HOLDING DOWN the FORT

It’s all in the initials: ❗️CG❗️ because if he starts the game for his squad, he wants more than anything to finish the game for his squad💪 Mr. Chad Gartland joins the show for EP 034 as he is preparing for his upcoming season with the Sussex County Miners⛏️ Chad is an absolute workhouse no matter where he’s been; whether it’s making a regional run with the boys at George Mason✅ or missing bat...

My brother Z Evans joins us live from the San Diego Padres Spring Training facility in Peoria, AZ🌵to take us through a day in the life of a pro ball player at Padres Big League Spring Training💪 From the Tee Balls fields in rural Western New York❄️ to the blue grass of Hickory, North Carolina🚜 Mr. Evans has loved baseball from the start🏁 We go on a journey with a small town high school player w...

We are back for Season III of Holding Down the Fort with our friend Toronto Blue Jays RHP Ryan Boyer🔥 Ry joins us to discuss his journey through the game and some of the unexpected twists and turns he’s navigated along the way⛰️ Ryan’s unique experience helps remind everyone out there it doesn’t matter who you are, where you’re from, what you’ve seen, as long as you can get outs🥊 Mr. Boyer has a...

What an honor to be joined by our British Baseball Brother Sir Matthew Ward for Episode 37🇬🇧 “Wardo” a fellow Purple Eagle of Niagara made a serious case as a senior for a Buster Posey Award behind the dish🥇 but brought an even more incredible trophy home by leading NU to its first ever MAAC Championship🏆 Matty gives us an insider’s perspective on what it takes to be prepared for at-bats against...

We welcome our dear friend J-Wave 🌊 to episode 036 of Holding Down the Fort⬇️ Mr. Strong takes on his wild ride of getting recruited during COVID to leading Division I Baseball on stolen bases as a junior💥 We cover J’s draft process from signing with a top SEC Program all the way to Draft Day where he got to share a beautiful moment with his family🫶 As a child Jackson always put his physical fi...

We welcome our dear friend Tread Athletics Trainer - Tommy Bednarski for Episode 035. He takes us inside the WHY at arguably the top baseball training facilities in the country! From MLB all stars🌟countless💯➕MPH throwers⛽️ to college & high school athletes trying to improve their ability to pitch💡 TREAD simply finds a recipe to make you better📈 Tommy B’s path through the game has been a...

Episode 031 features the legendary Shawn Dubin💪 Dubs is a staple in the Big League Bullpen of arguably the best team over the last 10 years both in the show and developmentally w/ their MiLB Prospects📈 A prime example of that developmental success is Mr. Dubin who casually sits 96➕ with his fastball🔥 paired with a wipe out slider🌪️ to put away the best hitters on earth 🌎 After catching up on...

Mr. Leitch joins us for episode 3️⃣0️⃣ to take us on a ride through his baseball life from The Great White North☃️ to The Deep South in Clearwater, FL with the Phillies for Spring Training 2024🌴 Ryan is originally from Canada & had the great pleasure of playing for his dad most of his baseball life with the Toronto Mets⚾️ As the big kid at a young age he found himself behind the plate often💪 an...

MY DUDE DALE🤝 Jumps on with us as he’s headed full steam ahead into Spring Training 2024 with The Miami Marlins🐟 From the Hills of Herkimer to the Mountains of Marshall and back to the Jersey Shore @ Rutgers🏖️ Dale has been on a heck of a baseball journey since he left Amsterdam, NY and it’s only getter better💫 Coming off a Big Championship season with The Jupiter Hammerheads in 2023💍 Dale is...

Episode 028 features a baseball journey unlike any other🔀 Christian Young is a man who has simply BET ON HIMSELF🙌 Exits high school and enters the workforce at the ripe age of 18, Mr. Young was spraying pesticides for a Western New York company in his hometown of Hamburg for over a year before his baseball flame reignited💥 His offer from NCCC was still on the table from the year before and he h...

Myrtle Beach here we come🌴 For Episode 2️⃣7️⃣ I present a man who needs no introduction 👉 Mr. Derek Bender🤟 A Top Prospect for 2024 MLB Draft✅ Pre Season All American✅ Single Szn RBI Record@Coastal Carolina✅ Cape Cod League Batting Champ✅ Cape Cod League All Star✅ Back to Back Cape Cod League Champ✅ Bourne Braves All-Time Batting Average Record✅ One of the best human beings on earth✅ Th...

Let’s take a trip to the Deep South 🌟STARKVEGAS MISSISSIPPI🌟 to visit our DAWG Ella Wesolowski for Episode 026! There you will find her dialed in behind the dish for the SEC Powerhouse Softball Squad🥎 and working hard in the classroom in between BOMBS💣 Ella and I talk about being from WNY, her travel softball route to Mississippi State, and how much fun she’s having now that she is there😎 On...

My Guy Ry joins us from The Reds Spring Training facility in AZ🌵Where he just launched a brand new clothing line with some fellow Reds teammates: Created Player Brand🔥🔥🔥 Mr. Cardona is a fellow North East guy who found his college home not far from his family home for The Marist Red Foxes in Poughkeepsie, NY🦊 There Ryan had an amazing run and got Drafted by The Reds in the 19th round during t...

Episode 2️⃣4️⃣ takes us on a baseball journey with my guy Big Ben Williamson💪 Benny jumps on the show after finishing the Arizona Fall League for The Seattle Mariners where he showed everyone why he belongs at the Big League Level📈 As part of the William & Mary Tribe last season under THE BO$$ Coach Mike McRae; Benny Boy led the offensive charge hitting .390 with an 1.175 OPS😳 and with numbers...

From the Big League Bullpen Life ⏩ to present day Coaching one of College Baseball’s best teams we had to call up my brother Phil for Part✌️ Mr. Pohl lettered four times as a Clemson Tiger🐅 and is considered one of the most respected players in program history for his hard work and dedication on the field and in the classroom📚 NO wonder when they had an opportunity to reel this guy back onto ca...

From the moment he set foot in Cooperstown, NY at 10 years old; we knew Phillip Pohl was BUILT DIFFERENT🤯 Phil rolls in as a kid from Bakersfield, California and changes the game for us as a youth program in small town USA🚜 From work ethic, to positional skill🤤 to comprehension💡 to leadership🫡 to valedictorian👨‍🎓 Phil checks every box for a professional scout when they’re looking at a high...

From a dominant baseball family to the Yellow and Green of William & Mary💚 Coach Paul Panik is a man rich in baseball history! Whether it be his early days of playing to the impact he makes on young athletes as a coach today, baseball is the ultimate classroom for life📝 Teamed up with all time great Head Coach Mike McRae🤝 these two are building a rising powerhouse to be known on a national stag...

OUR BROTHER BIRCH jumps on Episode XX for an amazing ride from Cuse to Milwaukee to join The Brew Crew⚾️🍺 We discuss Birch’s path from high school baseball and being an early flame thrower to NCCC 🐺 where he dominated over two straight seasons for the Thunderwolves🌩️And was selected by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 5th round of this years MLB draft🔥 Since joining the Brewers in July; Ryan has b...

We welcome Binghamton Bearcats Sophomore SS Akira Kopec to Episode 19! Akira has taken a very unique & inspiring path to college softball. She spent much of her recruiting process on the BASEBALL field pitching for US Elite before driving to her softball tournament games to: Catch, Play SS, CF, 3B, and hit in the heart of the order‼️ Far beyond playing for one of the most competitive travel baseba...

Megan joins us from COLGATE where she is everything from the pads in your football helmet to the tape on your stick🏒 She is a dear friend of the show and graciously offered her time after just getting back from Czech Republic working for USA Hockey🇺🇸 Megan drops some amazing behind the scenes knowledge on what goes into safely preparing athletes to be on the field, court, ice every day✅ Collegia...

🚨Mr. Duffy has wasted no time making an impact on his new organization📈Matt got called up last night and will make his first Professional Start TONIGHT🫡‼️ Episode🤘of Szn🤘 brings us on a journey from the Great White North to Fort Meyers Florida where you find The Boston Red Sox Spring Training Facilities📍 Matt has made a few stops along the way at 🟡Canisius University where he shattered almo...

⬇️Holding Down the Fort⬇️ is BACK‼️ SZN🤘Episode☝️ Stars our brother Brendan Morse of the Texas Rangers🌟 B is a right handed pitcher who was drafted last month while playing for the Niagara Power⚡️after a studly spring at NCCC🐺 Young Mr. Morse shares what really made him stand out as a draft prospect to The Rangers ↪️ And this characteristic may be something we each possess🤔 Brendan walks us t...

We welcome 💙💛BIG 12 CHAMPION💛💙 Maxx Yehl for the final time we !HOLD IT! Down in Season☝️ Maxx is a freshman stallion at West Virginia University who is on their way to Lexington, Kentucky to stay in the piping hot dorms at the Kentucky Regional🥵 We discuss what it’s been like playing a key bullpen role for the Big XII Championship squad, and some of the opportunities that have come with that...

He may say he’s the “smallest guy on the team” but he has the biggest heart on the field☝️❤️ We welcome Troy Banks INF for the Trenton Thunder to this 1st ever Holding Down the Fort: Strike Zone Edition Podcast🧨 Troy started his college career up the road at NCCC before making the move to Mercyhurst as a sophomore☘️ Troy finished this past season as a First Team All Conference player batting 4th...

My brother Nick Nasty jumps on episode 13 to give us a day in the life as a Minor League Pitcher in the Giants Organization⛽️ Nick’s path started off in Monticello, Minnesota (The Hockey State) where he was an absolute STUD on the ice at the highest levels of travel hockey in the USA🏒 As he really began focus on college baseball, Mr. Zwack found the best home for him would be Xavier University....