UCSB outfielder Liam Barrett joins The Athlete’s Porch from the Cape Cod Baseball League, where he played for the Hyannis Harbor Hawks alongside some of the best players in the country.

Liam shares how breathwork and mental resets helped him transition into Division I baseball, what it takes to earn a coach’s trust, and why athletes must focus on their process instead of chasing outside validation.

He also opens up about battling self-doubt during a difficult stretch at the plate, suffering an MCL injury, and rediscovering his confidence through preparation, gratitude, and one simple reminder: smile—you’re playing baseball.

In this episode:

• Competing in the Cape Cod Baseball League
• Using breathwork to slow the game down
• Responding to slumps, injuries, and self-doubt
• Earning playing time and a coach’s trust
• Building a complete baseball toolbox
• Following your internal scorecard
• Staying grateful through success and failure

CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS

00:00 — Liam Barrett’s Cape Cod experience
03:00 — Playing with joy and a wiffle-ball mindset
06:31 — Self-doubt, adversity, and the power of a smile
13:39 — Earning playing time and a coach’s trust
23:02 — The internal scorecard and trusting your process
27:34 — Cape Cod routines and rapid-fire questions
32:08 — Liam’s advice: stay patient, stay hungry, and smile

CLOSING TAKEAWAY

Put in the work. Trust your preparation. Flush the failure—and remember how fortunate you are to play the game.

In this episode of The Athlete’s Porch, Jon Karcich sits down with Stanford alum and professional left-handed pitcher Drew Dowd to talk about the mental side of development — failure, habits, comparison, patience, and staying in your lane.

Drew shares what he learned from:

• Failing early at Stanford and learning how to separate emotion from reflection
• The long grind of professional baseball and managing physical & mental load
• Why comparison is one of the biggest threats to confidence
• How habits off the field shape performance on it
• The underdog mindset behind the quote: “Anybody can cook”
• Why putting the blinders on is essential for long-term success

This episode is for athletes, parents, and coaches who care about process over results, sustainable growth, and playing the long game.

00:00 Welcome to The Athlete’s Porch
02:55 Falling in love with baseball
06:45 Learning to separate failure from identity
11:20 Reflection vs carrying emotional baggage
15:45 Habits, discipline & Atomic Habits
22:15 Patience, development & playing the long game
28:50 Comparison, blinders & staying in your lane
37:55 “Anybody Can Cook” – the underdog mindset
43:40 Final thoughts & takeaways

In this special episode of The Athlete’s Porch, I sit down with Max Bayles, a former Santa Clara pitcher and 7th-round MLB Draft pick of the Minnesota Twins.

Before becoming one of the top pitchers in college baseball, Max was a three-sport athlete who played baseball, football, and rugby. We dive into how those sports shaped his competitive mindset, why preparation creates confidence, and the mental habits that helped him earn an opportunity at the next level.

We discuss:

• How football and rugby built his fearless approach on the mound
• Why preparation allows athletes to compete freely
• The power of positive self-talk and trusting your training
• Separating your identity from your performance
• How journaling became one of his greatest mental-performance tools
• Why staying humble and hungry to learn accelerated his development
• His mindset leading into the MLB Draft

Whether you’re an athlete, parent, coach, or simply someone striving to improve, this conversation is packed with practical lessons on confidence, resilience, and playing the long game.

00:00 Introduction, Multi-Sport Background, and Competitive Mindset
05:27 Recruiting Journey and Preparing for Santa Clara
10:11 Self-Belief, Positive Self-Talk, and Trusting Your Training
17:01 Preparing for the MLB Draft and Staying True to Your Process
25:09 Separating the Athlete From the Person Through Journaling
35:00 Identity, Focus, Life Outside Baseball, and Final Advice

Before Max Jung Goldberg became a Savannah Banana, his journey looked a lot different than most people would expect.

After four years at the University of San Diego, Max entered the transfer portal, continued his career at Hope International, battled through independent baseball, played overseas, and stayed committed to the game long enough for an opportunity with Banana Ball.

In this special episode of The Athlete’s Porch, we dive into the lessons that every athlete can learn from his path:

• Why choosing the right fit matters more than chasing the biggest logo
• The reality of the transfer portal
• How independent baseball changes your perspective
• Learning to fail without losing confidence
• Separating your identity from your performance
• Why joy might be the greatest competitive advantage in sports

Whether you’re a player, parent, or coach, this conversation is a reminder that success rarely follows a straight line.

Sometimes the journey becomes your greatest advantage.

00:00 Welcome to The Athlete’s Porch & Max’s Journey to Banana Ball

01:52 Leaving Division I Baseball & Entering the Transfer Portal

07:04 Hope International, Independent Ball & Staying in the Game

10:14 Banana Ball, Playing with Joy & Loving the Game Again

12:32 Confidence, Failure & The Mental Shift That Changed Everything

20:00 Separating Identity from Performance

29:26 Why the Journey Was Worth It & Preparing for Banana Ball