Bandbox Baseball

There are some coaches that don't need an introduction. Coach Skip Bertman's legacy is as storied as college baseball itself. In this episode, we speak with this living legend about the influence of working under Ron Frazier (at Miami), developing a booster club at LSU, building the program from day one, his thoughts on travel ball, motivating players, one of the greatest trick plays in College World Series history, his other experiences in Omaha, changing his role from coach to LSU Athletic Director, Nick Saban and much more. Have a listen!

Matt Hobbs, pitching coach at the University of Arkansas is considered by many to be at the forefront of pitching technology. In this episode, Coach Hobbs speaks about using metrics to develop pitchers, discovering how pitchers actually learn, maximizing the use of technology even on small budget and the depth of pitching in the SEC. He also speaks about pre-throwing routines, gives advice on working with younger pitchers and about his experience in working under one of college baseball's top head coaches in Dave Van Horn. This is a great talk with one of the best pitching coaches in the game.

A great talk with John Szefc, Head Baseball Coach at Virginia Tech University. Coach Szefc speaks about his many stops on the coaching trail where he's worked alongside baseball legends. Szefc speaks about his lessons learned, developing toughness in his players, baserunning philosophy, practice planning, infield play, creating an uncomfortable environment and positivity in a program. This is an extremely valuable listen for any coach in any sport. #bandboxpodcast

Mike Bell is now in his second year as Head Baseball Coach at the University of Pittsburgh. He has vast experience as an assistant coach at many prestigious schools along with a tremendous amount of success as a pitching coach. He speaks with Cory and Paul about the recent sign stealing scandal that has rocked big league baseball, developing indoor practices, creating competition within his program, the role of a pitching coach and how to best prepare players for professional baseball. 

Stetson University Head Baseball Coach, Steve Trimper, talks about his experience playing for and working alongside coaching legends, instilling competitiveness, indoor practice philosophy, developing relationships with players, the art of the hit and run as well as his new book on leadership. This is an episode jam-packed with great ideas and enlightening thoughts. 

Highly successfully college coach Jamie Shevchik speaks about the restraints put on coaches at the division three level. He discusses how his coaches have to plan practices, handle strength training and ultimately seek to develop more of the person over the actual player. Coach Shevchik has never had a losing season in his 18 years as a head coach. He wins on and off the field. Enjoy this talk!

Philadelphia Phillies AAA Bench Coach, Greg Legg, has close to forty years in professional baseball as a player and coach. He rose through the minor league ranks as a player and has coached at all levels of professional baseball. In this talk, we discuss the hot topic of cutting minor league teams, player development, the art of working with hitters and how the Phillies train their hitters in the pre-season. Have a listen!

Scott Brown discusses the role of the pitching coach as a mentor, the current trend of Major League Organizations seeking out college pitching coaches and how he approaches a pitcher's arrival on the Vanderbilt University Campus. Coach Brown also shares his thoughts on a pitcher's workload management, an individualized approach to creating a pitcher's profile, thoughts on drill work and the importance of the mental game. This is a very concise, informative and perceptive talk.

Penn State University Head Baseball Coach Rob Cooper discusses his legendary mentors, program building, catching and developing relationships with players. This in-depth talk also includes his experiences with USA Baseball, the mental game, the coaching profession itself and much more. A great talk!

With 25 years coaching at the collegiate level, Kevin McMullan is the Associate Head Baseball Coach and Recruiting Coordinator at the University of Virginia. He has been named the top assistant baseball coach in college baseball (by peers and publications) three times. Over 80 of his players have signed professional contracts; 44 have been drafted. He helped lead Virginia to the 2015 National Championship. He discusses everything from recruiting  to hitting, defense, practice planning and his daily work at UVA. A great talk!

With four World Series rings and over thirty years in the Major Leagues, Dick Tracewski has seen it all. He played for the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Detroit Tigers. He coached with the Tigers for over twenty-five years under managers like Billy Martin and Sparky Anderson. He played with legends such as Sandy Koufax, Don Drysdale, Al Kaline and Mickey Lolitch. He played against the likes of Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris, Lou Brock, Bob Gibson, Harmen Killebrew and many others. His insight, stories and baseball wisdom come to light in this talk.