ABCA Podcast

Next up on the ABCA Podcast, we spotlight another ABCA/ATEC Coach of the Year—Joe Giummule, head coach at Jupiter High School (FL) and the 2025 ABCA/ATEC High School Division I Coach of the Year. In his first season at Jupiter, Giummule led the Warriors all the way to the Florida Class 7A state championship game, falling just short in a tight 3-2 battle against national powerhouse Stoneman Douglas...

This week on the ABCA Podcast, we continue highlighting our ABCA/ATEC Coaches of the Year with Josh Raney, head coach at Blanchard High School (OK) and the 2025 ABCA/ATEC High School Division III National Coach of the Year. Raney has been at the helm for 19 seasons and has built one of the premier programs in Oklahoma high school baseball. His Blanchard Lions have captured four state titles in the...

It’s that time of year on the ABCA Podcast when we spotlight our ABCA/ATEC Coaches of the Year, and this week we’re joined by Chris Roof, the 2025 ABCA/ATEC High School Division II Coach of the Year. Roof has served as head coach at Governor Livingston High School (NJ) for the past 25 years and has built a powerhouse program in the Garden State. After capturing the New Jersey State Championship in...

Joining us this week on the ABCA Podcast is Zach Sorensen, Mental Performance Coach for the Cincinnati Reds. A former three-time All-American at Wichita State and second-round MLB Draft pick by the Cleveland Guardians, Sorensen brings a unique perspective shaped by his own professional playing career and his deep passion for helping athletes master the mental game. After 10 years as a pro player,...

This week on the ABCA Podcast, we sit down with Clint Hurdle, longtime MLB manager and current hitting and bench coach for the Colorado Rockies. Hurdle has been part of professional baseball since 1977, serving the game as a player, coach, and manager over the past five decades. Hurdle spent 17 seasons as a Major League manager—leading both the Colorado Rockies and Pittsburgh Pirates, and totaling...

This week on the ABCA Podcast, we’re joined by Brad Neffendorf, head coach of LSU Shreveport, who just led his program to a historic and unprecedented season. Under Neffendorf’s leadership, the Pilots went a perfect 59-0, capturing the first national title in school history. It marked the third NAIA World Series appearance for Shreveport during Neffendorf’s tenure and the fourth consecutive Red Ri...

We’re back to one-on-one interviews this week on the ABCA Podcast with a true coaching veteran—Dave Serrano, head coach at Johnson University and one of the most respected baseball minds in the game. Serrano’s journey through college baseball spans over three decades and includes stops at some of the game’s premier programs: Tennessee, Cal State Fullerton, UC Irvine, West Virginia, and Cal State N...

This week on the ABCA Podcast, we recorded in Cary, North Carolina at the NCAA Division II World Series. We sat down with all eight head coaches who led their teams to this year’s championship stage to discuss postseason preparation, team culture, and the experience of competing at the highest level in Division II baseball. Featured in this episode: Brad Baldwin (Northwood University),  Brent Porc...

This week on the ABCA Podcast, we bring you a special episode recorded on location at the NJCAA Division III World Series in Auburn, New York. We sat down with all eight head coaches competing for a national title to talk about their programs, postseason preparation, and what it means to be part of one of the most competitive events in junior college baseball. Featured in this episode:  Mark Tucke...

This week on the ABCA Podcast, we bring you an episode recorded on location during the NCAA Division II Regional hosted at Belmont Abbey College in North Carolina. We sat down with the four head coaches who were leading their programs through postseason play and captured their insights right in the heart of the action. Featured in this episode:  Adam Skonieczki  (Lenoir-Rhyne University),   Chris...

This week on the ABCA Podcast, we’re joined by Dr. Barry Davis, assistant coach at Princeton University and former longtime head coach at Rider University. Davis brings more than three decades of coaching experience to the conversation, with a track record of sustained success at every level of college baseball—NJCAA, NAIA, and NCAA Division I. Over 20 seasons at Rider, Davis led the Broncs to fou...

This week on the ABCA Podcast, we’re joined by Dr. Luke Wilkins, a lecturer at La Trobe University and former sport scientist and lead skill acquisition specialist with the New York Yankees. Wilkins brings a unique perspective to player development, blending cutting-edge academic research with experience in professional baseball. In this episode, we take a deep dive into his recent research paper,...

This week on the ABCA Podcast, we’re joined by former MLB All-Star, longtime broadcaster, and pitchLogic CBO, Lary Sorensen . A veteran of 11 big-league seasons, Sorensen won 93 games and was selected to the 1978 American League All-Star team as a member of the Milwaukee Brewers. After his final MLB appearance in 1988, Sorensen transitioned into the broadcast booth, calling games for ESPN, the Det...

This is our final installment of on location interviews from Cary, NC and USA Baseball’s NHSI Tournament coaches. Today we are joined by Venice’s Craig Faulkner, Corona Del Sol’s David Webb, Collierville’s Jeff Munier, Wesleyan Christian’s Mo Blakeney and Stony Brook’s Jon Brewer. Congrats to Coach Faulkner and Venice High School on bringing home this year’s championship. Get the pro treatment and...

The second part of our special National High School Invitational series brings you more on-the-ground conversations recorded in Cary, North Carolina. This premier event once again showcased elite talent and exceptional coaching from across the country. This week, we continue our series with five more outstanding high school coaches who led their teams at NHSI 2025: Andy Wise – Corona High School (...

For the next three weeks, we’re bringing you a special series of interviews recorded on location in Cary, North Carolina, during USA Baseball’s National High School Invitational (NHSI). It was another phenomenal event filled with top-tier talent and outstanding coaching. This week, we kick things off with a round of conversations featuring coaches from five standout programs that competed at NHSI:...

This week on the ABCA Podcast we’re joined by Kayla Baptista of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Baptista has quickly built a remarkable résumé in the game, becoming the first female on-field coaching intern in Cape Cod League history in 2021 with the Wareham Gatemen, and later breaking new ground again as the first female hired for a coaching role by the Texas Rangers in January 2022. A former University...

We’re staying on the professional side this week with Los Angeles Angels' catching and pitching coach Sal Fasano. A 13-year MLB veteran who played for 10 different organizations, Fasano brings a deep well of experience to this episode—from his time behind the plate to his work in the dugout and front office. Fasano spent the last eight seasons on the Atlanta Braves’ Major League staff, where he pl...

Next up on the ABCA Podcast is Kansas City Royals Executive Vice President & General Manager J.J. Picollo, who just wrapped up one of the most remarkable turnarounds in Major League Baseball history. Under his leadership, the Royals posted an 86-76 record in 2024—30 wins better than the previous season—earning a postseason berth and making Picollo the runner-up for MLB Executive of the Year. I...

This week on the ABCA Podcast, we’re joined by Rob Ducey, a 13-year MLB veteran and 2013 inductee into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame. Ducey broke into the big leagues in 1987 with the Toronto Blue Jays and wrapped up his playing career with the Montreal Expos in 2001. In 2004, he made history as the first Canadian to play for Team Canada, the Blue Jays, and the Expos. In this episode, Ducey s...

Few coaches in college baseball have had the kind of long-term impact Mike Birkbeck has made at Kent State. Since becoming Associate Head Coach in 2004, Birkbeck has helped guide the Golden Flashes to 10 MAC regular season titles, 10 MAC Tournament championships, and 10 NCAA Regional appearances. Widely respected as one of the top pitching minds in NCAA Division I baseball, Birkbeck brings decades...

Virginia Tech associate head coach and recruiting coordinator Kurt Elbin has built one of the most explosive offenses in college baseball. Now in his seventh season with the Hokies, Elbin has helped shape a lineup that consistently ranks among the nation’s best in key offensive categories. Through 17 games this season, Tech’s hitters have posted a .314 batting average, 151 runs scored, 50 doubles,...

With 29 seasons at the helm of Catawba College baseball, Jim Gantt has built one of the premier programs in NCAA Division II. A three-time ABCA Region Coach of the Year and 12-time Conference Coach of the Year, Gantt has led the Catawba Indians to multiple national semifinal appearances, including an impressive 2024 season where his squad earned the program’s first-ever NCAA Regional hosting oppor...

This week on the ABCA Podcast, we sit down with 2024 ABCA Pacific Association Assistant Coach of the Year Vince Kolbe, who played a key role in Palomar College’s dominant 2024 season. With a 36-11 overall record and a 23-2 mark in conference play, Kolbe’s work developing the catching corps and coaching first base has been instrumental in the Comets’ success. In this episode, Kolbe shares insights...

Fresh off leading Team USA to gold at the WBSC U-12 Baseball World Cup, Bryan Madsen joins the ABCA Podcast to share his journey and insights into coaching young athletes at the highest level. In his first year as 12U National Team Manager, Madsen guided Team USA to an impressive 57-9 run differential, a .357 team batting average, and a dominant 0.86 ERA on the way to the program’s eighth gold med...