Cold Weather Bats

Woodhaven head coach Corey Farner was just inducted into the Michigan High School Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame, and he joins Michael Rubenstein and Tom Cavanaugh to talk about how he got there. Farner took a Woodhaven program that had never won a district to eight straight district titles and more than 430 career wins, including a 34-6 run to the Division 1 semifinals last spring.

He talks about the phone call that told him he was going into the Hall, what he learned from Tony Brinson and his dad, the 2018 team that threw 60 straight scoreless innings for a state record, and why he threw out his own 45-page program book and let his players set the standard. He also goes through coaching his son Lucas, a Wayne State signee, what the recruiting process looked like as both a dad and a coach, why Michigan kids are still underrated, and where travel ball and high school ball should meet.

Before the interview: the new coldweatherbats.com is live, the Top 100 rolls on with No. 80 to 61, and the Super 25 drops Sunday, November 8.

Every Top 100 player and every program now has a page at coldweatherbats.com. Full breakdowns at patreon.com/ColdWeatherBats.

CWB welcomes in Cincinnati freshman left-hander Andrew Mahoney, a Detroit Catholic Central state champion.

Andrew walks us through the Shamrocks' run to their first state title since 1999: his 15-strikeout semifinal against Mattawan, Luke Fairchild's diving catch that got him out of a jam, and the dugout when Mickey Laser finished off Rochester Adams 7-0 at McLane Stadium. He also talks about pitching on varsity as a 14-year-old freshman in the Catholic League, the breakout that followed a tough sophomore year, and the perfect game he threw at WWBA in borrowed turf shoes.

Then it's on to college. Andrew explains why he picked Cincinnati, what a normal day looks like for a freshman, and the biggest difference between high school and Division I. In the Pitching Nerd Corner he breaks down his five-pitch mix, his weekly routine between starts and why he became a long toss guy. We finish with a lightning round: the toughest hitter he faced in Michigan, his pregame meal and the big-league lefty he models his game after.

To open the show, we look at the first 20 names in the 2027 CWB Top 100 (Nos. 100 to 81), including the Rochester Adams group, the three commits on the list and the guys we think are underrated.

Follow Andrew on Instagram and X: @andrew_mahoney20

Full breakdowns of every Top 100 player, player features and The Dugout: patreon.com/ColdWeatherBats Rankings, the Super Team builder and more: coldweatherbats.com Follow @coldweatherbats on Instagram, X, Facebook, YouTube and TikTok.

Cold Weather Bats is back for the 2026 offseason, and we're starting with a big one. Michael Rubenstein welcomes new co-host Tom Cavanaugh, the voice behind Wayne State, Macomb Community College, and USPBL broadcasts, as Brandon Justice steps back with his move to Kentucky.

Our first guest is Northville's own Dante Nori. The former Mississippi State commit chose to chase a state title with Dan Cimini his senior year, then went 27th overall to the Philadelphia Phillies. Since then he's climbed to Double-A, helped Reading win its first Eastern League championship since 1995, and earned a spot on the World Baseball Classic All-Tournament Team for Team Italy as the only player on it without big league time.

Dante walks us through the jump from High-A to Double-A, playing through a stress fracture and staying sharp during rehab, standing in left field while Team USA's crowd shook the stadium, sharing a clubhouse with fellow Michigan native Jacob Marcy, and getting tips from Kyle Schwarber and Brandon Marsh in big league camp. He also takes us inside draft night, the combine interviews (including the great peanut butter debate), and every step of Northville's run to the state title over Brother Rice. Before heading to the Arizona Fall League with the Surprise Saguaros, he leaves young players with one simple piece of advice: have fun, because it's a kid's game.

Plus, the CWB Top 100 and our fall preseason Super 25 drop this October on Patreon first, and newly committed Michigan players can build a free commitment graphic at coldweatherbats.com.

Follow @ColdWeatherBats everywhere and subscribe at patreon.com/coldweatherbats.

The last pre-season episode of Season 6 is here! Brandon Justice and Griffin Green recap what might have been the biggest weekend in CWB history — the 2026 Player Draft at HVAC on Saturday and the Cold Weather Combine at 2SP on Sunday.

The guys break down which team came out on top (spoiler: Brandon isn't shy about it), the biggest steals of the draft, and the players who slipped further than they should have. Griffin shares his analyst perspective on the draft's best roster construction, standout picks like Dominic Bonnetti and Jackson Gilbert, and why guys like Memphis Wirtz and Kellen Ford are names you need to know heading into the spring.

From there, the conversation shifts to the Combine — 100+ players, all quality. Kellen Ford takes MVP honors, Cale Hackenberg turns heads behind the dish, Tre Eitniar uncorks 92-93 across the infield like it's nothing, and a pair of Wyandotte right-handers finally get the recognition Brandon's been pushing for all offseason.

Tryouts are Monday. Season is here.

📍 More coverage: patreon.com/coldweatherbats

🌐 coldweatherbats.com

📱 @coldweatherbats on all socials

The CWB Player Draft is back — and this episode breaks down everything you need to know before draft night.

Michael Rubenstein and Griffin Green preview the 2026 CWB Player Draft taking place Saturday, February 28 at 7:00 PM at HVAC (Huron Valley Athletic Complex) in Milford, MI.

In this episode, they explain what the Player Draft actually is, how the live draft format works, and why it’s become one of the most unique events in Michigan high school baseball. Modeled after the MLB and NFL Draft, the CWB Player Draft gives players their true draft moment — walking across a stage, hearing their name called, and thanking the people who helped them along the way.

They also discuss:

• The origin of the Player Draft and the vision from cofounders Brian Sakowski and Brandon Justice

Every player in attendance is guaranteed to be drafted, and the event is free for players and families to attend.

Whether you’re a player, parent, coach, or simply someone who loves Michigan baseball — this episode will get you ready for draft night.

📍 Saturday, February 28

This isn’t just a draft. It’s a moment.

Episode 2 of the College Baseball Preview Show gets loud in the best way — Griff Green sits down with Michigan State dudes Parker Pico and Ryan McKay to talk recruiting stories, transferring, coming home, and why this Spartan team is built on competing… and calling each other out (yes, even freshmen getting on upperclassmen).

DOMINATE THE MENTAL GAME. GET 10% OFF YOUR PISON ORDER WITH PROMO CWB10: https://pison.com/cold-weather-bats

After taking a massive weekend vs Louisville, the guys explain why they saw it coming all fall, who’s impressed them the most so far (freshman 3B CJ Deckinga, Kyle Rudolph, Carter Monke), and why they’re heading into Texas with the “underdogs” mindset — and loving it. Plus: Big Ten talk, UCLA coming to East Lansing, and why every conference game is basically a must-win.

The college season is here, and we’re kicking things off with a deep dive into University of Michigan Baseball.

DOMINATE THE MENTAL GAME. GET 10% OFF YOUR PISON ORDER WITH PROMO CWB10: https://pison.com/cold-weather-bats

In this episode of Cold Weather Bats, Griffin Green sits down with Noah Miller to preview the Wolverines’ upcoming season and what fans should expect this spring. Noah talks about his growth since arriving on campus, how fall ball and offseason work have shaped this year’s team, and what the mentality is inside the clubhouse heading into Big Ten play.

They also dig into his recruitment, how summer baseball in the Cape Cod League has impacted his development, and what younger players should understand about making the jump to this level.

If you’re following Michigan baseball this season, this is a must-listen. And we’re just getting started — more college previews from programs around the state are on the way.

Subscribe, follow along, and stay tuned.

NIL has officially come to the MHSAA — and the ripple effects are just beginning.

In this episode of Cold Weather Bats, we break down what high school NIL really means in Michigan: who stands to benefit, who could get left behind, and who’s quietly paying attention behind the scenes. Next, we dove into news in Alabama where they have separated private and public schools from athletic championships and how that could look here in Michigan.

We also tease what’s coming next with the CWB Player Draft, where top talent, exposure, and opportunity collide. If you’re a player, parent, or coach in the Michigan baseball landscape, this is something you’ll want on your radar.

Subscribe for more Michigan high school baseball coverage

Follow us everywhere: @ColdWeatherBats

Visit us: coldweatherbats.com 

It’s January, and baseball season is closer than you think.

With 49 days until tryouts, we talk about what this time of year really looks like for high school baseball programs, from ABCA conversations to offseason prep and how teams are positioning themselves before tryouts even begin.

We also touch on the Cold Weather Bats Player Draft presented by AstroTurf and how to get involved. Finally, we talk about if we were the MHSAA Director of Baseball, what changes we would make.

The snow might still be on the ground and the state under a snow squall warning, but the work has already started.

Find us on social media everywhere @ColdWeatherBats.

In this episode of Cold Weather Bats, we welcome back one of our own — CWB co-founder and “prodigal son” Brian Sakowski, now the Director of Recruiting at the University of Virginia.

We dive into Brian’s full journey, from growing up in Michigan to his time at Duke, and now building one of the premier recruiting operations in the country at UVA. Brian pulls back the curtain on college baseball recruiting today, including how the transfer portal has changed everything, what coaches are really evaluating, and how players can best position themselves in an increasingly competitive landscape.

We also rewind to the early days of how Cold Weather Bats got started, the vision behind it, and why player development in cold-weather regions has never been more relevant. Plus, Brian shares what life is like living in Virginia, adjusting to the ACC grind, and what excites him most about the future of college baseball.

Be sure to give five stars on the episode and follow us for more fun episodes to come.