ep. 62 Where Colleges Were Just 10 Years Ago vs Now Hit Chat Chit Chat

Conner Reynolds and Connor Burns, former college teammates at Garden City Community College,
discuss the changes in player development in college baseball over the past 5-6 years. They reflect on
their own experiences as a hitter and pitcher, respectively.
When they played, the team had limited hitting technology, such as a couple of Hack Attack
machines. The hitting philosophy varied between their two years, with one year focusing on getting to
second base through doubles, walks, and dirtball reads, and the other year emphasizing hitting to
certain areas of the field. Despite the lack of a consistent hitting philosophy, their team performed
well offensively.
On the pitching side, there was minimal player development. Pitchers had limited time to warm up
and throw, and received little to no mechanical feedback. The introduction of plyo balls and velocity
programs was new at the time, and often poorly implemented, leading to arm soreness among
pitchers.
The two discuss the mental toughness and team-building aspects of their head coach's style, which
included intense practices and motivational tactics. While unconventional and sometimes harsh, they
believe it contributed to their success as a team.
Overall, the landscape of player development in college baseball has changed dramatically in a short
period. The two plan to continue the discussion in a future episode, delving into the specific changes
and advancements that have been made.






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