ABCA Calls from the Clubhouse

Episode 37 - Dugout Chatter with Butch Chaffin, Cookeville High School Jun 13, 2017

This episode shines a light on one of the extraordinary men of the ABCA – Butch Chaffin, the head coach at Cookeville High School in Cookeville, Tennessee. Chaffin joins our show to discuss his journey through the game and the positive impact he hopes to have on it. A loyal ABCA member, Chaffin details his approach to helping young men grow up in the Cookeville program, his drive for enhancing relationships inside the game and his growth as a person and a coach. Chaffin has spent time as a high school and college assistant coach, professional scout and now as a high school head coach while also working with USA Baseball. Chaffin delivers some excellent perspective as he looks back through his years in the dugout, the people that have challenged and impacted him while also discussing the lessons learned along the way.

Episode 36 - Closing the Gaps in the Outfield Jun 06, 2017

Two of the most engaging outfield presentations at recent ABCA Conventions have come from Darin Erstad from the University of Nebraska and Jake Boss from Michigan State University. These two tremendous baseball men gave very informative presentations on outfielding through focus on details and absolutes, and we worked to bring this information to the podcast. Erstad and Boss offer our listeners a glimpse into their evaluations of outfielders on the recruiting trail while also detailing the progressions in practice once their kids step foot on campus. Both Erstad and Boss break down specific drills they use to teach details of elite outfielding and how they each 'close the gaps' in the Husker and Spartan outfields.

Episode 35 - Dugout Chatter with Keith Madison May 30, 2017

In this episode, we welcome in one of the busiest retired coaches out there in ABCA Hall of Famer Keith Madison. Madison, who was head coach at the University of Kentucky for 25 years, discusses his activities and contributions to the game after stepping down at UK over a decade ago. He works with SCORE International, is Publisher of Inside Pitch Magazine and serves on the ABCA Board of Directors. Madison talks about his journey in the game and the lessons learned along the way. He delivers tremendous insight for any coach, guiding them through the stories from his career and time in the dugout.

Episode 34 - Year-Round Approach to Arm Training May 23, 2017

We rounded up three of the top thought leaders in our game for information on arm care and development on one call - Alan Jaeger from Jaeger Sports, Eric Cressey from Cressey Sports Performance and Kyle Boddy from Driveline Baseball. These three joined our podcast to take us through an all-encompassing view of year-round training for our players. Critical elements include the off-season recovery and build-up, in-season maintenance plans and also the approach to navigating critical summer months for our players. Jaeger, Cressey and Boddy all offer insight and expertise on how players and their families as well as coaches should view these essential pieces development while adding their takes on evaluating college programs and Major League Baseball organizations for their viewpoints on arm health and training.

Episode 33 - Dugout Chatter with Trent Mongero May 16, 2017

Opening up the extensive list of terrific high school coaches within the ABCA membership, we welcome in Trent Mongero, head coach at North Hall High School in Georgia, to our podcast to outline his unique path in our game and reflections from 24 years in the dugout. In this episode, Mongero discusses his consistent voice on social media that provides insight to playing the game the right way and competing while also sharing drills and coaching tips inside his feed. Mongero also expands on his passionate approach to coaching his players and his true coaching 'why' that leads his drive towards growing up young men. This is powerful insight from one of our loyal ABCA members and our first high school coach to grace the air waves.

Episode 32 - Embracing Success with Three Champion Coaches May 09, 2017

This is a powerful episode with SIX national championships on the line. Greg Brown, head coach at Nova Southeastern University, Jeremiah Robbins from Lewis-Clark State College and Doug Wren, the skipper at Tyler Junior College, all joined our show to discuss the rise to the upper echelon inside their divisions and the effects that winning has had on their personal development as well as their programs. Brown (2016 NCAA Div. II champion), Robbins (2015 and 2016 NAIA) and Wren (2014, 2015 and 2016 NJCAA Div. III) each lay out their path in this game, pulling back the curtain on the program’s journey to the top of the mountain. Each coach also reflects on their focus with building deep player relationships, community and campus impact as well as the lasting effects that winning has had on within their locker rooms.

Episode 31 - Dugout Chatter with John McCormack, FAU May 02, 2017

One of the true gentlemen in the college game, Florida Atlantic University head coach John McCormack joins our podcast to detail his 27-year career, with every season being in an Owl uniform. McCormack opens up his reflections within the FAU program and his advice for coaches across all levels of the game. This is a powerful episode as Mac details his successful battle with cancer while also fighting alongside one of his players, coming away with a new perspective on his passion for coaching. It's easy to hear why so many alumni and current players love playing for McCormack, a proud 26-year continuous ABCA member.

Episode 30 - Stealing Runs with Matt Talarico Apr 25, 2017

Creating havoc on the bases and scoring more runs is the name of the game for Matt Talarico, assistant coach at Wright State University and the creator of StealBases.com. In every stop he has made throughout his career, Talarico has elevated offenses to new levels by bringing an aggressive approach to running the bases. In this podcast, we outline Talarico’s overall vision and plan while also giving our listeners insight into how teaching the game on this level has raised the IQ of his players on the field. Talarico also provides great base-running drills to take into a practice setting and takes us in the dugout for insightful feedback on the implementation of his plan to attacking the base paths.

Episode 29 - Dugout Chatter with Tracy Archuleta, Southern Indiana Apr 18, 2017

Tracy Archuleta has built one of the most prominent NCAA Division II programs in the country over the past 10 seasons at the University of Southern Indiana. With national championships in 2010 and 2014 and four trips to the NCAA Div. II World Series in six regional appearances, it's easy to see why Archuleta has something to offer our listeners. We sit down with "Arch" to talk through his career in college baseball and the tremendous mentors he has been blessed to work under along with transcendent advice for coaches across every level of baseball. A 'keep it simple' guy by nature, Archuleta dives into his approach to coaching for relationships and trusting his process for development, which are his guiding principles for success.

Episode 28 - Extra Innings with Augie Garrido Apr 11, 2017

This is a special episode as we sit down with one of the true legends of our game, college baseball's the all-time wins leader Augie Garrido. Final numbers: 1,975 wins, 15 trips to the College World Series and five national championships across four different decades. Garrido walks us through his storied career and gives his reflections on the game itself. He chronicles his humble beginnings in coaching, learning invaluable lessons early on that helped shaped his coaching approach and style as he built a winning program from scratch at Cal State Fullerton plus returning the University of Texas to national prominence. Garrido also gives advice for coaches and players to change their perspective on the game, choosing to treat each pitch as simply an opportunity to learn. Packed with tremendous insight, this episode is for coaches across all levels of the game plus parents, players and baseball fans.

Episode 27 - Dugout Chatter with Tyler Gillum, South Mountain CC Apr 04, 2017

Dugout Chatter is all about placing the spotlight on some of our most loyal ABCA members and this episode highlights one of our youngest - Tyler Gillum of South Mountain Community College in Arizona. Gillum enters his eighth season in college baseball and his sixth as the assistant coach at South Mountain CC. Gillum is highly motivated, consumed with personal growth and positively impacting his players. This comes through the air waves as we dive into Gillum's successful stints in collegiate summer baseball, highlighted by three straight Texas Collegiate League championships, plus his personal growth program that originated at SMCC to help elevate team chemistry that has since expanded nationally. Gillum also offers tremendous insight into some of the lessons he has learned while studying successful coaches and business leaders.

Episode 26 - Dominating the Mental Game with Brian Cain Mar 28, 2017

Unpacking the "Mental Game" for coaches can be a tall task so we called in one of the best – the creator of Peak Performance, Brian Cain. Cain details his career in mental training and conditioning, from his early years with the Cal State Fullerton teams and Ken Ravizza to now training some of the high-profile college and high school teams around the country. In this episode, Cain offers our listeners coaching cues and systems to arm their players with to help tackle adversity and failure. Cain also details the successful habits and mindsets of the very best coaches in our game in how they work to become more consistent and effective in the mental game training for their players and programs.

Episode 25 - Dugout Chatter with Woody Hunt, Cumberland University Mar 21, 2017

This episode features our first NAIA coach on the podcast and one of the legendary figures in our game. Woody Hunt, the head coach at Cumberland University (Tennessee) joins the podcast to offer his insight and perspective from 38 years in the dugout, three national championships and an impressive 12 NAIA World Series appearances. Hunt dives into his reflections on the growth of NAIA baseball, his humble beginnings in our game and the hardships in building of the most prominent programs in the country.

Episode 24 - Getting the Scoop with #FridayFielders Mar 14, 2017

This episode is an infield coach's dream, as we sit down with the brain trust behind Twitter's #FridayFielders crew – Billy Boyer from Washington, Kainoa Correa from Northern Colorado and Tucker Frawley from Yale. These are three young but progressive thinkers with infield play and how to creatively challenge our traditional drills, coaching cues and thoughts on developing our infielders. We open up the door to the creation and mission behind #FridayFielders, which has built an online community for positional coaches, along with "thinking outside the box" when it comes to structuring our practice plans, catch play routines, etc.

Episode 23 - Dugout Chatter with Jamie Shevchik, Keystone College Mar 07, 2017

We dive into the small college ranks to highlight Jamie Shevchik, who is entering his 16th season as the skipper at Keystone College in Pennsylvania. Shevchik outlines an interesting path and commitment to the game. He became a head coach very early in his career and dedicates his summer months to growing his reach and networks in collegiate summer baseball, where he currently serves as the manager of the Brewster Whitecaps of the Cape Cod League. Shevchik reflects on the lessons learned throughout his career while providing insight into the special baseball men that guided his path.

Episode 22 - The Life of a Volunteer Assistant Feb 28, 2017

We unpack the volunteer assistant coach position in college baseball with two coaches living it every day: Derek Simmons from the University of Alabama and Dillon Lawson from the University of Missouri. Both Simmons and Lawson experienced success as recruiting coordinators in their previous positions but saw the opportunity to join new coaching staffs, giving each of them a unique perspective on the volunteer role. This episode details each coach's daily activities and specific responsibilities within their coaching staffs and will provide all of us insight into this important role.

Episode 21 - Dugout Chatter with Rick Vanderhook, Cal State Fullerton Feb 21, 2017

Entering his sixth season as the head coach and 27th overall in a Titan uniform, Rick Vanderhook joins our show to discuss his career in college baseball with most of those years at Cal State Fullerton. "Hooky" offers us insight into his life outside of the game but also his extensive experience being around incredible coaches and great quality baseball throughout his career. There are some truly introspective moments for Vanderhook on this show and our listeners will connect with his personality and reflections over many years on the field.

Episode 20 - Development Behind the Dish with Tanner Swanson Feb 14, 2017

Tanner Swanson, assistant coach at the University of Washington is making a name for himself as a progressive thinker in developing catchers. Swanson has created a comprehensive plan that leads with a clear focus on achievement above simple activity for catchers, while adding in a complete drill progression that prepares players for the "chaos" of game competition. Tanner dives into his "outside the box" thinking that will challenge listeners on how they approach developing catchers.

Episode 19 - Dugout Chatter with Jim Schlossnagle, TCU Feb 07, 2017

In the first episode of "Dugout Chatter", we sat down with Jim Schlossnagle, head coach at Texas Christian University. On this episode, Schloss talks about his path in baseball over the past 28 years, diving into several highs and lows throughout his career while breaking down the true pivotal moments. The lighter side of this interview gives our listeners a glimpse into who Schloss is off the field, detailing his hobbies (or lack thereof) and also some of the funny happenings throughout the years on the road with his team. Schloss also divulges his personal "Mount Rushmore" – the men in baseball who impacted him the most while adding several key points to keep young coaches on the right track.

Episode 18 - New Year, New Dugouts Jan 31, 2017

First-year head coaches Scott Jackson from Liberty, Nick Mingione from the Kentucky and Travis Jewett from Tulane join the first "Calls from the Clubhouse" podcast for 2017. The three coaches discuss their transitions from long-time assistant coaches to now leading college baseball programs. On this episode, each coach goes through their approaches to changing cultures, leaning on the lessons learned from their mentors while also talking through the adjustments to their daily routines as they sit in new office chairs. They also offer insight to assistant coaches and wrap up the episode with their new recruiting pitches.

Episode 17 - Keys to Dominating #ABCA2017 Dec 28, 2016

As we approach the 2017 ABCA Convention in Anaheim, Jan. 5-8, a special edition of this podcast offers our coaches insight and ultimately the #ABCAkeys to DOMINATING their convention experience. Our host, Jeremy Sheetinger, takes listeners through the ABCA’s Top Ten list of very important reminders and tips to help our attendees plan for success during their time in Anaheim. Information includes the power of networking, fully exploring the Trade Show, being aware of your surroundings and opportunities while also helping plan your time for a tremendous experience surrounded by 4,000 fellow coaches.

Episode 16 - For Love of the Game with Jerry Weinstein Dec 07, 2016

In our final episode of 2016, we sat down with coaching legend and ABCA Hall of Famer Jerry Weinstein, who currently coaches in the Colorado Rockies organization and serves as the Manager for Team Israel. We dive into Weinstein's dedication to growing the game and impacting players plus his passion for challenging conventional thinking and enhance his perspective on baseball. Weinstein also offers insight into creative changes to our practice routines and how to let drills teach our players, leading them towards becoming more invested and independent. This episode is packed with terrific insight from one of the best baseball minds in our game.

Episode 15 - Turning Two with Marty Lees Nov 23, 2016

This episode is all about infield play and we go straight to one of the very best infield coaches in the country - Marty Lees - in his second season as the head coach at Washington State University. Lees has a tremendous reputation as a tenacious recruiter and also a developer on the infield, helping guide his team to the NCAA postseason in 10 of his 15 seasons in college baseball. Lees takes our listeners through his development plan including insight into their warm-up and catch play routines, discusses how to spot infield potential on the recruiting trails and getting his players mentally prepared for the adversity in our game.

Episode 14 - Keeping Things Simple on the Mound with Greg Moore Nov 09, 2016

Having success as a pitching coach and taking a different approach, Greg Moore sits down to discuss in more detail his approach to "Pitching Mechanic-less". Moore, the head coach at Cal State Northridge, has worked to empower his pitching staff with an ability to cut ties with thoughts of mechanics to make adjustments in practice and in games. Instead, Moore has armed his staff with clear cues that keep his players focused on what they're doing with the baseball in relation to attacking hitters and staying simple with their thoughts. Moore offers our listeners a look inside the specifics of this approach with his hurlers and also the program culture change which has turned positive for the Matadors under his leadership.

Episode 13 - Developing Players and Coaches with Dennis Rogers Oct 26, 2016

With the 13th episode of our "Calls from the Clubhouse" podcast, we sat down with Dennis Rogers, longtime coach at Riverside City College in Riverside, California, to discuss his approach through the years of developing not only his players but also his assistant coaches and staff. Rogers is well-known throughout the country as a master of practice efficiency and he offers our listeners insight into his approaches to mental and visual development within his program along with enhancing baseball skills within his players. Rogers is a disciple of the legendary ABCA clinician and former Cal Poly Pomona head coach John Scolinos. Rogers provides tremendous reflections and stories from his time and sincere impact from Scolinos. Rogers has also used RCC as a breeding ground for exceptional young assistant coaches, giving them a platform to develop and hone their craft while also learning and growing himself from their influence.

Episode 12 - Character and Ethics with Rusty Stroupe Oct 12, 2016

Continuing to highlight the clinicians for our upcoming ABCA Convention in Anaheim, we sat down with Rusty Stroupe, the head coach at Gardner-Webb University, to discuss character and ethics in our great game. Coach Stroupe is well known throughout the baseball coaching community as one of the great people in our profession, as is evident by his 2013 Jerry Kindall Character in Coaching Award given to him by the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. In this 12th episode of our "Calls from the Clubhouse" podcast, Coach Stroupe gives us a glimpse into his program at GWU, what recruiting character looks like for our coaches and also specific game examples and stories of doing the right things by our players and for the game of baseball.

Episode 11 - Elite Infielding with Nate Trosky Sep 28, 2016

In our 11th episode, we are diving into infield play with Nate Trosky from Trosky Baseball. Trosky is an infield specialist who had dedicated his career to maximizing the elite infield defender from both the physical and mental sides of the game. Trosky gives us tremendous insight in the core principles of great infielders, the essential characteristics that will help each player move closer to consistency while also offering practice specifics and drills that will help raise our players' abilities. Trosky also spends time discussing the mental make-up of elite defenders and the mindset they possess, wrapping up this episode with his Sith Tool discussion of intangibles.

Episode 10 - Chat with Championship Coaches Sep 14, 2016

With the 10th episode of our "Calls from the Clubhouse" podcast, we continue to highlight featured speakers from our upcoming ABCA Convention in Anaheim and we know our coaches are excited for this one! We sat sat down to "Chat with Championship Coaches", winners of three of the last eight College World Series, loyal ABCA members and tremendous men who have built consistent winners at their respective programs. Tim Corbin - head coach at Vanderbilt University and 2014 national champion, John Savage – head coach at UCLA and 2013 national champion along with Paul Mainieri – head coach at LSU and 2009 national champion offer our coaches insight into their career paths, important lessons learned along the way and give our listeners advice to keep perspective on guiding our players. All three coaches dive into their humble beginnings as coaches and talk us through how they have worked to build three of the most consistent winning programs in the competitive world of college baseball.

Episode 9 - Championship culture with Gary Gilmore Aug 31, 2016

In keeping with ABCA traditions and with a new membership year, its fitting that we lead off the fall podcast episodes with Gary Gilmore, head coach of NCAA Div. I national champion Coastal Carolina. Gilmore will be our first speaker at our upcoming ABCA Convention in Anaheim and we spoke to him about "Building a Championship Culture". From humble beginnings being named head coach in 1996 to national champions in 2016, Gilmore discussed the ups and downs of cementing culture throughout the entirety of his program, from the locker room to the weight room to the dugout and out on the field. Gilmore gives our listeners a unique glimpse into the pillars of the Coastal program, getting a program-wide buy-in into their covenants and the process that led them to bringing a trophy home from Omaha.

Episode 8 - Base running with Mike Roberts Aug 17, 2016

The eighth episode of the ABCA's "Calls from the Clubhouse", esteemed base running and base stealing coach Mike Roberts talks through his system of attacking the base paths. Roberts, a 2015 inductee into the ABCA's Hall of Fame and current base running consultant for the Chicago Cubs, discusses in detail the importance of developing a base running plan in your offense and how to incorporate this training into your practice plans. Roberts also spends time discussing the specifics of his base stealing approach, giving listeners tips and coaching cues to improving their players' reactions on the bases.

Episode 7 - Catching up with Xan Barksdale Aug 03, 2016

The ABCA welcomes Xan Barksdale from Catching 101 to "Calls from the Clubhouse" to discuss aspects of development around the catching position. Topics described include the essentials of a great catcher, how to implement skill development for catchers in practice planning along with various drills and coaching cues to improve receiving, blocking and throwing. Barksdale also offers insight into developing winning relationships with umpires and direction for non-catching coaches to strengthen their knowledge of the position.

Episode 6 - The Life of a Recruiting Coordinator Jul 20, 2016

The sixth episode of the ABCA's "Calls from the Clubhouse" dives into the life of a recruiting coordinator, welcoming guests Brad Bohannon from Auburn University, Donegal Fergus from the University of Washington and Kirk Saarloos from Texas Christian University. Catching our coaches in the middle of the recruiting season, we discussed the true details of this position within a coaching staff, the current state of baseball recruiting while also offering information for high school and travel coaches to better serve their players in this process.

Episode 5 - Youth Baseball and More with Rijo Athletics Jul 06, 2016

The fifth episode of the ABCA’s "Calls from the Clubhouse" welcomes in guests Troy Silva and Jose Rijo-Berger from Rijo Athletics to discuss a variety of topics including the importance of changing the culture inside youth baseball, developing positive relationships with the players we coach while also talking through common myths in coaching hitters while developing the mental approach to hitting.

Episode 4 - Omaha Edition with Skip Bertman Jun 15, 2016

The fourth episode of the ABCA's "Calls from the Clubhouse" reflects on the College World Series in Omaha with former LSU head coach Skip Bertman, whose Tigers advanced to the CWS 11 times.

Episode 3 - Strength and Conditioning with Eric Cressey Jun 01, 2016

The third episode of the ABCA's "Calls from the Clubhouse" covers strength and conditioning issues for baseball players, featuring renown coach Eric Cressey.

Episode 2 - The Mental Side of Hitting May 11, 2016

The second episode of the ABCA's "Calls from the Clubhouse" covers the mental side of hitting, featuring Toronto Blue Jays mental coach Steve Springer.

Ep. 1, Part 2 - Arm Care & Development Apr 27, 2016

The second part of episode 1 of the ABCA's "Calls from the Clubhouse" features NCAA Division I pitching coaches Nate Yeskie from Oregon State University, Scott Brown from Vanderbilt University and Butch Thompson from Auburn University. Alan Jaeger of Jaeger Sports also participated. Part 2 continues to expand on arm care for pitchers and how the collegiate pitching coaches manage this subject.

Ep. 1, Part 1 - Arm Care & Development Apr 27, 2016

The first part of episode 1 of the ABCA's "Calls from the Clubhouse" covers baseball arm care and development and features Alan Jaeger of Jaeger Sports.

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