Behind The Dish John Piper

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A true Texas storyteller, I sat down with Skip Johnson in his office in Norman, OK as he talks baseball, developing young men, hunting, and family.

Widely regarded as one of the premier pitching coaches in the country, Skip Johnson has led the Oklahoma baseball program since June 2017. Since taking over the reins after serving one year as the Sooners’ pitching coach, he has led the Sooners to an 85-52 record in three seasons.

Johnson’s influence on the program began immediately and has progressed each year. The OU pitching staff has posted a progressively lower ERA in each of his three seasons in Norman. Oklahoma’s 3.92 team ERA in 2019 was only the seventh team ERA under 4.00 since 1980, and the first since 2015. In his first two seasons, Sooners pitchers posted two of the top five strikeout totals in program history. A total of 14 pitchers have heard their names called in the Major League Baseball Draft over the last four years.

In the 2020 season shortened due to COVID-19, the Sooners compiled a 14-4 record and climbed as high as No. 9 in the national polls. In the process, OU turned in some historic performances. Dane Acker pitched Oklahoma’s first individual no-hitter since 1989 against No. 11 LSU in the Shriners College Classic, and the pitching staff combined for a Big 12-record 21 strikeouts in one game against Arkansas-Pine Bluff. Cade Cavalli became OU’s 10th first-round selection in the regular June Major League Baseball Draft when he was selected 22nd overall. A program-record four Sooners were drafted in the first four rounds, including all three pitchers in the weekend rotation (Cavalli, Levi Prater, and Acker).

Johnson coached OU to the program’s 38th NCAA Regional appearance in 2018. The Sooners posted a 38-25 record – the highest win total since 2013 – and reached the finals of the Tallahassee Regional. In the process, Oklahoma pitchers set a school record with 608 strikeouts. Outfielder Steele Walker was named a Second-Team All-American by Baseball America and the NCBWA, and pitcher Levi Prater was selected as a Freshman All-American by Collegiate Baseball. Outfielder Kyler Murray, who went on to win the 2018 Heisman Trophy with the OU football team, was the ninth overall selection in the 2018 MLB Draft. Nine players were drafted, including five in the first 10 rounds (Walker in the second round, pitcher Jake Irvin in the fourth round, pitcher Austin Hansen in the eighth round, and outfielder Cade Harris in the 10th round).

Oklahoma pitchers surrendered the fewest home runs in the Big 12 Conference in 2017 and combined for 531 strikeouts to rank fourth in the league and fourth in OU single-season history. The Sooners’ 9.26 strikeouts per nine innings ranked second in the conference. As a team, OU pitchers struck out 10 or more batters on 24 occasions.

Sooner pitchers combined for 17 starts of six innings or more in 2017, including the first two games of the Louisville Regional. Three Oklahoma pitchers were selected in the 2017 MLB Draft. Sooner closer JB Olson was drafted in the 10th round to extend a string of seven straight years with an Oklahoma player chosen in the first 10 rounds. OU saw starter Devon Perez and reliever Vincenzo Aiello selected on day three of the draft.

Prior to coming to Oklahoma, Johnson spent a 25-year coaching career in the state of Texas, including the most recent 10 years as an assistant and associate head coach at the University of Texas.

Johnson was hired as the pitching coach at Texas for the 2007 season under Augie Garrido, who stepped down from his position as the winningest coach in college baseball in May 2016 to take on new...

Eric Crozier

Originally drafted by the Cleveland Indians in June of 2000 out of Norfolk State University, Eric reached Major League Baseball four years later with the Toronto Blue Jays. Eric’s 11 years of professional baseball included stints with New York Yankees, Cincinnati Reds, Boston Red Sox and the Baltimore Orioles. Since retiring in 2011, Eric has been intimately involved with youth and scholastic baseball in Northern Virginia. In 2012 he was named Head Varsity Baseball Coach at the Potomac School in McLean, VA. In 2013 he created C5TBA with a vision to train
and develop the complete baseball athlete. In 2014, Eric started C5T Elite; a travel/showcase baseball organization designed to develop middle school baseball players and help high school
baseball players get recruited and signed. The organization started with one 16U team and quickly grew the to seven teams by 2016. In 2017, Eric was named the East Coast Director of
D-BAT Elite Baseball out of Dallas, TX. He merged the C5T Elite brand under the D-BAT umbrella.

I had a chance to sit down live with Coach Goff in Nashville, TN during the American Baseball Coaches Association Annual Conference. Coach Goff is passionate about the game but more importantly leading young men on and off the field.

Greg Goff joined Purdue baseball as an assistant coach in July 2017 and was promoted to head coach in June 2019. The 2021 season will be his 16th as a collegiate head coach, including second with the Boilermakers.

Previously a head coach at four universities, Goff succeeded his friend and longtime colleague Mark Wasikowski, who returned to the University of Oregon as the Ducks’ new head coach in June 2019.

Goff has previously served as the head coach at Campbell University (2008-14), Louisiana Tech University (2015-16) and the University of Alabama (2017) as well as Division II University of Montevallo (2004-07). He also helped lead the Boilermakers to a memorable 38-win season in 2018, punctuated by the program's third NCAA Regional bid in program history. Purdue finished second in the Big Ten standings and was also the runner-up at the Big Ten Tournament in Goff’s first year with the program.

“Greg is highly respected by our student-athletes and was an important part of Mark Wasikowski’s staff as we have worked to position Purdue baseball for sustained success,” Purdue vice president and director of intercollegiate athletics Mike Bobinski says. “He is a lifelong baseball person and an experienced and successful head coach who led multiple programs to their highest level of success. Greg understands Purdue and our expectations for academic and athletic success.”

I sit down "live" with Sheets during the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) annual meetings in Nashville TN January 2020 two good old Kentucky Boys talking baseball and life.

Sheets is back in the dugout to coach Georgia Gwinnett College after a 4-year stint with ABCA. He's a podcaster, baseball ambassador, life long learner, and proud to call him a friend.

Experienced collegiate coach and administrator Jeremy Sheetinger became the second coach in program history for the 2020 season. has been hired to continue the Georgia Gwinnett College baseball program’s proud tradition of success in competition nationally and regionally.
Sheetinger_BioGraphic
In his first season, the Grizzlies won 22 consecutive games and finished the campaign ranked No. 3 in the NAIA. Ten players received the Association of Independent Institutions all-conference recognition. Sheetinger collected his first win at GGC with a road triumph against No. 4-ranked Southeastern (Fla.).

The team's 22 straight victories to end the season is the second-longest winning streak in program history. GGC concluded the 2020 season with a 23-2 record.

Senior pitcher Hunter Peck posted a 5-0 record and did not allow an earned run in 38 innings. Freshman reliever Alex Cook recorded nine saves, ranking second in program history.

Sheetinger took over a Georgia Gwinnett College program that’s been consistently ranked among the nation’s top NAIA teams. The Grizzlies have advanced to the semifinal round of the Avista NAIA World Series for the past two seasons, along with another world series appearance in 2014. The 2019 team had a 48-13 record, won the Association of Independent Institutions title, and had five players sign to continue their playing careers as professionals.

Sheetinger has served as the college division liaison for the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) from 2016-19. He was responsible for organization communications and relationship building within coaches and administrators at NCAA Division II and III, NAIA and junior college levels. He helped facilitate a 200-percent growth rate in ABCA membership and attendance records for three of the organization’s annual conventions.

Sheetinger’s recent outreach efforts were as creator and executive producer of the ABCA’s “The Road Show” and “Extra Innings” video features, where he would interview coaches about a variety of subjects about the game, game-day operations, and program management.

He has served as an associate scout for the Atlanta Braves since 2015.

As a coach, Sheetinger spent three seasons as head coach at Spalding University in Louisville, Ky., posting an 86-43 record, including a school-record 33 victories at the NCAA Division III level in the 2013 season, and three conference postseason tournament appearances. The Eagles had top 10 statistical rankings in numerous offensive and defensive categories among Division III teams.

Jeremy Sheetinger can be reached: Sheets@ggc.edu

To be considered a guest on Behind The Dish or request John Piper as a speaker at your event send email john@behindthedishmedia.com

Thanks to D-BAT Sports for bringing you this episode. For more information and to find a location near you check out https://dbat.net/

Tyson Blaser, a Rockridge graduate and the 2006 Quad-City Times Male Athlete of the Year, was a catcher in the Yankees farm system from 2011-15 after completing his collegiate career at Iowa.
A free-agent signing of the Yankees, Blaser hit .263 over four seasons with the organization. He rose to the AA level on the field as a New York farmhand, but did spend a couple of days in uniform for AAA Scranton-Wilkes Barre early in the 2014 season.
In his new role, he will run the International League team’s bullpen on game days. He will also assist with batting practice duties and handle advance scouting reports to prepare members of the pitching staff for outings against upcoming opponents.

Thanks to D-BAT for bringing you this episode - for more information visit https://dbat.net/ for a location near you. With almost 100 locations nationwide.

To be considered a guest on Behind The Dish or an idea you have for an episode contact john@behindthedishmedia.com

John Piper sits down with Dr. Bhrett McCabe in Nashville, TN during the ABCA (American Baseball Coaches Associaton) annual conference to talk how to get the most out of the "Mindside" of your potential.

Whether your an athlete, coach, parent, or business leader this is a must listen.

Get out of "Suckville" and off the "Struggle Bus"

Bhrett pitche for legendary coach Skit Bertmen and the LSU Tigers and now works with the University of Alabama Athletic Department, PGA Tour Players, is a sought after speaker and host of The Secrets to Winning Podcast

https://www.bhrettmccabe.com/secrets-to-winning-podcast/

https://www.bhrettmccabe.com/

Thanks to D-BAT Sports for supporting our message and reaching one player at a time.

For more information check out https://dbat.net/

If you have a suggestion for a guest you can email john@behindthedishmedia.com

John Piper is available to speak to your group or business team to share some insight into having the right gameplan and mindset before you step up to the plate.