We’re closing the book on the 82nd Annual ABCA Convention with a special post-convention wrap-up episode featuring several key ABCA member leaders who helped make the week such a success.

In this episode, we check in with several ABCA Officers:

Together, they reflect on the energy, education, and impact of Convention Week, share takeaways from their respective areas, and discuss what made this year’s event so special.

A huge thank you to everyone who attended in person or participated online. The feedback from coaches, committee members, speakers, exhibitors, and sponsors has been overwhelmingly positive and we can’t wait to do it again. See you January 7–10, 2027 in Chicago!

If you run a baseball facility, Swift is the only piece of software you need to manage & grow your business. From scheduling and payments to memberships and retail - Swift takes care of it all. Your coaches can use the app to manage their schedule on the go. And your customers have a sleek & fast way to book online. Lessons, rentals, camps, packages, and more - all in one spot. That’s why hundreds of the best baseball facilities across the country rely on Swift. And now, with their upcoming “AI Front Desk”, you can literally put your business on autopilot. Get started in minutes at runswiftapp.com/abca. Spend less time behind the screen, and more time on the field.

The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.

Download & Subscribe to the Podcast:
https://abca.castos.com
https://www.abca.org/podcast

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ABCA Member Benefits: https://www.abca.org/benefits

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For the first time ever the World’s Largest Baseball Convention will be heading to Columbus, OH for the 82nd annual ABCA Convention. Today’s episode covers everything you need to know about the convention hearing from Craig Keilitz, Jon Litchfield, Kurt Birkins, Juahn Clark, Zach Haile and Ryan Brownlee.

Our goal every year is to make this a wonderful experience for our attendees, guests, sponsors and exhibitors. I hope you enjoy, and we look forward to seeing everyone at the 82nd ABCA Convention on January 8th through the 11th. Thanks again for your support and trust. Here is to a great show for everyone!

If you run a baseball facility, Swift is the only piece of software you need to manage & grow your business. From scheduling and payments to memberships and retail - Swift takes care of it all. Your coaches can use the app to manage their schedule on the go. And your customers have a sleek & fast way to book online. Lessons, rentals, camps, packages, and more - all in one spot. That’s why hundreds of the best baseball facilities across the country rely on Swift. And now, with their upcoming “AI Front Desk”, you can literally put your business on auto-pilot. Get started in minutes at runswiftapp.com/abca. Spend less time behind the screen, and more time on the field.

The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.

Download & Subscribe to the Podcast:
https://abca.castos.com
https://www.abca.org/podcast

Online: https://www.abca.org

ABCA Member Benefits: https://www.abca.org/benefits

Become a Member: https://www.abca.org/apply

X/Twitter: https://x.com/abca1945

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abca1945

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ABCA1945

Safe travels to all the coaches headed to Columbus this week! The ABCA is excited to welcome everyone for the 82nd annual ABCA Convention. Stay tuned as the Convention Preview Episode drops this Wednesday, January 7th to help make your trip and on-site experience as smooth as possible!

Kicking off convention week on the ABCA Podcast is Lyndon Coleman, head coach at Pasco-Hernando State College and the 2025 ABCA/ATEC NJCAA Division II Coach of the Year.

Coleman led the Bobcats to their first-ever NJCAA National Championship this past spring, capping a remarkable rise since taking over as head coach in 2019. This March, he was also named Athletic Director, following in the footsteps of PHSC legend Steve Winterling—adding another chapter to a career deeply rooted in the program as a former player, assistant coach, and now leader.

Under Coleman’s leadership, PHSC owns a 219-125-1 overall record, including 126-75 as head coach. He earned his 100th career win in just his third full season (March 7, 2022) and has guided the Bobcats to five NJCAA DII Region 8 titles and five trips to the NJCAA DII Southeast District 10 Tournament in North Carolina.

Despite spending the first six years without a conference affiliation, Coleman still built a national contender. When PHSC joined the Sun-Lakes Conference, the Bobcats immediately won the regular season title. In Coleman’s first season as head coach, PHSC also finished third at the NJCAA DII World Series in Enid, Oklahoma—earning him NJCAA and ABCA Southeast District Coach of the Year honors.

In this episode, Coach Coleman breaks down program building, championship culture, leadership growth, and the lessons learned along the journey to a national title.

Brian Johnson is the founder of the social training platform Heroic, a Public Benefit Corporation focused on helping people flourish by embodying their "best, most Heroic self" through integrating ancient wisdom and modern science, with a goal for 51% of humanity to flourish by 2051.

Johnson is the author of the book Areté and has worked with the Navy Seals, Notre Dame Football and the European Rider Cup Team. Johnson has a philosophy background and is known for distilling down complex ideas into practical tools, promoting themes of self-mastery, wisdom, courage, love, and helping individuals activate their potential.

Johnson will be presenting on the main stage at the upcoming ABCA convention in Columbus, OH. In this episode, we cover a wide array of peak performance topics that will help everyone become the best version of themselves. Johnson also just released Philosopher’s Notes which he personally, not AI generated, condensed over 700 books to save reader’s time. Allowing leaders to focus on eight domains of wisdom which are energy, habits, stoicism, mental toughness, purpose, productivity, relationships and leadership. ABCA Podcast listeners can sign up at philsophersnotes.com/ABCA.

If you run a baseball facility, Swift is the only piece of software you need to manage & grow your business. From scheduling and payments to memberships and retail - Swift takes care of it all. Your coaches can use the app to manage their schedule on the go. And your customers have a sleek & fast way to book online. Lessons, rentals, camps, packages, and more - all in one spot. That’s why hundreds of the best baseball facilities across the country rely on Swift. And now, with their upcoming “AI Front Desk”, you can literally put your business on auto-pilot. Get started in minutes at runswiftapp.com/abca. Spend less time behind the screen, and more time on the field.

The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.

Download & Subscribe to the Podcast:
https://abca.castos.com
https://www.abca.org/podcast

Online: https://www.abca.org

ABCA Member Benefits: https://www.abca.org/benefits

Become a Member: https://www.abca.org/apply

X/Twitter: https://x.com/abca1945

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abca1945

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ABCA1945

Next up on the ABCA Podcast, we’re joined by two of the most trusted voices in arm care and throwing development: Alan Jaeger and Randy Sullivan.

Jaeger is the CEO and Founder of Jaeger Sports and has been at the forefront of arm health and mental performance in the baseball community for more than 30 years. Sullivan is the CEO and Founder of the Florida Baseball ARMory, author of eight books on pitching, and brings over three decades of experience in rehab, recovery, and high-performance development for throwing athletes.

Together, Jaeger and Sullivan join the podcast to break down their free resource, the “Return to Throwing Manual & Schedule 2.0.” This conversation covers the why and how behind proper return-to-throwing protocols, common mistakes coaches and athletes make, and how to better protect arms while still preparing players to compete at a high level.

This episode is packed with practical insight for coaches, players, parents, and trainers looking to better understand arm care, recovery timelines, and long-term development.

If you run a baseball facility, Swift is the only piece of software you need to manage & grow your business. From scheduling and payments to memberships and retail - Swift takes care of it all. Your coaches can use the app to manage their schedule on the go. And your customers have a sleek & fast way to book online. Lessons, rentals, camps, packages, and more - all in one spot. That’s why hundreds of the best baseball facilities across the country rely on Swift. And now, with their upcoming “AI Front Desk”, you can literally put your business on auto-pilot. Get started in minutes at runswiftapp.com/abca. Spend less time behind the screen, and more time on the field.

The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.

We wrap up our 2026 ABCA Hall of Fame Class interviews with one of the most influential figures in college baseball history—Pat Casey. Over a coaching career that spanned more than three decades, Casey built programs defined by toughness, consistency, and championship standards.

Casey began his head coaching career at George Fox University from 1988–1994, compiling a 171-113-1 (.602) record before taking over at Oregon State in 1995. During his 24 seasons in Corvallis, Casey transformed the Beavers into a national powerhouse, posting a 900-458-6 (.662) record and becoming the winningest coach in any sport in Oregon State history. He finished his collegiate career with 1,071 wins, a mark that places him among the all-time greats.

Under Casey’s leadership, Oregon State made six College World Series appearances and became just the fifth program in NCAA history to win back-to-back national championships, capturing titles in 2006 and 2007. After adding a third national championship in 2018, Casey announced his retirement, closing one of the most accomplished coaching tenures the sport has ever seen.

His impact has been recognized at every level, including: Three ABCA National Coach of the Year awards, Five Pac-10/12 Coach of the Year honors, Baseball America's College Coach of the Decade (2000–2009), and induction into the College Baseball Hall of Fame and Oregon State Athletics Hall of Fame (2024).

In this episode, Coach Casey reflects on building a championship culture, sustaining excellence, and the leadership lessons that shaped Oregon State’s rise to the top of college baseball.

New ABCA Podcast sponsor, Driveline, are long time friends and I have used many of their products when I was coaching and in youth camps now. If you want to truly optimize your pitchers' workload? PULSE from Driveline Baseball takes simple pitch counts to the next level. PULSE is a wearable sensor that precisely measures every throw your pitchers make on a daily basis. PULSE tracks both throw count and throw intensity.Trusted by MLB orginizations like the Cincinnati Reds, elite college programs, and individual athletes at all levels, PULSE is changing the way throwing workload is managed. With the PULSE Team Dashboard, you'll be able to make data-driven usage decisions to optimize training and injury prevention for your entire team. Visit drivelinebaseball.com/pulse to revolutionize your pitching staff's development and health today.

The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.

Continuing our 2026 ABCA Hall of Fame Class interviews, this week’s ABCA Podcast features one of California’s most influential and respected baseball minds: Sam Piraro. With a career spanning high school, junior college, and NCAA Division I baseball, Piraro forged a legacy defined by program-building, competitive excellence, and lasting impact.

Piraro’s head coaching journey began at Mission College (Calif.) from 1980-1986, where he took a brand-new program and turned it into a powerhouse. Over seven remarkable seasons, the Saints won two state championships (1981 & 1983) and five Coast Conference titles, laying the foundation for Piraro’s reputation as a transformative leader.

In 1987, Piraro took over at San José State, where he led the Spartans for two stints (1987-2002, 2004-2012). His tenure produced the program’s first-ever College World Series appearance in 2000, and he became the school’s all-time wins leader, finishing with an 806-632-6 (.558) record at SJSU and a 996-702-9 (.583) overall collegiate mark. Along the way, he earned four WAC Coach of the Year awards and guided the Spartans to two NCAA Tournament berths, cementing his reputation as one of the nation’s top collegiate coaches.

Piraro closed his head coaching career with a successful four-year stint (2015-2018) at Willow Glen High School, continuing to mentor young players and contribute to the California baseball community he helped shape.

His accolades reflect a life spent elevating programs and people, including his induction into the California Community College Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame (second-youngest ever), inaugural inductee into the Mission Athletics Hall of Fame, and San José Sports Hall of Fame inductee.

In this episode, Coach Piraro reflects on building programs from scratch, leading teams to the game’s biggest stages, and the lessons learned across a lifetime in baseball.

Do you want to truly optimize your pitchers' workload? PULSE from Driveline Baseball takes simple pitch counts to the next level. PULSE is a wearable sensor that precisely measures every throw your pitchers make on a daily basis. PULSE tracks both throw count and throw intensity.Trusted by MLB organizations like the Cincinnati Reds, elite college programs, and individual athletes at all levels, PULSE is changing the way throwing workload is managed. With the PULSE Team Dashboard, you'll be able to make data-driven usage decisions to optimize training and injury prevention for your entire team. Visit drivelinebaseball.com/pulse to revolutionize your pitching staff's development and health today.

The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more. 

Joining us this week on the ABCA Podcast is the 2025 ABCA/Soldier Sports High School Div. III Assistant Coach of the Year Saint Thomas Aquinas (KS) assistant coach, Michael Jacobs. Aquinas is coming off back-to-back Kansas Class 5A State Championships and fifth overall for the school. The Saints finished the season with a 27-4 record.

Jacobs is a Kansas City native, Aquinas alum and pitched collegiately for the University of Iowa, graduating in 2010. Jacobs worked in banking before going back to get his teaching degree in 2014.

Jacobs has great feel for developing amateur pitchers, so this is a deep dive into pitching development and arm health.

New ABCA Podcast sponsor, Driveline, are long time friends and I have used many of their products when I was coaching and in youth camps now. If you want to truly optimize your pitchers' workload? PULSE from Driveline Baseball takes simple pitch counts to the next level. PULSE is a wearable sensor that precisely measures every throw your pitchers make on a daily basis. PULSE tracks both throw count and throw intensity.Trusted by MLB orginizations like the Cincinnati Reds, elite college programs, and individual athletes at all levels, PULSE is changing the way throwing workload is managed. With the PULSE Team Dashboard, you'll be able to make data-driven usage decisions to optimize training and injury prevention for your entire team. Visit drivelinebaseball.com/pulse to revolutionize your pitching staff's development and health today.The

ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.

Download & Subscribe to the Podcast:
https://abca.castos.com
https://www.abca.org/podcast

Online: https://www.abca.org

ABCA Member Benefits: https://www.abca.org/benefits

Become a Member: https://www.abca.org/apply

X/Twitter: https://x.com/abca1945

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abca1945

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ABCA1945

This week on the ABCA Podcast, we’re joined by Terry Gobert, the legendary head coach at Jasper High School (IN) and one of the winningest high school baseball coaches in state history. Across 38 seasons, Gobert has built a true dynasty in Jasper, compiling an extraordinary 912-249 (.786) career record and becoming just the fifth coach in Indiana history to surpass the 900-win milestone.

Gobert’s run of excellence includes six IHSAA state championships—tied for fourth all-time—along with four state runner-up finishes, 12 semi-state titles, 17 regional championships, and an incredible 27 sectional titles. His sustained success on the field is matched by the output of talent from his program, developing 15 players who went on to play NCAA Division I or professional baseball, including MLB Hall of Famer Scott Rolen and former NFL quarterback Matt Mauck.

Inducted into the Indiana Baseball Hall of Fame in 2007, Gobert’s place among the state’s coaching legends is cemented not only by wins and trophies but by his commitment to player development, competitive standards, and the long-term success of his athletes.

In this episode, Coach Gobert reflects on nearly four decades of high-level consistency, the pillars of Jasper’s culture, and the lessons he has learned guiding one of the nation’s most respected high school programs.

Do you want to truly optimize your pitchers' workload? PULSE from Driveline Baseball takes simple pitch counts to the next level. PULSE is a wearable sensor that precisely measures every throw your pitchers make on a daily basis. PULSE tracks both throw count and throw intensity.Trusted by MLB organizations like the Cincinnati Reds, elite college programs, and individual athletes at all levels, PULSE is changing the way throwing workload is managed. With the PULSE Team Dashboard, you'll be able to make data-driven usage decisions to optimize training and injury prevention for your entire team. Visit drivelinebaseball.com/pulse to revolutionize your pitching staff's development and health today.

The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.

This week on the ABCA Podcast, we’re joined by Jordan Schwellenbach, assistant coach at LSU Shreveport and the 2025 ABCA/Soldier Sports NAIA Assistant Coach of the Year.

In his first season with the Pilots, Schwellenbach served as Recruiting Coordinator and Pitching Coach, helping steer LSUS to one of the greatest accomplishments in college baseball history — a perfect 59-0 season and the program’s first NAIA National Championship.

Under his direction, the Pilots’ pitching staff delivered video-game numbers and shattered program and national records:

Schwellenbach’s ability to develop arms, prepare game-ready plans, and instill mound presence was a key ingredient in LSUS’s undefeated run.

Before arriving in Shreveport, he spent seven seasons at Central Methodist (Mo.), helping the Eagles to seven straight Opening Round appearances and a 2021 national runner-up finish. He previously spent three seasons at Saginaw Valley State University, continuing to refine his craft and build a reputation as an elite pitching mind.

This episode dives deep into pitching development, building trust, recruiting philosophy, and the behind-the-scenes work that fuels a 59-0 championship season.

Do you want to truly optimize your pitchers' workload? PULSE from Driveline Baseball takes simple pitch counts to the next level. PULSE is a wearable sensor that precisely measures every throw your pitchers make on a daily basis. PULSE tracks both throw count and throw intensity.Trusted by MLB organizations like the Cincinnati Reds, elite college programs, and individual athletes at all levels, PULSE is changing the way throwing workload is managed. With the PULSE Team Dashboard, you'll be able to make data-driven usage decisions to optimize training and injury prevention for your entire team. Visit drivelinebaseball.com/pulse to revolutionize your pitching staff's development and health today.

The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.