ABCA Podcast

Todd Fitz-Gerald, Stoneman Douglas High School

Kevin Graber, Phillips Andover Academy

We head over to prep baseball on this week’s ABCA Podcast with, Phillips Academy Andover head coach, Kevin Graber. Graber also carries the title of senior associate director of admission at Andover. Phillips Andover has become a consistent winner during Coach Graber’s tenure. Graber has had a unique path in the game playing baseball at Winthrop, Saint Rose and professionally. He has coached at every level of baseball. He is also a cancer survivor. Graber spoke on the main stage at this year’s Ch...

Matt Swope, University of Maryland

All things hitting on this week’s ABCA Podcast with our guest, Maryland recruiting coordinator, Matt Swope. Coach Swope is a Maryland alum and he has a lot of passion and pride in the school. Offense has been a hallmark of the Maryland program since Coach Swope came back to his alma mater. The 2021 Maryland squad led the Big Ten in home runs, total bases, stolen bases, and hit by pitches. The Terps finished second in runs, rbi, on-base percentage, slugging percentage and base on balls. In this e...

Jordan Tabakman, Fairfield University

This week’s ABCA Podcast is with 2021 Collegiate Baseball News Rawlings Pitching Coach of the Year, Fairfield University’s Jordan Tabakman. 2021 was a magical season for Fairfield and a lot of that had to do with their pitching staff. Their starting rotation was 28-4 last year with 9 shutouts and 8 complete games. Fairfield was awarded an at large bid and if you follow the Division I landscape, you know how hard that is to do for a mid-major program. Fairfield’s run ended in the NCAA Regional Fi...

Bianca Smith, Boston Red Sox Coach

Next up on the ABCA Podcast is Boston Red Sox coach, Bianca Smith. Smith’s path in coaching started at Case Western University when she was working on her MBA and Law Degree. Smith was originally on a track to work in an MLB front office position but found her passion for coaching at Case Western. After her time at Case, she coached at the University of Dallas and interned for the Texas Rangers. She spent time with the Major League Baseball office and Cincinnati Reds. In 2019 Smith was hired to ...

Wendi Irlbeck, Performance Dietitian, MS, RDN, LD, CISSN

This time of year we try to give coaches information they can implement with their team going into their seasons. Next up on the ABCA Podcast is sport dietician Wendi Irlbeck. Irlbeck is a registered dietician nutritionist. Irlbeck earned her M.S. in Food and Nutrional Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Stout. Irlbeck is accredited all over the health and wellness landscape and is also NSCA certified. Irlbeck’s website is nutritionwithendi.com. You can also find her on twitter, instagram, a...

NCAA Div. I Preview

Happy Opening week of Division I Baseball. Great time of the year with every level of college baseball now going. Next up on the ABCA Podcast is our Division I Preview. We have an entertaining line up of College Baseball Writers in this episode. Vinnie Cervino from Perfect Game gets us started. Then we hand it over to Teddy Cahill from Baseball America and we finish it off with D1Baseball’s Mike Rooney, Aaron Fitt & Kendall Rogers. As a life-long fan of College Baseball, this is always an ex...

NAIA, Junior College, and NCAA Div. II & Div. III Preview

Next up on the ABCA Podcast is our NAIA, Junior College, Division III and Division II preview. Robby Gutierrez from NAIA Ball leads us off. After that we kick it over to Brian Sakowski from Perfect Game and Noah Sharp from the Juco Ball Blog to cover all things junior college baseball. Then we hand it over to Jordan Shusterman and Jake Mintz from Cespedes Family BBQ fame and the D3 Baseball Podcast to talk all things Div III. Finally, we finish up with Wayne Cavadi, Wayne covers all things Div I...

David Whiteside, New York Yankees Director of Performance

Our January 2022 episodes end with a bang here with Yankees’ Director of Performance Science, David Whiteside. Dillon Lawson and David gave one of the best presentations I have seen on training environment at the 2021 I-70 virtual clinic. Whiteside has worked for the New York Yankees for the last 5 years. Whiteside did his postdoctoral work at the University of Michigan. Whiteside also has two different stints working with Tennis Australia as a sports performance scientist. Whiteside is a great ...

Austin Byler, Major League University

Austin Byler from Major League University keeps us going in 2022. Byler had a phenomenal playing career at the University of Nevada. Byler was drafted in the 9thround by the Nationals in 2014 and the 11th round by the Diamondbacks in 2015. Byler was a semi-finalist for the Dick Howser Award. Byler founded Major League University with Nevada teammate Kewby Meyer. Major League University focuses on leadership and mental health. They have also started Project Sandlot NFT’s to benefit under privileg...

Dr. Luke Wilkins, Nottingham Trent University, Cognition Specialist

2022 is rolling with our January podcasts. My hope is that we give you some different things to think about this month. We jump right into vision, cognition and skill acquisition with Dr. Luke Wilkins. Dr. Wilkins is a senior lecturer in sport and exercise psychology at Nottingham Trent University in the UK. He attained his PhD in Vision Testing and Visual Training in Sport from the University of Birmingham in 2015 under the supervision of Dr. Rob Gray. Prior to working at NTU, Dr. Wilkins worke...

Dr. Chris Winter, MLB Sleep Doctor

Happy New Year and welcome to the ABCA podcast. This week’s guest is Dr. Chris Winter. This is a great way to kick off this year’s episodes. Dr. Winter has been called “The Sleep Whisperer”. He is certified by the American Board of Sleep Medicine & the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. He has his medical degree from the University of Virginia. He runs his practice at Charlottesville Neurology and Sleep Medicine. Dr. Winter has worked with MLB, NFL, NBA and NHL teams. He has two boo...

Altobelli Family Tribute

Finishing up our ABCA 2022 Hall of Fame Podcast Series is a tribute to John, Keri and Alyssa Altobelli. This episode is a celebration of their life and legacy. Altobelli led the Orange Coast College program for 27 seasons. At the time of his passing he was the winningest coach in school history. In 2019 he became just the 16th coach in California Community College Athletic Association history to reach the 700 win mark. Altobelli’s 4 State titles tied for 3rd all time and just behind coaching leg...

Chicago Convention Preview

We here at the ABCA office are so excited to be back on site this year in Chicago. Before we look forward to this year’s convention, we do want to thank everyone again that participated in last year’s Virtual convention. As soon as the virtual convention ended last year, we got right to work on making this year’s convention in Chicago one of the best in the history of the organization. Today’s episode covers everything you need to know about the convention. Our goal every year is to make this a ...

Hal Baird and Sammy Dunn Tribute, 2021 Hall of Fame Class

Last year’s virtual convention forced us to postpone the Hall of Fame banquet. In order to celebrate the 2021 class we did a series of podcasts with the inductees. We are using Christmas break here to reissue last year’s episodes to once again celebrate the 2021 class. We are so excited for the Chicago convention and to be able to honor the 2021 and 2022 classes at the Hall of Fame banquet on Friday January 7th. We can’t thank all of you enough for your continued trust and support. I hope you al...

George Horton, 2021 Hall of Fame Class

Last year’s virtual convention forced us to postpone the Hall of Fame banquet. In order to celebrate the 2021 class we did a series of podcasts with the inductees. We are using Christmas break here to reissue last year’s episodes to once again celebrate the 2021 class. We are so excited for the Chicago convention and to be able to honor the 2021 and 2022 classes at the Hall of Fame banquet on Friday January 7th. We can’t thank all of you enough for your continued trust and support. I hope you al...

Roger Cador, 2021 Hall of Fame Class

Last year’s virtual convention forced us to postpone the Hall of Fame banquet. In order to celebrate the 2021 class we did a series of podcasts with the inductees. We are using Christmas break here to reissue last year’s episodes to once again celebrate the 2021 class. We are so excited for the Chicago convention and to be able to honor the 2021 and 2022 classes at the Hall of Fame banquet on Friday January 7th. We can’t thank all of you enough for your continued trust and support. I hope you al...

Don Sneddon, 2021 Hall of Fame Class

Last year’s virtual convention forced us to postpone the Hall of Fame banquet. In order to celebrate the 2021 class we did a series of podcasts with the inductees. We are using Christmas break here to reissue last year’s episodes to once again celebrate the 2021 class. We are so excited for the Chicago convention and to be able to honor the 2021 and 2022 classes at the Hall of Fame banquet on Friday January 7th. We can’t thank all of you enough for your continued trust and support. I hope you al...

Wayne Graham, 2021 Hall of Fame Class

Last year’s virtual convention forced us to postpone the Hall of Fame banquet. In order to celebrate the 2021 class we did a series of podcasts with the inductees. We are using Christmas break here to reissue last year’s episodes to once again celebrate the 2021 class. We are so excited for the Chicago convention and to be able to honor the 2021 and 2022 classes at the Hall of Fame banquet on Friday January 7th. We can’t thank all of you enough for your continued trust and support. I hope you al...

Tony Robichaux Tribute

Last year’s virtual convention forced us to postpone the Hall of Fame banquet. In order to celebrate the 2021 class we did a series of podcasts with the inductees. We are using Christmas break here to reissue last year’s episodes to once again celebrate the 2021 class. We are so excited for the Chicago convention and to be able to honor the 2021 and 2022 classes at the Hall of Fame banquet on Friday January 7th. We can’t thank all of you enough for your continued trust and support. I hope you al...

Lance Spigner & Ryan McGinnis, 2021 Dave Keiltiz Ethics Award Winners

Last year’s virtual convention forced us to postpone the Hall of Fame banquet. In order to celebrate the 2021 class we did a series of podcasts with the inductees. We are using Christmas break here to reissue last year’s episodes to once again celebrate the 2021 class. We are so excited for the Chicago convention and to be able to honor the 2021 and 2022 classes at the Hall of Fame banquet on Friday January 7th. We can’t thank all of you enough for your continued trust and support. I hope you al...

Jerry Weinstein, 2021 Lefty Gomez Award Winner

Last year’s virtual convention forced us to postpone the Hall of Fame banquet. In order to celebrate the 2021 class we did a series of podcasts with the inductees. We are using Christmas break here to reissue last year’s episodes to once again celebrate the 2021 class. We are so excited for the Chicago convention and to be able to honor the 2021 and 2022 classes at the Hall of Fame banquet on Friday January 7th. We can’t thank all of you enough for your continued trust and support. I hope you al...

Marty Paulsen, Head Coach, Fond du Lac High School

Next up on the ABCA Podcast is ABCA 2022 Hall of Fame inductee Fond du Lac head coach, Marty Paulsen. Paulsen has coached in 7 different decades. Paulsen is entering his 54th season at Fond du Lac. Paulsen has over 600 wins and is 2nd in all-time wins for active coaches in the state of Wisconsin. The Cardinals have appeared in the state tournament in 5 different decades and won the 2000 state championship. Paulsen is still coaching at an elite level, taking Fondy to the state playoffs in 2019. I...

Paul Page, Former Head Coach, Ohio Dominican

Joining us this week on the ABCA Podcast is former Ohio Domincan athletic director and head coach, Paul Page. Page is in this year’s ATEC/ ABCA Hall of Fame class. In 29 seasons with Ohio Dominican, Page won over a thousand games. Page is in the top 15 for career wins in NAIA. Page started his coaching career with 2 legends in Mississippi State’s Ron Polk and Marietta’s Don Schaly. Page coached 2 national championship teams at Marietta and led Ohio Dominican to 6 NAIA World Series appearances. I...

Dave Barnett, Head Coach, Flagler College

Next up on the ABCA Podcast is ABCA 2022 Hall of Fame inductee Dave Barnett. Barnett is entering his 35th season as the head coach at Flagler College. He is close to eclipsing the 1000 win mark and is 12th in wins among active Division II coaches. Barnett spent 15 seasons as athletic director and head coach at Flagler. He oversaw the transition from NAIA to Division II. Flagler competes in one of the most competitive conferences in Division II. Barnett has been at every level of baseball from hi...

Tom Walter, Head Coach, Wake Forest University

This year’s Dave Keilitz Ethics in Coaching Award winner is Wake Forest head coach, Tom Walter. Walter is entering his 13th season at Wake. Walter is one of the best we have in the game on developing players. In the last 9 seasons, Wake Forest has had 34 players improve their draft stock from high school. 27 of those players were not drafted out of high school. Walter’s path has taken him all over the baseball industry. He has spent time at George Washington, the University of New Orelans, Wake ...

Ron Maestri, Former UNO Head Coach & Athletic Director

Next up on the ABCA Podcast is Baseball Coaching Legend, Ron Maestri. Maestri is the ABCA Wilson/Lefty Gomez Award Recipient this year. This is the highest award that the ABCA gives out every year. Maestri’s footprint is all over the Baseball Industry. Over 16 seasons as head coach at the University of New Orleans he had 543 wins and led UNO to the Division II and Division I World Series. Maestri was inducted into the ABCA Hall of Fame in 1991. Maestri carried dual athletic director/head coach d...

David McDonald, Georgia Dugout Club & Wheeler HS

The name David McDonald is synonymous with baseball in the State of Georgia. His career in Georgia started at Wheeler High School in 1979. He ended his run as head coach in 2010. In that time he led Wheeler to almost 500 wins and 7 state playoff appearances. After his time at Wheeler, McDonald has been an assistant at Mt. Paran and the Lovett School. Outside of coaching, McDonald has made a larger impact on the game with his time with the Georgia Dugout Club. He is also a charter member of the N...

Marty Miller, Former Head Coach & AD, Norfolk State University

Our 2nd installment of our ABCA Award series continues with former Norfolk State athletic director and head coach, Marty Miller. Miller has spent over 50 years at Norfolk State as a player, coach, administrator and now his role in development. In 32 seasons as head coach, he was the CIAA’s winningest coach and was coach of the year 15 times. Norfolk State won 17 conference titles during his tenure. Miller’s impact on Norfolk State might have been felt even more in his 15 years as Athletic Direct...

Gary Gilmore, Head Coach, Coastal Carolina

This week kicks off our celebration of our 2022 Hall of Fame, Lefty Gomez and Dave Keilitz Ethics Award winners. We start the series off with Coastal Carolina head coach Gary Gilmore. Gilmore is the definition of a program builder. He has amassed over 1200 wins as a head coach at Coastal and USC-Aiken. Since taking over the Coastal program in 1996, the Chanticleers have 16 regional births, 3 super regional appearances and were national champs in 2016. It took Coastal 5 seasons before they made t...