Next up on the ABCA Podcast is our 2021 NAIA, Junior College, Division III and Division II preview. Robby Gutierrez from NAIA Ball and special guest Cumberland head coach Woody Hunt lead us off. After that, we kick it over to Brian Sakowski from Perfect Game and Noah Sharp from the JUCO Ball Blog to cover all things junior college baseball. Then we hand it over to Jordan Shusterman and Jake Mintz of Cespedes Family BBQ fame and the D3 Baseball Podcast to talk all things Division III. Finally we finish up with Nick Herfordt, Perfect Game’s Small College specialist, to preview the Division II and III seasons. This is one the best times of the year with seasons getting ready to start and some already beginning. This episode is sponsored by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals specializes 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 Foundations for Optimal Living theme for the ABCA Podcast, we speak with Dr. Erik Korem, CEO and Founder of AIM7. Korem played football at Texas A and M and has since traveled all over the world studying elite performance. He was in the NFL for 15 years as Sports Scientist and High Performance Director and more recently was Associate Athletics Director for Student-Athlete Performance at William and Mary. We cover a lot of territory here in this episode on habit forming, self improvement and why sleep is important. This episode is sponsored by Netting Pros, improving programs one facility at a time. Netting Professionals specializes 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 we connect with Dr. Jackie Buell, Sport Dietician for Ohio State Sports Medicine and Consultant to the Department of Athletics. Dr. Buell's has a Ph.D. in Nutrition from Ohio State, a master's from the University of Arizona in Exercise Physiology and a bachelor's in Sports Medicine from Marietta. She was pivotal in starting the Food Innovation Center, which is an Ohio State University program to help feed the people in the state of Ohio. We tackle all things nutrition for coaches and players and have a speed round on supplements. She helps with some of the truths and myths around nutrition and supplements. This episode is sponsored by Netting Pros, an official partner of the ABCA. Netting Professionals specializes in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, BP screens, ball carts and more.

This week on the ABCA Podcast is the Kansas City Royals Director of Performance Science and Player Development John Wagle. He enters his first year as Director after serving as the Royals Minor League Strength and Conditioning Coordinator since 2019. Prior to joining the organization, he spent three years pursuing his PhD in Sport Physiology and Performance at East Tennessee State. He earned his Master’s in Exercise Science from Western Illinois, an MBA from Loyola and he played collegiately at Augustana College in the Quad Cities. He spent time as the Assistant Director of Sports Performance at Depaul University and coached at North Park and Dominican University. Having been both a coach and strength and conditioning coordinator, Wagle understands what both sides need and how to bridge the gap. This episode is sponsored by Netting Pros.

Next up on the ABCA Podcast is, China McCarney, Vice President of Jaeger Sports founder of the Athletes Against Anxiety and Depression Foundation. McCarney has been with Jaeger Sports full time since 2012 and started the Athletes Against Anxiety and Depression Foundation in 2016 because of his own personal struggles with panic attacks, anxiety and depression. Their mission is dedicated to providing resources to anyone that suffers from a mental health battle. On this episode, we also dive into why all of this will help players be more successful and programs win more games. This episode is sponsored by Netting Pros. Netting Pros specializes in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens, ball carts and more.

Happy New Year and to the week of the ABCA Convention! The first part of this episode is with the ABCA staff. The second part is with Vanderbilt head coach Tim Corbin, a member of the ABCA Board of Directors and ABCA Hall of Fame. He has 753 wins as a head coach and two national championships in 18 seasons at Vanderbilt. This episode is sponsored by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals specializes in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, BP screens and ball carts.

Next up on the ABCA Podcast is baseball coaching legend Jerry Weinstein, recipient of the 2021 ABCA/Wilson Lefty Gomez Award. Weinstein is an ambassador for the game around the world and his resume reads like a wish list for any coach. He coached in a College World Series with Miami as an assistant coach and, as a head coach at Sacramento City College, won 831 games, 16 league titles, a national championship and had 213 players drafted, including 28 big leaguers. He has also coached in the Cape Cod League, coached with Team USA, and was the manager for Team Israel in the World Baseball Classic. He is heading up the Catching Hot Stove at the Virtual ABCA Convention.

This week's ABCA Podcast features ABCA Dave Keilitz Ethics in Coaching Award recipients Lance Spigner and Ryan McGinnis. Dave Keiltitz was the ABCA Executive Director from 1994-2014 and was longtime head baseball coach and later Athletic Director at Central Michigan University. Keilitz was inducted to the ABCA Hall of Fame in 1989. Spigner is first on this week's podcast. He is going into his second season with the brand new junior college program at University of Arkansas Rich Mountain following 28 very successful years at Horatio High School, where he won five state championships. The second half of the episode is with McGinnis, Athletic Director and head baseball coach at Kimberly High School in Wisconsin. McGinnis has 345 career victories and Kimberly has nine state tournament trips with two state championships.

This week on the ABCA Podcast we hear from Los Angeles Dodgers Catching Coordinator Ryan Sienko, who is entering his third season in that position with the World Champions. Sienko will be joining the ABCA Convention Catching Hot Stove in January. He is also the founder of Catch and Throw. Prior to working with the Dodgers, Sienko was an associate scout for the Baltimore Orioles, Director of Operations for the National Pitching Association alongside Tom House and coached in the high school ranks. Sienko gives great advice on how to be patient in the development process as well as a look inside the Dodgers organization. Sienko joined the Dodgers in 2015 and was on the ground floor with the current management team.

Cleveland Indians Pitching Coordinator Joel Mangrum joins us on this week's ABCA Podcast. He is entering his second season as the Indians' Pitching Coordinator, after two seasons as a pitching coaching the Arizona League, having gone from the college side to pro baseball in 2017. At the collegiate level, Mangrum coached at New Mexico State, Austin Peay, Milligan College and Hinds College. Mangrum will be attending the Virtual ABCA Convention and gives great insight about why coaches will want to attend the event. We run the gamut here on player development, developing relationships with players and more.