From the Coach's Mouth

Jay Bolden and Ken Krause
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Jay Bolden of BeBold Fastpitch and St. Xavier University, and Ken Krause of Softball Success and the Life in the Fastpitch Lane blog, talk with fastpitch and specialty coaches about their lives, their journeys, and their thoughts on a variety of topics related to the sport of fastpitch softball.

  1. 22 HR AGO

    Episode 58: Rich Balswick

    Legendary pitching coach Rich Balswick joins Jay and Ken to talk about his years as a top men's player and what made him transition from being a hard thrower to a great pitcher. He also takes a deep dive into how to throw a great rise ball (and what's lacking in the way many of today's top pitchers are being taught) as well as sharing his thoughts on the importance of the thumb in various pitches, rushing young pitchers into games instead of giving them time to develop, the use of the curve and rise at every level, and the importance of continuous learning for every coach regardless of age, experience, or accomplishment. For those looking for more wisdom from the Master, check out his Wick's Wednesday posts on his Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/rich.balswick.2025.

    1hr 21min

  2. 23 APR

    Episode 57: Sarah Pauly

    This week Jay and Ken are joined by one of the all-time great fastpitch pitchers, the incredible Sarah Pauly. The former D1 and National Pro Fastpitch standout talks about how she came to play for Texas A&M - Corpus Christi, her long playing career in the NPF with the Connecticut Brakettes, Washington Glory, USSSA Pride, and Akron Racers, and what it was like playing in the Japan Pro League. She also shares her thoughts about pitchers being sent into games without adequate warm-up time, the trend of teaching pitchers to leap, why no one is ever a finished product, how she approaches pitching lessons, and the struggles she faced as a young pitcher trying to learn her craft. It's a great conversation with one of the best the game has ever known.

    1hr 18min

  3. 16 APR

    Episode 56: Don Stopa

    Red River High School and former University of North Dakota pitching coach Don Stopa joins Jay and Ken to talk about his career as a head and assistant coach at the D1, D2, NAIA and Juco levels. He shares what he looks for when recruiting players (beyond the numbers), typical mistakes players and parents make in the recruiting process, common mechanical flaws in pitching mechanics, why he prefers pitchers that can throw north-south, and his thoughts on the transfer portal. He also talks about his D J Stopa Consulting and Training business and how it helps players and parents prepare to play at the next level and find the right fit for them. To learn more about his services go to https://djstopa.com/ or email him at don.stopa@djstopa.com or djstopacandt@gmail.com .

    1hr 8min

  4. 9 APR

    Episode 55: Joe Massaro

    USA Softball National Hall of Fame umpire Joe Massaro joins Jay and Ken to share how he got started as an umpire and how he worked his way up through the ranks to call women's national fastpitch, women's international play, and National Pro Fastpitch league games as well as college games for more than 40 years. He also shares his insights on the shrinking strike zone, the use of instant replay (he's not a fan), how the current climate is affecting recruitment of umpires to overcome the shortage, and what makes a good umpire. If you've ever wanted a peek behind the scenes of the men and women in blue, this is your chance!

    1hr 2min

  5. 2 APR

    Episode 54: Kelley Montalvo

    South Mountain Community College head coach Kelley Montalvo joins Jay and Ken this week to talk about her playing career at Alabama, where she earned multiple awards and recognition as well as being a finalist for the Collegiate Player of the Year, her eight years playing in the National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) League, and how she transitioned into coaching. She talks about being featured in the "Burn the Ships" documentary that demonstrated the herculean efforts of the players and management to keep the NPF alive, the challenges she faced as a 4' 11" player in a sport that values size (and how she overcame them), how "Imposter Syndrome" almost kept her from taking the current job she loves, the importance of players taking days off, and the need for female athletes to support each other rather than knock each other down.

    1hr 9min

  6. 26 MAR

    Episode 53: Doug Gillis

    Jay and Ken once again have the opportunity to speak with a fastpitch softball legend. This time it's former men's international and national champion pitcher and pitching coach supreme Doug Gillis. Doug shares stories about how he learned to pitch by studying top international pitchers and imitating their movements, his experience having Mike White as his roommate when he was a teen, and his most memorable international playing experiences. He then talks about the state of pitching today, his thoughts about leaping versus crow hopping, and what pitchers can do to help themselves throw faster, more accurately, and more effectively.

    1hr 24min

  7. 23 MAR

    Re-Release: Bill Hillhouse

    We learned sadly late Saturday night that Bill Hillhouse had passed away after an eight-month battle with pancreatic cancer. We had the privilege of speaking with him in January in what we believe was his last recorded interview, which we are sharing now in his honor. In it he talks about happier times from his career as a top men's fastpitch pitcher and later a pitching coach, his thoughts on the current state of the art in pitching, and his cancer journey. Please keep his wife Sharon and his son Alex in your thoughts and prayers. We feel privileged to have known him and learned from him.

    1hr 8min

  8. 19 MAR

    Episode 52: High School Softball, Bad Advice Coaches Give

    This week Jay and Ken make it a duo to talk about getting the most out of high school softball and what players can do if they didn't make them team they were hoping for. They also discuss some of the bad advice they've been given or they've heard coaches give to players over the years, why it doesn't make sense, and what players can do instead.

    59 min
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About

Jay Bolden of BeBold Fastpitch and St. Xavier University, and Ken Krause of Softball Success and the Life in the Fastpitch Lane blog, talk with fastpitch and specialty coaches about their lives, their journeys, and their thoughts on a variety of topics related to the sport of fastpitch softball.

Information

  • Creator
    Jay Bolden and Ken Krause
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    64
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Jay Bolden and Ken Krause
  • Show Website
    From the Coach's Mouth

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