In this episode of Patrick Jones Baseball, I interview Marty Smith, who has completed his 25th year as Head Baseball Coach at College of Central Florida this year. They discuss the benefits of junior college baseball, how he is adapting with the times, the ways in which players can get recruited at the junior college level, and what coaching at the junior college level looks like. 

Episode Highlights:

• How has Marty Smith been adjusting to social distancing? 
• What is Marty Smith’s background and how did he get where he is at? 
• Marty talks about how he remembers having Hall-Of-Fame player Mike Piazza on his team. 
• Marty hasn’t really thought about coaching for another team. 
• What is it about the JUCO level now compared to the past? 
• Does Marty Smith find it hard being at the junior college level to get players to not just think about themselves but to think about the team? 
• What is a good way to get recruited at the junior college level? 
• How do they recruit for their own team? 
• What would a typical fall season look like and a typical practice? 
• Marty gives space to hitting coaches and pitching coaches to do their jobs. 
• What has stood out during the interview process about coaches that have worked out well? 
• Marty Smith talks about snapping out of his common routines and taking a step back to make changes.  
• Which tactics does he use to motivate players?  

3 Key Points:

1. Their recruiting process is going to see players during the summer and the fall, and they rely on scouts and coaches.  
2. Marty Smith’s typical baseball practices are 2 and a half hours with 40 minutes of that being stretching and throwing.  
3. About five of Marty Smith’s assistant coaches have gone onto professional baseball after just one year.  

Tweetable Quotes:

• (JUCO Players) “They want to prove something. They got turned down by the D1s and that is obviously the term you hear through high school. Is he going to sign D1?” – Marty Smith 
• “Kids have bought into what we are doing. They are happy that they are here. Shoot, they want to stay here every after they leave here.” – Marty Smith
• “We do have a scout day in September. It is like 3 weeks after they get here, probably a month after they get here. We’ve had all 30 teams here. We’ve had 10-20 colleges on average. That kind of gets their name out there.” – Marty Smith

Resources Mentioned:

● patrickjonesbaseball.com

● Marty Smith’s Social Media: Linkedin Twitter

● Axe Bat: axebat.com Type in code PJB25 for a 25% off discount

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