In the second part of our wide-ranging conversation, Dodge City Head Coach JM Kelly dives deep into the philosophy behind building a truly national recruiting base. We explore the future of junior college baseball, the massive impact of media coverage, and share some unforgettable stories from the COVID season and beyond.

From the practicalities of using a local airport to bring in talent from coast-to-coast, to the profound “why” behind coaching at this level, this episode is a must-listen for anyone invested in the grass roots of college baseball.

In this episode, we cover:

🌎 Casting a National Net: How JM and his staff—with ties to California, Texas, and Minnesota—leverage the Dodge City airport to recruit from Virginia to California, Puerto Rico to Canada.

💰 The Stable vs. The Horses: JM’s philosophy on program spending: “You can spend money on the stable or the horses… if you don’t have the money to pay the horses, you better be really, really good at coaching guys up.”

🆕 The Media’s Role in JUCO’s Rise: A heartfelt discussion on how increased coverage has revolutionized player exposure and why coaches need to support the independent media that supports them.

🤯 COVID Chaos & Roster Rules: A wild story about the closed-door NJCAA meetings, the potential for a class-action lawsuit, and how pending D1 roster changes could make JUCO baseball more valuable than ever.

📈 The “Draft-and-Follow” Advantage: Why the potential glut of players at the D1 level makes the proven at-bats and innings of JUCO players an increasingly attractive commodity for four-year programs.

🎸 Golf, Fishing & Country Music Legends: The three people JM would want to spend a day with on the links or the lake, and the one concert he’d spend any amount of money to see.

🍻 A New Beer Discovery: The crucial review of a Texas-brewed lager that’s both affordable and dangerously easy to drink.

Tune in for a passionate, forward-looking conversation about the state of JUCO baseball, the importance of community, and the relentless hustle it takes to build a national contender from the heart of Kansas.

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