Hatter Chatter ... The Podcast

Since grade school, the only thing Nick Rickles had ever cared about was baseball. Now in his 30s, his priorities have changed, but he will live out one final baseball dream this week in Tokyo as a member of the national team from Israel at the Olympic games. In the newest episode of Hatter Chatter … The Podcast, presented by Insight Credit Union, Rickles reflected on his years at Stetson, his teammates who are life-long friends, and the journey he has taken since being drafted by the Oakland Athletics in the 14th round of the 2011 MLB Amateur Draft.

Stetson Athletics’ medical support team - Dr. Mark Hollmann, Dr. Ben Thomasson and Dr. John Hill - work with Stetson as team physicians to help serve the student-athletes’ physical needs so they can compete at the highest levels. AdventHealth provides innumerable medical services, from Certified Athletic Trainers to physical therapy and rehab services while Stetson’s own Sports Medicine staff works diligently every day with coaches and students to make sure everyone remains healthy. Doctors Hollmann, Thomasson and Hill joined Erik Nason, AdventHealth’s Sports Medicine Partnership Manager, and Stetson Athletics’ Head Athletic Trainer Tim Miesmer for a round-table discussion on the status of athletics health care, Stetson’s partnership with AdventHealth and the work that has gone into allowing college athletes to return to competition in this edition of Hatter Chatter … The Podcast, presented by Insight Credit Union.

Mark Michaud’s journey into athletics started early – really early. Cut from his high school basketball team as a sophomore, Michaud became as assistant coach for the freshman team. An opportunity to coach the team in a game, for just a half, was all it took for him to catch the coaching bug. From there, he tried his hand at almost anything. He coached a Little League Baseball team even though, at the time, he didn’t know anything about coaching. From there helped coach a high school baseball team, not at his school, but at a rival high school. He took time for a visit on this edition of Hatter Chatter … The Podcast, presented by Insight Credit Union in December.

Brandon Brewer always knew he wanted to create a life for himself in the game of baseball. The Hatters’ volunteer assistant coach, who guests on this edition of Hatter Chatter … The Podcast, presented by Insight Credit Union, has been in and around the game his entire life. In fact, even before he was born, he had a connection to Stetson because his father played for former Hatters head coach Pete Dunn at Apopka High School. Brewer was never the biggest or strongest player on any team he was a part of, but he always played with the most determination and grit. From a trip to Williamsport, Pa., to play in the Little League World Series, where he played for his father Bobby, to the University of West Florida, where he was an All-American, to being drafted by the Los Angeles Angels, Brewer always had to prove himself.

Whenever Stetson Baseball is mentioned nationally, the first thought is normally about a pair of two-time Cy Young Award winners – Jacob deGrom and Corey Kluber. Pitching has been a hallmark for Hatters baseball for many years, and Associate Head Coach Dave Therneau has been in charge of Stetson’s hurlers for the last six seasons. During that time, the accomplishments have been plentiful as the Hatters have sent 10 pitchers and three catchers into professional baseball. The Stetson baseball record book has also been re-written. The top four strikeout seasons in program history came in consecutive years from 2016-19 with a combined ERA during those four seasons of 3.77, which is better than any single-season ERA from the previous 20 years. Back in November, after the Hatters ended fall practice but before the players left at Thanksgiving for winter break, Therneau sat in for an episode of Hatter Chatter … The Podcast, presented by Insight Credit Union, to talk about the 2021 Stetson pitching staff.

Stetson coach Steve Trimper is the guest on this edition of Hatter Chatter … The Podcast, presented by Insight Credit Union. During this episode he talks about the challenge of managing fall practice in an environment that has been drastically changed by the pandemic. He also talked about the challenge of managing a team with almost 50 players on the roster. Trimper also talked about the on-going challenge of putting a schedule together for the coming season, and how coaches across the Sunshine State are working together to make sure their teams have ample opportunities to compete once the season begins on February 19. The conversation with Trimper is the second of five episodes of Hatter Chatter … The Podcast focused on the Stetson baseball program. Episode 24 featured Assistant Coach and Recruiting Coordinator Joe Mercadante talking about the fall signing class of new players who will join the program next year as well as an in-depth look at the catchers for the Hatters.

Now entering his fourth year as a member of the Stetson Baseball coaching staff, Joe Mercadante works with the Hatters catchers and hitters in addition to serving as recruiting coordinator. It is in that role that he, along with Head Coach Steve Trimper and Associate Head Coach Dave Therneau, along with the rest of the baseball staff, was able to bring in a crop of 12 new players during the November signing period this year.  In this edition of Hatter Chatter ... The Podcast, presented by Insight Credit Union, Mercadante provides a scouting report on each of the 12 newest Stetson players, players who will enroll in the fall of 2021 and be a part of the 2022 Stetson team. Mercadante also talks about fall practice, his catching unit as well as his path to Stetson, which was anything but direct from his hometown of Gainesville. This is the first of a five-part holiday look ahead to the spring and the return of Stetson baseball, with upcoming episodes to feature Trimper, Therneau, volunteer assistant coach Brandon Brewer and Director of Baseball Operations Mark Michaud.

Mike McKercher is in his fifth year as Associate AD for External Operations for Stetson Athletics and it seems as if his job has grown with each passing year. In addition to overseeing marketing and promotions operations, he also is the primary fundraiser for the Hatters, leading both major gifts and annual fund operations. He also oversees corporate sponsorships and fulfillment and, recently, added sport administrator duties for four Hatters teams. In this edition of Hatter Chatter ... The Podcast, presented by Insight Credit Union, McKercher fills us in on the recently completed Fall Fundraising Campaign, on the future for Stetson facilities projects, on his relationship with Dr. Glenn Wilkes and about raising four collegiate lacrosse players.

On every NCAA campus around the nation student-athletes have a tool at their disposal with which they can express their concerns on issues, organize community service projects, and have an impact on school, conference and NCAA rules and legislation. This tool is called the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.

Each SAAC includes student-athletes from every varsity team on campus. At Stetson University, the SAAC is led this year by seniors Arye Beck (Cross Country), Samuel Craig (Cross Country) and Kiera McCarthy (Lacrosse).

In this edition of Hatter Chatter ... The Podcast, presented by Insight Credit Union, all three weight in on how the Covid-19 pandemic has impacted their lives, and the lives of all student-athletes, how the pandemic has made their work supporting the Neighborhood Center of West Volusia even more challenging, how having seasons postponed and canceled has impacted students, physically and mentally, and many other topics that are at the forefront of conversations leading up to the 2020 general election.

Spend some time getting to know these student-athletes who are also the future leaders of our nation in this edition of Hatter Chatter ... The Podcast, presented by Insight Credit Union.

From her childhood, Katie DiGirolamo has always been very active. From sports to music to dance classes, she was always on the go – always busy. In this edition of Hatter Chatter … The Podcast, presented by Insight Credit Union, you’ll hear from the former Stetson volleyball and beach volleyball player that little has changed since she left college with a degree in Business Administration in the spring of 2014. While at Stetson, in addition to being an honor roll student, winner of the Wendall N. Jarrard, Sr., Award Winner and a multiple ASUN academic honoree while playing indoor volleyball before crossing over to the new beach volleyball program, DiGirolamo was also heavily involved in the Student-Athlete Advisory Counsel. She now serves as the Project Manager, overseeing the renovation of the Toronto Blue Jays spring training stadium as well as the construction of an entirely new training facility for the organization.