ABCA Podcast American Baseball Coaches Association

Next up on the ABCA Podcast is Troy University head coach, Skylar Meade. Meade is heading into his second season as head coach of the Trojans. Meade led Troy to a 32-win season and an appearance in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament semifinals last year. Meade spent 14 years as an assistant coach with stops at South Carolina, Michigan State, Middle Tennessee State and Eastern Illinois. Meade played collegiately at Louisville and led the Cardinals to a CWS appearance his senior season in 07’. Meade is highly regarded in the baseball industry as an elite pitching coach and recruiter. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.

I want to thank everyone for listening to the ABCA Podcast. This is my 200th episode since taking over. I am so thankful for everyone that listens in every week. I appreciate when people reach out about what is speaking to them with the episodes. As always, I hope I am asking the right questions for you all. The ABCA Podcast was nominated for the Sports Podcast Awards again this year. If you want to vote for us, head over to sportspodcastgroup.com and put a vote in for the ABCA Podcast. We are starting monthly minority spotlight episodes. Kicking us off is Georgetown University Associate Head Coach and Recruiting Coordinator, Julius McDougal. McDougal was an integral part of the Hoyas’ historic 2022 season breaking program records for wins, home runs, total bases and end of season RPI. McDougal has had success at every stop of the way helping turn around Eastern Kentucky with back to back 30 win seasons in 18’ & 19’. Prior to Eastern Kentucky, McDougal, was an assistant and head coach at Stillman College. He got his coaching start as an assistant at Kentucky State University in 14’. This is a great episode on developing a winning culture, player development and coaching hitters. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.

This week’s ABCA Podcast guest is current professional baseball player, Nashville artist and Proud To Be In Baseball cofounder, Bryan Ruby. Ruby played high school baseball for his father in Pennsylvania and collegiately at Vassar College. Ruby is currently playing for the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes in Oregon. In the offseason he works in Nashville writing songs for country music. Heading into his senior season at Vassar, Ruby decided to come out to his coaches and teammates. Since then he has been an advocate for LGBTQ baseball players. Proud To Be In Baseball had a booth at the Nashville convention this year. Ruby has been coming to the ABCA convention with his father since he was a kid. This episode is an open and honest conversation about how inclusion can help the players that you coach. Ruby is a good example of how numbers on the field improve when players feel comfortable and seen. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.

On this week’s ABCA Podcast we check in with Wake Forest Associate Head Coach, Bill Cilento. Cilento is in his 14th season with the Demon Deacons working primarily with hitters and infielders. He has a great track record of developing players with 65 drafts and 7 big leaguers. Wake Forest has had 19 hitters earn all-ACC honors the last five seasons, including National Player of the Year and first round pick Will Craig. Wake Forest has ranked in the top 50 nationally in home runs in six of the past seven seasons, also ranking among the nation’s leaders in batting average, doubles, walks, slugging and on-base percentage every season. The Deacs made the NCAA tournament in 2022 after posting the program’s seventh 40-win season. The 2022 team also broke school records for home runs, walks, RBIs, runs scored, runs per game and slugging percentage. Cilento played collegiately and coached at Siena. He also spent time coaching at New Orleans and Brown. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.

Staying on the MLB side with this week’s ABCA Podcast. We check in with Oakland A’s Major League pitching coach, Scott Emerson. Emerson grew up in Phoenix and was drafted by the San Diego Padres in 1990 out of Shadow Mountain High School and by the Baltimore Orioles in 1991 out of Scottsdale Community College. Emerson pitched in the minor leagues from 1992 to 1997. In 2000 Emerson joined the Pittsburgh Pirates Organization as Pitching Coach of their Gulf Coast League. Emerson joined the Athletics’ Organization in 2001. Emerson worked his way up through the minor leagues through 2014 and ended as the Athletics Minor League Pitching Coordinator. After the 2014 season Emerson was named the Athletics major league bullpen coach. Emerson was promoted to pitching coach on June 15, 2017. We cover all things pitching in this one. Emerson has a great perspective on how to blend the old with the new. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.

Next up on the ABCA Podcast is Houston Astros Assistant Director of Player Development and Minor League Coordinator, Jason Bell. Bell started his career path on the college side as the Director of Baseball Operations at Ohio University in 2015. From there Bell went on to be the pitching coach at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. In 2017 Bell was hired by the Houston Astros as the development coach for Quad Cities in 2017. In 2019 Bell was hired as the Astros fundamentals coordinator. That year the Astros led all 30 organizations with an overall fielding percentage of .975. With Major League pitchers and catchers reporting for Spring Training, we are jumping into a couple professional baseball episodes. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.