ABCA Podcast

Join us on the ABCA Podcast as we sit down with Johnny Hernandez, head coach of Bethune-Cookman University.

Growing up in South Florida and coaching at Hialeah High School, Hernandez's journey in baseball has been remarkable. He founded the ASA College program in Miami in 2014 and worked with USA Baseball as a scouting task force member. Since taking over the Bethune-Cookman program in 2018, Hernandez has led the team to impressive victories and a strong season finish in the SWAC East, earning the Black College Nines Coach of the Year Award.

Tune in to hear Hernandez discuss building a winning program and his vision for the future of Bethune-Cookman and HBCU baseball.

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

This episode is sponsored by AWRE Sports. Are you looking to improve your use of video for player development, live-streaming, instant replay or opponent scouting? Most coaches answer "Yes." That's how AWRE Sports began: To solve the video challenges in baseball & softball. Whether you are using their multi-angle, fixed camera system or their mobile software, AWRE empowers coaches to maximize every aspect of video, all in one comprehensive solution. Their users range from MLB teams and reigning Collegiate National Champions to strong high school programs and literally everything in between. So the real questions becomes: Will you turn video into a powerful tool to elevate your program or stick with the status quo. You can find out more information at awresports.com.

This week on the ABCA Podcast, we are thrilled to have two exceptional guests from the world of sports performance and biomechanics: VELO Sports' Michael Napoleon and Dr. Tyler Standifird.

Napoleon, renowned for his pioneering work in overspeed training, owned and operated Catalyst Golf Performance in the Chicago area before developing the SuperSpeed Golf Training System. His innovative approach has been widely adopted in the baseball world since 2017, influencing MLB organizations and collegiate teams alike.

Dr. Standifird, an esteemed associate professor of Biomechanics at Utah Valley University, earned his PhD from the University of Tennessee in 2015 and now leads the Biomechanics Laboratory at Utah Valley, where he focuses on sports performance and injury prevention research. Additionally, Dr. Standifird serves as a consultant for VELO Sports and SuperSpeed Golf and has recently been named the Research and Science Director for Smart 2 Move Force Plates.

Tune in as we dive into their expertise and explore the cutting-edge techniques that are revolutionizing training and performance in baseball.

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

This episode is sponsored by AWRE Sports. Are you looking to improve your use of video for player development, live-streaming, instant replay or opponent scouting? Most coaches answer "Yes." That's how AWRE Sports began: To solve the video challenges in baseball & softball. Whether you are using their multi-angle, fixed camera system or their mobile software, AWRE empowers coaches to maximize every aspect of video, all in one comprehensive solution. Their users range from MLB teams and reigning Collegiate National Champions to strong high school programs and literally everything in between. So the real questions becomes: Will you turn video into a powerful tool to elevate your program or stick with the status quo. You can find out more information at awresports.com.

This week’s ABCA Podcast episode is the final episode that was recorded on-location at a championship site –– the NCAA Div. III World Series in Eastlake, Ohio.

We had a chance to sit down with coaches of the program's that competed in the tournament, including Travis Beazley (Lynchburg), Eric Cirella (Salve Regina), Pete Egbert (Misericordia), Ray Hedrick (Randolph Macon), Frank Pericolosi (Pomona Pitzer), John Vodenlich (UW-Whitewater) and Jan Weisberg (Birmingham Southern).

Congratulations to Pete Egbert, the 2024 ABCA/ATEC NCAA Div. III National Coach of the Year, and his Misericordia program for capturing their first National Championship in a hard-fought series against UW-Whitewater.

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

This episode is sponsored by AWRE Sports. Are you looking to improve your use of video for player development, live-streaming, instant replay or opponent scouting? Most coaches answer "Yes." That's how AWRE Sports began: To solve the video challenges in baseball & softball. Whether you are using their multi-angle, fixed camera system or their mobile software, AWRE empowers coaches to maximize every aspect of video, all in one comprehensive solution. Their users range from MLB teams and reigning Collegiate National Champions to strong high school programs and literally everything in between. So the real questions becomes: Will you turn video into a powerful tool to elevate your program or stick with the status quo. You can find out more information at awresports.com.

A recurring guest on the ABCA Podcast, Nathan Hemphill, PSP3 Owner & Director of Sports Performance, joins us in this week's episode. Hemphill was previously a guest on the ABCA Podcast in 2022 and has also spoken at multiple events, like the 2021 Kansas City Barnstormers Regional Clinic and the 2024 ABCA Convention. You can listen in to his previous podcast appearance (5/23/22) online at www.ABCA.org/podcast or using your favorite podcast streaming platform and watch his former presentations in the ABCA Video Library at www.ABCA.org/videos.

Hemphill has been training baseball players for almost 20 years and has developed a great track record for keeping players healthy and thriving on the field. This episode highlights some of the new assessments that PSP3 is using with their athletes.

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

This episode is sponsored by AWRE Sports. Are you looking to improve your use of video for player development, live-streaming, instant replay or opponent scouting? Most coaches answer "Yes." That's how AWRE Sports began: To solve the video challenges in baseball & softball. Whether you are using their multi-angle, fixed camera system or their mobile software, AWRE empowers coaches to maximize every aspect of video, all in one comprehensive solution. Their users range from MLB teams and reigning Collegiate National Champions to strong high school programs and literally everything in between. So the real questions becomes: Will you turn video into a powerful tool to elevate your program or stick with the status quo. You can find out more information at awresports.com.

This week joining us on the ABCA Podcast is a pioneer in the peak performance field, Dr. Tom Hanson.

Hanson is the former Director of Performance Enhancement for the New York Yankees and also worked with the Texas Rangers, Los Angeles Angels and Minnesota Twins. He wrote one of the seminal baseball peak performance books with Ken Ravizza, Heads Up Baseball. Hanson also is author of the book, Play Big: Mental Toughness Secrets That Take Baseball Players to the Next Level. Hanson is widely known for his studies and work utilizing tapping to help players with the throwing yips.

Hanson received a Ph.D. in sport psychology from the University of Virginia, where he worked with legendary sports psychologist Bob Rotella. He spent eight years coaching baseball and teaching in the Sport and Exercise Science department at Skidmore College. Recently, Hanson has been helping business professionals at companies such as Microsoft, Verizon and Pepperidge Farm. 

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

This episode is sponsored by AWRE Sports. Are you looking to improve your use of video for player development, live-streaming, instant replay or opponent scouting? Most coaches answer "Yes." That's how AWRE Sports began: To solve the video challenges in baseball & softball. Whether you are using their multi-angle, fixed camera system or their mobile software, AWRE empowers coaches to maximize every aspect of video, all in one comprehensive solution. Their users range from MLB teams and reigning Collegiate National Champions to strong high school programs and literally everything in between. So the real questions becomes: Will you turn video into a powerful tool to elevate your program or stick with the status quo. You can find out more information at awresports.com.

This week’s ABCA Podcast episode was recorded on-location at the JUCO World Series in Grand Junction, Colorado.

In this episode, we're joined by some of the coaches of the competing programs, including Travis Lallemand (Crowder), Preston McDonald (Florence-Darlington Tech), Eric Horner (Johnson County), Dash O’Neil (Georgia Highland) and national champion Dusty Hart (Blinn).

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

This episode is sponsored by AWRE Sports. Are you looking to improve your use of video for player development, live-streaming, instant replay or opponent scouting? Most coaches answer "Yes." That's how AWRE Sports began: To solve the video challenges in baseball & softball. Whether you are using their multi-angle, fixed camera system or their mobile software, AWRE empowers coaches to maximize every aspect of video, all in one comprehensive solution. Their users range from MLB teams and reigning Collegiate National Champions to strong high school programs and literally everything in between. So the real questions becomes: Will you turn video into a powerful tool to elevate your program or stick with the status quo. You can find out more information at awresports.com.

This week’s ABCA Podcast episode was recorded on-location at the NAIA World Series in Lewiston, Idaho. Lewiston has hosted the NAIA World Series for 22 years and the town always rallies around the event. The night prior to the opening game, the ABCA and City of Lewiston host a youth clinic, which had over 400 kids in attendance this year and we thank the coaches and players from the competing teams that took part in making the youth clinic a success once again!

In this episode, we're joined by Billy Berry (Tennessee Wesleyan), Jonathan Burton (Reinhardt), Adrian Dinkel (Southeastern), Bobby Halford (William Carey), Joe McDonald (Arizona Christian), Bill Neale (Kansas Wesleyan), Brett Neffendorf (Indiana Southeast), Jeremy Sheetinger (Georgia Gwinnett), and Brad Shelton (Cumberland) to discuss their season's and NAIA baseball as a whole.

National Champion, Larry Mahoney of Hope International will be joining the ABCA Podcast in a future episode to discuss his program's first NAIA national title!

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

This episode is sponsored by AWRE Sports. Are you looking to improve your use of video for player development, live-streaming, instant replay or opponent scouting? Most coaches answer "Yes." That's how AWRE Sports began: To solve the video challenges in baseball & softball. Whether you are using their multi-angle, fixed camera system or their mobile software, AWRE empowers coaches to maximize every aspect of video, all in one comprehensive solution. Their users range from MLB teams and reigning Collegiate National Champions to strong high school programs and literally everything in between. So the real questions becomes: Will you turn video into a powerful tool to elevate your program or stick with the status quo. You can find out more information at awresports.com.

Wolf has been a practicing Exercise Physiologist and Biomechanist for 44 years, specializing in injury evaluation and gait & motion analysis. For nearly the last decade, Wolf has been conducting a study on UCL injuries and has found a significant correlation with hip immobility opposite the throwing arm, stride length, and elbow injuries. This episode is a deep dive into how the lower half affects arm health and arm injuries.

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

This episode is sponsored by AWRE Sports. Are you looking to improve your use of video for player development, live-streaming, instant replay or opponent scouting? Most coaches answer "Yes." That's how AWRE Sports began: To solve the video challenges in baseball & softball. Whether you are using their multi-angle, fixed camera system or their mobile software, AWRE empowers coaches to maximize every aspect of video, all in one comprehensive solution. Their users range from MLB teams and reigning Collegiate National Champions to strong high school programs and literally everything in between. So the real questions becomes: Will you turn video into a powerful tool to elevate your program or stick with the status quo. You can find out more information at awresports.com.

Joining us this week on the ABCA Podcast is Baseball Prodigy and Pro Source Athletics founder, Brandon Agamennone. Agamennone was Maryland’s Gatorade Player of the Year in 1994 before pitching for the University of Maryland in the mid 90’s. Agamennone pitched professionally for 8 seasons with the Expos, Orioles and Pirates. Agamennone scouted for the Padres, Braves and was with the Red Sox when they won their 2018 World Series. Agamennone founded Pro Source Athletics in 2004 and is the author of the book Pitching Prodigy: Unleashing Greatness on the Mound. Agamennone’s current project is Baseball Prodigy and the ProLook College Baseball Recruiting App. This is an entertaining listen on professional baseball, travel baseball, entrepenueriship and training pitchers.

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

This episode is sponsored by AWRE Sports. Are you looking to improve your use of video for player development, live-streaming, instant replay or opponent scouting? Most coaches answer "Yes." That's how AWRE Sports began: To solve the video challenges in baseball & softball. Whether you are using their multi-angle, fixed camera system or their mobile software, AWRE empowers coaches to maximize every aspect of video, all in one comprehensive solution. Their users range from MLB teams and reigning Collegiate National Champions to strong high school programs and literally everything in between. So the real questions becomes: Will you turn video into a powerful tool to elevate your program or stick with the status quo. You can find out more information at awresports.com.

Next up on the ABCA Podcast are Minority Prospects’ Alex Wyche and Reggie Hollins. Wyche founded Minority Prospects after a successful stint coaching high school baseball in the State of Georgia. Wyche served as an educator and coach for 13 years. Wyche was the first black head coach at Griffin High School. Wyche’s next opportunity was at Redan High School, which is historically one of the best high school programs in the country. In seven seasons Wyche had over 100 wins, seven MLB draft picks and 60 players obtaining college scholarships. Wyche was the 2022 recipient of the Georgia High School State Coach of the Year. Hollins is currently the President/COO of Minority Prospects. Hollins came from the college side after 13 seasons as an assistant and head coach at Tuskegee University. In Hollins’ time coaching at Tuskegee the Golden Tigers had the most wins since 1999 in his first season as head coach and played for an SIAC Conference Championship for the first time since 1989. In 2021 Hollins spoke for the ABCA Virtual Convention during COVID, if you want to dive into his talk on the website. This is a highly entertaining listen. The three of us had a great time. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more. Coaches: Let's talk about your new assistant: Rapsodo. With Rapsodo's products you can track everything from how fast a pitcher throws to a batter's spin rate off the bat. Rapsodo's pro-level data gives you the power to look deeper into every athlete's skills, helping them take their game to the next level. Whether you want the basic data points or a more advanced look at a player, Coaches can customize their dashboard to help identify strengths and weaknesses that the naked eye can't see. Turn the cage into a simulated field to make competition and practice more engaging. Take the guesswork out of coaching. From youth baseball to Major League Baseball, Rapsodo is used by thousands of colleges, facilities, and high schools to help their athletes train. Visit Rapsodo.com/baseball to check out their lineup of game-changing technology and how you can implement them into your program. Play On.