Buxton I can’t be the only person who believes that Northridge, Calif. Friday, Oct. 5, 2018 Collegiate Baseball Page  Hybrid Swings Just Don’t Work Wilson’s Gene DaCosse Continued From Page 4 man lined a triple to the gap. Man technique that supports the on third with nobody out. definition of the perfect swing. Passes Away At Age 93 the ability to make adjustments The third base coach (head Knee Is The Key CHICAGO — One of the baseball-softball. by matching the swing plane coach) kept urging his batters to The key to making these on-the- legendary figures of baseball, Gene “His favorite player to work with to the pitch plane (physics and “Get the ball in the air! Get this run fly adjustments lies with the hitter’s DaCosse, passed away on Sept. 6 at was Ted Williams. biomechanics). Rotational hitting in! C’mon! Just a fly ball here, and rear knee. the age of 93. “But his life-time friend and co- has them all. we go home.” This is a dynamic moment in He was with Wilson Sporting worker was Lefty Gomez — Gene’s Systems are defined as a method, The opposing coach brought in the rotational swing that allows the Goods for 65 years and was a long-time traveling companion at a technique, a procedure. Every a sinkerball reliever to try and get hitter to maximize his contact area fixture at many American Baseball so many coaches’ events over so system has its own set of precepts the hitters to keep the ball on the and match the plane of his swing to Coaches Association Conventions many years. and laws. ground. the plane of the pitch. over the years. “Everywhere I went, people Hybrid Swings The reliever did his job well Contrary to popular belief, this “When Gene started at Wilson, would ask me about him in recent We talk about hybrid swings like as every pitch was no higher than is not the result of swinging up. It we were a relatively young years after Gene was no longer able they are the best of both worlds. slightly above the knees. Every is the product of hinging the rear company of 40 years old,” said to travel. He loved being around But are they? In my opinion, hybrid batter hit a routine ground ball. knee. Jim Hackett, general manager of baseball people.” swings are the product of a lack of Inning over. Runner stranded. This induces the tilting process good and timely information. The opposing team scored in the that the hitter’s body undergoes What we don’t have, or what top of the 10th and went on to win. at the swing’s launch point so the Illinois Plans Special Trip little knowledge we do have, we The coach of the losing team was body can tilt rearward to position CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The Illinois to make foreign trips once every can’t teach. furious with his hitters and blamed itself to be level to the ball. baseball team will travel to Aruba four years. So, we take the easiest course of them for not getting the run in from In other words, it is all about and Curaçao in November, head This will be the Illini’s second action. We combine bits and pieces third in the ninth. the body positioning — not swing coach Dan Hartleb announced. foreign trip in program history of each system and wind up with Just a fly ball? When players plane. The Illini will play six games following its week-long trip to the patchwork hitters with little power are taught mechanics that make it To help hitters better understand beginning Nov. 18 against former Dominican Republic in 2014. and robotic execution. difficult to get the ball in the air, this concept, I tell them their bodies pro players, current pros and up- Illinois followed the Dominican I have no problem with linear who’s to blame? The hitters? must tilt to counteract the pitch’s tilt and-coming amateur prospects. trip with its best season in program hitting for those whose body types A coach’s job is to put his players (downward movement). NCAA regulations allow teams history, winning 50 games. warrant singles and contact. into positions to succeed and not By hinging the rear knee (i.e., However, I tell players that the fail. But when they march hitters compressing or sitting on it), the rotational hitting technique is all up to the plate with only one swing, hitter is then able to tilt rearward, about high total bases and high or a poor hitting philosophy, that is behind their axis. The more their slugging percentages. exactly what they are inadvertently knee hinges, the greater the tilt. When a hitter learns to groove doing. This swing dynamic must be one swing, it makes no difference We have taken away their present for the hitter to make the whether their grooved swing is situational swing. on-the-fly adjustment to the pitch SPORTS PERFORMANCE SYSTEMS down or up or level. Whichever I can’t think of one coach who they get. swing they have grooved will would send a pitcher to the mound There really is no uppercut to put them at a grave disadvantage with only one pitch. the rotational swing if it is taught The only truly against pitchers who have good Yet coaches routinely send correctly. accurate and portable control and can throw multiple hitters to the plate with only one It’s not about lift. It’s all about unit for measuring spin pitches on varying pitch planes. swing. Why? body positioning as the swing is If the pitch does not come into If a pitcher can’t win with only level to the ball but NOT level rate, velocity, trajectory the hitter’s predetermined, or one pitch, how can a hitter be to the ground. There is a huge and most important, successful with only one swing? programmed swing plane, then it difference. spin axis of a pitched decreases their probability for solid Ted Williams had a very simple One of the greatest examples contact and increases the pitcher’s way of defining the situational of the classic rotational hitter was ball. Specifically chances for success. swing. He used to say that the hitter Barry Bonds who had different designed for pitching A hitting technique that promotes has to swing level to the ball. responses to a high and low pitches on-the-fly adjustments to counter In other words, a steeper swing with his back knee. coaches. plane on lower pitches and a flatter these changing pitch planes is the There are a number of examples Contact: Dirk Van Matre key. swing on higher pitches. of Bonds hitting high pitches Without practicing a proper In order for a hitter to do this, compared to low ones on the [email protected] hitting technique correctly, the he must be able to make on-the- internet on www.youtube.com Phone: 612.840.9056 hitter will likely not be able to make fly adjustments with correct body which demonstrate the proper the appropriate physical response positioning. knee hinge with these two pitching when the time comes to do so. Rotational hitting is the only locations. www.yakkertech.com How does a hitter counter a sinking pitch at the knees if his body only knows how to swing down through the ball with one school of hitting or have a certain upper cut launch angle that others teach? A while back, I attended a college game. The score was tied going into the bottom of the ninth. The leadoff

[email protected] Page  Collegiate Baseball Friday, Oct. 5, 2018 Superb, New Products Worth Taking A Close Look TUCSON, Ariz. — Each year for examples. additional facial coverage. The East Coast clinic will be in new products and innovations are The company also has a Its available in multiple colors, Mount Laurel, NJ while the West developed to make playing and GameGrade Pitch Location App right- and left-handed batters and Coast clinic will be held in Los managing baseball more efficient. to help track quality pitches in the use in both baseball and softball. Angeles, CA. Here are some of the newest bullpen and track velocity-pitch For more information, visit The speakers will cover a full products and services being offered count in games. www.rawlings.com or see your spectrum of topics including in- by Collegiate Baseball’s advertisers Users must register with the local authorized Rawlings dealer. game coaching, pitching, hitting, this fall. company to receive a free chart, Also, be sure to check the fielding, speed, arm care, functional Also, several companies are use the App, buy a GameGrade Rawlings website frequently as strength, mental edge and recruiting. offering discounts to readers of our subscription and other services. they periodically offer selected Attendees will be able to connect publication. Be sure you check out GameGrade is the official chart equipment at a discount. with the speakers in person and through the clinics’ mobile app ads throughout this issue. company of the Texas H.S. Baseball Radar Tee To find out more about these Coaches Association. The Radar Tee™ was developed (iPhone and Android). products, visit the front page of our For more information, call by Sports Sensors Company as The clinics are not only open website at www.baseballnews.com (903) 910-8488 or email info@ the first batting tee fitted with to coaches, but students (with for quick links. They are located mygamegrade.com electronic sensors that will measure ID) can attend. There is one speaker room that is dedicated on the right-hand side of the front Reef Industries the batter’s swing speed, ball seams distinctly, and thus provides page. It’s an easy way to shop. Reef Industries, located in exit velocity and the conversion to presentations for students. the most accurate spin data of either If you subscribe to our online Houston, TX, has over 50 years efficiency of the swing to produce The U10 to U17 Speaker Series a pitched or hit ball. version of the paper, you can click experience creating tarps for all exit velocity. covers speed (getting faster), core Knowing how a ball is spinning on any ad and connect with that types of uses from farming to The device, which was named training, offseason conditioning, allows one to understand the advertiser’s website. industrial to athletic fields. a 2016 Best of Show winner at hitting flaws and habits, infield opportunity to improve a pitch, to Our advertisers make it happen, Griffolyn® is a lightweight, the ABCA Convention, gives and outfield fundamentals, do’s increase or change its movement. so please be sure to tell them reinforced polyethylene laminate immediate feedback to players and and don’ts of college recruiting, the This can make a huge difference in you learned about their products that creates a tarp that can handle coaches to help achieve optimum mental edge and more. the success of a pitcher. through Collegiate Baseball. rigorous use, resist tears, punctures swing mechanics for maximum ball Inside Baseball also offers Designed by sports imaging video rental packages of the FollowThru Pro Training Bat and abrasions. exit velocity. experts involved in golf, the device presentations. The FollowThru Pro Training It is easy and quick to install, yet Players can learn to hit hard line provides data on velocity, horizontal For more information, visit Bat is designed to force batters to the covers retain their strength and drives to all fields by positioning and induced vertical break, spin www.insidebaseballcoachesclinic. have mechanically sound swings flexibility in extreme temperatures the Radar Tee SS ball holder and rate, efficiency, axis and gyrospin. com that allow them to perform better (cold or hot) and are UV stabilized EV Radar accordingly (high, low, The Yakkertech system can be against good pitching. to withstand sun exposure. The tarps inside, outside, etc.). Heads-Up Baseball 2.0 set up either as a portable unit or Named one of the best of also have low permeability which For more information about Last summer the renowned permanently installed system. It show products at the 2018 ABCA inhibits moisture transmission. the Radar Tee and other sensors sports psychologist Ken Ravizza can be used indoors or out. Data Convention, the bat has a patented Reef Industries can tailor tarps available by the company, call 1- passed away. He is most famously is generated within 4 seconds, so internal cylinder within it that to fit baseball, softball and football 888-542-9246, email adilz@cinci. known among baseball coaches there is no interruption to a bullpen “clicks” at or near the point of fields, including sideline covers and rr.com or visit www.sportssensors. and players for the book he co- session. It can measure accurately impact only when a mechanically infield tarps. The company also com wrote with Dr. Tom Hanson, called at any distance, not just 60’6”. The sound swing is performed. offers gym floor covers. Heads-Up Baseball. team owns the data and there is no Texas Baseball Ranch Hitters can hear and feel proper They have three standard sized The book has been a guide for subscription necessary. After years of research, Ron swing mechanics. The bat teaches covers for sale. On custom orders, many players from high school to For more information, visit Wolforth, founder of the Texas hitters to self-adjust their swing they do not have a minimum size pros on helping them stay focused the website at www.yakkertech. Baseball Ranch, has created a new until they get the “click” sound. requirement. and mentally ready to play the com or contact Dirk Van Matre at report on the use of weighted balls The Pro Training Bat helps For more information, call game. (612) 840-9056 or email dirk@ as part of pitching training programs batters to build muscle memory, 1-800-231-6074 or visit www. The newest version of the yakkertech.com for high school to the pros. better swing muscles, better timing reefindustries.com Wolforth has seen the use of book, Heads-Up Baseball 2.0, GameGrade is still available for anyone who and balance as the hands stay inside Rawlings’ Batting Helmets weighted balls both improve pitchers Since 2009, GameGrade® has and to swing completely through Rawlings Sports introduced the and harm them. He says it comes needs a copy. To order, visit www. provided charting services for the ball. new Mach Ext batting helmets this down to just how you use them and HeadsUpBaseball2.com coaches and teams on every level, The product, which took nearly year as a part of its protective gear under what circumstances. Picture Catcher Bat including Little League to the five years to develop, is available in line. So he has privately published If you are looking for a unique pros. various sizes and weights and also With today’s pitchers throwing a book called, The Case Against award for a coach, player, sporting The company specializes in can be used to hit live baseballs. harder and shots off the bat faster, Weighted Balls? New Facts For goods sales person or fan or digital and non-digital charts, For more information, call batters need more protection for Coaches In 2018. something different for an award including player/team accountability 1-800-638-7777 or visit www. their head and face. So Rawlings’ In the report, he offers dozens display case, the Picture Catcher charts that allows coaches to grade followthrubat.com engineers came up with a new of unconventional training secrets Bat® is a new idea. its players’ or team’s performance helmet that allows visibility with to help both coaches and pitchers Michael Haggerty, founder of the Yakkertech during scrimmages or games. Yakkertech is a stereo vision added protection. make decisions about using company, has created two versions They also provide downloadable imaging system that provides The Mach Ext helmets have weighted balls. of a special award piece. One is a charts and customized printed accurate data on all the key elements IMPAX foam to absorb and He offers a variety of information, picture holder and the other is a items, such as lineup cards, pitch of a pitched or hit baseball or disperse force, a sleek profile with such as how to thread the needle ball holder. count forms, dugout charts and softball. ventilation, TPU rubber piece between velocity and arm health, The picture holder can be used more. GameGrade will put together According to the company, no conceals hardware for seamless weighted balls as arm care tool for a baseball card, special game various types of charts for a specific other system captures with clarity a design and a high visibility design or performance maximizer, why ticket or photo. team’s needs. Please view their moving ball that actually shows the with EXT flap the provides weighted balls can be a distraction It is different from your usual website at www.mygamegrade.com from root causes of injury and how award or display piece and Haggerty to avoid it and why it is essential to is able to customize the piece with San Jose St. Placed On NCAA Probation start with the pain before you can your team logo. safely increase velocity. The ball holder sells for $15.95 INDIANAPOLIS — San Jose schedules. from all coaching duties for the first He also discusses how an while the picture holder costs State’s baseball program has The players believed their 10 games of the season. engineer from track & field found $13.95.  been placed on probation for two presence at the activities was A $5,000 fine (self-imposed a way to add velocity to almost any For more information or to order, years for practice time violations mandatory and, at times, members by the university). arm, safely and predictably, what visit www.picturecatcherbat.com or  allegedly committed under former of the coaching staff were present During the fall 2017 and former MLB pitcher Mike Marshall call (774) 284-1002. coach Jason Hawkins. and observed the activities. January 2018 out-of-season teaches about deceleration that’s The NCAA announced that the The Infractions Panel said the segments, the baseball program PYT Sports vital for weighted ball regiment, PYT Sports opened last spring baseball program will be fined coach allowed the required practice reduced the number of weekly and what Olympic runners know $5,000, be publicly reprimanded and skill activities to run longer countable activity hours to a and offers a wide variety of wood about mechanical efficiency that dugout and locker room furnishings, and have reductions in practice time than their scheduled times. maximum of six hours per week, can create stronger, more durable both in and out of season. In addition to directing and with no more than one hour of skill field equipment, practice tools, pitching arms. player conditioning equipment, Hawkins was given a one-year supervising the activities that instruction per week (self-imposed Readers of Collegiate Baseball show-cause penalty. exceeded the NCAA’s countable by the university). NCAA rules field signs and decals. can receive a free copy of this new Founded by Dave Payton, a He resigned last February activity rules, the former head allow up to eight hours per week report while supplies last. Go to after previously being placed on coach did not monitor his program with no more than two hours of skill familiar face in the sporting goods www.TexasBaseballRanch.com/ industry, the Illinois company offers administrative leave. when he submitted inaccurate instruction. baseball to claim your copy. Hawkins, who was hired July 1, activity reports to the compliance  During the fall 2018 out- custom-made wooden benches, 2016, coached the Spartans during office, according to the NCAA of-season segments, the baseball Inside Baseball Clinic helmet storage cabinets and racks, the 2017 season and submitted his announcement. team will not engage in any In its fourth year, Inside Baseball bat racks and other items. resignation in early February of The panel used the Division I countable activity for three weeks Coaches Clinics bring in top-ranked All items can be constructed to 2018. membership-approved infractions (self-imposed by the university). college coaches to deliver a high- your specific needs and customized In one season as head coach of penalty guidelines to prescribe the Additionally, all student- energy learning experience to help with your team logo and colors. San Jose St., the Spartans had a following measures: athletes must record voluntary improve attendees coaching and Additionally, PYT Sports offers 19-35-1 won-loss record.  Two years of probation from hours of athletic activity and the game experiences. a variety of field equipment, During a two-year period, Sept. 6, 2018, through Sept. 5, compliance office must confirm the This year the company will be including bases, bleachers, fences, the head coach was accused of 2020. information. hosting a East Coast and West foul poles, hitting cages, padding, asking players if they would like  A one-year show-cause order  During the spring 2018 and Coast version of its 3-day clinic windscreens, netting and more. to participate in voluntary activities for the former head coach. During spring 2018 in-season segments, (see our clinics listing for more Visit the website at www. before and after mandatory practice. that period, any NCAA member the program will reduce weekly information). There will be 15 pytsports.net or call (708) 846- He then listed the voluntary school employing the former countable hours to a maximum of speakers and 60 presentations at 4119 or (708) 634-2099 any time activities on the daily practice assistant coach must suspend him 17 hours per week. each clinic. 24 hours a day. Friday, Oct. 5, 2018 Collegiate Baseball Page  Historic Strikeout Numbers Fred Corral Sheds Some Light On Why Pitchers Have Upper Hand Continued From Page 1 same and looked at them as if they didn’t understand the question. hitters are trying to beat defenses “I raised my hand and said, by hitting balls over their heads how about less? I am the only one as opposed to hitting line drives raising my hand with this answer. I and hard hit ground balls,” said told them that a ball thrown at 100 When hitting coaches realize that Corral. mph and at a 32 degree angle would they must get back to the hitting “In college, we are lucky, by and only go 15 feet because it would hit “ large, if we have two guys who are this wall in the room. Everybody going to be drafted. Of those two laughed because they thought I was philosophies that were ingrained in guys, the chances of them being a making a joke. the game for many years where hitters Big Leaguer are slim. “I added that the fact the ball “Batters who can hit the ball went 15 feet didn’t mean the ball knew how to handle the bat instead of behind runners and do all that stuff didn’t go 100 mph. have not been highly sought after “So we can do our velocity worrying about launch angles, it will lately. Instead, batters who are able enhancement plan within a 90 foot make it more difficult on pitchers. to hit balls at specific launch angles area. And I want you guys to play in a slightly upward path are what catch. I really feel that half the hitting coaches want. reason so many kids long toss is — Fred Corral, Pitching Coach “Trying to elevate balls is what that they don’t know how to play University of Missouri hitting is all about now. Along with catch.” all these strikeouts, there were an Corral got his pitchers to play incredible amount of no-hitters catch at 90 feet from this point thrown during the past season.” forward. According to the NCAA’s “I took away the weighted balls Williams, there were 23 no-hitters not because they are bad. I love shocked considering what they did zone, Trackman called it a ball. angles, it will make it more difficult during the 2018 season. them. But a weighed ball can make the previous fall.” While our pitchers had 103 walks on pitchers. The Tigers ranked ninth in the last fall, it completely flipped Incredible Turnaround your arm feel really, really good. “In the past, if a pitch” was on After you throw a weighted ball, the country in strikeout-to-walk ratio. when we got into in-season games the inner part of the plate, hitters Corral said that his pitching “In reflecting on why my pitchers because of the human element of staff at Missouri last fall threw 78 moment you put a regular baseball pulled it. Skilled righthanded hitters in your hand, pitchers throw balls did so well, it wasn’t so much that umpires. Human umpires routinely could also hit inside pitches to the innings of intersquad ball that he we did anything special other than call strikes 2-3 inches off the plate. tracked. all over the place. right side of the diamond to move “So I asked our pitchers why they throwing more strikes and being We didn’t accommodate for this runners along. In the past, if pitches “Of the 78 innings, we walked around the zone. There was another factor which was a great learning 103 guys and struck out 112. liked the weighted ball? Virtually were on the outer half of the plate, everyone said it made their arm factor in play including the launch moment for me. hitters waited and drove those “I was very concerned with our angle philosophy hitting coaches “Umpires will give you that pitch walk numbers. I don’t know if it feel great. pitches to the opposite side. “I then told my pitchers that are teaching now which causes especially if the pitch is thrown “I believe you will see offenses was the use of weighted balls for hitters to have an uppercut. directly at the glove.” velocity training with our pitchers I could drink four beers and feel get back to utilizing those hitting pretty good. But they don’t let me “Our pitchers felt a lot more Corral said that many hitting techniques more as time moves or because we were long tossing confident throwing in the strike zone coaches unknowingly helped so much. drive a car like that. With pitching, on.” you are supposed to have a feel for because of this hitting philosophy pitchers fan more batters than “So I went back to the way because hitters seemed to miss ever. Hitters Helped I coached in 1998 and took the what you are doing — not your arm Corral said Missouri hitters feeling good. While it’s great your more often.” “I feel a lot of strikeouts the weighted balls away from our last few years, and especially this were helped by Trackman and the pitchers. Instead, I wanted our arm feels good, it doesn’t mean you Interesting Discovery remarkable pitch recognition system will throw precision pitches. So we Corral said that when he started past season, are due to launch pitchers to play catch at 90 feet. angles being taught by hitting that is on the market now utilized “I sold them on the fact that a 90 took the weighted balls away from trying to find out why his pitchers by gameSense pitch recognition them.” walked so many batters the previous coaches. I have spoken to a few mph fastball thrown at a 32 degree hitting coaches and told them that training (www.gamesensesports. angle will go 300 feet. Big Turnaround fall but struck out a boat load of com). batters during the 2018 season with I honestly feel you are making my “So I asked the question in our Corral said he witnessed a job easier. “Because of this training, our meeting room, What if I throw a remarkable turnaround as the 2018 minimal walks, he discovered that hitters really knew their strike zones not having a human call strikes “When hitting coaches realize baseball at 100 mph with a ball season unfolded with his pitching that they must get back to the hitting like nobody’s business and led the at a 32 degree angle? Would the staff. during the fall played a big role. country in walks at one time last “Last fall, we used Trackman philosophies that were ingrained ball go further, the same or less? “Our pitching staff at Missouri in the game for many years where season. Naturally, everyone said further. I struck out 531 and only walked as our umpire during intersquad “However, one thing we didn’t games,” said Corral. hitters knew how to handle the bat got a couple of guys who said the 187 over 56 games. I was pretty instead of worrying about launch “When a pitch wasn’t in the See STRIKEOUTS, Page 21 Outfi t Your Dugout With Major League-Style • Pitch Locator Pro • Pitch Locator Plus • Pitch Location Apps (Available In App Store) Benches, Helmet & Bat Racks Specializing In Digital And Non-Digital Accountability www.gamegrade.com • Phone: (903) 910-8488 E-Mail: [email protected] Official Chart Company Texas FAX: (903) 498-8372 H.S. Baseball Address: P.O. Box 117, Kemp, TX 75143 Coaches Assn.

BEST OF SHOW

Mention CBN and get Tarps • Wall Pads • Rail Pads • Windscreen • Netting 10% off TEAM plans Contact: Dave Payton Bridgeview, Illinois Cell Phone: (708) 846-4119 www.pytsports.net Page  Collegiate Baseball Friday, Oct. 5, 2018 Rich Marazzi Tackles Catcher Interference Calls ANSONIA, Conn. — The If a runner is attempting to remain on second, because he was attempted to initiate the catcher’s reaction) before he was tagged-out Kansas City Royals and Houston advance on “catcher’s obstruction,” not forced to advance. int. call. by Cubs’ pitcher Jason Hammel up Astros played at Minute Maid on he is entitled to that base. If the If both La Stella and Almora Catcher’s Interference Czar the first base line. June 24. runner is not attempting to advance, advanced one base on the play, The all-time leader in getting Meanwhile, Gardner, taking In the bottom of the second, he is entitled to the next base, only the interference would have been on base by catcher’s interference advantage of his free, without risk Tony Kemp was batting with the if forced per 8-1-1-e. nullified. is the New York Yankees’ Jacoby attempt to advance, wisely broke bases loaded and one out when Under all playing codes, the The second interference on Ellsbury with 31 tips. for home and crossed the plate. Kemp’s swing made contact with interference is nullified if the batter Knapp occurred in the bottom of the Is it his batting style, intent, So here we have one runner the mitt of Royals’ catcher Drew and all runners advance at least one eighth with the bases empty. overly aggressive catchers or a (Gardner) who advanced one base Butera. base on the play. In the above play, La Stella fouled the pitch and combination of all three? on the play and another runner Plate ump Lance Barrett ruled let’s say Kemp singled to center was awarded first base. Ditto for Pete Rose who had (Ellsbury) who did not. This was the ball dead because it was a foul following the interference and all If La Stella reached base safely 29 catcher’s tips in his career or the perfect storm for the managerial ball. runners including Kemp in any manner, the interference any other batter who is a frequent option. He sent Kemp to first advanced at least one would have been nullified. To view beneficiary of the rule. Girardi met with Reynolds and and awarded all runners Ruleball base on the play. In that the two catcher’s interference calls, Rose’s reputation to initiate the elected to take the play over the one base because they case, the interference is see the link below. call was no secret. penalty. He traded the out for the were all forced to negated. https://www.mlb.com/video/ Former Baltimore Orioles’ run. This gave the Yankees a 3-0 advance. The rule is basically la-stella-on-by-2-interferences/c- catcher Elrod Hendricks once told lead which proved to be the final Kemp’s presence on universal for all playing 2129286283?tid=6479266 me, “We knew that Rose would try score. Because Girardi opted for the first base created the force codes. or go to MLB.com, June 7, to get on base that way. play, Gardner was allowed to score for all three runners. W h e n c a t c h e r ’s “PHI@CHC, “La Stella reaches on “It was in our scouting report and Ellsbury was ruled out. You can view this play interference is called with interference twice” when we played the Reds in the It’s A Free Run by going to MLB.com, no runners on base, if the Do Batters Ever Initiate Call? 1970 World Series. And would If Gardner was thrown out at June 24, KC@HOU: batter advances at least There are some rumblings you believe, he nailed me in game home, Reynolds would have sent “Gurriel comes home on one base, the interference about La Stella who has reached one!” him back to third and Ellsbury catcher’s interference” is nullified. base seven times via catcher’s Rose led off the bottom of the would be awarded first base because Catcher’s If the batter is thrown interference at this writing. fifth with the score tied 3-3 facing the one base requirement for all With Rich Marazzi out at second or any other Interference Rules Consultant Some think he is initiating or Jim Palmer. On Palmer’s first runners to advance was not met. The catcher can inter- Blue Jays, Brewers, base, he is out. intentionally trying to get the call. pitch, Rose’s bat made contact with Teams should take advantage of fere with the batter in Cardinals, D’backs, If the batter-runner In the June 23 game vs. the Hendricks’ glove and “Charley the “free run.” The odds heavily different ways. Dodgers, Mariners, rounds first base and the Cincinnati Reds, he argued that Hustle” was gifted first base. favor the offensive team in situations Pirates, Rangers, fielder throws behind like this. The most common Rays, Reds, Red Reds’ catcher Tucker Barnhart Batter Always Protected is when the batter’s bat Sox, Royals, Tigers, him and he is tagged-out, interfered with him when he Under NFHS rules, the umpire the out remains. I’ve been tracking catcher makes contact with the Twins, Yankees, the grounded out, 4-3 in the bottom of interference violations for five is expected to initiate a conference catcher’s mitt. Fox Regional Sports When catcher’s in- the fifth with runners on first and with the coach when catcher’s Networks, ESPN and terference is called and decades and I have never seen When this occurs, the the White Sox TV third and two outs. a batter called for intentionally interference is ruled. If a doctored ball remains alive and in announcers. if the batter does not But plate ump Greg Gibson gave or defaced baseball is pitched, it is reach base, the catcher is initiating the interference with the play unless: (1) the ball it a Thumbs Down. catcher. an illegal pitch and a balk should be settles in foul territory; Readers can submit charged with an error and Did La Stella attempt to initiate called which creates an automatic questions to Rich at: It’s a difficult call for the umpire (2) the batter misses the the batter is not charged catcher’s interference? dead ball per rule 6-2-1. [email protected] with a time at-bat. because he can’t be a mind reader. pitch; or (3) continuous Go to the link below and listen Catchers are usually the ones who Therefore, there would be no action stops if the ball is hit in fair La Stella Reaches Twice to the call of Reds’ broadcaster cause the interference and batters option. territory and there is no further The Chicago Cubs’ Tommy La Chris Welsh and you can decide are seldom at fault. NCAA rules generally follow chance for runner advancement. Stella reached base twice in the for yourself. Some catchers like to set close Pro rules, but nothing is specific The rule allows the batter to be same game on June 7 against the http://video.foxsports.com/ to the plate to steal strikes for the regarding who should initiate awarded first base and runners on Philadelphia Phils because he was partners/img/foxsportslinks/ pitcher. They extend their mitt to the meeting in cases where there base advance only if forced. interfered with by catcher Andrew CUBS_REDS_LA_STELLA_ catch the ball early in the strike is an option involving catcher’s In the above play, all runners Knapp. 0623.mp4 zone. Former catcher Milt May interference. There is no option were forced to advance one base The first interference occurred in In the link below you will see a was found guilty for catcher’s when a defaced ball is part of a because the bases were loaded. the bottom of the first inning with a slo-mo clip. interference 15 times because of his play. (9-2c). If there were runners on first and runner on second and no outs. https://www.dropbox.com/ aggressive style behind the plate. Ruleball Comment third, the runner on third would La Stella hit a ground ball to s/nnokajohcdbxc6t/output_ He’s the leader in this low-rent 1. Teams should be aware of the remain on third because he wasn’t pitcher Nick Pivetta who tossed to 19.mp4?dl=0 district stat. batters who reach first base often on forced on the play. first for the apparent putout. My opinion? catcher’s interference. This should The runner on first would be But plate umpire Nick Mahrley La Stella’s bat never made Manager Has Option Part of the catcher’s interference be included in scouting reports. I awarded second because he was called interference on Knapp contact with the mitt and because rule reads, “If the ball is put in believe in most cases intent is not forced to that base. because Knapp’s mitt made contact of the nature of his swing and the play and all runners, including the involved, but it’s wise to keep a Playing under NFHS rules, with La Stella’s bat. La Stella was fact he argued for interference, I batter-runner, do not each advance record of batter’s who are often catcher’s interference is referred to given first base but Albert Almora think he was looking for it. So, one base following a catcher’s recipients of the rule. as “catcher’s obstruction.” Jr., the runner on second, had to the probability is strong that he interference call, the manager of the 2. Catchers should be reminded offensive team may elect to take the during the game of any hitter who play and forego the penalty.” has a penchant for reaching base via There are two situations under catcher’s interference. #1 WRISTBAND SIGN SYSTEM Pro rules when the manager of the 3. In late game situations in a offensive team has the option of close scoring game, catchers must The Only System Used By 20+ NCAA National Champions taking the play over the penalty. be extremely aware not to be overly They are: (1) catcher’s aggressive. See below: A walk-off interference and (2) when a batter catcher’s interference call? puts a ball in play that has been According to the Elias Sports defaced. This I have never seen. Bureau, this has occurred only once Under Pro rules, the manager in organized baseball history. must initiate the meeting with the The Reading Phils hosted the plate umpire in both situations. If Binghamton Mets on June 20, 2007, USE COUPON CODE: CBN18 the manager does not do so, the in a seven-inning game because umpire will invoke the penalty the first game, a suspended contest aspect of the rule and allow only from the night before, went 11- 24/7 ONLINE ACCESS runners who are forced to advance innings. to move-up one base. With the score tied in the bottom From any computer, tablet, or mobile Of Ellsbury’s 31 interference of the seventh, the Phils had the calls, perhaps the most unusual bases loaded and two outs when device with an internet connection which did not go in the book as Jason Hill hit a liner to the shortstop catcher’s interference because for what looked to be the third Yankees’ manager Joe Girardi out, sending the game into extra “The new web-based software is amazing and has enhanced the best pick innings. But plate umpire Mark proof sign system on the market by making it more user friendly and giving exercised his option of “taking the play,” occurred on April 16, Buchanan correctly called catcher’s one the ability to access it anywhere. This is a must have.” 2014, in the afternoon game of a interference on Mets’ catcher Mike ~ Scott Brown - Vanderbilt University day-night doubleheader against the Nickeas. Hill was awarded first Chicago Cubs at Yankee Stadium. base and all runners were advanced In the bottom of the fifth, the one base, because they were forced, “Own The Zone has been a great addition to our softball program. It has Yanks had Brett Gardner on third allowing Michael Spidale, the allowed our coaching staff to be advanced and specific with the signal with one out when Ellsbury tapped runner on third to score the winning calling. The cards give our athletes confidence to execute every play that a ground ball back to the mound run. after his bat made contact with the This was the third time that is called during the game. The simplicity of the system created a great season that Hill had reached base tempo and helps our team to be at its best!” mitt of Cubs’ catcher John Baker. Plate umpire Jim Reynolds called on catcher’s interference. Were the ~ Patty Gasso - Oklahoma University interference on Baker and properly Mets aware of it? If so, perhaps kept the ball alive. Ellsbury pointed Nickeas should have adjusted his to Baker and momentarily remained position. Was this an intentional act PURCHASE TODAY AT: WWW.OWNTHEZONESPORTS.COM in the batter’s box area (a normal on the part of Hill? He’s the only one that can answer that question! Friday, Oct. 5, 2018 Collegiate Baseball Page  Take The Time To Read, Reflect, Improve Your Life By DR. DIRK BAKER a tutor, learning lab, advisor, or Physical Side people you work with and under). Head Baseball Coach teammate. Try rock climbing or a zip-line, Watch a great movie like Field of Worcester State University Play great catch. Increase your and hike up a mountain. Dreams, Rocky, Hoosiers, Unbroken value by learning a new position. Travel to a foreign country and or The Natural. WORCESTER, Mass. — From Be able to clay the mound and visit Disneyland. Learn and spread the lessons a wins standpoint, 2018 was one of chalk a field, read the NCAA Take a long walk, and plant a of Abraham Lincoln, Teddy and our worst seasons in recent memory rulebook, and know how to do an seed for something to grow. Franklin Roosevelt and know that at Worcester State. official scorebook. Try a water sport and an activity sometimes less is more. From a team standpoint, we Do your job well when you’re on snow or ice. Visit all 50 states Be a mentor leader and a life started 5-1 in our league, struggled supposed to do it. Commit to including Washington DC. Rent a learner. Kick fear in the teeth. Set to the finish, and lost two, 1-run excellence. convertible, and go to a movie alone. high standards/expectations/goals, ballgames to conclude our season. Support your teammates even if Go fishing and take a cruise. dream big, know what you want, We went from MASCAC it costs you playing time. Breathe in the fresh air, smell and want it more. Tournament Champs in 2017 to not Play Pepper, Flip, Home Run the freshly cut grass, feel the dirt Social Side even making our league play-offs. Derby, Two-Ball, and Stickball. in your hands, and gaze at the Be yourself. Take risks, but don’t From a philosophy standpoint, I Winning teams don’t care who stars. Jump out of bed and into the do anything in access. took the summer to read, reflect and gets the credit. ocean. Thank those who helped you get look to improve in all areas. Here is Be the team no one wants to play. Do things which make you to this point. a sample of things to come. Walk with confidence, practice with uncomfortable. Eat well, be in great Tell your family that you love Baseball Priorities energy, play with swagger, study physical condition, get the proper them. Be prepared. Family, faith, academics, team. with focus, and make enthusiasm amount of sleep, and at night think Treat others as you would want to Put players first and winning DIRK BAKER contagious. about what you did well today. be treated. Positive people are more second since today is less about Expect success and everyone Make good first impressions. Try successful. No excuses. Instead of and motivate along with instilling will find it. yoga, learn a trade, get certified the X’s and O’s and more about the confidence during games (before complaining, identify a solution. Jimmy’s and Joe’s. Celebrate winning then prep for in CPA/First Aid, and take a self- Volunteer, and get involved with every game umpire says “Play Ball” the next challenge. Listen, learn, defense class. Have a balanced Do what is right and do your not “Play Work”). Challenger Baseball. best. and be willing to change. bank account. Mentor the next generation and Players will self-police them- Baseball is a lot like life — every Do ordinary things better than Mental Considerations seek advice from elders. Admit selves. Habitual repetition. More game matters. But treat each one everyone else. Seize the moment. edu-tain at practice and use of Keep things in perspective, and when you’re wrong and learn from Winning is fun, but know it’s the same. There are lots of ups and focus on the big picture. mistakes. Leave a legacy. video. downs, and the goal is to reach tough to win. If injured, go to the trainer, Start every day with at least one Get addicted to life and live Success is about improvement, home. question. Say no (to distractions, young. Ignore the noise. Maintain sick the nurse, spiritual a clergy After your 4 years are up, recruit relationships, experiences, and the member, and for academic help negativity) and yes (to relationships, balance in your life. journey — not results. A GPA and someone who is better than you. stats are only numbers, and money and a degree are only paper. Strive for consistency. Don’t focus on the past. What matters is right now. It’s all about what WE are going to do. Arrive at practice early and stay late. Enhance your strengths and work on your weaknesses. Be the, but don’t be that guy. Congratulate yourself for working hard. Master the fundamentals. It’s not what the program can do Trusted For for you, it’s what you can do for the program. The best coach is staring back at you in the mirror. Over Read the Student Athlete Handbook, read the practice plan, and scouting report. 45 Years White collar appearance with a blue collar approach. Take a rookie under your wing. Attend home games of other sports. Participate in the athletic team workshops and attend the Student Athlete banquet. Discipline yourself. Surround yourself with positive, enthusiastic winners. Connect with alums. Treat every day like it’s the ninth inning. Don’t look for handouts and earn everything. Be mentally tough. Play fast. Never give up, and refuse to lose (if down 1 score 2). Go to a minor league game, and make it to Cooperstown, Omaha, and the Little League World Series. Love the grind. Be a warrior on the field and gentlemen off it. Figure it out, have a plan, stay with us, and get it done. Get better every day, take 3-0 hacks, green light on the bases, make the routine play, pump quality strikes, quality at-bats, be aggressive, trust your talents, put yourself in good position, be in the game, know the situation, put pressure on the opponent, make adjustments, hustle, and get the uniform dirty. Focus on things you can control (effort, attitude, perceptions, preparation, actions) vs. can’t (weather, umpire, pitcher, field conditions, fans, offense when on defense, and defense when on offense). Higher confidence comes with execution. Coaches will teach at practice, Page 10 Collegiate Baseball Friday, Oct. 5, 2018 National Recruiting Champions Louisiana St. Lands 7 Draft Picks With Top Class In Nation By LOU PAVLOVICH, JR. Editor/Collegiate Baseball

TUCSON, Ariz. — Louisiana 2018 NCAA Division I State landed the No. 1 recruiting class in the nation, according Recruiting Results to Collegiate Baseball’s 2018 Rank Team Recruits Frosh JC Tran. evaluation of NCAA Division I baseball classes. 1. Louisiana St. 16 13 3 0 It marks the Tigers’ fifth national 2. Vanderbilt 14 14 0 0 recruiting title after also landing top classes in 2014, 2010, 2007 and 3. Arizona 19 15 3 1 2004 by Collegiate Baseball. 4. Louisville 15 14 1 0 This is the ninth time in the 5. Florida 14 9 5 0 last 10 years that a Southeastern Conference team has won the 6. Florida St. 20 15 5 0 recruiting championship. 7. Clemson 15 13 1 1 It is the 36th straight year Collegiate Baseball has evaluated 8. UCLA 10 10 0 0 NCAA Division I recruiting 9. Mississippi St. 19 12 7 0 classes. Athletes who initially signed 10. Alabama 22 10 11 1 letters of intent with a school, but 11. North Carolina 18 16 2 0 then signed a pro contract after being drafted, do not count in the 12. South Carolina 20 12 8 0 — LSU Head Coach Paul Mainieri is all smiles overall evaluation. ANOTHER TITLE after the Tigers won their fifth recruiting national championship 13. Mississippi 15 11 4 0 Only athletes who came to school as determined by Collegiate Baseball. this fall are factored in as points are 14. Auburn 18 13 5 0 awarded to drafted players and class, which was a very important in the class include 1B John Malcom 15. Texas 16 16 0 0 the round they were chosen, All- position in our program to upgrade (Detroit Country Day School, 16. Texas Tech. 20 14 4 2 Americans, All-State selections and and improve. MI, H.S. All-American), RHP All-Conference picks. "We landed nine high level Makenzie Stills (Fayette County 17. Missouri 20 10 10 0 arms. Out of the top three, we were H.S.,GA, H.S. All-American), and Collegiate Baseball also gives 18. Coastal Carolina 16 11 4 1 points for Conference Players of hoping to get one, and we got all OF Matt Hogan (Half Hollow Hills The Year, State Players of The Year three." East H.S., Dix Hills, NY, H.S. All- 19. Kentucky 24 18 6 0 and National Players of The Year. 2. Vanderbilt American). 20. Miami (Fla.) 14 11 3 0 Here is a rundown on the top 25 The Commodores brought in a “The depth of this class is 21. Stetson 15 11 3 1 classes that were landed this fall. quality class of 14 freshmen which special.” 1. Louisiana St. features three drafted players and a 3. Arizona 22. Oklahoma St. 15 7 7 1 The Tigers landed an impressive slew of other top-notch athletes. The Wildcats landed an 23. Oregon St. 10 9 1 0 haul of 16 newcomers (13 freshmen “This is a great recruiting class,” exceptional 19-man class which and 3 junior college transfers) that said Vanderbilt Head Coach Tim features six draft picks. 24. Arkansas 28 23 4 1 features seven drafted players. Corbin. It includes 15 freshmen, 3 junior 25. Kent St. 13 9 3 1 Six were drafted last June while “We committed 20 players, college and 1 graduate transfer. another was chosen in the 2017 knowing that we would lose 4-6 to “It is the best class we have 26. Virginia 16 13 3 0 MLB Draft. the draft. While Ryan Weathers (1st brought in since I have been at 27. Southern California 14 13 1 0 The players include: round), Ethan Hankins (Sandwich Arizona,” said Wildcat Head Coach  RHP Landon Marceaux round), Xavier Edwards (Sandwich Jay Johnson. 28. Florida International 10 8 2 0 (Destrehan H.S., LA), 37th round round), Will Banfield (2nd round), “We are very excited to have 29. Texas A&M 18 14 4 0 Yankees. Ryan Green (3rd round) and Nick six drafted players as well as the 30. Oklahoma 24 16 7 1  RHP Cole Henry (Florence Northcut (11th round) all chose entire recruiting class join our H.S., AL), 38th round Detroit. to sign, we still ended up with program. This group will give 31. Texas Christian 18 8 9 1  arguably the top prospect to make us a strong foundation of ability, C C.J.Willis (Ruston H.S., 32. Washington St. 22 17 3 2 LA), 39th round Tampa Bay. it to college in RHP Kumar Rocker character and competitiveness  RHP Jaden Hill (Ashdown (38th round pick Colorado). moving forward.” 33. Cal. St. Fullerton 18 14 4 0 H.S., AR), 38th round St. Louis. “Kumar was a top 10 pick on The drafted players include: 34. N.C. State 16 9 7 0  OF Giovanni DiGiacomo some team’s boards early in the  OF Ryan Holgate (Davis (Canterbury H.S., Naples, FL), 29th spring. H.S.,CA), 32nd round Minnesota. 35. Nevada-Las Vegas 23 12 8 3 Pittsburgh. “But a minor injury and his  RHP George Arias, Jr. 36. Georgia 9 7 1 1  LHP Easton McMurray signability allowed us to land the (Tucson H.S., AZ), 34th round (Liberty H.S., Bakersfield, CA), highest rated player we have ever San Diego. 37. Minnesota 9 9 0 0 37th round Colorado. had on campus. He throws in the  RHP Ian Mejia (Sahuarita 38. Tennessee 24 20 4 0  C Saul Garza (Howard J.C., mid-90s with a power curve. H.S., AZ), 35th round Mets. TX), 31st round in 2017 St. Louis “RHP Austin Becker (Big Walnut  C Austin Wells (Bishop 39. U.C. Santa Barbara 14 13 1 0 Other superb members of this H.S., Sunbury, OH, 37th round pick Gorman H.S., NV), 35th round 40. Pepperdine 11 10 1 0 class include: Rangers) is an elite talent as well. Yankees.  1B Cade Beloso (John Curtis He has been up to 96 mph and  RHP Bryce Collins (Hart Other Top Recruiting Classes: Illinois, West Virginia, H.S., New Orleans, LA), Gatorade flashes a plus curve. H.S., Valencia, CA), 39th round South Alabama, Oregon, Washington, Duke, Wake Forest, Player of The Year in Louisiana. “Ethan Smith (Mt. Juliet H.S., Minnesota. Dallas Baptist, Georgia Tech., Stanford, Baylor, Arizona St.,  INF Drew Bianco (Oxford TN, H.S. All-American) is a  L H P A n d r e w N a r d i New Mexico St., Nebraska, Louisiana-Lafayette, California, H.S.,MS), 5A Player of The Year pitchability righthander with stuff. (Moorpark College, CA), 39th Cal. St. Northridge, Connecticut, Virginia Tech., U.C. Irvine, in Mississippi. He throws four pitches for strikes round Washington. Gonzaga, Notre Dame, Rice, Michigan, South Florida, Mis- souri St., Long Beach St., Wichita St., Central Michigan,  R H P C h a s e C o s t e l l o and has been up to 95 mph. Ethan 4. Louisville (Pompano Beach H.S., FL), H.S. priced himself out of the draft. The Cardinals brought in a San Diego St., Houston, San Diego, Southern Mississippi, All-American. “RHP Chance Huff was named superb recruiting class headed Nevada, Maryland, Central Florida, Brigham Young, Tulane,  INF Gavin Dugas (Houma the Future’s League top pitching by five drafted players among Sacramento St., Florida Gulf Coast, Stony Brook, N.C. Christian H.S., LA), H.S. All- prospect this summer. He was 89- a 15-man class that included 14 Charlotte, Grand Canyon, East Carolina, Sam Houston St., American. 93 most of the spring but touched freshmen. Lamar, Cal. Poly, Oral Roberts, Hawaii, Florida Atlantic,  RHP Aaron George (San 96 this summer. They include: Winthrop, Ball St., St. John’s, Seton Hall, Indiana, Mercer, Jacinto J.C., TX), All-Conference. “3B Justyn-Henry Malloy  R H P K e r r y W r i g h t Creighton, Iowa, Fresno St., Utah, Santa Clara, Michigan  RHP Will Ripoll (John Curtis (St. Joseph Regional H.S., (Montverde H.S., FL), 21st round St., San Francisco, New Mexico, Siena, Ohio St., Purdue, H.S., New Orleans, LA), H.S. All- Montvalle,NJ), OF Isaiah Thomas Tampa Bay. East Tennessee St., Pittsburgh. American. (The Benjamin School, Jupiter,  INF Alex Binelas (Oak Source: Collegiate Baseball "This is a great class," said LSU FL, 39th round pick Colorado), SS Creek H.S., WI), 35th round Assistant Coach Nolan Cain. Tate Kolwyck (Arlington H.S., TN) Washington. and C Dominic Keegan (Central "We could not be more excited  INF Jared Poland (Cathedral Draft and No. 33 overall pick," said (Hamilton SE H.S.,Fischers, IN), Catholic H.S., Methuen, MA) all with the way the draft worked H.S., IN) 34th round Boston. Assistant Coach Eric Snider. All-Conference performed well in college leagues out and with the players we have  I N F T i m m y B o r d e n "Our class includes a combination  RHP Jake Rosing (Richmond during the past summer. coming in. (Providence H.S., IN), 37th round of good arms and solid bats." Burton H.S., IL), All-Conference. “LHP Brett Hansen was a top "We had quite a few draft risks Cleveland. Other quality players in the class  RHP Luke Smith (Parkland three round talent who committed in this class and were very excited  RHP Jack Perkins (Kokomo include: J.C., IL), All-American. to us and will matriculate in August with the outcome of only two H.S., IN), 39th round Atlanta..  INF Andrew Benefield  C Henry Davis (Fox Lane H.S, 2020 when he finishes his Mormon signing (Brice Turang 1st round "We brought in a good recruiting (Siegel H.S., Murfreesboro, TN), Bedford, N.Y.), All-Conference. and Levi Kelly 8th round). We were mission.” class even though we lost the No. All-Conference. able to land three catchers in this Three other exceptional players 6 overall pick in the 2018 MLB  L H P C a r t e r L o h m a n See FLORIDA, Page 11 Friday, Oct. 5, 2018 Collegiate Baseball Page 11 Florida Brings In Another Great Class With 5 Drafts Continued From Page 10  RHP Cole Beverlin (Spruce Clemson Assistant Coach Bradley UCLA Head Coach John Savage. Westlake H.S., Studio City, CA), Creek H.S., Port Orange, FL), 39th LeCroy. “It should be the best in the Pac- H.S. All-American  C Ben Metzinger (Trinity round Toronto. “We lost two high school guys 12 and the west coast and among  RHP Dennis Boatman H.S., Louisville, KY), All-  OF Elijah Cabell (TNXL to the draft, but thought we were the best nationally. (Woodcreek H.S., Roseville, CA), Conference. Academy, Winter Park, FL), 14th going to lose 6-7. It has a premium “Retaining McClain was a major H.S. All-American.  bat in C Adam Hackenberg (Miller boost. LHP Danny Zimmerman round Milwaukee. 9. Mississippi St. (Lincoln Way North H.S., Frankfort,  OF Robby Martin (Jefferson School, Charlottesville, VA, 39th “It is just the second time UCLA The Bulldogs brought in 19 IL), injured. H.S., Tampa, FL), 37th round round Kansas City) and big time has retained a first round draft pick recruits which includes 12 freshman  LHP Garrett Schmeltz Marlins. arms in RHP Carter Raffield out of high school with Gerrit Cole and 7 junior college transfers. (Pleasure Park Ridge H.S.,  RHP Jack Anderson (Jesuit (Bleckley H.S., Cochran, GA, H.S. being the other. It features four draft picks, Louisville, KY), All-Conference. H.S., Tampa, FL), 36th round All-American), RHP Davis Sharpe “We have a deep and talented including: (Mill Creek H.S., Dacula, GA, group of position players. 5. Florida Yankees  RHP/INF J.T. Ginn (Brandon The Gators landed five drafted "This recruiting class is similar 34th round Pittsburgh), LHP Justin “Pitchers have a good mix of H.S., MS), 30th round Los players among a 14-man class that to previous seasons," said Assistant Wrobleski (Sequoyah H.S., Canton, pitchable and projectable types.” Angeles. includes 9 freshmen and 5 junior Coach Mike Martin, Jr. GA, 36th round Seattle), LHP Nate The class includes:  INF/RHP Gunner Halter  college transfers. "We are focused on getting Lamb (Chesnee H.S., SC, H.S. All- SS Matt McClain (Beckman (Seminole St. J.C., OK), 26th round “It is another high-level group versatile players. It is the largest American), RHP Luke Sommerfield H.S., Tustin, CA), 1st round Cleveland. of players who possess the ability signing class in years, maybe ever. (graduate transfer St. Louis Arizona.  RHP Sam Knowlton (Corner  to step in and be contributors,” Athleticism of our players was University, summer All-American) INF Jake Moberg (Vista H.S., Warrior, AL), 39th round said Florida Head Coach Kevin important as well." and RHP Jackson Lindley (T.L. Murrieta H.S., CA), 34th round Cincinnati. O’Sullivan. Other quality recruits Florida Hanna H.S., Anderson, SC, H.S. Colorado.  RHP Eric Cerantola (Holy  “The class is comprised of State landed include: All-American). RHP Sean Mullen (Stockdale Trinity Catholic, Oakville, Canada),  powerful arms on the mound and INF Dakota Gaillard (Palm “This class will produce many H.S., Bakersfield, CA), 35th round 30th round Tampa Bay. multiple bats that have a chance to Beach H.S., Jupiter, FL). high draft picks in three years.” Colorado. "I feel is is definitely one of   impact the lineup immediately.” I N F / P C a d e H u n g a t e Four other players to keep your INF J.T. Schwartz (Corona the stronger, more impressive Key players include: (Abingdon H.S., VA), Virginia eye on include: Del Mar H.S., CA), H.S. All- recruiting classes at Mississippi   OF Kendrick Calilao (First Gatorade Player Of Year. LHP Keyshawn Askew American. State in a long time," said Assistant   Academy, Kissimmee, FL), 30th INF Troy Hamilton (American (McEachern H.S., GA), H.S. All- RHP Nick Nastrini (Cathedral Coach Jake Gautreau. round St. Louis. Heritage H.S., Royal Palm Beach, American. Catholic, San Diego, CA), H.S. All- "This class is full of talent and   RHP Nick Pogue (Eau Gallie FL). SS James Parker (T.L. Hanna American. versatility."   H.S., Melbourne, FL), 33rd round RHP Kyle McMullen (Palm H.S., Anderson, S.C.), H.S. All- C Noah Cardenas (Bishop Other quality players include: Colorado. Beach J.C., FL). American. Alemany H.S., Saugus, CA), H.S.  LHP/OF Bryce Brock    INF Cory Acton (American INF Alec Sanchez (Providence OF Michael Green (Florence All-American. (Lewisburg H.S., Hernando, MS),  Heritage H.S., Fort Lauderdale, H.S., Jacksonville, FL). Darlington Tech., S.C.), pre-season INF Mikey Perez (Richard H.S. All-American.  FL), 39th round Detroit. INF Chase Sanguinetti (Plant All-American. Gahr H.S., Cerritos, CA), H.S. All-  LHP Jack Eagan (Madison   RHP David Luethje (Verno H.S., Tampa, FL). INF Chad Fairey (Ninety Six American. C.C., WI), All-Region. H.S., Greenwood, S.C.), H.S. All-  INF Jack Filby (C.K. Beach H.S., FL), 40th round Tampa 7. Clemson  RHP J.P. Elkins (Hinds C.C., Bay. The Tigers landed a superb class American. McClatchy H.S., Sacramento, CA), MS).  RHP Benjamin Specht of 15 which features 13 freshmen, 8. UCLA H.S. All-American.  (Evangelical Christian H.S, Fort 1 junior college transfer and one The Bruins landed an exceptional RHP Jesse Bergin (Harvard- See ALABAMA, Page 12 Myers, FL), 40th round Dodgers. 4-year transfer and three drafted class of 10 freshmen which includes  INF Kris Armstrong (The players. three drafted players (including a Benjamin School, Jupiter, FL). “This is a great class which I feel first rounder) and seven high school  INF Roberto Pena (Calvary is even better than the 2012 class All-Americans. Ravizza & Hanson Christian Academy, Pembroke which was fifth in the country,” said “It is an excellent class,” said Pines, FL), H.S. All-American.  RHP Christian Scott (Calvary HEADS-UP Christian Academy, Parkland, FL), Florida Class 4A Player of Year. BASEBALL 2.0!  OF Jacob Young (Ponte “The real advantage goes to the Vedra H.S., FL), All-State.  LHP Devin Hemenway (Sante player who has trained himself Fe College, FL), All-Conference. to compete.” — Joe Maddon  INF Christian Flint (Palm Beach State College, FL), All- Conference. Order now at: HeadsUpBaseball2.com 6. Florida St. The Seminoles brought in a big class of 20 athletes (15 freshmen The Ultimate Hitting Aid and 5 junior college transfers) which features five drafted players. They include: ™  INF Nander De Sedas RADAR TEE (Montverde Academy, FL), 29th round Milwaukee. “Best Of Show” Award Winner at 2016 American Baseball Coaches Association Convention

Optimize your swing efficiency to maximize ball exit velocity. Measure both with the RADAR TEE! • Maximize ball exit velocity by optimizing swing speed and efficient energy transfer to the ball. • Train to hit hard line drives. • Develop bat control and directivity to hit balls into gaps. • Swing in an optimum plane for best hard contact probability. • Proudly made in the USA.

(888) 542-9246 www.sportssensors.com Page 12 Collegiate Baseball Friday, Oct. 5, 2018 Alabama Lands Impressive Haul With Elite Players Continued From Page 11 10. Alabama  OF Tyler Gentry (Walters Scott Forbes. American. The Crimson Tide brought in State C.C., TN), All-American. “We had many guys decide to  R H P A n d r e w G r o g a n  LHP Christian Macleod a big class of 22 players which  SS Morgan McCullough come to college and take their (Chipola College, FL). (Huntsville H.S., AL), H.S. All- features 11 junior college transfers, (Chipola C.C., FL), MVP of JUCO names out of the draft.  RHP Josh Dotson (A.C. American. 10 freshmen and one 4-year World Series. “SS Danny Serretti, CF Dylon Reynolds, N.C.), All-American.  R H P B r a n d o n S m i t h transfer.  RHP Will Freeman (Jones Harris, INF Aaron Sabato, C Caleb  RHP Nick Pry (Pinecrest (Richland H.S., MS), H.S. All- Five drafted players highlight the C.C., MS), All-American. Roberts and RHP Max Alba were H.S., N.C.), All-State. American. list, including: "I'm really excited about our first all top 10 round projected picks but  LHP Will Sandy (Leesville  R H P T y l e r S p r i n g  P Dylan Smith (Stafford H.S., recruiting class here at Alabama," wanted to attend North Carolina. H.S., N.C.), All-State. (Jones County C.C., MS), All- TX), 18th round San Diego. said Crimson Tide Head Coach “We also added RHP Andrew  LHP Bennett Nance (John M. Conference.  P Tyler Ras (Middletown Brad Bohannon. Grogan from 2-time national Morehead H.S., N.C.), All-State.  RHP Colby White (Pearl North H.S., NJ), 33rd round Cubs. "I believe it is a top 10 class in champion Chipola College. It is  SS Will Schroeder (Freedom River C.C., MS), All-Conference.  P Will Freeman (Jones County the nation which has a nice mix of a very deep and athletic class with H.S., VA), All-American.  INF/C Tucker Childers (N.E. C.C., AL), 36th round San Diego. impact JC players and some high many future MLB draft picks.” 12. South Carolina Mississippi C.C.), All-Region.  C Brett Auerbach (Saddleback school projection guys. The class includes: The Gamecocks brought in a  C Luke Hancock (Houston C.C., CA), 40th round Colorado. "After losing 1,307 at-bats from  RHP Max Alba (Franklin massive class of 20 which features H.S., MS), H.S. All-American.  INF Morgan McCullough last year's club, I don't know if there H.S., WI), 39th round Angels. 12 freshmen and 8 junior college  C Hayden Jones (Carroll (Chipola C.C., FL), 33rd round pick is another recruiting class in the  SS Danny Serretti (Governor transfers. H.S., Huntertown, IN), H.S. All- in 2016 by Seattle. country that will have as much of an Livingston H.S., NJ), H.S. All- Four were chosen in last June’s American. Other quality players in the class immediate impact as this group. American. MLB Draft, including:  INF Anthony Hickman (East include: "I would expect that we will  C Caleb Roberts (St. Thomas  LHP/INF Josiah Sightler Mississippi C.C.), All-State.  P C o n n o r S h a m b l i n have two SEC weekend starters Aquinas H.S., FL), Florida 8A (Swansea H.S., Gaston, SC), 12th  INF Landon Jordan (Hancock (Briarcrest Christian H.S., TN), and two top relievers out of this Player Of Year. round Cincinnati. H.S., Poplarville, MS), H.S. All- All-American. group in addition to 6-7 position  INF Aaron Sabato (Brunswick  OF Andrew Eyster (Santa American.  OF Drew Williamson (T.R. player starters. I expect several of H.S., NY), H.S. All-American. Fe College, FL), 32nd round  INF/OF Benjamin Bell Miller H.S., AL), All-American. these guys to be single-digit draft  RHP/OF Austin Elliott (Cape Cleveland. (Germantown H.S., Madison, MS),  INF Daniel Carinci (Pickering picks." Henlopen H.S., DE), H.S. All-  OF Brady Allen (Jenkins All-State. H.S., Canada). American. H.S., Lakeland, FL), 39th round  11. North Carolina   OF Hunter Blalock (Madison OF T.J. Reeves (Hueytown The Tar Heels landed a superb OF Dylan Harris (Walters St. Yankees. Central, MS), All-State. H.S., Birmingham, AL), All- recruiting class of 16 freshmen and J.C., TN), All-American, 25 2B, 14  C Wes Clarke (Liberty  O F B a s i e l Wi l l i a m s American. two junior college transfers. HR, 20 SB. Christian Academy, Forest, VA),   (Ponchatoula H.S., Hammond, RHP Jeremy Randolph “We are very excited about this RHP/INF Connor Ollio 40th round Brewers. LA), H.S. All-American. (Wright State graduate transfer). class,” said Associate Head Coach (Butler Area H.S., PA), H.S. All- Other players to watch include:  R H P We s l e y S w e a t t (Northeastern H.S., Rock Hill, SC), All-State.  R H P D a n i e l L l o y d (Summerville H.S., SC), All- State.  INF Jacob English (St. James H.S., Murrells Inlet, SC), All- State.  L H P C o l e G a n o p u l o s (Chatahoochee Valley CC, AL), All-American.  RHP Brett Kerry (Wesleyan Christian Academy, NC), All- State.  INF Jonah Beamon (Charlotte Christian School, NC), All-State.  LHP Dylan Harley (Cane Bay H.S., Summerville, SC), All-State. The Ultimate "We lost three of our top recruits in the draft," said South Carolina Head Coach Mark Kingston. "However, we are happy with the Baseball Coaches Clinic guys we got to campus, and several should help immediately. "Andrew Eyster was named Player of The Year in the Valley THE 4TH ANNUAL INSIDE BASEBALL COACHES CLINIC is one of the fastest- League during the past summer and should hit in the middle of our growing baseball clinics in the country! With 60 interactive sessions from 15 of order. the top-ranked college baseball coaches, coupled with best-in-class exhibitors, "Wes Clarke, Brady Allen, Josiah Sightler and George Callil all have a we deliver the ultimate high-energy baseball experience. chance to be immediate starters for us. Hayden Lehman, Daniel Lloyd, Julian Bosnic, Wesley Sweatt, Cole EAST COAST CLINIC WEST COAST CLINIC Ganopulos, Brett Kerry and Dylan 60 Sessions all have a chance to log immediate JANUARY 10–12, 2019 DECEMBER 7–9, 2018 innings for us on the mound." MOUNT LAUREL, NEW JERSEY LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA 15 Speakers 13. Mississippi Dan McDonnell, LOUISVILLE Jay Johnson, UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA Ole Miss landed a class of 11 freshmen and 4 junior college Spencer Allen, NORTHWESTERN Patrick Bailey, OREGON STATE Education Credits transfers. John McCormack, FLORIDA ATLANTIC TJ Bruce, UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA It features two drafted players Shawn Stiffler, VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH Dan Hubbs, UNIVERSITY SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA On-site Hotel including RHP Gunnar Hoglund Billy Mohl, UNIVERSITY SOUTH FLORIDA Greg Moore, CAL STATE-NORTHRIDGE Exhibitors (Finay H.S., Hudson, FL, 1st round Chad Caillet, UNIVERSITY SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI Eric Newman, UC SAN DIEGO supplemental pick of the Pirates) Kainoa Correa, CLEVELAND INDIANS Scott Laverty, CHAPMAN and LHP Kaleb Hill (Watson Chapel H.S., Pine Bluff, AR, 37th Matt Hobbs, WAKE FOREST Sam Peraza, SAN DIEGO STATE round Indians). Skylar Meade, UNIVERSITY SOUTH CAROLINA Jason Dietrich, UNIVERSITY OF OREGON Other quality players in the class Karl Nonemaker, AUBURN Chad Baum, CAL STATE FULLERTON include: Eddie Smith, TULANE Noah Jackson, UC BERKELEY *  LHP Zack Phillips (Grayson Chris Prothro, SOUTH ALABAMA Lloyd Acosta, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA DAVIS C.C., TX), All-Region.  I N F K e v i n G r a h a m Jim Duffy, RUTGERS Dan Ricabal, LONG BEACH STATE $199 (Westminster Christian Academy, Jason Maxwell, ENSWORTH HIGH SCHOOL Nate Trotsky, Trotsky Baseball EARLY BIRD PRICE MS), All-State. Perry Husband, Effective Velocity  RHP Taylor Broadway (Tyler C.C., TX), 2-18 All-American, PLAYERS: $59 2017 Div. III JC Player of Year.  OF Josh Hall (Homewood Learn more, register, and book your hotel room today H.S., Birmingham, AL, All- American, national H.S. stolen base record holder. InsideBaseballClinic.com  LHP Doug Nikhazy (West *limited spaces available Orange H.S., Orlando, FL), All- See TEXAS LANDS, Page 14 Friday, Oct. 5, 2018 Collegiate Baseball Page 13

19th Annual Best Of Show 2018 Indianapolis ABCA Convention FollowThru Bat

n io F t u a n v c o t n i o n I n a

l i

t

y

B

u

i

l

y

t

t

i

T

v o

i

t

L

a

e

a r

s t C

Awarded By Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Page 14 Collegiate Baseball Friday, Oct. 5, 2018 Texas Lands Impressive Pitching Haul In 2018 Class Continued From Page 12 Cooper H.S., TX), All-State. legit pro prospect as he continues with Cecconi and Gates heading Previous Division I  C Mason Minzey (Bishop to get stronger. His tools are very the group. Del Castillo is a big time Metro, Team USA. Recruiting Champs Foley Catholic H.S., MI), All- promising." middle of the order bat that we are  C Knox Loposer (Madison State. 19. Kentucky very excited about adding to our lineup.” Central H.S., MS), All-American. 2017: Vanderbilt 17. Missouri The Wildcats brought in a big "This class has impact arms 2016: Arizona St. The Tigers brought in four draft class of 24 which includes 18 21. Stetson in Hoglund, Hill, Phillips, 2015: Florida picks in a class of 20 that features freshmen and six junior college Stetson landed a 15-man class Broadway and Myers," said Ole 10 freshmen and 10 junior college transfers and includes three drafted which includes 11 freshmen, 3 Miss Recruiting Coordinator Carl 2014: Louisiana St. transfers. players. junior college transfers and one Lafferty. 2013: Florida “I feel it is a great recruiting Key players in the class 4-year transfer that features four "Myers is throwing 90-93 with a class,” said Missouri Head Coach include: drafted players. good slider. Graham has a chance 2012: Vanderbilt Steve Bieser.  RHP Will Gambino (Paul VI Top players include: to be a high level bat and Hall is 2011: South Carolina “We were fortunate that key Catholic H.S., Haddonfield, NJ),  OF Noah Dickerson (TNXL a dynamic defender and lead-off players decided to go to school. The 35th round Seattle. Academy, Windermere, FL), 17th hitter. 2010: Louisiana St. right guys showed up on campus to  RHP Cole Ayers (West round Cincinnati. "This has a chance to be good 2009: Florida balance out our returning squad.” Clermont H.S., Loveland, OH),  P Antonio Knowles (Key with a first round draft pick, a JC 36th round Houston. West H.S., FL), 27th round Rays. 2008: Arizona St. Key players in the recruiting Player of The Year, High School class include:  LHP Braxton Cottongame  1 B B r a n d o n H y l t o n Player of The Year and All-State 2007: Louisiana St.  P Trey Dillard (San Jacinto (Perry County Central H.S., Hazard, (Watchung Hills H.S., Greenbrook, players." th rd 2006: South Carolina JC, TX), 16th round Dodgers. KY), 40 round Cleveland. NJ), 33 round Brewers. 14. Auburn  P Seth Halvorsen (Heritage  OF Jaren Shelby (State  P Robbie Peto (Monroe Four drafted players were landed 2005: South Carolina H.S., MN), 30th round Twins, College of Florida), former Township H.S., NJ), 30th round by Auburn as the class includes 18 2004: Louisiana St. Minnesota Gatorade Player of The Kentucky Gatorade Player of in 2016 Draft by Angels, All- Year. Year. American. players (13 freshmen and 5 junior 2003: North Carolina college transfers).  P Art Joven (College of the  INF Austin Schultz (Norris  P Bret Neilan (Timber Creek “This is a pitching heavy class South Carolina Sequoias), 38th round Boston. H.S., Adams, NE), All-American, H.S., Orlando, FL), All-State.   with six lefties which will add 2002: Georgia Tech. P Trea Robertson (Columbia 2017 Nebraska Gatorade Player of P Gavin Sullivan (Chesire depth,” said Auburn Assistant Hickman H.S., MO), 38th round Year. Academy, Swampscott, MA), 1st Coach Karl Nonemaker. 2001: Southern Calif. Kansas City.  OF Justin Olson (Pine Creek Team NE. “We have a good mix of speed 2000: Cal. St. Fullerton  3B/P Luke Mann (Vianney H.S, Colorado Springs, CO),  OF Nick DiPonzio (Tattanall and athleticism among position H.S, MO), Missouri Gatorade Colorado Gatorade Player of Year. Square Academy, Macon, GA), All- players who are solid defenders. 1999: Southern Calif. Player of Year.  1B Dalton Reed (Seminole American. “We also have a good balance of 1998: Georgia Tech.  INF Wade Elliott (Deer Creek State J.C., OK), All-American. “We brought in a very strong H.S., OK), All-State.  INF Trae Harmon (Somerset signing class,” said Recruiting high school (13) and JC (5) players. 1997: UCLA Some will need to step in and fill  P Jacob Cantleberry (San H.S., KY), All-American. Coordinator Coach Joe immediate needs.” 1996: Texas A&M Jacinto JC, TX), Region XIV South  C Orlando Adams (Redan Mercadante. The drafted players include: 1995: Arizona St. Pitcher of The Year. H.S., Atlanta, GA), All-American. “Three of our high school signees  OF Kason Howell (Liberty  C Jake Matheny (San Jacinto  RHP Tyler Burchett (Red decided to turn down pro ball to Christian H.S., Argyle, TX), 20th 1994: Mississippi St. JC, TX), All-Conference. Lion Area H.S., Airville, PA), All- attend Stetson, and two of our JC round Boston. 1993: Miami (Fla.)  1B Peter Zimmerman (San American. transfers are very high potential  I N F D e v i n Wa r n e r Jacinto JC, TX), All-Conference.  LHP Cole Daniels (Saline arms with a shot to break into the 1992: Florida St. (Cartersville H.S., GA), 30th round  INF Cameron Swanger H.S., Ann Arbor, MI), All- weekend rotation this year.” Arizona. 1991: Miami (Fla.) (Moeller H.S., OH), All-State. American. 22. Oklahoma St. The class includes three Gatorade  INF Ryan Bliss (Troup 1990: Arizona 18. Coastal Carolina The Cowboys brought in a class County H.S., LaGrange, GA), 30th Coastal Carolina landed a Player of The Year winners and 17 of 15 which features 7 freshmen, round Boston. 1989: Florida St. remarkable class with 16 overall high school All-Americans in 7 junior college transfers and one  LHP Garrett Wade (Hartselle 1988: Miami (Fla.) newcomers which includes 11 2018. 4-year transfer. H.S., AL), 38th round Tampa Bay. 1987: Stanford freshmen, 4 junior college transfers 20. Miami (Fla.) Key newcomers include: Other quality players in the class and a 4-year college transfer. The Hurricanes landed a class  S S H u e s t o n M o r r i l l include: 1986: Stanford The class is led by three players of 11 freshmen and three junior (Suwannee H.S., Live Oak, FL),  th I N F R a n k i n Wo l e y 1985: Hawaii who were drafted last June in: college transfers which features 36 round Angels. (Chattahoochee Valley C.C.).  LHP Garrett McDaniels (Pee three drafted players.  P Jake Lyons (Weatherford  RHP Will Morrison (Cullman 1984: Florida St. Dee Academy, SC), 30th round The class includes: J.C.), 22nd round pick in 2017 MLB H.S., AL). 1983: Arizona St. Florida.  C Adrian Del Castillo Draft by Padres.  INF Brody Moore (Oneonta  RHP Jacob Maton (Glenwood (Gulliver Prep, Miami, FL), 36th  C Bryce Carter (Stanford 5th H.S., AL). H.S., SC), 39th round Seattle. round White Sox. year transfer).  LHP Bailey Horn (McLennan (Beaumont Kelley H.S., TX), All-  INF Nick Lucky (Cocaico  S S A n t h o n y V i l a r  RHP Tyler Polk (Duncan C.C., TX). State. H.S., PA), 14th round Red Sox. (Westminster Christian, Miami, H.S., OK), Oklahoma Player of th 15. Texas  RHP Kolby Kubichek (Bryan Other quality players include: FL), 37 round Cubs. Year, All-American. The Longhorns brought in a H.S., TX), All-American.  RHP Rhett Daniel (Carrollton  RHP Slade Cecconi (Trinity  C Josh Spiegel (Penn superb all-freshman class of 16 H.S., GA). Prep, Orlando, FL), 38th round Trafford H.S., Jeannette, PA), All- 16. Texas Tech.  Baltimore. American. athletes. The Red Raiders landed an SS Scott McKeon (Brunswick  SS Cal. Conley (West  RHP Logan Gragg (Connors “This class is one of the deepest exceptional recruiting class. CC, NC).  Clermont H.S., Cincinnati, OH), State JC, OK). when it comes to front line pitchers “It has a chance to be an impact C Bradley Riopelle (Lassiter All-State.  1B Alix Garcia (Central in Texas history,” said Longhorn class,” said Head Coach Tim H.S., GA).   LHP Jonathan Gates (Nature Arizona JC). Assistant Coach Sean Allen. Tadlock. C Dallas Callahan (Byrnes Coast Tech H.S., Brooksville, FL),  RHP John Kelley (Rutherford “We brought in six righthanded “With the makeup of our H.S., SC).  All-American. H.S., NJ), All-American. pitchers who all throw in the low newcomers, it reminds us of our RHP Jakob Mattos (James W.  SS Michael Montes De Oca  2B Dayton Provost (Ventura 90s and touch the mid 90s. Three 2015 class which included Steven Mitchell H.S., FL).  (Monsignor Pace H.S., Opa-Locka, J.C., CA), All-American. of them could have signed in the Gingery, Davis Martin and other OF Jared Johnson (North FL), County Player of Year.  SS Andrew Navigato (Cuesta top four rounds if their signability great players that led us to two Big Arkansas College).   OF Chet Moore (Satellite J.C., CA), MVP of League. was different. 12 titles and two College World OF Jake Wright (Seminole H.S., Satellite Beach, FL) All- “This is another outstanding “We also have a very athletic Series runs.” State College). Conference. recruiting class for Oklahoma position player group who can Key players Texas Tech. landed "This is probably our most  SS Luis Tuero (Monsignor State,” said Assistant Coach James really run. We have two lefthanded include: talented incoming class in the Pace H.S., Opa-Locka, FL), 1st Vilade. hitting outfielders who can run sub  LHP Mason Montgomery history of the program," said Team All County. It features several All-Americans 6.5s . One infielder turned down (Leander H.S., TX), 39th round Assistant Coach Kevin Schnall.  OF Jordan Laia (Steinbrenner and top players in their respective top three round money. In addition, White Sox. "The class is led by Nick Lucky, H.S., Odessa, FL), 1st Team All states. we have two corner guys who show  C Cole Stilwell (Rockwall Jacob Maton and Garrett McDaniels County. “Our nationally-based recruiting real power. One led the state of Heath H.S., TX), 38th round who all look to be immediate impact  RHP Mark Mixon (South class showcases top players Texas in home runs as a junior.” Houston. type talent. Georgia State J.C.), 2nd Team All- from Oklahoma, Texas, Florida, The class includes:  RHP Bryce Bonnin (Univ. of "Lucky has a sweet left-handed Conference. California, Arkansas, New Jersey,  RHP Ty Madden (Cy Ranch Arkansas transfer), 26th round pick swing with plenty of power. He has  OF Chad Crosbie (Saddleback Washington and Pennsylvania.” H.S., Houston, TX), 34th round in 2017 Cubs. the most advanced swing walking J.C., CA), CCAA All-Tournament Kansas City.  OF Max Marusak (Amarillo in the door we have had since Mike 23. Oregon St. Team.  OF Chase Roberts (Oak H.S., TX), All-American. Costanzo, who eventually was The defending national  RHP Tyler Keysor (Eastern Ridge H.S., Houston, TX), District  OF Tanner O'Tremba (Cherry a second round pick in the 2005 champions brought in a class of 10 State College, FL), Top 50 JC Player of Year. Creek H.S., CO), All-American. MLB Draft. newcomers which includes nine Prospect.  SS Bryce Reagan (IMG  INF Dru Baker (Tomball "Maton and McDaniels both freshmen and one junior college “We were able to bring in a Academy, FL), All-American. Memorial H.S., TX), All- have the ability and stuff to compete transfer. great class despite losing two  RHP Coy Cobb (Katy H.S., American. for rotation jobs as true freshmen. Top players in the class top prospects in the draft in first TX), District MVP.  INF TJ Rumfield (Temple They both have fastballs that can include: rounder Tristan Casas and second  3B Peter Geib (Episcopal H.S., TX), All-American. reach as high as 93 mph. What  RHP Jake Pfennigs (Post rounder Brennen Davis,” said H.S., Houston, TX), All-State.  RHP Hunter Dobbins (Rudder separates them is their ability to Falls H.S., ID), 35th round San Assistant Coach Norberto Lopez.  OF Eric Kennedy (Calvary H.S., Bryan, TX), All-American. spin it with great breaking balls. Diego. “Adrian Del Castillo, Slade Christian H.S., Tampa, FL), All-  RHP Micah Dallas (Home "Also keep an eye on junior  INF Beau Philip (San Joaquin Cecconi, Anthony Vilar and JP American. School, Aubrey, TX), All- college transfer Scott McKeon Delta College), All-Nor Cal. Gates all turned down a lot of bonus  RHP Jack Neeley (Churchill American. from Brunswick CC who will  OF Carter Booth (Henry M. money to come to Miami. H.S., San Antonio, TX), All-State.  RHP Trey Garlett (Lubbock contend to be our shortstop this  LHP Thomas Burbank spring. Scott could develop into a “Our class is strong in pitching See ARKANSAS, Page 22 Friday, Oct. 5, 2018 Collegiate Baseball Page 15

COVERAGE EQUALS CONFIDENCE • High-visibility design with EXT flap provides additional facial coverage • IMPAX foam absorbs and disperses force • Sleek profile with optimized ventilation • TPU rubber piece conceals hardware for a seamless design

Visit your local authorized Rawlings dealer for OFFICIAL BATTING HELMET OF MLB® availability and color / size options or Rawlings.com Page 16 Collegiate Baseball Friday, Oct. 5, 2018 Amazing Clinics Planned At ABCA Convention DALLAS, Tex. — It is an honor to serve as the Clinic went to press. Chairman of the 75th annual American Baseball Coaches The Expo Theater will be in full swing during the Association Convention. trade show and will include sessions on technology, This event is annually the world’s largest baseball STU groundskeeping and other topics. convention with an all-star cast of clinicians. The clinics will take place in the Texas Ballroom in the The ABCA Convention Jan. 3-6 will be hosted at the FRITZ Gaylord Texan and will feature a 20-foot-by-60-foot LED Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center in Grapevine, ABCA Clinic Chairman wall as well as multiple other LED screens to provide a Tex. which is close to the Dallas-Fort Worth Airport. 2019 Dallas Convention great viewing experience for members. More than 6,000 baseball coaches and 300 exhibitors In its second year, the Youth Coaches Sessions will are expected at the 2019 Convention. feature about 15 clinics tailored specifically for coaches We will have 23 instructional clinics on tap with a of youth-level teams up to age 14. The sessions will take variety of topics over the course of three days. Technology To Strengthen Your Program). place on Friday, Jan. 4 and Saturday, Jan. 5 and is open to The leadoff clinician on Friday, Jan. 4 will be Pat • Kainoa Correa, Minor League Coach, Cleveland all registered attendees. Casey, former Head Coach of NCAA Division I National Indians; Tucker Frawley, Associate Head Coach, Yale With this being the 75th annual ABCA Convention, a Champion Oregon State. His topic will be Building A Univ. (Developing Infielders Via Daily Routines, Drills, special event has been planned. During the last two hours Championship Program. and Data). of the trade show on Friday, Jan. 4, the ABCA will have Collegiate Baseball’s 2018 National Coach of The • Donegal Fergus, Assistant Coach, U.C. Santa Barbara finger food and drinks available for registered attendees. Year, Casey led the Beavers to OSU’s third national (Life Along The Chain Link Fence: Recruiting Strategies Make your reservations for the ABCA Convention in championship in baseball at the 2018 College World Series For All Involved). Dallas as early as possible. and in the process celebrated his 900th win at Oregon State • Rob Fornasiere, Assistant Coach (Retired), Univ. of To be a member of the ABCA is $55, and the ABCA in 24 seasons. Minnesota (Career Fulfillment As An Assistant Coach). Convention registration “Early Bird” rate is just $80 if Oregon State was faced with elimination games six • Tim Huber, Head Coach, Augustana Univ. (Developing you register by Nov. 16, or $100 for advance registration times at the 2018 College World Series. A Program: Culture, Mechanics, Game Play). after Nov. 16. If you wait to register at the convention in Casey is the only baseball coach in college baseball • Link Jarrett, Head Coach, UNC Greensboro Dallas, it will cost $120. history to lead a team to national championships in this (Building Complete Hitters). Go to www.ABCA.org to sign up today and save grueling fashion (2006 and 2018). • Shaun Larkin, Coordinator, Los Angeles Dodgers money. Casey has guided Oregon State to the College World (Developing Skills And Managing Behaviors. Other official hotels of the 2019 ABCA convention Series six times (2005, 2006, 2007, 2013, 2017 and • Scott Laverty, Head Coach, Chapman Univ. (Outfield include the Great Wolf Lodge, Hilton DFW Lakes, 2018). Play The Practical Way). Embassy Suites By Hilton, Courtyard & TownePlace The current lineup of speakers at press time, with their • Bhrett McCabe, Mental Coach, The Mind Side (The Suites by Marriott, Residence Inn by Marriott DFW Airport topics, include: Failing Competitive Mind: Today’s Athlete, And How You North/Grapevine • Mike Matheny, former Manager, St. Louis Cardinals Can Change That). Each are located near the Gaylord Texan Resort & (Searching For A Competitive EDGE). • Jake McKinley, Head Coach, William Jessup Convention Center and feature a shuttle that runs to and • Tim Corbin, Head Coach, Vanderbilt (Creating Your Univ. (Competition: The Engine Driving Player from these hotels during the convention. Training Environment). Development). Lodging and travel information with special promotion • David Pierce, Head Coach, Univ. of Texas (Trust, • Skylar Meade, Assistant Coach, Univ. of South codes are available on the ABCA website at: www.abca. Respect, Communication: The Foundation Of Building Carolina (Daily Habits Of Successful Pitchers). org/travel Your Culture). • Bill Mosiello, Assistant Coach, Texas Christian There is another great incentive to go. Register for the • Matt Talarico, Assistant Coach, Wright State (Base (Playing Offense To Win). 2019 ABCA Convention and get free online access to all Stealing: The Link To Developing The Complete Offensive • Patrick Murphy, Head Coach, Univ. of Alabama 2019 clinic videos! It’s a $400 value! Player). softball; Jeff Petty, Head Coach, The Canes Baseball; Doug In addition, you can receive Professional Development/ • Chuck Box, Head Coach, Hartfield Academy Wren, Head Coach, Tyler J.C. (Building Championship Continuing Education Credit documentation by attending (MS), (Sifting For Gold: Finding Treasures From Other Culture: Same Rules, Different Game). the ABCA Convention. Go to www.ABCA.org/education Programs). • Eric Newman, Head Coach, U.C. San Diego (Drawing to learn more about this benefit. • Greg Brown, Head Coach, Nova Southeastern The Best Out Of Those Around You). There are plenty of things to do in Dallas during your (Empowering The Athletic Catcher). • Nick White, Strength Coach, Coastal Carolina stay in addition to attending the ABCA Convention. For • Butch Chaffin, Head Coach, Cookeville H.S. (TN), (Foundation Of Fundamentals: Athletic Performance For complete information, go to: www.visitdallas.com (Build A Better Player With A Solid System). The Baseball Athlete). I hope to see you at the greatest baseball convention in • Bryan Conger, Head Coach, Tarleton State; Travis Plus, there will be Hot Stove Sessions for Pitching, the world where outstanding baseball clinicians, the latest Hergert, Head Coach, North Iowa Area C.C.; Jason Hitting, Infield, Outfield, Catching and Base Running, as in innovative products, and a great atmosphere create a Stein, Assistant Coach, Duke Univ.; Dillon Lawson, well as a Rookie Coaches Mentoring Meeting. rejuvenating January getaway for everyone. Minor League Coach, Houston Astros (How To Leverage Those were being finalized as Collegiate Baseball See you in Dallas! Bob Smith: Great Baseball Men Are Passing Away At Alarming Rate (Editor’s Note: Bob Smith was as he was wisely selected as for the contributions of these two great men and leaders as Gus Van President of the International the first Executive Director. gentlemen, baseball would not have Der Heijden (Holland) and the Baseball Federation from Simultaneously, leaders like Hayes become an Olympic sport during Panaye brothers from Belgium 1981-1993, and was the key to (PONY Baseball), George Rulon my time of leadership. (Gaston and Roger). baseball being accepted as an (American Legion baseball), and Not quite so familiar to some No other continent of the baseball Olympic Sport.) Danny Litwhiler (Michigan State) of Collegiate Baseball readers, world provided me more support all helped in setting the U.S.B.F. there were also many international than Asia spearheaded by Eiichiro By BOB SMITH on a new course and enabling us to leaders who each played major Yamamato (Japan). Another great Special To Collegiate Baseball begin to take a more active role in roles in guiding world baseball who leader was the President of baseball international baseball. are no longer living. in the Republic of China or Taiwan, GREENVILLE, Ill. — I recently Already involved in assisting One important contributor was H.C. Yen. Almost overnight, he received word of the passing of my countries improve their baseball Manuel Gonzales Guerra who was able to take his country from dear friend and baseball colleague, play were coaches such as Bill was a member of the International being a strong Little League power Elmer Kosub or “Uncle Elmer” Arce, Jack Stallings, Jerry Kindall, Olympic Committee (the only real to become one of the top baseball as he was affectionately known Ron Fraser and Hal Smeltzly. baseball leader on the IOC). countries in the world. to many of his baseball friends, These amazing gentlemen helped Mr. Guerra was the President of He did this by convincing his particularly in the NAIA. baseball grow across the world International Baseball as well as government to let him start baseball As I pondered the passing of during the 1970s and 1980s. President of the Cuban Olympic in the military since every young Elmer, former head coach at St. Somewhat of a sleeper in this Committee and Cuban baseball. man was required to serve from Mary’s University (TX), I began whole movement was my friend, Latin America provided me ages 18-20. to reflect on the many, many Julio Blanco Herrera, a special with so many other close baseball From down under in Australia, great baseball leaders who are member of the U.S.B.F. who became friends, including Juan Carlos Pena leaders like John Anderson and BOB SMITH now deceased, with whom I had my traveling partner, interpreter and of Argentina, Miguel Oropeza of Neville Pratt took baseball almost the privilege of being associated coaches are willing to give back to confidant as I worked with the Latin Mexico, Juan Isa of The Netherland from its infancy to a relative position and worked in both national and the game we love…both within our American baseball cummunities. Antilles, Richardo Elhage from of strength. international baseball. country and around the world. Another person, Duck Lee, Curacao, Elfred Bernier from Puerto They did this by not immediately As much baseball leadership as Over the years I have been played a major role in helping me Rico, Dr. Alfredo Morales from seeing success at the senior level but these men gave while here on earth, involved in the leadership of not only in his home country of Columbia and Nestor Ameijeras of by building a strong youth baseball if baseball was not in heaven prior baseball (1969-1993), many men South Korea, but in many other Argentina. program across Australia. to the late 1970’s, it might be now helped baseball across the world in Asian countries. These gentlemen, like others, In the Philippines, Charles with these great men organizing seeing it be an Olympic sport. My list wouldn’t be complete were not only working against Parsons is considered the father it. My first chance for baseball Probably at the head of any unless I singled out Tom Ravishiere many challenges in their own of baseball in that country. More leadership came with the NAIA list of past greats should be W.P. who directed the development of countries. But they still found recently, baseball leadership was where I had the joy of working with “Dutch” Fehring. Dutch was the umpiring world wide. ways to make contributions to provided by Hector Navasaro. such outstanding leaders as Gordie President of the United States When we got serious about international baseball. Last, I want to recognize the late Gillespie, “Uncle Al” Meyer, Chuck Baseball Federation when I first Olympic Baseball, nobody was Italian and European baseball Arthur Berezowski who worked Bafaro and Hank Burbridge. got involved. In many ways, he was more important than Commissioner leaders Bruno Beneck and Aldo tirelessly in South Africa to keep International baseball can survive my mentor. Bowie Kuhn and Rod Dedeaux, Notari both were major players in baseball alive when most of the to some degree without the help of He was also the President of former skipper at the University of the growth of baseball across the international world of sports were our USA leadership, but it will the International Baseball group Southern California. Where would world and in our success of getting discouraged from competing with never be as successful as it might during the 1970s and helped lay the we have been without them? baseball in the Olympics. South Africa because of apartheid otherwise be if we as American foundation for Olympic baseball. In my opinion, if it had not been Also from Europe were such issues. Then Dick Case came along Friday, Oct. 5, 2018 Collegiate Baseball Page 17 Page 18 Collegiate Baseball Friday, Oct. 5, 2018 Art Of Team Chemistry With Pat Casey CORVALLIS, Ore. — Oregon State Head Coach Collegiate Baseball’s National Coach of The Year. In this exclusive question and answer session Pat Casey, who recently retired, led the Beavers to It was his third National Coach of The Year honor with Casey, he explains how the Beavers are able to OSU’s third national championship with a 5-0 win by CB. achieve exceptional team chemistry, how they were over Arkansas during last season’s College World Oregon State has posted a 111-18-1 record over able to win six elimination games at the College World Series. the past two seasons and has been ranked No. 1 in Series not once but twice, the only NCAA Division I In the process, he celebrated his 900th win at 23 different polls by Collegiate Baseball, the most school ever to accomplish this, and how his teams Oregon State in 24 seasons as he was named ever by one school. are so fundamentally sound year after year.

By Lou Pavlovich, Jr., Editor/Collegiate Baseball COLLEGIATE BASEBALL: Team chemistry is an feature. With the weather being hot and humid in Omaha, elusive and treasured area that all teams strive for but he thought it might be a lot of fun to do. The box was only few achieve. Your ball clubs have had team chemistry about $15, and he ended up filling 300 or so up with water more often than not where everyone is cheering for their which only took about 10-15 minutes to accomplish. Each teammates during games in a genuine fashion with nobody water balloon was about 3-4 inches in diameter, and 150 sulking in the dugout because they aren’t playing. With were put in one ice chest and another 150 in another. He the competitive nature of team sports, how do you attempt picked two captains in Joe Casey and Jake Mulholland to achieve team chemistry which can be such a powerful as they both chose players for their water bomb teams. ingredient to championship ball clubs? After practice was over, the teams mobilized, grabbed PAT CASEY: I appreciate you recognizing that. The water bombs and had an epic water bomb fight which was one thing we talked about when we got back to Omaha probably a first in College World Series history.) for the 2018 College World Series was that we felt our CASEY: The day we had the water balloon fight, we had strength was within the team even though I felt we had a a short, productive practice. It was hotter than heck outside. very talented group of young men. The nice thing about When those things were accomplished, the players had an that was that these guys were considered elite players. epic water bomb fight. I was sitting on the bench watching They really believed in being a true team, and that was it all unfold, and I laughed a lot. Everyone had fun. At the our mantra throughout. We wanted to establish that when end of the day, many of these guys are never going to play they arrive every fall and establish what is important to us together again. As far as our fans having a great time in the and not try to be somebody we are not. Everybody works stands, that is great as well. From experience, I don’t think hard with those types of things within their programs and it is productive to not have fun. Years ago prior to a 3-game realizes how important team chemistry can be. We were series that started on Friday, I would be “caged up,” and it fortunate to have quite a few leaders on our team last wasn’t good for me. There is a time during competition, season. There have been a number of tremendous leaders especially when you are in a tournament that is lengthy on our teams before them that taught them how to be and you have days off, that you really should take some effective leaders. time off from the grind so your mind gets away baseball. CB: I have seen so many players over the years who Doing this allows you to enjoy some of the things that are sit in dugouts during games and sulk because they aren’t at this great event called the College World Series. You starting or don’t have the foggiest idea of what being can be 100 percent serious and not play well, or you can a great teammate is. That would drive me crazy if I goof around all the time and not play well. Both in and of were a coach because of such selfish acts. Your superb themselves can be problems. There is a nice mix that has centerfielder Steven Kwan suffered a hamstring injury OREGON STATE’S PAT CASEY worked very well for us. For our 2018 team, there was and played sparingly during the College World Series. there are certain elements of the game which aren’t fun. So no doubt in my mind that they knew how to take care of Yet he was the ringleader of a great group of young men you certainly want to enjoy the ones that are. Nobody has business when games started. who pulled for everybody to do well in the dugout despite ever gone through a season where they didn’t go through CB: In the 72-year-history of the College World Series, being sidelined. spells where they wish they had played better, including Oregon State is the only team to win six elimination games CASEY: It’s really a tribute to Steven Kwan and the us. Sometimes you have to fight your way through that. enroute to the national title. In fact, your ball clubs have person he is. It wasn’t something that was artificial He Sometimes you have to relax your way through those done it twice in 2006 and 2018. It is extremely rare. How would have given everything he had to play every game tough times and other times you laugh your way through is it accomplished? at the College World Series. His one comment to me was that. Other times, you cry your way through the difficult CASEY: It is hard to do because you have to lose your that he wanted to play, but he didn’t think he could help the times. That has to be real as well. The key is not making the first game of the College World Series and win four straight team because his injured leg prevented him from running mistake of trying to make everything from a cookie cutter to qualify for the Championship Finals’ best of three series. down balls in centerfield while others on the team could. approach. Something that worked for the team in 2007 Then you have to lose the first game there and must win That’s a humbling thing to not attempt something that you might not work for the team we had in 2018. Each team two straight for the national title. In 2006, we didn’t have aren’t capable of doing because of an injury. Those type takes on its own character. Every team has a foundation, the extra day we had in 2018. I believe we played three or of things are hard to imitate if they aren’t real. I believe and there are things in the foundation of what we believe four days in a row in 2006 and had to beat Georgia, Miami what we do must be unique and special to us. We don’t try which are core beliefs that I think have to be constant. (Fla.) and Rice twice to quality for the Championship to copy or imitate what some other team is doing. Every Each team has its own characteristics, charisma and way Finals against North Carolina. We couldn’t worry about one of our teams of doing things. It will be no different for the next team tomorrow. We simply focused on pitch-to-pitch in each has been different at Oregon State in 2019. There is something very special elimination game. Oregon State had never won a national when it comes to the about passing on leadership. Our coaching staff includes title in baseball up to 2006. So it was remarkable what we team concept even a lot of quality people who are leaders themselves. When accomplished as we became the first team in College World if you lose just one they work with a group, we find ways to incorporate that Series history to win six elimination games. When we lost player. I believe in into what we do. our first game of the 2018 College World Series, I spoke to appreciating how CB: Your ball club was a lot of fun to watch in the our team and explained what lies ahead will be extremely Q strong each team can dugout during the recent College World Series. Freshman difficult. But it is possible because we did it before. We become. pitcher Kevin Abel was amazing as he became the first have a national championship trophy that sits back home & CB: Several years which proves we have done it. Don’t think it can’t be pitcher in CWS history to record four wins during a single ago, your superb College World Series. When he wasn’t pitching, he cheered done. Let’s just go out and play the game. Our 2018 club pitching coach Nate on your ball club by banging the side of his head with the was set a little better as far as having themselves ready to do that. We had stumbled pretty good during the year as Yeskie initiated something unique where the entire bottom of a plastic water bottle as he mimicked a scene A we lost four of six Pac-12 Conference games in back-to- pitching staff and catchers would be outside the bullpen in the 2013 motion picture The Wolf Of Wall Street which back weekends and had to recover from that. We lost Nick area as the starting pitcher warmed up prior to a game. starred Leonardo DiCaprio. Trevor Larnach was one of the Madrigal for 26 games as well before getting him back. After the pitcher finished, he would walk through a line many hitting stars on your team. His aunt Celeste Cabral We had some adversity last season. However, nobody on of teammates that wished him well, shook his hand and is a nun in the Benedictine Monastery in Waialua, Hawaii the team thought it was too tall of a task to string together slapped him on the back letting him know everyone was who wore a Hawaiian grass skirt as she performed the hula wins at the College World Series and win it all. In fact, behind him. Nate told me that all of the position players on during multiple occasions for good luck at the CWS. we talked about enjoying the journey and embracing the wanted to be involved with that innovative process. So On top of that, the day before the Championship Series challenge. Is there a formula or blueprint for winning six now before games, you see the position players at Oregon Finals against Arkansas, your ball club had a short practice elimination games at the College World Series? Of course State hug each other. What a remarkable idea. during hot weather. When it was over, a remarkable water not. Every game is different. Every opponent is different. CASEY: I believe that has really helped our team come bomb fight broke out between the players. Some coaches Every day is different. One thing about last season’s ball together. But again, it must be genuine and real and not would never allow the team to do this. Yet more times club is that we could really hit. When we won the Super fake. That is unique to us. I notice other teams have rituals than not, teams that are nice and loose like this perform Regional two straight, RHP Kevin Abel didn’t throw for they go through as well. Our ritual took on a life of its own at a very high level. 15 days prior to the College World Series. The last time he gradually. It wasn’t forced upon them where the coaches CASEY: When the bell rings, you’ve got nine innings threw was against LSU in our Regional. That was a huge asked all of the players to go out of the dugout and pat our to play. Then it’s all business. But you can still enjoy the boost for us as he was completely fresh. starting pitcher on the back, hug him and then come back game. I see no reason after a workout when it is 95 degrees CB: It is interesting that you mention Kevin Abel and in. They did that because they were inspired to do that by and 90 percent humidity not to have a water bomb fight. how fresh he was going into the College World Series. what they want to do as a team. Those type of things are That won’t hurt anybody. In fact, we thought it would be Your ball club had trouble with starting pitching in six of incredibly important to me as we create an environment fun, and guys enjoyed it a lot. Brad Brown, our Coordinator your eight games. Your top two starters struggled in two and culture that breeds that. Guys want to pass this on to of Video and Advanced Scouting, asked me the evening starts each. Despite that, your team still won the national other players which means something and why it is special before practice if he could fill up balloons that he purchased championship. to play at Oregon State. for an old fashioned water bomb fight after practice. I CASEY: Nobody would have ever dreamed that CB: The two big elements in being a team player, it thought it was a great idea. we wouldn’t get quality starts from our two lead guys. seems to me, is that you can’t be selfish and need to have (Editor’s Note: Brad Brown purchased a big box of (LHP Luke Heimlich and RHP Bryce Fehmel, who had fun while working to become a great baseball player. 600 balloons at Costco several days prior to this which CASEY: The game of baseball is difficult enough, and were designed to make water bombs with a self-tying See Q & A WITH PAT CASEY, Page 19 Friday, Oct. 5, 2018 Collegiate Baseball Page 19 Q & A With Pat Casey Delves Into Intriguing Topics Continued From Page 18 We just pounded momentum inning fundamentally offensively and back to fundamentals. There is an after inning after inning and hitter defensively is crucial. accumulation of things that go into a combined 26-2 record going after hitter. We asked our hitters to CB: In 2017, your team only having success keeping opponent into the College World Series, just give us good at-bats. And they allowed 17 stolen bases in 33 runners off base. When people do really struggled. Heimlich suffered did over and over again. If you do attempts over 62 games. Then in get on base, you must understand Oregon State’s only two losses as those things and are able to sustain 2018, OSU only allowed 17 stolen who the runners are and how you he threw a combined 6 2/3 innings them, you have success. If you bases in 36 attempts over 68 games. want to hold them and vary your and surrendered 10 runs. Fehmel aren’t able to do it, you won’t. I can’t recall a time in NCAA Div. looks as a pitcher. Fortunately, we pitched 6 innings and surrendered CB: Your ball clubs are I baseball history where such a have had people who are capable 5 runs.) If you consider this, it fundamentally sound year after small number of stolen bases were of doing it. The key in all of this is was incredible that we won the year and rarely beat themselves. allowed by one team over two that guy behind the plate. 2018 national title. We had some To me, that is the hallmark of years. unbelievable relief pitching which great coaches. But it isn’t easy to CASEY: You have to give Clemson’s O’Dell picked them up from Christian accomplish. a lot of credit to our coaching Chamberlain, Jake Mulholland CASEY: One of the pillars of staff who work with our catchers Dies At Age 85 and Brandon Eisert. Brandon was our program is the fundamentals of and pitchers and implement the CLEMSON, S.C. — Billy a guy who typically threw up to the game. I tell guys that the game defensive run package we have O’Dell, one of the greatest pitchers 2 1/2 innings but was forced to never changes. The only change is in place. Ultimately, it comes in Clemson history and the only throw 72 pitches over 5 1/3 innings the players. If you can do certain down to the guy with the big arm former Tiger to be the MVP of the against Mississippi State. Back in things fundamentally, then you give behind the plate. We have been MLB All-Star Game, died Sept. 12 2006, our No. 1 and 2 starters Jonah yourself a chance to be successful. really fortunate with the catchers in Newberry, S.C. Nickerson and Dallas Buck were There are things in the game that will who we have had here. Adley He was 85 years old. O’Dell superb not only through the season beat you all the time. Fundamentals Rutschman is no different and has is the second legendary Clemson but in the College World Series. We are important here whether it is PAT CASEY been behind the plate the past two pitcher to die in the last month. Joe also got a great start from Danny pitchers fielding practice, our bunt ground up. Sometimes that takes a seasons for many of our games. He Landrum, Clemson’s first baseball Turpen. package on offense, our defensive guy with a little less talent who has has a big arm. Ultimately the best All-American in 1947, died on CB: Explain the leadership of bunt package, how we run relays more desire. There are positions on way to keep them from stealing Aug. 19. Nick Madrigal, your superb second — all of them are important. Our the field that I feel you need to be is to keep runners off base. So O’Dell played for Clemson from baseman who was the fourth overall first step is to communicate what better defensively than other areas. one of the things we try to do is 1952-54. He was the top pitcher on pick in the 2018 Draft by the our expectation level is at Oregon When you get a player like catcher minimize the amount of runners the the 1954 team that won the ACC White Sox. Here is a guy who has State for our guys. One of the things Adley Rutschman, he is great other team has and especially free championship, the first ACC title had nothing but success his entire we hope we will always do is field defensively as he is offensively runners which can get on by errors, in any Tiger sport. He was named career at Oregon State and during a solid, fundamental team from the and is a special guy. Being sound walks and hit by pitches. That goes an All-American that year. the College World Series up to the Championship Finals. During those three games, he didn’t get a single hit as he was 0-for-13. Yet he continued to lead in other big ways. CASEY: Nick was an amazing leader. Some people would have sulked because they didn’t get a hit in the Championship Series. But Nick never flinched being a leader. He never quit going to the mound on defense from his second base position to give his two cents worth to pitchers as he kept playing spectacular defense or rallying the guys in addition to never stop battling at the plate. He just didn’t get a ball to fall for him at that time. But it never affected his persona, who he is and what he stood for. That was important for us winning the national title. Another hurdle we overcame was not having our starting centerfielder Steven Kwan. He played sparingly because he was hurt. There were some crazy things happening that we had to overcome. CB: Many members of the media kept hammering home the point Arkansas would have won the 2018 College World Series if one of three Razorback defensive players had caught a fly ball about 80 feet to the outfield side of first base in foul territory with two outs in the top of the ninth inning of game two of the Championship Finals. At the time, Arkansas led, 3-2. The ball fell between all three and gave Oregon State new life. With two strikes on Cadyn Grenier, he drove in the tying run and then Trevor Larnach belted a dramatic 2-run homer over the right field fence to win it, 5-3. CASEY: Many people said one play was how this College World Series was won. It wasn’t about THE GAME that at all. It was about EVERY play. You could look at a play in HitTrax provides powerful metrics and instantaneous feedback, the second inning with a ball being backhanded down the line. If that allowing players to train with purpose and improve their performance. defensive player didn’t make that play, two runs would have scored. If a bunt wasn’t placed properly which moved a runner to second, a single wouldn’t have scored him. I SEE HOW HITTRAX CAN IMPACT YOUR PROGRAM AT THE NEW remember Kevin Abel striking out a guy with the bases loaded when just a ground ball or fly ball would HITTRAX.COM have scored a run. Momentum can change as quickly as the weather. For us, once we felt we had the 508.353.3756 | [email protected] |    momentum in games, the key was to maintain that and nothing else. Page 20 Collegiate Baseball Friday, Oct. 5, 2018

Now Available By Popular Demand 7 Amazing E-Books For Sale! Secrets Revealed In Each Of These Important Areas Secrets Of Secrets Of Secrets Of Secrets Of Secrets Of Pitching Great Hitters Great Coaches Playing Infield Play The Outfield With T.J. Bruce

By Collegiate Baseball

(1) SECRETS OF PLAYING THE OUTFIELD (NEW!): In-depth teaching system utilized by the best outfield coach in history, Sam Suplizio. He worked in pro baseball for nearly 50 years, and his thoughts on teaching outfield play are carried in this special e-book. Good defensive outfield play is one of the most important and most exciting phases in the game of baseball. Yet, it is rarely stressed and seldom taught properly. Learn all of Sam’s tricks of the trade with this 20-page publication which covers every type of scenario an outfielder will face.

(2) SECRETS OF PITCHING: Loads of information on pitching, including the greatest pickoff move ever devised by Mike Maack, mastering command with Orel Hershiser, why sniper focus is crucial in pitching, the future of pitching with Butch Thompson, why resilience is a must with Ken Ravizza, velocity improvement strategies with Ron Wolforth, secrets of deception with Perry Husband, video analysis and a look at Tony Robichaux’s remarkable system at Louisiana Lafayette.

(3) SECRETS OF GREAT HITTERS: Philadelphia Phillies’ Hitting Coach John Mallee taps into wealth of data which vividly shows how hitters are most efficient in launch angles for production. Professional Hitting Coach Pete Lauritson utilizes unique program that produces 18 mph exit speed gains. Tulane skipper Travis Jewett delves into his system which has produced many great hitters over the years.

(4) SECRETS OF AMAZING INFIELD PLAY: This is the system Coach T.J. Bruce used for 5 years as an assistant at UCLA as he helped the Bruins to the 2013 national title. Now the head coach at the University of Nevada, he explains how your infielders can be outstanding with his precision teaching system.

(5) SECRETS OF GREAT COACHES: Six in-depth articles involving coaching techniques, team chemistry, value of the walk, ex- treme hustle, innovations, plus much, much more. (6) BEST INFIELD DRAG & TAMP Best Infield Drag DESIGNS: Famous Rosenblatt Sta- Baseball’s dium (Omaha, Neb.) groundskeeper Greatest Trick & Tamp Designs Jesse Cuevas gives complete plans on how to build both which was used Plays Of All Time for many years at the College World Series.

(7) BASEBALL’S GREATEST TRICK PLAYS: Trick plays have been a fun part of baseball since the game’s birth over a century ago. Diabolical coach- es over the years have dreamed up wild plays that have worked extremely well and caused outcomes to change, momentum to shift and opponents to scream bloody murder. Produced by Collegiate Baseball, each of these e-books is available for only $5. If you purchase five ($25), you will receive two for free and will get all seven! You must provide an e-mail address to receive these special e-books. Order Immediately: www.baseballnews.com Once there, look on the right side of the page and scroll down until you see the 7 Amazing E-Books offer. Click on the ad. Then decide what you want. Or Call at (520) 623-4530 to place your order. Friday, Oct. 5, 2018 Collegiate Baseball Page 21 New Book About Life Of Tom Petroff Worth Reading Book: Beyond The Ninth his division’s basketball, baseball for hearing impaired children. Inning: Tom Petroff’s Story and football teams, representing the He also was involved in the Featured Author: Tom Petroff US Army in the European Theater movement to incorporate baseball with Barbara Petroff Operations. in the Olympics and worked with Pages: 144 He played minor league baseball several USA teams and conducted Cost: $10 for the paperback prior to enrolling at Michigan international clinics. or $2.99 for the Kindle edition. State University where he earned Baseball was a demonstration How To Order: Go on the a master’s degree and coached the sport in the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, internet to www.amazon.com freshman baseball team. Korea where Tom served as the head Then type in the book title in the He coached baseball at Rider coach for the Netherlands team. He search menu. University and the University of worked with the Netherlands again, Northern Colorado (UNC) and preparing their squad for the next By LOU PAVLOVICH, JR. was the first coach to take two Olympics. Editor/Collegiate Baseball different schools to the College While Tom was an assistant World Series. baseball coach at the University CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. — A Petroff engineered the greatest of Iowa, he worked on several fabulous book on the life and times upset in college baseball history instructional projects. of Tom Petroff, American Baseball when his 1974 Northern Colorado Prior to retiring, he served as the Coaches Association Hall of Famer, baseball team (29-11) beat No. 1 minor league coordinator for the has recently hit the stands. ranked Arizona (58-4) in the district Detroit Tigers. Beyond The Ninth Inning: Tom playoffs. His latest project is an innovative Petroff’s Story, it is a remarkable At the time, Arizona had 20 instructional game called Zone work that chronicles an adventure full scholarships while Northern Ball. While his baseball resume that anyone would enjoy reading. Colorado had the equivalent of is extensive, Tom prefers to focus Petroff’s Macedonian heritage only five. on the results and making a long- helped shape the person he became. Incredibly, Northern Colorado term positive impact on the lives As the son of immigrants, his story beat one of the most talented teams of youth. is intertwined with theirs. in college baseball history with two Beyond the Ninth Inning is a He learns to balance two freshmen pitchers as well in two journey into searching for, finding juxtaposed cultures and emerge straight games. and accepting one’s personal best. stronger and more dedicated At Northern Colorado, Tom It is a remarkable story about because of that experience. and his players developed and one of baseball’s greatest treasures His story begins with his family’s implemented a baseball program — Tom Petroff. Macedonian history, the hardships TOM PETROFF they endured and their 10-year immigration journey to the USA. Tom was born and raised in Lansing, Mich. where he worked ® in his father’s bakery and immersed GRIFFOLYN himself in sports. DIVISION OF REEF INDUSTRIES, INC. Drafted into the Army near the end of World War II, he was selected for Strikeouts Up Big In NCAA Games KEY FEATURES Continued From Page 7 Ŷ :;()030A,+;69,4(05:;965.(5+„,?0)3,05 anticipate was that our hitters were ,?;9,4,;,47,9(;<9,: saying pitches two inches off the Ŷ Lightweight for fast and easy installation plate were balls where in fact the umpire was calling them strikes Ŷ 6>7,94,()030;@.9,(;3@05/0)0;:460:;<9, early in the 2018 season because transmission of the human element. “We saw our hitters become less Ŷ Cold-crack resistant aggressive on that marginal pitch Ŷ /0;,*6=,9:(=(03()3,;69,„,*;/,(;)<;;6(3:6 which could have been called a allow light transmission strike by an umpire. Making an adjustment on those pitches helped Ŷ (;*/05.7(;*/;(7,0:(=(03()3,;67(;*/*6=,9:0- them tremendously. ;/,@(9,7<5*;<9,+ “Still, the 103 walks our hitters had last fall over 78 innings was Ŷ ,(=@Ë+<;@:(5+)(.:(9,(=(03()3,<7659,8<,:; very good on the hitters’ end as they intimately got to know their strike zones prior to the season.” Fielding Percentage Up Another interesting bit of data in the NCAA Division I Baseball Statistics Trends is that the fielding percentage of teams was at an all- time high in 2018 at .968. For the past 22 years going back to 1997, the fielding percentage has not gone down any of those years. It all began in1996 with a fielding percentage of .952. That has gradually risen to a record figure of .968 in 2018. Missouri finished eighth in the nation last season with a .980 fielding percentage. Corral said it was remarkable that for the past 22 years fielding PROTECT percentages have not gone down in NCAA Division I baseball. BASEBALL FIELDS “There might be a combination of reasons. There is a lot of great FROM ADVERSE WEATHER work being done with strength training and agility training across the nation that is helping position players get to spots quicker. CONDITIONS “Vision training is also helping with better defense. One of the things that helped us with our fielding is that we just put in ÖÎÎÌÐÑÏÌÔÎÕÒã9,,-05+<:;90,:Ì*64 artificial turf. “I wonder how many teams have ×ÐÎ×34,+(,56(+Ì6<:;65Ê,?(:ÕÕÎÕÓ been utilizing artificial turf instead of natural turf across the nation?” Page 22 Collegiate Baseball Friday, Oct. 5, 2018 Outstanding Clinics Scheduled Across USA TUCSON, Ariz. — The baseball pitcher with the LG Twins of the Location: Mohegan Sun Hotel, Character Development; and several coaching clinic season is just Korea Baseball Organization. 1 Mohegan Sun Blvd., Uncasville, high school coaches. around the corner. Cost: $100 per coach CT Cost: $85 for membership & Here is a list of instructional Contact: Visit www.vbca.org Speakers: Scott Stricklin, Georgia convention fee clinics that have been scheduled. for updated information or call Tim head coach; J.A. Happ, 2018 MLB Contact: Rex Sanders, executive • • • Merry, VBCA executive director, at All-Star Pitcher, New York Yankees; director at (979) 255-3445 or Clinic: American Baseball (804) 370-3557 or email tmerry@ Mike Bell, Pittsburgh head coach; email [email protected]; Coaches Association Convention vbca.org Mike Mordecal, Major League visit website at www.thsbaca.com; Date: January 3-6, 2019 • • • quality control coach, Toronto Blue Mario Barrett, VP membership at Location: Gaylord Texas Resort Clinic: 19th Annual Ultimate Jays; Jim Penders, Connecticut head (210) 724-9959 or email mariob@ & Convention Center, Grapevine, Pitching Coaches Boot Camp coach; Austin Wasserman, coach, springisd.org TX. Reservations cost $124 per night Date: December 7-9, 2018 (Bonus Wasserman Strength & High Level • • • for convention; call (877) 491-5138 night Dec. 6th) Throwing; and others. Clinic: Pennsylvania Baseball & and use Group Code ABCC. There Location: Texas Baseball Ranch, Cost: $145 for early coach Softball Coaches Clinic are other hotels in the area that also Montgomery, TX registration (before Oct. 15); $165 Date: January 10-12, 2019 are offering special convention Upcoming Clinics Speakers: Brent Strom, Houston after Oct. 15 and $189 at the door; Location: DoubleTree by Hilton Astros; Derek Johnson, Milwaukee Student/Player (18 & Under) Hotel, Pittsburgh-Greentree rates as well. Please see the ABCA Game Pitch #1 Creating Routines); Brewers; Dewey Robinson, Tampa registration $50. Speakers: Gaylord Perry, MLB website for more information and Steve Ballance, Gleneig HS, MO Bay Rays; Lee Fiocchi, LA Angels; Contact: Registration and hotel Hall of Famer; Al Oliver, former MLB registration codes for those hotels. (Motivating Today’s Ball Player- Vern Gambetta, Functional Pathway information is available at www. outfielder; Kevin McMullan, Univ. Speakers: Please see the What Drives the Team/Individual); Training; Trevor Ragan, Train Ugly; baseballcoachesclinic.com of Virginia; Tom Griffin, Carson convention story on page 16 for Kevin Wilson, KW Baseball (Hitting Dave Lawn, Univ. of Arizona; Ryan • • • Newman Univ.; Zach Sorense, Brian details about the clinic speakers Is A Conversation); JT Laws/Jeremie Dupic, Concordia Univ.; Todd Foley, Clinic: East Coast Inside Baseball Cain Peak Performance; Mike Bell, and convention events or visit the Axe, MD, ATI Physical Therapy Porter H.S.; Chris Litton, Bellville Coaches Clinic Univ. of Pittsburgh; Matt Lisle, website for a full schedule of events (Tommy John in Today’s Baseball H.S.; Randy Sullivan, Florida Date: January 10-12, 2019 Univ. of Missouri/The Hitting Vault; and speakers. World); Steve Gulotti, El Dorado Baseball Ranch; Ron Wolforth & Location: The Westin Mount Joe Kruzel, St. Louis Cardinals; A trade show with 300 companies HS, CA (How To Get The Most Out the Texas Baseball Ranch coaching Laurel, 555 Fellowship Rd., Mount Dana Cavalea, former NY Yankees presenting various baseball products of Batting Practice); Dave Taylor, staff. Laurel, NJ strength & conditioning coach; and will be open throughout the Stoneman Douglas HS, FL (Outfield Cost: $399 first coach; $249 Speakers: Dan McDonnell, Jad Prachniak, West Chester Univ. convention. Play); Pete Caliendo, Caliendo Sports each additional coach from the same Louisville head coach; Spencer Cost: $90 pre-registration (2- Cost: You must be an ABCA International (Creative Thinking organization. Allen, Northwestern head coach; days); $130 (3-days) member to attend and the annual When It Comes To Coaching); Bryan Contact: To register or get more John McCormack, Florida Atlantic Contact: Email Zach Jankowski fee is $55; convention registration is Austin, Jackson HS, MO (Developing information, call (936) 588-676, head coach; Shawn Stiffler, Virginia at [email protected] $80 for “early bird” if you register Our High School Offense); Jeremy email info@TexasBaseballRanch. Commonwealth head coach; Bill or visit www.pacoachesclinic.com by Nov. 16; $100 for advance York, Memorial HS, TX (Parent com or visit online at www. Mohl, South Florida head coach; • • • registration after Nov. 16; $120 at Meeting —A Different Perspective); CoachesBootcamp.com Karl Nonemaker, Auburn assistant Clinic: 24th Annual Alabama the door. Darrin Hendrickson, St. Louis • • • coach; Eddie Smith, Tulane assistant Baseball Coaches Convention Also there are special offers Univ. (Recruiting); and a panel Clinic: West Coast Inside Baseball coach; Chris Prothro, South Alabama Date: January 17-19, 2019 with selected airlines and ground discussion on rules and old vs. new Coaches Clinic assistant coach; Jim Duffy, Rutgers Location: Birmingham Marriott transportation in Dallas for members issues concerning today’s game and Date: December 7-9, 2018 assistant coach; Chad Caillet, Hotel, Birmingham, AL attending the convention. athletes. Location: LAX Marriott, 5855 Southern Mississippi associate head Speakers: Steve Smith, Auburn; Contact: For more details and to Cost: $50 for membership dues W. Century Blvd., Los Angeles, coach; Matt Hobbs, Wake Forest Matt Deggs, Sam Houston State; register, visit www.abca.org plus $50 for pre-registration fee (by CA pitching coach; Skylar Meade, Jerry Weinstein, Colorado Rockies; • • • Nov. 20) or $75 at the door; $30 per Speakers: Jay Johnson, Arizona South Carolina pitching coach; and Keith Madison, Univ. of Kentucky; Clinic: National High School person for Friday Awards/Hall of head coach; Dan Hubbs, Southern Kainoa Correa, Cleveland Indians Matt Seymour, Faith Academy; Jerry Baseball Coaches Convention Fame Dinner California head coach; T.J. Bruce, infield coach. Boatner, West Lauderdale HS, MS; Date: November 29-December C o n t a c t : V i s i t w w w . Nevada head coach; Greg Moore, Cost: $199 per attendee or $59 Anthony DeCicco, North Alabama; 2, 2018 baseballcoaches.org to register using CS Northridge head coach; Scott for students (ID required) Tim Fanning, Glenwood School; Location: Hilton at the Ball Park, a credit card; see mail-in registration Laverty, Chapman head coach; Pat Contact: JJ Abbott at (973) Franklin Bush, Univ. of Montevallo; St. Louis, MO form in this issue; or call the office Bailey, Oregon State head coach; 921-0400 or email support 2019@ Trent Mongero, Glynn Academy, Speakers: Turtle Thomas, at (614) 718-8176. Chad Baum, CS Fullerton associate insidebaseballclinic.com GA; and a panel of coaches from the Texas Rangers (Catching Drills For • • • head coach; Noah Jackson, Cal • • • state HS championship teams. Coaches); Chan Brown, Parkview Clinic: Virginia Baseball Coaches assistant coach; Lloyd Acosta, UC Clinic: Be The Best Baseball Cost: $60 for pre-registration by HS, GA (2018 National Champions); Association’s Inaugural Clinic Davis assistant coach; Dan Ricabal, Convention Dec. 14; $70 for early registration Matt Lawson, Missouri State Date: November 29 - December Long Beach State pitching coach; Date: January 10-12, 2019 between Dec. 15-Jan. 7; on-site $75. (Developing & Executing Team 1, 2018 Sam Peraza, San Diego State pitching Location: Crowne Plaza, Cherry Must be an ALABCA member to Offense); Lance Rhodes, Univ. of L o c a t i o n : O m n i H o t e l , coach; Jason Dietrich, Oregon Hill, NJ attend the convention: $50 individual Missouri (Practice — Controlled Charlottesville, VA pitching coach; Perry Husband, Speakers: Mike Martin, Florida or $100 for school staff. Chaos); Guy Simmons, Richland Speakers: Paul Mainieri, LSU founder of Effective Velocity; and State; Jake Boss Jr., Michigan Contact: Barry Dean, ALABCA College (Hitting -The 6 Ball head coach; Brian O’Connor, Nate Trotsky, founder of Trotsky State; Nick Mingione, Univ. of executive director at (334) 676-0434 Theory); Scott Brown, Vianney HS, Virginia head coach; Tom Walker, Baseball. Kentucky; Darren Fenster, USA or email [email protected] MO (Weight Lifting-Training Your Wake Forest head coach; Shawn Cost: $199 attendee or $59 for Baseball/Boston Red Sox manager; • • • Body and Building Your Team); Stiffler, Virginia Commonwealth student (ID required) Jeremy Shettinger, ABCA College Clinic: Colorado Dugout Club Kyle McNeely, National Federation head coach; Chas Pippett, The Contact: JJ Abbott at (973) Division Liaison; Tanner Swanson, Coaches Association Clinic of High Schools; Tom Chase, Baseball Rebellion founder; Lucas 921-0400 or email support2018@ Minnesota Twins, MLB Catching Date: January 17-19, 2019 Univ. of Dayton (Middle Infield Jadin, Train 2B Clutch lead trainer; insidebaseballclinic.com Coordinator; Joel Mangrum, Location: Marriott Denver Tech Defense); Tom Conley, Harvard Todd “Parney” Parnell, Richmond • • • Cleveland Indians pitching coach; Center, 4900 S. Syracuse, Denver, Univ. (Catching); Marc Thibeault, Flying Squirrels, VP and COO; Clinic: World Baseball Coaches’ Andy McKay, Seattle Mariner CO John Carroll Univ. (Practice Jeremy Sheetinger, ABCA college Convention director of player development; Speakers: Todd Butler, Wichita Organization); Barry Koeneke, division liaison; and Tyler Wilson, Hallsville HS, MO (Before the Date: January 10-12, 2019 Darin Everson, Colorado Rockies State; Tracey Archuleta, Southern minor league hitting and bunting Indiana; Tom Austin, Methodist coordinator; Hannah Thurley, Univ.; Darren Fenster, Boston Red Philadelphia Phillies mental skills Sox; Ryan Strain, Metro State Univ; Arkansas Lands Massive Class Of 28 coach; Justin Su’a, Boston Red Sox Marc Johnson, Cherry Creek HS, Continued From Page 14 (Valley Christian H.S., San Jose, which features 9 freshmen, 3 junior mental skills coach; Matt Talarico, CO; Scott Grove, The First Academy, CA), All-State. college transfers and one 4-year Wright State infield, base running Orlando, FL; Stan Luketich, Arizona Jackson H.S., Mill Creek, WA),  RHP Jacob Burton (New college transfer. and hitting coach; and Nick White, high school coach; Ray McLennan, All-Area. Diana H.S., TX), All-State. “It is extremely talented and Coastal Carolina speed, strength and Fruita HS, Grand Junction, CO; Tory  UT Greg Fuchs (Mercer  OF Matt Goodheart (San athletic with great kids who make conditioning coach. Humphrey, Eaglecrest HS, Aurora, Island H.S., WA), All-State. Jacinto C.C.). makeup,” said Assistant Coach Cost: $129 for adults; $49 for CO; and Jeff Legault, Dakota Ridge  INF Matthew Gretler (Bonney  INF Trevor Ezell (Southeast Derek Simmons. students HS, Littleton, CO. Lake H.S., WA), League MVP. Missouri St. transfer). “We brought in power arms Contact: Visit www.bethebest. Cost: $100 includes CDCCA dues;  INF Jake Harvey (Southridge  R H P C o n n o r N o l a n d and power bats with a mix of com for registration and event $50 youth and college coaches H.S., Kennewick, WA), All-State. (Greenwood H.S., AR), All-State. athleticism.” information. Contact: Mike Letofsky  RHP Joey Mundt (Central  LHP Caden Monke (Mt. The class includes seven All- • • • at (303) 809-0132 or email Catholic H.S., Hughson, CA), All- Olive H.S., IL). Americans, including: Clinic: 48th Annual Texas HS [email protected] League.  RHP Travis Hester (College  RHP Luke Albright (Fishers Baseball Coaches Association • • •  RHP Bret Soulages (San Station H.S., TX), All-American. H.S., IN), All-American. Convention Clinic: Missouri HS Baseball Ramon Valley H.S., Alamo, CA),  OF Dillon Lifrieri (Wilton  OF Cameron Tocuhette Date: January 10-12, 2019 Coaches Clinic All-League. H.S., CT), All-State, All- (John A. Logan J.C., IL), JC All- Location: Waco, TX Date: January 18-19, 2019  LHP Andrew Walling (R.A. American. American. Speakers: John Smoltz, former Location: Capital Plaza Hotel, Long H.S., Longview, WA), All- “We landed a well-rounded class  C Sam Thompson (Bremen Hall of Fame Atlanta Braves pitcher, Jefferson City, MO League. which is more than in years past H.S., GA), All-American. will be the Hall of Fame banquet Speakers: To Be Announced with a lot of power arms,” said  OF Brant Vanaman (Hall speaker. Clinicians include Jay Cost: $60 per person 24. Arkansas Head Coach Dave Van Horn. H.S., IL), All-American. Johnson, Arizona; Mike Kazlausky, Contract: Bill Seamon at (573) The Razorbacks landed a “We lost a lot of upper classmen  LHP Ryan Kitcher (Plum H.S., Air Force Academy; Will Bolt, Texas 646-3000 or email brseamon@ massive class of 28 newcomers in the 2018 MLB draft, but we feel Pittsburgh, PA), All-American. A&M; Shaun Larkin, Los Angeles yahoo.com which includes 23 freshmen, 4 like we have filled those holes with  RHP Max Rippl (Fort Dodgers; Dana Cavalea, New • • • junior college transfers and a 4-year this year’s class, and many will be Meyers Christian H.S., FL), All- York Yankees; Katherine Roberts, If you would like your upcoming transfer. able to contribute right away.” American. Human Performance; Jonathan baseball convention/clinic to be The class includes: Arnold, Texas Rangers; Domingo listed in our Jan. 3, 2019 edition,  3B Devan Nail (Elyria H.S.,  LHP Patrick Wicklander 25. Kent St. Ayala, entertainer; Stephen Mackey, send information to Lou Pavlovich, OH), All-American. Kent State landed a class of 13 editor, at [email protected] Friday, Oct. 5, 2018 Collegiate Baseball Page 23 High School Dynamic System Utilized By Olejniczak Continued From Page 1 development. They felt like they good defense. You must have young were an important part of the pitchers who can throw strikes but three strikes. So if a pitch was in team. Kids don’t have to be there stay out of the middle of the zone. the strike zone, we wanted them when it is 90 degrees outside with “We spent a lot of time teaching attacking pitches with their swing high humidity. They can be at the our pitchers to throw with precision and being very aggressive. swimming pool. in different outer areas of the strike “Yet, we wanted them to be “If kids are out there supporting zone. We were never blessed with disciplined and not swing at pitches their team, we rewarded them. This many young people with great outside the strike zone. The word set the tone with all the kids that arms. One of our pitchers might discipline was learned by these they will only be successful if they only be able to throw 73-75 mph. young players at eight years old. In are truly a team player.” “Therefore, we wanted our order to have some predictability, Olejniczak said the community pitchers to have great command you have to learn discipline in backed the Little League program and constantly worked at that. They hitting. with great attendance day after understood the strike zone and how “Sometimes 8-year-olds were day. it could disrupt hitters with spot totally overmatched in games by “Nobody was caught up in wins pitching location. 10-year-old pitchers. There were and losses. We didn’t publish the “That was vital. Because of this, times when the 8-year-old didn’t league standings. We didn’t have we had a lot of good pitchers who even foul off a ball for the first three uniforms. We did have identity caps could move the ball around the weeks during the season. But when and T-shirts that local businesses strike zone. They could stay ahead that person did foul off a ball, we paid for so each team had a similar in the count and locate pitches. stopped the game to praise him for look. We also encouraged kids It was always my goal that our a job well done. Then he might hit not to wear shorts because sliding pitchers not only have a fastball, a ball fair a few at-bats later, and would cause injury problems.” whatever that may be, but we also we would make a point of this as Olejniczak said that when he worked hard on a down breaking well.” WINNINGEST COACHES OF ALL TIME — The top two was involved in Little League, the curve. We had a lot of success kids really got to know him which getting that pitch into the strike Incredible Teaching winningest coaches in the history of high school baseball are helped as they developed and zone and keeping batters honest.” Olejniczak said there were not a from the state of Iowa. To the left is Gene Schultz, who racked up ultimately came to Decorah High Olejniczak said that when you lot of practices because the lion’s 1,578 wins at Kee High School, while Dennis Olejniczak (right) School. have a group of strike throwers on share of instruction was done won 1,417 games at Decorah High School. “When I retired from public your pitching staff, it allows your during games. education in 1999, I also stopped defense to stay on their toes. “Here is an example. Typically road, the kids on this team typically to move on. working with Little League kids. “We told our pitchers that we the best players on a team were the performed better. We also reminded “Having a catcher who was And I didn’t know the kids as well never expect a lot of strikeouts, pitchers. He might go back on a kids that there were different ways a little bit more skilled like this who were coming into our high although we took every one we popup and catch a ball that is near to teach different fundamentals. allowed runners to be thrown out school program as I did in the past. I could get. But by constantly the second baseman. It was really What we were teaching was one which is more realistic in games.” found those kids who went through throwing strikes, it helped our 9- the second baseman’s ball. So we of the percentage ways of having Olejniczak said that 11 players our Little League program learned man defense because they were would stop the game and point this success on a situation.” were on each team, and many times a lot about baseball and were well constantly ready to make plays. out. We would explain that baseball Olejniczak said that in the they batted 1-11 so everyone got got schooled in fundamentals when “Almost every year, our pitchers is a team game. You must trust the youngest group, none of the players an opportunity to bat. they started school ball in the eighth would only walk 2.2 to 2.7 batters second baseman to handle his part were allowed to be catchers. “You will always have more grade. And that was a big asset.” per seven inning contest which I of the defenders on the field. “One of our helpers was the advanced players. But those was very pleased with.” “When teaching moments took catcher for both teams. That person players who were less skilled Pitching System Crucial Olejniczak said pitching practices place, both teams came over to had gone through our high school weren’t automatically the 10th and Olejniczak said great defense helped with command. listen and learn. Sometimes we program and knew the fundamentals 11th batters. If kids came to two was the hallmark of his teams. “In a typical bullpen, our catcher wouldn’t only verbally correct well. In typical Little League games consecutive games, they would be “I always felt skilled defenses win would move his glove around the a situation but walk through the of this age, every other ball gets assured of starting the next game. athletic contests,” said Olejniczak. situation properly. The kids were past the catcher as runners move up We wanted every kid to feel like “Good pitching is the fulcrum of See Page 24 very tolerant because games were another base. And it doesn’t serve a starter which also helped their COMMAND, stopped quite often. They knew it any function. The extra man was would be that way and listened well. now a fourth outfielder on these If that situation came up down the young teams which allowed games

Picture Catcher Bat® is the ultimate gift for all ages to hold your favorite pictures, baseball cards, recipes in the kitchen, glory day photos, concert tickets, business cards, holiday cards and major league ticket stubs. Ball Catcher Bat® is the All Star way to display your most memo- rable baseballs! Protect your autographed game day, home run, first pitch or any special ball and proudly display it at the same time. Make it a grand slam by adding an engraved name or logo! They’re the perfect gift for all ages! And, special souvenirs for players to remember a great season!

MICHAEL HAGERTY 1-774-284-1002 @PictureCatcherB Page 24 Collegiate Baseball Friday, Oct. 5, 2018 Command Training Key To Decorah Pitching Staffs Continued From Page 23 highest spot of the strike zone, we would try to throw a pitch three plate so pitchers would become inches higher out of the strike zone comfortable throwing balls at to see if he would go for it. We every possible spot that would be practice throwing to those locations productive. as well.” When fastballs are being thrown with “We tried to teach our kids Olejniczak said the first 3-4 precision at different locations, we turn that it didn’t matter if Mickey weeks of practice, all his pitchers “ Mantle was batting or not. The sole work on is fastball location. Often our attention to downward breaking focus for every pitcher was hitting times, we start working on the the catcher’s glove wherever it changeup with the fastball, and curves with our pitchers. We don’t have was placed. We really worked on some of the kids are outstanding any gimmicks when it comes to location. mentally blocking out the batter on with these two pitches as far as the other team. hitting their target. Our pitchers simply work hard at their “The kids knew who the “When fastballs are being thrown opponent’s best hitters were. with precision at different locations, craft over and over again until they Everything is on-line now with we turn our attention to downward become comfortable throwing pitches stats. breaking curves with our pitchers. “We constantly reminded our We don’t have any gimmicks when where they want. pitchers to only focus on the mitt it comes to location. Our pitchers location of the catcher. He shouldn’t simply work hard at their craft over — Dennis Olejniczak know if the batter is 5-foot-6 or and over again until they become 6-foot-6. comfortable throwing pitches “We also tried to find out what where they want. It is all about the vulnerability of a hitter was and repetition and correct mechanics pitch to those spots. For instance, which allows them to be consistent Our goal is to pitch ahead and really Olejniczak said that in high the fielder releasing the ball on a if a batter swung at pitch in the from the windup and the stretch. work the strike zone.” school baseball, you don’t have throw. many innings which batters are set “We don’t want our body” to be down 1-2-3. like a tea kettle where the spout “Therefore, pitchers must be is down either. We want our eyes able to throw precision strikes down seeing the ball. We strive to Give Your All-Star H.S. Prospect from the stretch position. So while have ‘Double D.’ We want to get we work on throwing from the full as many balls in the middle of the windup, more time is spent with body so that if a ball takes a bad Important National Exposure pitchers throwing from the stretch bounce, it will hit the fielder in TUCSON, Ariz. — Here’s position. the chest or sides of the leg which your opportunity to nominate “It is important that pitchers allows him to still pick the ball up the best high school players Nominate Your Top throw equally well from the full bare handed and possibly have a in the country, possibly one of windup and stretch.” second chance to make a play.” your star prospects. Teaching 12/6 Curve Olejniczak said he doesn’t care The nominated players will H.S. Players Today! The mechanics of throwing a that his fielders aren’t flashy in appear in a national, state-by- Fill out, scan and e-mail this form as soon as possible great curve with 12/6 downward making the ground ball play. He is state rundown of the country’s but before Dec. 7. Print or type information below. You action was vital in Olejniczak’s only concerned with getting the out, blue-chip prospects for the may use a separate sheet of paper, but please include system. especially on routine plays. 2019 season. all the information as listed here. “We asked our pitchers to put “As far as footwork, we want our The list will be compiled Full Name Of Player: finger pressure on as many seams fielders to approach balls with right in early December, and the as they could. We didn’t change foot, left foot, catch and then right High School: national rundown will be pub- the delivery point if they have foot, left foot, throw. That rhythm lished exclusively in the special City/State: had success in accuracy with the allows the fielder to receive the ball high school issue of Collegiate fastball and changeup. If a pitcher and get rid of it in the least amount Baseball dated Jan. 25, 2019. This Player Is (Check One): is more three quarter and not over of time.” Players nominated also will High Draft Pick Major College Prospect the top as much, we leave his arm Hitting Philosophy be considered for the annual path alone. Olejniczak said great vision was Collegiate Baseball pre-season Explain Your Choice (This information needed for all “With that being said, it is much the first pillar of great hitting that All-American high school team players nominated.): easier to throw a down breaking his teams focused on. for 2019. curve with an arm going over the “I would tell my hitters all the Players listed will receive top. time that it is all luck if you don’t national exposure and will be “We show pitchers how they see the ball and hit the ball. closely followed by college can snap their wrist and come as “So the No. 1 thing with hitting recruiters and pro scouts. close to the delivery arm ear as they for us was having the best stance Fill out the form, scan Name Of H.S. Coach: can, within reason, in coming over for each hitter that allowed them to it and then e-mail it to us Coach’s Phone Number: the top. At the snap of the wrist, see the ball well. It didn’t matter to before Dec. 7, 2018 to: we emphasize moving the elbow me if a player had a square stance, [email protected] Coach’s E-Mail Address: down to the midsection toward the open stance or closed stance. But Players who will participate Class Of Player (Senior, Etc.): bellybutton with a finish follow they did have to see the ball well on a U.S. high school team through. and as long as possible. That was a during the 2019 season are Primary Playing Position: “The emphasis is always keeping requirement. eligible. Secondary Playing Position: your middle and index fingers “The eyes start every good Here are the rules: on top of the ball. I found that swing. You’ve got to see the ball as 1) PRINT (or type) all infor- Throws: L R (circle one) Bats: L R S really gives pitchers the rotation long as you possibly can as you read mation legibly. necessary for great inward spin. the ball’s spin and trajectory so you 2) Provide as much back- Final 2018 H.S. Spring Varsity Offensive Statistics: As we move the elbow down to the can determine where the ball will be ground info as possible. GP BA AB RBI R H 2B 3B HR SO BB HP SB/SBA bellybutton, you also get a little cut as it enters the strike zone. 3) Also, please send a digital spin that drops the pitch down so it “If you can’t decide early if the photo of the player or players. Final 2018 H.S. Spring Varsity Pitching Statistics isn’t flat.” ball has backward spin, inward We are requesting a head and spin or pick something up about W L ERA G GS CG SV IP H BB SO Infield Defense shoulders photo with school Olejniczak said his fielders must how the pitcher releases the ball to baseball cap, if possible. It has be aggressive when going after recognize what pitch is coming, it to be a digital image. If you Other Key Information (Any highlights, honors, summer ground balls. makes hitting even more difficult. have an action photo of the stats, comments that can strengthen your nomination): “We told them not to wait for “How many times does a hitter player, supply that as well. the ball. pull his head out so he can’t see the Digital images should be “If at all possible, infielders ball properly? It sounds so basic, e-mailed to: should ‘attack the ball’ and not but I have seen so many average [email protected] rely on the arm. Obviously you hitters turn into great hitters by just 4) Please be sure to properly must have a capable arm with the seeing the ball better. identify each digital photo with position you are playing. When “Whatever stance a player is in the player’s name and school. infielders come forward, they need at the point of contact, the front foot (If statistics from previous seasons or summer team can must be down and must be driven strengthen your nomination, include on a separate sheet of to be able to get a break on the ball by seeing the best hop possible to toward the pitcher.” paper and write down all pertinent information before e-mail- Olejniczak said he likes to see ing.) make an easy play. “As we approach the ball, we try hitters align their knuckles properly in their grip. Deadline E-Mail completed and scanned form with digital to bend our knees and drop our hind “I also don’t like the bat to be image of player(s) properly identified to: end, reach out for the ball by having Date: our arms and hands out in front. straight up and down. I would prefer “We like to surround the ball and the bat be back a bit so it gives you Dec. 7 not have a steady diet of backhand as much time as possible when you [email protected] plays. If they are throwing the decide that you will commit to a ball to first base, we want their swing and square the barrel up with front shoulder and hip aligned in a straight line to the bag prior to See HUSTLE VITAL, Page 25 Friday, Oct. 5, 2018 Collegiate Baseball Page 25 Sabino High School Stripped Of Arizona Title By AIA TUCSON, Ariz. — The Arizona was reduced to a warning and now Unified School District conducted head coach at Sahuaro H.S. in Interscholastic Association stripped H.S. Notes the team is eligible to compete for an investigation into five separate Tucson, has not given a public Sabino H.S. (Tucson, AZ) of its a championship in 2019, according allegations and ultimately presented statement. 2018 3A state baseball title after a for one year and be ineligible for to multiple news reports. the findings to the AIA. According to the Arizona Daily summer-long investigation of AIA postseason play in 2019, according TUSD argued that it made District superintendant Gabriel Star, Chandler was accused in 2005 rule violations. to AIA spokesman Seth Polansky. changes to the athletic programs Trujillo stated in a news conference and 2015 for violation of AIA and In a special executive board Sabino defeated Sahuarita, 6-4 within the district that make teams that the district was able to district athletic rules and misuse meeting in August, the AIA to win its first baseball crown in more accountable with how money substantiate two of four allegations. of funds while at Sahuaro. For discussed an investigation on 21 years. The 2018 bracket will be is acquired and handled. Further, He said investigators did not find both incidences, he either served recruiting violations, coaching staff vacated, Polansky said, meaning no officials announced they have enough information to sustain the a probation, was supervised for a qualifications and misuse of funds. winner will be listed for 2018. removed all coaches involved in other two. year or was required to reimburse Afterwards, the AIA announced However, after Tucson Unified the situation from district athletics’ A fifth allegation involved a the district and not allowed to use that the team will be stripped of School District officials made an programs and they will not be student who reported bullying and a school credit card. its title, forfeit all wins from last appeal to the executive board in rehired. retaliation, but Trujillo said he In both incidences, he was season, will be placed on probation September, the one-year probation For several months the Tucson could not discuss that issue, citing allowed to continue in his job. federal student privacy laws. Anderson To Receive Honor Just prior to the AIA’s Guy Anderson will be inducted Hustle Vital In Dennis Olejniczak’s System announcement about the findings, Continued From Page 24 sprinting to a bag for a possible the sixth inning, in many cases my into the La Salle Club/Sacramento Sabino’s head coach Mark Chandler Baseball Hall of Fame October throw if an error takes place while players felt we could still win that resigned his position. the flight path of the ball. another backs him up. This game ball game. 13. The district’s investigation The class includes Major League “We emphasize two more things requires great knowledge and great “Our mindset was that we would found that Sabino violated AIA as well. Upon contact of the ball on hustle. When they come together, find a way to win it. Many of my players Larry Bowa, Greg Vaughn, rules regarding prior contact with Fernando Vina and Derrick Lee as the bat when you feel it, we want you typically have a smart team.” teams had player leadership that students in baseball clinics and hitters to turn their top hand over to well as player/agent Scott Boras, Mindset When Behind allowed them to keep a positive illegally used booster funds to pay try and get a second explosion. Or approach no matter what the score sports writer Mark McDermott and Olejniczak said one of the great for an addition coach, according former Sacramento State University if you are a little bit too high on the qualities his teams had on virtually was and what inning the game to Trujillo. The coach had been ball on contact, hopefully you get was in. Coach Cal Boyd. every team was that his players listed as an equipment manager, Anderson was head coach at overspin where the ball will pick up never felt they were out of games. “Each player, whether he was on but actually served as a coach for a little speed or a high bounce as it defense or offense, would help us Cordova HS (CA) for 45 years and “If we were behind by three runs, the team. is currently coaching at Capital takes off over an infielder. and our hitters were ready to bat in find a way to win.” Chandler, who previously was “We really work with drills on Christian HS. tees and soft toss that work on hitting balls up the middle of the diamond. We want balls hit over the pitcher’s head. We are line drive, contact hitters. During the Join The National High School past season, I know we were one of the top teams in least number of strikeouts per seven innings. “We had two or three games Baseball Coaches Association where we didn’t have a strikeout at The BCA is dedicated to the high school coach and offers an opportunity to all. We just aren’t going to be able expand your knowledge and share ideas with coaches all over the country. to drive balls out of the ballpark Membership benefits include: very often. So we want everybody to try and hit line drives up the • Regional & National coaching awards middle. We have been consistent B C A • Coaching Victory & Coaching Year awards line drive hitters and also hit a lot • Membership website directory access of doubles in the gaps.” • National Convention — great for networking & coaching knowledge Olejniczak said he is old school when it comes to teaching hitting • NHSBCA High School Baseball Hall of Fame and hasn’t taught players launch • $1 million Personal Liability coverage — free to U.S. members only angles and things of this nature. “We want to read the ball as long as possible before pulling the trigger with the swing.” “Our guys often didn’t have a BCA’s National Convention lot of power who could hit home runs. If we don’t emphasize hitting Nov. 29-Dec. 2 • Hilton at the Ball Park, St. Louis balls down a little more and line • 20 clinic presentations by pro, college & HS coaches drives, I have done a disservice to • Awards/Hall of Fame banquet our players. • Receptions & networking “If our guys have any speed • Baseball Equipment Trade Show at all, they have a chance to beat • Convention discount on hotel rooms (prior to Nov. 12) out ground balls if they aren’t hit directly to infielders. So that • All levels of coaches invited to attend is another reason to utilize this • For full schedule & info, visit www.baseballcoaches.org philosophy. Our hitters were pretty darn good at stepping right at the pitcher which allowed them to hit Membership & Convention Pre-Registration balls up the middle.” Please Type Or Print Clearly! Hustle A Must Under Olejniczak’s system, it is Name Title mandatory that all players hustle School/Organization on the off the field during practices School Address — City State Zip and games. “The game of baseball should Preferred Mailing Address — City State Zip never be used in the same sentence as School phone # Home phone # Cell phone # walking. We expect the outfielders E-mail address to get into the dugout between innings as quickly as the infielders. Additional Information You only get a certain amount of The 2019 season will be my year (total years) of coaching baseball. time between innings to get back on the field to get warmed up to In addition to coaching, I teach play defense. My total record as a Head High School Baseball Coach: Wins Losses “We did’t ask our kids to sprint out to their positions. But we also Membership Fees for 2018-19 Already Paid New Renewal $50 did’t want them to take a lazy jog. Pre-registration fee $50 prior to Nov. 20, 2018 (Fee will be $75 in St. Louis) $50 The best way I can describe it is that they fast jog out to their position Friday Awards/Hall of Fame Dinner tickets: at $30 each and back. We have always been a (Checks or money orders must be made out to NHSBCA) Total enclosed hustle team. “A lot of people call baseball Send to: BCA Registration, P.O. Box 1038, Dublin, OH 43017 • Office: (614) 718-8176 a ‘lazy man’s game’ because you Must be postmarked by November 20, 2018 stand around so much. If your players know the game on defense, everyone is moving to a specific For faster service, go to www.baseballcoaches.org and use your credit card position on any hit ball. For hotel reservations, contact Hilton at the Ball Park in St. Louis by calling 1-314-421-1776 prior to Nov. 12, 2018 for That may be an outfielder the $105 + tax BCA room rate. For more information, see www.baseballcoaches.org backing up a play or an infielder Page 26 Collegiate Baseball Friday, Oct. 5, 2018 Cheat Codes For Higher Exit Velocity Husband Explains System For Training Hitters To Belt Balls Harder By PERRY HUSBAND hole punch for a temporary target. Special To Collegiate Baseball Record each swing on video if (First Of A 2-Part Series) possible with the radar measuring exit velocity. PALMDALE, Calif. — I have If the radar is set at 10 degrees always been fascinated by hitting behind the target, it will read the things a long way. speeds most accurately. As a kid, I had many long bombs Why set the launch angle at 10 winning game 7 of the World Series degrees? with a bottom of the ninth homer That is the line that is near the that was really a rock clearing the center of the most hits in most MLB neighbor’s fence off my broom hitter launch angle reports that I handle bat. have studied. As a college player trying to You can actually set it at any figure things out, I was in search angle you prefer if you believe of hitting the baseball harder, with otherwise. marginal success in power. The test works no matter where Later as a golf professional, you place the target because I worked on my third quest of when a hitter has an exact target, crushing the ball. there will be misses regardless of As I learned how each movement placement. of the body affected the distance, I The important thing is to record often hit three jumbo buckets (about those scores and capture the swing 1,000 range balls) a night in search movements that caused them. of that feeling of ‘striping it’. Ten degrees, as we learned in the The essence of hitting a ball launch angle article, creates the best perfect was now my obsession. Perry Husband explains the science of the swing which results in more power. vertical spray pattern to maximize There are only nine possible potential for hits. ball flights, and these simple facts We could not get an exit velocity have to measure the swing output line drive. The new Smart Coach radar from of physics rule over all golf swing of a pitched ball. So we had to in some very simple tests. This is the fundamental goal of Pocket Radar, with their unique issues. improvise for measuring live What does exit velocity actually every swing analysis I have ever app, lets you use any iPhone or iPad In other words, you can watch swings. Now there is no longer that tell us about the swing? done. to sync up with radar to show the the ball flight and reverse engineer issue. You can measure virtually Having introduced this idea of How do we get the hitter to their speed on video. what the club did and eventually, everything in baseball. using swing output data to diagnose max level of exit velocity at the The Smart Coach syncs up to the what the golfer did. Does this mean we have swings to the public with the Hitting ideal launch angle for their game. radar wirelessly and records video In fact, I was not approved as a answered every question on what Is A Guess video, my thoughts were Not everyone should aim to hit continuously. After an exit velocity golf teaching professional until I swing mechanics hit the ball the that it was raw power. fly balls every at bat. registers, the video is automatically could perform all nine of these ball farthest and most often? Off the tee, with no help from We discovered in the launch angle cut into small clips for easy storage flights on demand. Not even close. the pitch, hitters can measure their article that Collegiate Baseball by speed. This took quite a while to perfect, There are still arguments in ability to create hard contact. carried several months ago that the You can seamlessly record clips but in doing so, I learned how ball every aspect of this most complex Max tee exit velocity is what magic is found in the collective, not and stop to analyze any time you flight tells volumes about the swing act of hitting a pitched baseball. the hitter produces without the just focusing on fly balls, because wish. mechanics. We still argue about mechanics additional help from the pitch. absolutely no hitter, now or ever, is Carson is a high school senior I also understood what body because the complexity of the act Average tee exit velocity is a good enough to hit all fly balls and who helped us out by testing his movements caused those different allows a lot of less than efficient metric to determine how close to eliminate groundballs. swing. ball flights. movements to have success. 100 percent the hitter can perform Instead, we want to design a He went from 82 MPH to 90 At the time, baseball did not Hitters with less than efficient at. swing that gets the hardest version MPH in tee exit velocity in three approach the swing through swing mechanics can put together This is a fantastic start that all of the groundballs and fly balls, workouts, with more room to science. a good season, and we are back to hitters should test. letting the high line drives take care increase. I never really learned to hit a square one. If your swing isn’t efficient off of themselves. I expect him to reach 95 MPH baseball until after I spent five years Golf is too precise to allow this the tee, it is highly unlikely that With that said, now we have to in the next couple of visits because teaching the golf swing. to happen, and we are only dealing it will operate efficiently with figure out which movements are his 90 MPH swing still has some I was puzzled because no one with body timing rather than both multiple pitch speeds in game causing the ball to be hit harder and energy leaks that I know he will ever explained the baseball swing pitch timing and body timing in situations. at the right trajectory. fix. as golf had done it. baseball. It is possible to have a better Let’s test it and find out. There are four scores from this simple 10 swing test. Stretch the right rubber bands in If Jack Nicholas had a major game swing than tee swing, but I Tee Exit Velocity, Target Test the body, and you immediately see inefficiency in his swing, he have found that the tee data always First, set up a target at about 1. Maximum Exit Velocity: extra yardage. simply would never have won correlates in multiple ways. 10 feet away from the tee (see This measures raw power potential Turn better and you add distance consistently. When we begin testing live below). without pitch factors so it is only with less effort. This is why some golfers pitch exit velocity, the water gets The target should be a circle two what the hitter produces on his In baseball, whoever was the play for 30 years and are still 30 muddy. feet in diameter with a one foot own. leading hitter, everyone copied handicaps. Some hitters are slower reacting circle in the center cut out. 2. Average Exit Velocity: This his swing and that was the most In baseball, a hitter can be terribly but have a great swing plane that Mount the target on a batting measures how close to 100 percent efficient swing that month. late, hit the ball at 50 percent of his stays in line with the pitch longer. cage wall. of their max the exit velocity is. This is at least one reason why max exit velocity and flare a double Others have incredible hand The bottom of the target is set at This shows the ability to repeat it has taken so long to get to the just over the first baseman to win eye coordination, allowing them the same height as the tee, about 30 swing mechanics and gives clues to bottom of the science of hitting a a game. to make contact with very suspect inches off the ground, depending on sweet spot awareness. Average exit baseball. Terribly inefficient, yet a hero mechanics. the height of the hitter. velocity is a key metric because in While I loved playing golf, that we try to copy. The truth is, there are many The top of the target represents a a game, you can only count on your teaching golf was not in my This is all ok until it comes to combinations of skills that can help 20 degree launch angle, the middle ugliest contact when the pressure blood. adding the word ‘science’ to it. hitters have success, depending on is at about 10 degrees and the is on. Off the tee, your average Eventually, I found my way There is an exact metric for every your definition of success. bottom is at 0 degrees. should be at least 90 percent of your back to baseball and immediately aspect of how well a ball is hit. For some, hitting .300 is This gives you a manual way to max. began implementing the precision We just choose to ignore that, as everything. read launch angle. 3. Line Drive Consistency of the golf swing into diagnosing long as we win the game. For others, elevate and celebrate The scoring is 1 point for every (LDC) score: This measures how close to perfect each hit was, as the baseball swing. Taking Swing’s Vital Signs at all costs. ball in the center circle and half a I know many coaches do not Before we go any further, let’s Yet others walk their way to a point for every ball hitting the target well as the timing. Early contact see how close the golf swing and take your swing’s vital signs. high on base percentage and they surrounding the cut out center. results in a ball pulled off line baseball swing actually are, but Just like a visit to your doctor or are treated as today’s non-hitting Use a simple tarp material with and late contact results in a ball hopefully this will help clear up heroes. you golf pro, the first step is to get grommets or just cut holes with a See HEAVY BALL, Page 27 some of that. a baseline set of numbers to see if For me, I want every hitter to In golf, they measure everything, your swing is healthy. reach their maximum level of swing including launch angle, attack How hard do you hit it? efficiency. angle, club head speed, club head How often do you hit it hard? That means maxing out their exit Target Setup - Tee Test direction before impact and in some How close to perfect is your velocity, at the launch angle that sophisticated test sites, such as the launch angle? increases their highest chances to Upward Angle 10 Degrees Titleist Performance Institute, they Which launch angle is best for get hits. From Ball To Target Center take measurement to a whole new your individual makeup? The key number is hard contact, level. How strong are you at the in whatever form we define it. When I began studying the moment of impact? In the Hitting Is A Guess video, baseball swing seriously, baseball How well do you repeat your we added 10 MPH to Jay Bell, a 17 had nothing close to the tools golf swing? year MLB 2 time All Star. had. How close to perfect is your We also helped Jay use hitting We had only a radar gun and timing (yes, even off the tee, timing metrics to adjust his average launch that could only measure tee exit is a thing)? angle from basically a hard hit velocity. To answer these questions, we ground ball to a harder hit high Friday, Oct. 5, 2018 Collegiate Baseball Page 27 Heavy Ball Test Gives Interesting Data On Hitters Continued From Page 26 to be absorbed. Locking out the right things at pushed away from the center, left impact and maximizing the speeds or right. Launch angle is a vertical going into contact lessens how metric that tells the trajectory with much energy loss happens. the misses either below center or It is this combo of max speed and above. Your LDC score should be minimum absorption that causes at .400 or higher. increases. 4. Launch Angle Score: Add Some experts tell us that the up all the launch angles, measured hands are too far away from the by most video analysis programs sweet spot to have an affect on exit or use a 10 degree line as we have velocity. in the background. This line helps While I have not read the study, I WATCH THE HIP ACTION — Bryce Harper has his front hip fully loaded, or turned in, with the first us estimate quickly the pitch angle will assure you that if you have ever photo. Then his hip opens with little violence in the second photo, his lead arm stretched, which coming in as well as the launch slightly missed the sweet spot with in turn stretches the abs. In the third photo, the lead arm is completely locked out at impact and angle going out. Not perfect without a wood bat on a cold night, your well before. He is at, or close to, max power levels. A full explanation is in the story. a measurement of the video analysis hands will tell you another story software or sophisticated high end and so will the radar gun. feet. It takes about 90 MPH to leave want to swing about a six inch measuring devices, but remember This test is about measuring how Bryce Harper hit this ball (bottom the yard, and that has to be the very bat? what the goal is, low tech lab with strong hitters are at impact. of page) 481 feet, his longest home beginning level that you seek. If bringing everything in closer high tech interpretations of what the When this score is less than 60 run to date. During my training days with to the body speeds things up so data really means. You can interpret percent for youth players with this While most don’t understand amateur hitters before discovering much, the shorter the bat, the faster launch angle average as you see fit. 1-pound ball, it is an indicator that this concept, it does not change effective velocity, we routinely had the bat. Personally, I want to get somewhere they will have exit velocity about the fact that when hitters hit their high school hitters in the mid 90’s According to experts, bat speed in the 10 to 20 degree range. But I the same in live pitch tests as they biggest bombs, they lock out the and always some at 100 MPH. is everything. I, however disagree. realize an average of 9 degrees can do off the tee or a slight increase, lead arm. Many of those reached that level It is one thing of many that produce a lot of balls in play with which was the case with Kanon. Again, don’t take my word for with a wood bat, off the tee. creates the very complex movement a chance to be hit. Everyone will With more force at impact, they it. I won’t argue with you. All you Exit velocity is a precise formula that is a baseball swing. miss below and above center. We will ‘absorb’ more energy and have to do is actually test it. of efficient movements. Bryce Harper’s lead arm (photo can only control it to a degree and lose exit velocity with live BP and Bryce Harper with his front hip Not every player will reach the 3 above) is completely locked out only when we embrace both up and especially game speed pitches. fully loaded or turned in (photo 1 mid 90’s, but I believe that every at impact and well before. down misses. It is common to have game above) and the hands in a neutral good athlete should be at least at 90 All the rubber bands have That is a lot of baseline swing exit velocities lower than the tee. position, ready to stretch back or MPH off the tee as an upper level released the energy at or close to data with one simple test. The target However, this should never be the at least stay there while the front high school athlete. max levels. score and the average exit velocity case. hip opens up moving away from You won’t do it by using an ice will help to keep hitters from over Players hitting a heavier ball the hands. skater and a boxer as an example of NEXT ISSUE: Perry Husband swinging just to get a high max exit will figure out a way to get the ball Whatever your belief of how how to swing a bat at a ball. explains the difference between velocity. to jump off the bat faster to some that happens, the result is a ‘stretch’ We experimented with a junior pulling the bat into action and degree. Heavy Ball Test of the front hip, lead arm, abs and college team for three weeks. pushing it and why this is vital for Using the same set up, replace The right analysis of the eventually there is a tremendous We started with one hitter at 100 faster ball exit speeds. Plus he the regular baseball with a ‘Heavy inefficient movements will help amount of stored energy in the MPH and ended with 10 hitters in delves into Heavy Ball Training, Ball’. Stronger high school and make sure the player reaches their wrists as long as the lead arm stays that club. why hitting is about how well you collegiate hitters can use a fully max levels. locked out. This speaks to making better miss hit the ball far more than inflated basketball (about 29 oz) or Kanon’s lead arm is ‘stretched’ When the lead arm bends, the movements, not getting stronger in it is about perfect contact and the new heavy ball on the market which leads to the abs stretching. stored energy lessens. three weeks. how to perform live BP tests and from Aquabag. His hip opens and the separation As the front hip opens with a If the ice skater science actually what they show. of the shoulders or the X factor little violence (photo 2 above), his applied to the swing, wouldn’t we from the golf world, and somewhat lead arm is stretched, which in turn similar to Bryce Harper’s swing stretches the abs. examples below and above. Notice that the shoulders are This elastic energy pulls the bat still closed, creating the X Factor into action rather than the bent lead in golf. arm pushing the bat as the primary The hips opening stretches the source for power. abs and lead arm. On Deck... Locked & Loaded This in turn creates tension in If you have been told to swing the wrists or the fulcrum of the two like a boxer punching, you are levers that are his ‘locked out lead Collegiate Baseball’s most likely pushing the bat into arm’ and the bat. action and are very likely losing When the lead arm bends, the 2019 College Preview exit velocity. tension in all the rubber bands is When efficient, the big muscles less because he now has three levels January 4, 2019 pull the bat into action and then the and two fulcrums in his machine. push finishes it off, like long drivers The energy is dispersed to both • Collegiate Baseball’s exclusive look at all the top in golf. I know the hitting world is fulcrums and the bat lag angle is teams for 2019 in each college division. USING HEAVY BALL — This lost to some degree. test measures how strong hitters afraid of the ‘barred’ lead arm. • Every NCAA Div. I conference race explored along But the simple fact is that The closer the hands are pulled are at impact. This youth player in toward the body, the worse the with elite players in each league. We project the utilizes a 1-pound ball. movement is far more efficient than bending the lead arm and trying to bat lag angle tends to be. Pitchers & Players of The Year in each conference. The Aqua Ball is the official Ev extend through impact. If you have been told by your • Pre-Season NCAA Div. I All-Americans. Lab testing ball. The result is producing higher coach to bring your hands in to • In-depth look at No. 1 team in USA and the top 40 It is extremely tough and jumps exit velocity and much more speed up the bat, like the ice skater NCAA Div. I teams across the nation. off the bat similar to the basketball consistent contact when the lead spinning in a circle with all her when hit correctly. body parts drawn in close for speed, • Draft preview for 2019 baseball season. arm is locked some time before • Plus the pre-season polls and rundown of top teams Many heavy balls have a squishy impact. you are very likely losing a great feel off the bat and are hard to The 40 farthest bombs in 2016, deal of exit velocity. and players in ALL other divisions — NCAA Div. accurately measure. all but one featured a locked out Big bombs always include 2, 3, NAIA, NJCAA, California & Northwest JCs. Kanon (above) is a youth hitter lead arm before impact. stretching these rubber bands in who took part in a test to show what These were home runs over 470 this way. effect the heavy ball testing has for While hitters sometimes bring analyzing the swing. their hands in and leave the yard, ...In The Hole His swing line does not match there is always a loss of exit the launch angle. So there will be a velocity. loss in exit velocity. Even with the MLB hitters are very strong. This Collegiate Baseball’s line drive flight off the bat, it will does not mean they are perfectly have top spin which changes the efficient because they hit a home Baseball Technology & flight characteristic. run 380 feet, not when their max is Initially, Kanon maxed out at 481 feet, which is about 79 percent National H.S. Preview Issue 32 MPH of exit velocity with the of their max. heavy ball, about 56 percent of his Not that it isn’t impressive, it is January 25, 2019 max tee exit velocity. Hitters at simply not the swing I want to hold • See the Top New Products awarded Best Of Show his level should be at about 60-65 up as the model for an 80 lb. youth percent of their max off the tee, player to call efficient. at the 2019 ABCA Convention and Trade Show. • H.S. Pre-Season All-Americans for 2019. depending on their strength level. Don’t Settle For Less He went from 32 MPH in his Settling for less than maximum • Pre-Season Top 30 H.S. Teams in the USA. initial test, or 56 percent of his as a model is criminal to the youth maximum tee exit velocity, to 40 players. MPH or about 68 percent of his max INTERESTNG FINDING — If you are a high school or Subscribe Today! exit velocity in a few workouts. Bryce Harper locks out the collegiate hitter in the 70’s or 80’s There were less places in the lead arm which gives him in tee exit velocity, you have some www.baseballnews.com body for the energy from contact more power. immediate testing to do. Page 28 Collegiate Baseball Friday, Oct. 5, 2018 Collegiate Baseball A Valuable Coaching Resource For 61 years, Collegiate Baseball has offered baseball coaches at all levels valuable coaching knowledge from top coaches in the game, new product and technology information, discussions on news items that affect you as a coach and more. This is in addition to our national polls and in-depth human interest stories about coaches and players. Collegiate Baseball is the ONLY place you will find national coverage of NCAA Div. I, Div. 2, Div. 3, NAIA, junior colleges and high schools in one publication from pre-season to post- season championships. Get ALL 14 informative issues each year by subscribing today!

Subscribe Any Time Day Or Night Go to our web site www.baseballnews.com and click SUBSCRIBE on the menu bar.

Collegiate Baseball News Subscription Form Individual Subscriptions: Name $28 for one year (14 issues) Print Edition Company/School $48 for two years (28 issues) Print Edition Address $25 for one year (14 issues) City State Country (Electronic version of newspaper) Bonus Rate Team Subscriptions: Zip E-Mail (All papers must go to same address): Payment Method: Credit Card Options Check enclosed (payable to Collegiate Baseball) Call (520) 623-4530 M-F Coaches’ Bundle — 4 copies each issue $56 Money Order (payable to Collegiate Baseball) 8 a.m.- 4 p.m. (MT) or 11 papers each issue — $110 (Save $198) Credit Card FAX to: (520) 624-5501 21 papers each issue — $189 (Save $399) Charge My: Mastercard VISA Discover American Express Credit Card # Mail Orders To: Collegiate Baseball Expiration Date Security Code P.O. Box 50566 Signature (if paying by credit card) Tucson, AZ 85703 Daytime Phone Number: With A 1-Year Subscription To Collegiate Baseball, you receive one FREE E-Book below. Check one from the four E-Books that are offered: SECRETS OF PLAYING THE OUTFIELD (NEW!): In-depth teaching system utilized by the best outfield coach in history, Sam Suplizio. He worked in pro baseball for nearly 50 years, and his thoughts on teaching outfield play are carried in this special e-book. Learn all of Sam’s tricks of the trade in this 20-page publication which covers every type of scenario an outfielder will face. SECRETS OF PITCHING: The greatest pickoff move ever devised from Mike Maack, mastering command with pitching legend Orel Hershiser, why sniper focus is crucial in pitching, why resilience is a must with Ken Ravizza, velocity improvement strategies with Ron Wolforth, effective velocity and secrets of deception with Perry Husband, video analysis plus much more. SECRETS OF GREAT HITTERS: Philadelphia Philliess’ Hitting Coach John Mallee taps into wealth of data which vividly shows how hitters are most efficient in launch angles for production. Pete Lauritson utilizes unique program that produces 18 mph exit speed gains. Tulane skipper Travis Jewett delves into how he produced so many great hitters over the years. SECRETS OF AMAZING INFIELD PLAY: Nevada Head Coach T.J. Bruce delves into a number of drills that will make every player better. Special instruction is given on how to work with third basemen so they can field bunts with throws that are perfect to first base. Friday, Oct. 5, 2018 Collegiate Baseball Page 29 Dill Uncovers Treasure Of Data During Cape Season By ART ARNOLD their guys call their own game. So push a ball past hitters as they had saw that his swings to miss ratio Special To Collegiate Baseball we focused on seeing if there was a earlier. was lower than he thought. pattern developing where a pitcher Their questions of velocity drop So, despite his perception of a BREWSTER, Mass. — Chip was becoming predictable in what came up but most most had not lost good outing, the reality was that Dill returned this summer as the pitch type he was most likely to any velocity, prompting them to try he wasn’t missing many bats. It pitching coach for the Brewster throw at any point in the count. and figure out why they weren’t all worked out on that day. But Whitecaps in the Cape Cod Baseball In many cases, we could see getting strikeouts anymore. This his focus going forward shifted League. a pitch pattern developing, and may have been their first experience to trying to keep batters more off He charted in detail all 44 games we would work on varying his in what the next level will be like balance. as well as the Whitecaps post- selection. Unless a guy has a as they progress up the ladder. Pitch Another pitcher saw that his season games using the FastChart knock-out pitch that most batters choice and placement now meant first pitch strike percentage was system. can’t hit, even if they know it’s more to them than ever before. consistently low despite having a After each game, the data coming, making sure that your pitch The changes and adjustments couple of great outings. He also collected was shared with his selection is not predictable is very that were made on both sides realized that within an 80-pitch pitchers to review their performance. important. of the plate are most likely why count maximum for each outing, Pitch selection, location, velocity And the only way to do that is to Cape Cod League players excel he was only getting to the fourth and results for each pitch were study the pitch tendencies player by during their next season in college. inning. captured and analyzed as interesting player, game by game. Whether a player makes the all- This gave him something tangible insight emerged. CHIP DILL From a scouting perspective, we star team or not, it’s easy to say and “actionable” to focus on — ART ARNOLD: What was throwing pitches out of the zone were able to discuss the opponent’s the Cape experience creates better getting ahead in the count early. For your experience like in the Cape in certain counts could potentially hitters prior to a start. Creating a competitors. this player, we tracked two specific Cod League? help him get outs since hitters knew plan of attack and knowing who AA: What about a guy who had data points, 1-1 challenge, and on CHIP DILL: This as my second he would be around the plate. He was or wasn’t an aggressive hitter what he thought was a great outing. or out in 4 pitches. Moving ahead time around coaching for the began to change his focus in games and who covered the plate well was How did he benefit from your post- to his junior year, he could become Whitecaps. During the past summer, and in his bullpens. Practicing vital. In the latter part of the season, game analysis? an outstanding prospect if he can I was committed to gathering as throwing pitches off the plate was it became apparent that hitters were CD: That’s a very good question. control those two factors. much data as I could about our never in his regimen. beginning to adjust. No matter how good one outing Chip Dill is the founder pitcher’s performances so that I AA: What were some of your The swing and miss percentages may be, the goal is always on how of FastChart Sports, a digital could help them to better understand other observations relative to the began to drop and batters were able to sustain that performance over player development and scouting their tendencies and work on those data you captured? to foul pitches off until they got a time and how to take it to the next tool for baseball and softball areas needing improvement. The CD: Another area where our pitch to handle. This was another level. coaches at all levels. For more results were a bit surprising to me. pitchers benefited was in tracking learning curve that pitchers had to One of my SEC guys was coming information, contact him at chip@ AA: Tell me what surprised their pitch tendencies. Most of the overcome. A few pitchers with high off an excellent outing. After the fastchartsports.com or go to www. you? teams in the Cape Cod League let velocities felt as if they couldn’t game we looked at his numbers and fastchartsports.com CD: In discussing the data from their performances with my pitchers, it became obvious early on that in many cases they were not used to seeing data of their The Case Against Weighted Balls? performance on a detailed level. CuttingEdge Most said they just reviewed the New Facts For Coaches In 2018 By COACH RON WOLFORTH data available in the box scores. he baseball world is like the rest of Texas Baseball Ranch® We captured every aspect of the world. Trends come and go. In each outing from the usual location 2018, weighted balls are a trend, and hat if all baseballs are T weighted, for example, and and velocity perspective, but we they’re in vogue. also broke down each pitch by You can find pitching coaches using them Wit’s simply a matter of outcome. For example, we charted in every corner of the U.S. and Canada…as using the right weights in the right the percentage of ground balls to fly well as such far-flung places as Italy, the sequence? balls, swings and misses and first Netherlands and Australia. That’s just one of dozens of uncon- pitch strike percentages. Weighted ball programs often come with ventional training secrets revealed in Regardless of the number of promises of fantastic jumps in velocity. But this new report. hits given up or the results on the it wasn’t always this way. Don’t make another decision about score board, a pitcher would have a In 1993, I started my first instructional weighted balls until you get your Free certain perception of his outing that academy in Langley, British Columbia, copy. didn’t always match the reality of Canada. For the next 10 years or so, weight- Here’s a small sample of what you’ll his performance. ed balls were decidedly out of fashion. discover in this report: AA: Give specific examples? Baseball “experts” were almost unani- How to thread the needle between CD: It’s no secret that every mously against the use of anything other velocity and arm health (yes, both are batter in the Cape League is an than a regulation baseball for throwing. Ron Wolforth is founder of the possible.) offensive threat to some degree at They thought it was reckless and put play- ® their respective schools or will be ers at a greater risk of injury. Texas Baseball Ranch . His pitching Weighted balls as arm care tool, next year. A pitcher must learn to clients include Justin Verlander and performance maximizer, or both? Triumph Or Tragedy? others. He consults for several MLB understand the concept of making But now, in 2018, weighted ball velocity Surprising facts. the right pitch at the right time no teams and dozens of NCAA teams enhancement programs are common. You’ll on pitching and arm health. How an engineer from track & field matter the result. find them on-line, in high schools and col- At this level and beyond, that’s found a way to add velocity to almost leges, and in instructional academies. That’s New Facts For Coaches any arm, safely and predictably. really all any pitcher can expect to a big change in the training culture in only How can you take advantage of the achieve. So, I worked with them to 25 years. A triumph, right? promises that weighted balls offer, while What former MLB pitcher, Mike try to take the result out of the pitch Not so fast. doing everything possible to preserve the Marshall teaches about deceleration and redefine what “success” means We’ve obviously come a long way in health of the pitchers that you’re respon- that’s vital for any weighted ball regi- by breaking down the details of an reducing our irrational fear of weighted sible for? men. outing. Even with all the success That’s the key question addressed by a balls as a tool. Why weighted balls can be a these young pitchers have achieved, new report, The Case Against Weighted That’s good. But hardly a week goes by distraction from root causes of injury. they struggle with this concept. Balls? New Facts For Coaches In 2018. that we don’t get a panicked phone call And how to avoid it . For example, a Big 12 pitcher from a parent that goes like this: Privately published and not available for was surprised to see that on a day “Our son’s coach put him on a weighted sale, the report is based on more than 25 What Olympic runners know about where he thought he was getting ball program…now he’s hurt and may need years of coaching experience and the latest mechanical efficiency that can create squared up regularly, in fact his surgery. We heard you guys are the ‘weight- medical research. stronger, more durable pitching arms. ground ball percentage was higher ed ball and arm health’ people. What can than he thought and that his strikes- “Strange” Secrets Why it’s essential to start with the we do?” What if many of the critical things to-balls ratio was much higher And that’s a tragedy. For many pitchers, pain before you can safely increase than he thought it was. I had to you’ve been told about weighted balls were velocity. weighted balls are their first real attempt at wrong? constantly remind the staff that improving their ability to throw. good hitters will hit good pitches. Yet, a one-size-fits-all program can be a But throwing strikes, getting dangerous shortcut and lead to devastating ahead in the count and getting those injuries. hitters to hit ground balls generally GET YOUR FREE REPORT NOW! translates into a successful outing. Early contact keeps the pitch Readers of Collegiate Baseball count down allowing pitchers to stay in a rhythm longer. This can are entitled to a Free copy of this help the team from a defensive perspective but also allows the new report, while supplies last. offense to get rolling. Texas Baseball Ranch® For one pitcher from the SEC, 5451 Honea-Egypt Road the opposite was occurring. His Montgomery, Tx 77316 Go to this website: strike percentage was very high (78 Phone: (936) 588-6762 percent) and he was struggling with Fax: (281) 298-7391 www.TexasBaseballRanch.com/baseball getting outs. Email: [email protected] We discussed how purposely Page 30 Collegiate Baseball Friday, Oct. 5, 2018 Game Speed Practice Can Help Teams Improve By LOU PAVLOVICH, JR. simulate what games will be like. Editor/Collegiate Baseball “The same thing is true with scrimmage games. You try to BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — simulate situations in a game. When Practicing at game speed has been a guy makes a play in a ball game, an integral part of Ron Polk’s Hall you want him to feel good about If you don’t go full speed in practice of Fame coaching career. himself because he has made that and then go all out in a game, you The former Mississippi same play over and over again at “ State baseball head coach is the game speed in practices. will have a hard time adjusting to real winningest coach in any sport in “Where coaches run into a the history of the Southeastern problem is where a player don’t game conditions. We try to simulate Conference. feel comfortable because he says He enters his 10th season as to himself, ‘I have done it a couple bunt defenses, double steal defenses Alabama Birmingham’s volunteer of times but don’t feel confident assistant coach. because I haven’t done it over and and pickoff plays. We have our own Polk retired from Mississippi over again.’ Baseball is a game of signal system which all the players go State in 2008, following his 29th repetition. season at the school. He currently “The other thing is that we try through. ranks 14th all-time in NCAA to practice things which happen coaching victories with 1,373. over and over again in games. You — Ron Polk “The basic concept of game can spend time on things that don’t speed practice is something that happen often, but not as much as everyone should do in all sports,” the normal plays you see all the said Polk. time. The things we work on all the time are bunt defenses, fly “And that is to have your along with our sports information I tell our guys to simply run. If we balls, communication on popups, practices structured like you play in guy, weight training guy, all are having our players run from ground ball communication with a game and practice at game speed. coaches, managers. One is posted the outfield, it is sign recognition Polk’s Playbook When players get physically and balls in the 6-hole and 4-hole, BIRMINGHAM, Ala.” — The in the locker room and another sprints. Because of what the cutoffs, relays, tandem double cuts, mentally tired, you stop whether it in the dugout and one outside the NCAA has done with our practice best book ever written on coaching players who go to the wall, picking be playing defense, hitting or any coliseum so players can see the limitations, we make every minute baseball was put together by Ron up ground balls. other aspect of the game. schedule in the morning. I also have count from an organizational point Polk many years ago called the “Other areas include fly balls “That is why we only allow our one posted at the academic center. of view. Baseball Playbook. over a shoulder or the do or die play hitters to take six or seven cuts at “I personally put these up as I “Every second has to be valuable It which features 520 pages on the infield. Spend a lot of time on a time in any station. In a game, come into the office in the morning. to coaches and players. Even in of instruction and costs $30. Go the basic, routine plays rather than you won’t have 25 cuts in a row From that point, the coaching staff scrimmage games, we force batters to the following web site: www. spending a lot of time on rundowns unless you foul off a lot of pitches. visits in the morning and goes over to run everything out. We force thebaseballplaybook.com for more and backhand plays in the hole by We give them breaks. We tell them the practice plan so all coaches are runners to look in on steals and information. the shortstop which will happen when you get tired, stop. If you are on the same page. force them to work on leads. once a year as he gets the guy out going full speed, you will be better “I don’t want to interrupt practice “There is nothing revolutionary prepared. It doesn’t matter what at first base.” Practicing With Penalties for the purpose of coaches talking to about these concepts. But I have Polk said another incentive for hitting station the player is at. We Polk said during the season, each other. I have a rule in practice heard so many instances of kids excellence is penalty rounds with want every hitter to wear a helmet practices are a rarity. where coaches do not talk to other taking 50 ground balls in a row and his players. every time he hits in any fashion as “During the season, practice time coaches. You only talk to players. 100 cuts with their bats. After the “If one player doesn’t get the well. If he doesn’t, it is not the same is so limited that you hope you have I feel it is not necessary to discuss sixth or seventh cut, physical and ball on the ground on a hit and run, as in a game. done so much in the fall and early how you do this or that during this mental fatigue sets in. possibly that player won’t hit for “The same thing goes for defense. winter that the repetition carries important time.” “Often times boys don’t do the rest of the round or his entire Each player will only get five or through for the next few months of Polk said he also gives his players what they would normally do in a group might not be allowed to hit six ground balls in one sequence. the season. homework assignments. game. Our premise is to practice for that round. Baseball is a game played in spurts. “Sometimes it doesn’t. That is “Each player is given two things that will carry over into ball “It’s amazing how focused So we practice in spurts just like a why some college teams struggle playbooks. One is the Baseball games. players become when penalties are game. with certain plays later in the spring Playbook which I publish and is “In hitting, we never have one attached. “If you don’t go full speed in rather than early because they available to any coach or player bunt and six cuts. Everything is “When we sacrifice bunt in practice and then go all out in a haven’t practiced enough times.” across the nation interested in situational hitting. We might have practice, we might say one sacrifice game, you will have a hard time Night Before Practices buying it. I also have a school a runner at second and nobody bunt, then three up the middle or adjusting to real game conditions. Polk, who is a Hall of Fame Playbook which has all our signals out. There might be a 4-hole open. opposite field, two hit and runs, one “We try to simulate bunt coach from the American Baseball in it. There might be a hit and run or run and hit and one 2-strike swing. defenses, double steal defenses Coaches Association, said he spends “Anything we do in practice, bunt and hit, runner at third with If you don’t get the bunt down, we and pickoff plays. We have our approximately an hour determining we try to incorporate into what we infielders in with one out or no might take three cuts or the rest of own signal system which all the what the practice schedule will be actually do in a game. We want to outs, infield back with one out or the round away from that player as players go through. We have a wipe for the next day. use our complete signal system.” no outs, etc. We do everything we a penalty.” off signal. If we are going through “If it is a scrimmage practice, I can to not only take batting practice Polk said he has another incentive bunt defenses and double steal Pays Off Big In Games might not need that much time,” but understand what they do when in his coaching philosophy that defenses, I will locate myself in the Polk said having his team work said Polk. the game occurs. allows for great hustle in his dugout just like in a ball game. We at game speed in practices has “Then I type it up and post it “We have an up the middle and players. try to have runners on base. We try paid big dividends throughout his everywhere so the kids can see what opposite field round of batting “In scrimmage games during the to make everything in practice as coaching career. we will be doing in practice that day practice first to get the timing down. fall, I keep track of players who game like as we can. “We don’t practice inside the and there won’t be any surprises Then we allow batters to turn on the aren’t hustling all the time and “You obviously won’t have park home runs. We don’t tell the during the day unless rain hits. I ball a little bit. When the batter hits going full speed. They might not be umpires out there or have game guys to run 10 miles. All our base generally run off 20 copies of the the ball, we work on him getting going after fly balls hard or don’t uniforms on and you don’t have big running is done on the bases. Our schedule. All the trainers get them out of the box with a great sprint. run hard to first base on a base on crowds in the stands. But you try to conditioning is never done where We work on turns and read plays at balls or a hit by pitch. second and third.” “I keep track of everybody who Statement Of Ownership, Management, And Circulation Polk said one thing his teams 1. Publication Title: Collegiate Baseball nonprofit organization, give its name and address.): Through the USPS (e.g. First-Class Mail®): 124, didn’t meet the hustle requirement. Newspaper. Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Inc., 2515 N. Stone 45. C. Total Paid Distribution (Sum of 15b, (1), don’t do is utilize base running And after the game, anybody who 2. Publication Number 0530-9751. 3. Filing Ave., Tucson, AZ 85705; Louis F. Pavlovich Jr., (2), (3), and (4): 3,774, 2,179. during batting practice prior to did not hustle 100 percent will date: 9-17-18. 2770 W. Calle de Dalias, Tucson, AZ 85745. D. Free or Nominal Rate Distribution (By 4. Issue Frequency: Semi-monthly - January- 11. Known Bondholders, Mortgagees, and Mail and Outside the Mail) (1) Free or Nominal games. stand by me and watch as everyone May; Monthly - June, July, September & Other Security Holders Owning or Holding 1 Rate Outside-County Copies included on PS Form “Just about everybody else does else runs a triple from home plate October. Percent or More of Total Amount of Bonds, 3541: 733, 75; (2) Free or Nominal Rate In-County this but us. The reason we don’t is to third. 5. Number of Issues Published Annually: 14. Mortgages, or Other Securities. If none, check Copies Included on PS Form 3541: 0, 0; 6. Annual Subscription Price: $28. box: None (3) Free or Nominal Rate Copies Mailed at because I’ve never seen a ball club “Prior to the team running the 7. Complete Mailing Address of Known 12. Tax Status (For completion by nonprofit Other Classes Through the USPS (e.g. First-Class yet that was doing it full speed. triple, I tell the player or players Office of Publication (not printer) (Street, city, organizations authorized to mail at nonprofit rates). Mail): 49, 6. And unless the base running is county, state and Zip+4®): 2515 N. Stone Ave., The purpose, function, and nonprofit status of this (4) Free or Nominal Rate Distribution Outside who didn’t hustle that we like them Tucson, Pima County, Arizona 85705-4530. organization and the exempt status for federal the Mail (Carriers or other means): 461, 400. E. being done at full speed, you are every bit as much as before. We just Contact Person: Diane Pavlovich. Telephone: income tax purposes: Not Applicable. Total Free or Nominal Rate Distribution (Sum of just deceiving yourself that you didn’t like what they did this time. (520) 623-4530. 13. Publication Title: Collegiate Baseball 15d (1), (2), (3) and (4): 1,243, 481. 8. Complete Mailing Address of Headquarters Newspaper. F. Total Distribution (Sum of 15c and 15e): are working on something that will “Running from home to third or General Business Office of Publisher (not 14. Issue Date for Circulation Data Below: 5,017, 2,660. carry over into a ball game. doesn’t seem like much. But if printer); 2515 N. Stone Ave., Tucson, Pima County, September 1, 2018. G. Copies Not Distributed (See Instructions to “You watch pro players run the seven or eight guys don’t hustle, it Arizona, 85705-4530. 15. Extent and Nature of Circulation: Average Publishers #4 (page #3): 1,126, 340. H. Total (Sum 9. Full Names and Complete Mailing Addresses No. of Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 of 15f and g): 6,143, 3,000. I. Percent Paid (15c bases prior to a game in batting can get pretty tough running triples of Publisher, Editor, and Managing Editor (Do not Months; No. Copies of Single Issue Published divided by 15f times 100): 75.22%, 81.91%. practice, and it’s a joke. You watch that many times.” leave blank): Publisher: Louis F. Pavlovich Jr., Nearest to Filing Date: A. Total Number of 16. Electronic Copy Circulation. Not college kids, and they run the bases 2770 W. Calle de Dalias, Tucson, AZ 85745; Copies (Net press run): 6,143; 3,000. B. Paid applicable. Special Pitching Counts Editor: Louis F. Pavlovich Jr., 2770 W. Calle de Circulation (By Mail and Outside the Mail) (1) 17. Publication of Statement of Ownership: If at much slower speed than game Polk says another aspect of his Dalias, Tucson, AZ 85745; Managing Editor: Mailed Outside-County Paid Subscriptions Stated the publication is a general publication, publication speed. When they get to third and a coaching philosophy is to create None. on PS Form 3541 (Include paid distribution above of this statement is required. Will be printed in the ball is hit, they lead off and go back 10. Owner (Do not leave blank. If the nominal rate, advertiser’s proof copies, and October 5, 2018 issue of this publication. a lot of base running, defense, publication is owned by a corporation, give the exchange copies): 3,639; 2,122. 18. Signature and Title of Editor, Publisher, to the bag to simulate a tag up. But name and address of the corporation immediately (2) Mailed In-County Paid Subscriptions Business Manager, or Owner: Diane Pavlovich, hitting and different pitch counts on they always go back at less than hitters so practice doesn’t become followed by the names and addresses of all Stated on PS Form 3541 (Include paid distribution Business Manager, 9-17-18. full speed. So I never want them to stockholders owning or holding 1 percent or above nominal rate, advertiser’s proof copies, and I certify that all information furnished on this boring. more of the total amount of stock. If not owned exchange copies): 11, 12; form is true and complete. I understand that anyone do something in practice unless it “We may have an 0-2 count by a corporation, give the names and addresses of (3) Paid Distribution Outside the Mails who furnishes false or misleading information on is game speed. the individual owners. If owned by a partnership Including Sales Through Dealers and Carriers, this form or who omits material or information for two innings and then the same or other unincorporated firm, give its name Street Vendors, Counter Sales, and Other Paid requested on the form may be subject to criminal “If they are not healthy, we don’t pitcher gets a 3-1 count for two and address as well as those of each individual Distribution Outside USPS®: 0,0. sanctions (including fines and imprisonment) and/ want them to practice unless they innings. owner. If the publication is published by a (4) Paid Distribution by Other Classes of Mail or civil sanctions (including civil penalties). are 100 percent full speed ahead.” Friday, Oct. 5, 2018 Collegiate Baseball Page 31 ‘Animal Instinct’ Crucial For Game’s Top Hitters LOS ANGELES — The best “Many times, the second “Fourth, tell the player to drive hitters in baseball have one common baseman will decide against the the ball to the opposite side.” characteristic, says Ben Hines, one throw to second and will throw the Hines talked about athletes of the top hitting coaches of all ball to first instead. with poor eyes and whether time who coached with the Los “Another reason we hit to the glasses or contact lenses are more Angeles Dodgers, Arizona State right side with runners on is because advantageous. and La Verne. statistics reveal that double plays of “Glasses are a definite It’s called animal instinct. the 6-4-3 variety outnumber 4-6-3 disadvantage at night,” Hines said. “Let’s face it,” explains Hines. double plays by two to one. “Our players use soft contact lenses “The area from a pitcher’s mound “And with the run-and-hit or hit- during the day and night games. to home plate is a 60-foot, 6-inch and-run on, if the ball goes through “At night, glasses tend to have a war zone. the hole between first and second, glare that might distract the player “To be a successful hitter, the the runner can usually make it when hitting or playing the field. batter must convert his sensory easily into third base.” Soft contact lenses seem to work abilities into sudden animal Hines said the philosophy of better.” action. hitting to the opposite side during Hitting is a science to Hines, who “The bat will take care of itself. games and practice has reduced ironically was less than successful The batter must be totally visual slumps. in his brief pro career. – he must SEE the ball.” However, when the eventual He hit over .300 only once in “But if the batter somehow slump does occur, he gives this three years in the lower minor becomes mechanical, or starts to advice: leagues. think while at bat, the results will “First, ask the hitter to concentrate That’s probably why he read be self-defeating and the swing will and see the throws from the pitcher everything he could find on the become retarded,” Hines said. as much as possible. Let him track subject of hitting – and became a “Humans experience what I call Hitting guru Ben Hines gives a hitting clinic. the ball from the mound to the noted authority on hitting. a tripod reaction: thought, stimulus right side of the infield with runners second base for the possible double catcher. “I played 100 pro games one and then response. on base is valuable, also. play or force out. “Second, players should bunt to summer,” Hines said, “and the “These sensory abilities must “With a runner on first base, we “By hitting to the right side of the the opposite side. This forces the total sum of my instruction from a be converted by the hitter into an like to hit the ball to the right side infield with a runner on first base, eyes to lock in on the hitting area. manager who had been in the big animal reaction.” of the infield. the runner can also cause a depth This helps the batter get back his leagues was, ‘Ben, you’ve got to Hines, who was an assistant “If the second baseman scoops perception problem for the second visual orientation. get on your toes.’ I still don’t know coach in charge of hitting at ASU up the ball to his left, he has to baseman as he turns to throw to “Third, have him hit the ball to if he wanted me to get on my toes for several years, was head coach change directions and throw to second base. the opposite side. mentally or physically.” of LaVerne, (Calif.) College for 21 years before joining Coach Jim Brock’s staff. Hines coached more than 40 players who went on to become major leaguers. Hines feels that a batter must experience 1,000 at bats a year over three years under game conditions before he can even begin to get a handle on his strike zone. At this stage, the batter will know what pitches he can handle. Most important, he’ll be mentally prepared. “For me, hitting is like a scale. When the pitcher has a 1-2 or 0-2 count, he has the advantage. But if the count is even, the scale is balanced.” Hines believes hitters are in either of two groups: inside-out or outside-in. The inside-out batter usually hits to the opposite field while the outside-in batter tends to be a pull hitter. Hines said that his philosophy in shaping the complete hitter is to teach the inside-out batter the outside-in swing, and vice-versa for the outside-in hitter. An ideal example was All- American Mike Sodders, a third baseman for ASU a number of years ago. “He was a classic pull hitter,” said Hines. “But we had him learn the inside-out swing.” As a result of the change, Sodders hit .424, up from .349 a year before. He belted 22 homers (14 in 1980), hit 19 doubles (6 in 1980), had 100 RBIs (55 in 1980), scored 98 runs (59 in 1980), had 114 hits (81 in 1980), and had a slugging percentage of .758! Hines said that 90 percent of missed hits are underneath the ball. Therefore, his hitters are drilled to hit on top of the ball. During pre-game batting practice, his hitters are instructed to hit the first five balls to the opposite side. “We want them to hit the first two on the ground, then drive the next three. Then we let them pull the ball,” Hines said. The hours of practice pay off. The hit-and-run is one of Hines’ greatest weapons. “Technically, it’s more run-and- hit. Any time you put a runner in motion and cause the infielders to break for the bags, you’re going to open up the defense. The fielders then will be off balance if it is executed properly.” Hines believes that hitting to the Page 32 Collegiate Baseball Friday, Oct. 5, 2018