WINTER COACHES CLINIC AUSTRIA – VÖCKLABRUCK, 17.-19.1.2014

presented by ISG Baseball & OÖBSV

SPEAKER BIOS

JOHN VODENLICH ...... 2 JUSTIN BACH ...... 5 MARK FULLER ...... 6 TERRY AYERS ...... 8

JOHN VODENLICH

2005 NCAA Division III National Champions 2005 NCAA Division III National Coach of the Year 2004, 2008, 2009, 2010 2013 WIAC Coach of the Year 2004, 2005, 2008, 2010 NCAA Regional Coach of the Year 2005 WBCA Man of the Year 2004, 2008, 2010 WBCA College Coach of the Year

Entering his eleventh season at the helm of the UW-Whitewater baseball program, John Vodenlich has taken the Warhawks to heights unreached prior to his arrival on campus.

While the Whitewater program has had longstanding success, Vodenlich has set a new standard, turning the Warhawks into a NCAA Division III college baseball power. During Vodenlich’s ten seasons as head coach, the Warhawks have won seven WIAC championships, qualified for the NCAA Championships nine times, and appeared in the NCAA Division III College four times, including winning the 2005 NCAA Division III National Championship.

Vodenlich has been on the coaching staff for all 10 of Whitewater’s winningest seasons, with eight of the 10 coming during his time as head coach. During the 2000’s, Whitewater has the 11th most victories in NCAA Division III.

Off the field, Vodenlich has been honored as the WIAC Coach of the Year five times, was named the 2005 NCAA Division III National Coach of the Year by the American Baseball Coaches Association and has been honored as the Regional Coach of the Year in 2004, 2008 and 2010.

In 2007, Vodenlich was inducted into the UW-Whitewater Athletic Hall of Fame and has been awarded with the WBCA College Coach of the Year in 2004, 2008 and 2010, as well as being named the WBCA’s Man of the Year in 2005.

Since joining the Whitewater program as a player in 1989 and the coaching staff in 1994, over 35 former Warhawks have signed professional contracts, the first being former Major League closer Bob Wickman, who Vodenlich caught at Whitewater.

In addition to his great impact on the game in the United States, Vodenlich also is an internationally known clinician, conducting coaching clinics in Germany, England, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia and Hungary.

Before joining the coaching ranks, Vodenlich was one of the best players to ever take the field for Whitewater. Playing from 1989-1992, Vodenlich finished with a .397 career batting average, good for third all-time in school history. His .456 average in 1991 is the second best single season average in program history.

Vodenlich was an ABCA All-American in 1991 and 1992, the first two-time All-American at Whitewater.

Following his collegiate career, Vodenlich went on to play professionally in Europe.

Vodenlich joined Jim Miller’s coaching staff as an assistant coach in 1994 and stayed on the staff until 1998 when he was named the head coach at Edgewood College. Prior to Vodenlich’s tenure at Edgewood, the Eagles had an all-time record of 33-133 and never had seen a winning season.

Vodenlich needed just two seasons to change that, setting a school record for wins in his first season, but then shattering it the following season, giving Edgewood its first winning campaign in program history.

Following the 1999 season, Vodenlich returned to Whitewater and rejoined Miller’s staff as an assistant coach.

With Miller’s retirement coming following the 2003 season, Whitewater didn’t have to look far to find its seventh head coach in school history.

It’s a hire the school certainly hasn’t regretted.

Naming Vodenlich head coach for the 2004 season immediately paid off for the university as the Warhawks set a new school record for wins and made just their second trip to the NCAA Division III College World Series.

2004 was a successful season, but 2005 was magical.

Under Vodenlich’s guidance, Whitewater set a new school record for wins with 45, fewest losses with 7 and made another trip to Appleton for the College World Series. This time around the Warhawks weren’t denied and won their first National Championship.

Whitewater returned to the College World Series in 2008 and again in 2011.

With a B.A. in marketing and public relations from UW-Whitewater in 1992, Vodenlich earned his master's in business administration from the university in 1994.

The Vodenlich File:

EDUCATION - B.A., Marketing and Public Relations, UW-Whitewater, 1992. - M.B.A., UW-Whitewater, 1994.

COACHING - 2004-present - Head Coach, UW-Whitewater - 2000-03 – Assistant Coach, UW-Whitewater - 1998-99 – Head Coach, Edgewood College - 1994-97 – Assistant Coach, UW-Whitewater

VODENLICH vs. WIAC - UW-Oshkosh: 23-16-0 - UW-Stevens Point: 31-23-0 - UW-La Crosse: 27-14-0 - UW-Superior: 34-1-0 - UW-Platteville: 30-6-1 - UW-Stout: 30-6-0

VODENLICH AT UW-WHITEWATER

YEAR W-L-T PCT WIAC PCT WIAC FINISH 2004 39-9 .813 21-3 .875 1st 2005 45-7 .865 20-4 .833 1st 2006 30-14 .682 17-7 .708 1st 2007 25-16-1 .607 15-8-1 .646 3rd 2008 42-10 .808 20-4 .833 1st 2009 30-19 .612 15-9 .625 1st 2010 42-7-0 .857 21-3 .875 1st 2011 37-13 .74 18-6 .75 2nd 2012 33-17 .66 16-8 .667 2nd 2013 35-9 .80 21-2 .913 1st

TOTAL 358-121-1 .75 184-55-1 .77

JUSTIN BACH Assistant Coach UWW Whitewater

Having played in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, Justin Bach brings his knowledge of the conference to UW-Whitewater’s coaching staff since 2012.

Bach played collegiately at UW-La Crosse, where he was named honorable mention All-WIAC in 2003 and First Team All-WIAC in 2006.

One of the best players in school history, Bach is in the top ten in seven offensive categories at La Crosse.

During his college career, Bach won a Northwoods League championship with Thunder Bay in 2005.Bach started his coaching career in 2007 as an assistant coach at Ogelthorpe University in Atlanta, Georgia.

After a season at Ogelthorpe, Bach spent the 2008-09 season as Georgia State University’s director of baseball operations, before returning to Ogelthorpe in 2010.

During his three years as the top assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Ogelthorpe, Bach worked in all aspects of the baseball program including serving as hitting instructor and infield coach while planning practices, coordinating field maintenance, general compliance, and game day event management. During his tenure, Oglethorpe increased its win production by 10 wins.

In 2010, Bach also served as the head coach of the Nelson Baseball School’s 16-U summer traveling team in Acworth, Georgia.

Returning to Wisconsin following the 2010 season, Bach spent the 2011 season as the varsity assistant coach at McFarland High School.

MARK FULLER

Story By: The Cumberland Advocate

The End of an Era

After 34 years as Cumberland Head Baseball Coach, Mark Fuller has retired from that position.

Mark began his teaching career in Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin and then taught at Pittsville (WI) for two years. He came to Cumberland in 1975 and taught history, psychology and political science, as well as a little bit of everything.

He has been the Head Baseball Coach at Cumberland High School for 34 years and an assistant for three.

Fuller’s teams were 482-213 and won ten Conference Titles, 13 Regional Titles and have made the State Tournament four times, finishing State Runner-up in 1998. Prior to his becoming Head Baseball Coach in 1980, Cumberland High School had won 85 total baseball games in the HON Conference from 1951 to 1979, a period of 29 years. The Beavers have had two losing seasons in the last 31 years.

Fuller has served as the Head American Legion coach for 34 years, with an overall record of 524-321. The team was third at the Legion State Tournament in 2000.

Fuller is a past president of the Wisconsin Baseball Coaches Association and current member of the WBCA Executive Board, of which he has been a part for the past 26 years.

Mark was named Wisconsin’s Baseball Man of the Year in 1989 and Amateur Baseball Coach of the Year in 1987 for his work with youth sports. He was named to the State Baseball Hall of Fame in 1995 and is also a member of the Cumberland Baseball Hall of Fame. He was also recently nominated for the American Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame.

He serves as the Clinic Director for the annual Wisconsin State Baseball Coaches Clinic, which draws over 650 coaches each year and is the co-director and only original member of the All-Star Classic for graduating high school seniors and chairs the Wisconsin Coaches Hall of Fame Committee.

He began the Wisconsin State Baseball Yearbook in 1982, which he eventually co-authored with his assistant coach Joe Waite. The baseball preview yearbook of Wisconsin’s high school and college teams and top players, is considered one of the best in the United States and was accepted into the Cooperstown Hall of Fame Library in 2010.

Fuller has spoken at numerous coaching clinics across the United States and Canada, including Texas, Ohio, Colorado, Oregon, Washington, Minnesota and Vancouver, Canada. He has spoken alone, or with co-speaker Marty Paulsen at three ABCA Clinics and three BCA Clinics. Together Paulsen and Fuller are in the process of writing a baseball instructional book called, Baseball-the Right Way.

Fuller taught instructional baseball to Little League players during the summer for 37 years. He worked the University of Minnesota Baseball Camps for ten years, serves as Tour Guide for two Jay Buckley Tour buses each year, worked in ticket sales for the for eight years, was a scout for the Dodgers under Dale McReynolds.

Fuller started the Cumberland Northwest Baseball Coaches Clinic in 1983, which celebrated its 30th year last February. Bringing in speakers including Minnesota Twins GMs Terry Ryan and Bill Smith to players like Jeff Reboulet and Al Newman. The clinic raised over $35,000 for the Cumberland Baseball program.

Mark worked with the City of Cumberland, the Cumberland School District and the Cumberland Baseball Association to fundraise and build Islander Park in Cumberland, a four-field complex, in the city in 2000. The main baseball field received the ABCA 2002 Turface Field Maintenance of the Year award at the San Diego Clinic.

When asked to reflect on his years spent coaching, he stated, “ I always loved sports. Baseball was always my favorite since I was a kid. I broke more than one window in our house as I grew up, playing baseball. I can remember like yesterday, going to County Stadium to see my first game in 1959. It is amazing what that small five ounce sphere has done for me”.

TERRY AYERS

Head Baseball Coach

North High School ( St. Charles, Illinois )

Terry Ayers loves the game of baseball and has dedicated his life to coaching. After graduating from Western Michigan University in 1966, where he played for ABCA Hall of Fame Coach Charlie Maher, Terry received his Masters of Arts degree from Northwestern in 1970 and was a graduate assistant in football. His high school coaching career began in 1972 as head baseball coach at Fenton High School in Bensenville Illinois, where he had a lifetime career record of 334 and 231 until retiring in 1989. After Fenton, Terry coached AAU baseball taking them to the National tournament three times and had a lifetime record of 198 and 79.

In 1990 Terry became the regional Director for Doyle Baseball School. As regional director he was the lead instructor in hundreds of baseball schools for players and coaches. Giving coaching seminars in Michigan, Wisconsin, Indiana, Iowa, Ohio, Kentucky, and Illinois. He also is a member of the Pitch and Club of Chicago where he serves as Secretary and Board of Directors. He co-chairs the annual Showcase for the Club. In 2009 received the Pitch and Hit Club Charlie Hum Service Award for contributions to the community service in baseball.

Terry has spoken at several state coaches clinics Illinois, Iowa, Oklahoma, as well as the National Baseball Coaches Clinic in 1999, as well as the American Baseball Coaches Association Clinic in 2001. Terry has attended every clinic since 1973. He serves on the ABCA Hall of Fame Committee for the past twenty-one years also, served on the expatiators committee for five years prior to being on the Hall of Fame Committee.

In 1999 Terry was elected into the Illinois High School Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame. He received the Len Diforte Lifetime Achievement Award in 1998. Other honors are coaching in the Pan American Games and International baseball in Europe.

In 2006, Terry came out of retirement after his son was finished playing college baseball at the University of Louisville. He is currently the volunteer assistant Pitching Coaching at St. Charles North High School, in St. Charles Illinois. Helping the team win a Conference Championship in 2007 as well as the Regional Championship in 2007 and 2008. The team has compiled a record of 78 and 29 with a team era of 2.15 this past season.

Terry lives in Elgin Illinois with his wife Carole, they have two children, daughter Sarah and son Stephen. Both children are married and he is now a grandfather too.