Jaksich helping pitchers reach their goals with PRP Baseball

BY STEVE KRAH 

http://www.IndianaRBI.com

A daily improvement mindset.

That’s what Luke Jaksich wants to see from the players who train with PRP Baseball at Mojo Up Sports Complex in Noblesville, Ind.

“Our goal is to make sure that each day they’re progressing whether it’s mechanical or mindset,” says Jaksich, a former collegiate pitcher who is now helping others. “It’s not just looking at the end goal, it’s looking to the daily goal. What are you focusing on that day to get better?

“The guys that come in consistently get the best results.”

Jaksich, who graduated from Andrean High School in Merrillville, Ind., in 2016 and Ball State University in Muncie, Ind., in 2021, was hired nearly three years ago as a performance coach and is now Assistant Director of Pitching. 

Munster (Ind.) High School graduate Anthony Gomez, who is a bullpen coach for the Buffalo Bisons, Triple-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays, is PRP’s Director of Pitching. Carmel (Ind.) High School alum Greg Vogt, who is rehab pitching coach for the Blue Jays organization, is PRP’s Founder/Director.

Jaksich, 26, and the staff work with 8-year-olds and big leaguers, including Cleveland Guardians left-hander Timmy Herrin and Miami Marlins right-hander Bryan Hoeing. There were upwards of 20 professional pitchers at PRP this winter. The place operates seven days a week November until early March with in-person and remote clients.

During the peak times, many weeks culminate with bullpens and pitchers going live against batters.

“Friday Compete Day is fun,” says Jaksich. “Those are always a good time.”

It’s slower now, but it will pick back up again at the end of May as college and high school seasons wind down.

“We’re attacking the little things with those older guys,” says Jaksich. “They might have one thing that needs to click from everything to get better.”

Jaksich notes that high schoolers and younger are still in the development stage.

“We do a couple of things at a time and make sure we’re really in-depth with what we’re working on,” says Jaksich. “We make sure they’re staying consistent with their work.

“Attention to detail is big. That is the biggest separator. Pro guys come in and get all their work done. High schoolers forget. We have to keep reminding them.”

Among those on the PRP staff working with pitchers besides Jaksich, Gomez and Vogt are Joey Romence, Nick Slone, Seth Story and Max McKee.

To ensure quality time with athletes, no more than about 25 come in during a block of time and they are helped by five or six coaches. Jacob Douglass leads the PRP hitting department.

“We have to balance it out to make sure we are very attentive on the floor when we’re coaching,” says Jaksich. “We try to find the factors that are going to benefit them. It’s not going to be the same thing for each guy. There’s no one way to do it. If there was, it would be a lot easier. 

“As coaches, we have to keep gaining knowledge.”

Communication is key.

“The more an athlete can communicate with us about certain things they’re doing it’s more beneficial for them,” says Jaksich. “That proves that they’re learning and trying to get the best out of everything instead of them looking for answers from us. We want to get answers from them.”

“We talk with each person each day. We create that relationship where they can trust us for their development.”

Jaksich was born on the south side of Chicago and lived there until the eighth grade then moved to northwest Indiana. 

He was with several travel ball teams including the Indiana Playmakers. He also played for the Northwest Indiana Oilmen of the Midwest Collegiate League (now Northern League).

Jaksich played for Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Famer Dave Pishkur at Andrean. Pishkur led the 59ers to Class 3A state championships in 2014 and 2015.

His high school pitching coach was Joe Plesac.

“Joe’s an awesome guy,” says Jaksich. “I stay in-touch with him.”

A member of the program in 2014, left-hander Jaksich started on the mound for Andrean in the 2015 championship game and pitched into the fifth inning before moving to first base.

From Andrean, Jaksich went to Saint Joseph’s College in Rensselaer, Ind. As a freshman in 2017, he started in 11 games and won three. That turned out to be the NCAA Division II Pumas’ final season as the school shut down and long-time head coach Rick O’Dette headed to Florida to guide the program at Saint Leo University.

Jaksich transferred to Ball State and hurled for the Rich Maloney-coached Cardinals 2018-21. At BSU, he made 65 mound appearances (51 in relief) with nine victories and one save and also earned General Studies degree with a Psychology minor.

He then pitched in six games with the 2021 independent American Association’s Sioux City (Iowa) Explorers before joining the coaching staff at Alderson-Broaddus University in Philippi, W.Va., where 2011 Westview High School graduate and former Saint Joseph’s assistant Zac Mishler was Battlers head coach. ABU closed in 2023.

Jaksich reflects back on his career.

“The minute I stopped caring about the result is when I started getting better,” says Jaksich. “That’s the way to go about this game. You’re going to fail. I stopped caring about being perfect out there.

“I wish I had more training like this when I played,” says Jaksich. “The private sector training has really taken off.”

Luke Jaksich. (PRP Baseball Photo)

Luke Jaksich. (Ball State University Photo)

Mariners minor leaguer Wainscott always learning about the game

BY STEVE KRAH

http://www.IndianaRBI.com

With continued devotion to strength, Indianapolis native Jesse Wainscott is preparing for his first full season of professional baseball.

“I’m consistently in the weight room,” says Wainscott, a 6-foot-1, 207-pound right-handed pitcher signed with the Seattle Mariners as a minor league free agent on Aug. 10, 2023 and assigned to the Arizona Complex League Mariners to do a six-week rehab assignment. “For a pitcher, it’s how fast and explosive can you be? 

“It’s smooth, controlled explosion. When I was younger I knew I wanted to throw harder and I wasn’t always the tallest guy. With bigger, stronger legs I can produce more force.”

It’s the principle of Mass = Gas.

Throwing from a three-quarter arm slot, Wainscott delivers a four-seam fastball, slider and change-up. 

The “rise/run” four-seamer has reached 95 mph this spring. The “gyro” slider is thrown harder and breaks later than a “sweeper” and generally travels 84 to 85 mph.

Wainscott describes his change-up grip as “mid-split.”

“If you were to take a two-seam grip and move it up on the horseshoe, my middle finger is on the right horseshoe and my ring finger grabs the other one,” says Wainscott, who saw his first pro action in minor league Arizona spring training games. “It’s all about refining and fine-tuning your best pitches.

“I enjoy having three (pitches) because the change-up I have now really opens up everything to (left-handed batters). They don’t just minimize and take out one pitch because I have a change-up and that helps me out tremendously.”

His focus is on winning 0-0 counts and getting first-pitch strikes.

“If I’m doing that it doesn’t matter what pitch it is,” says Wainscott. “Getting ahead in the count is very big.

“In pro ball, we’re putting ourselves in a spot to succeed.”

Wainscott, 23, expects to find out soon where he will begin the 2024 season. Mariners affiliates after the Peoria Sports Complex-based ACL Mariners are the Low Class-A Modesto (Calif.) Nuts, High-A Everett (Wash.) AquaSox, Double-A Arkansas Travelers and Triple-A Tacoma (Wash.) Rainiers.

To get ready for spring training, Wainscott went to PRP Baseball in Noblesville, Ind., working extensively with Assistant Director of Pitching Luke Jaksich.

“He’s smart and knows what he’s talking about,” says Wainscott of Jaksich, who played at Andrean High School in Merrillville, Ind., Saint Joseph’s College in Rensselaer, Ind., Ball State University and for the independent pro Sioux City (Iowa) Explorers.

Wainscott pitched four seasons at Eastern Illinois University (2019-22), where he was a Communication Studies major and Dietetics minor.

With an extra year granted because of the 2020 season being shortened because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the hurler spent a fifth year at Arizona State University (2023) where he was a teammate of former Fort Wayne Carroll High School and Valparaiso University right-hander Nolan Lebamoff.

In 36 mound appearances (28 in relief) for the Jason Anderson-coached EIU Panthers, Wainscott went 3-5 with one save, a 5.12 earned run average, 83 strikeouts and 52 walks in 91 1/3 innings. In 2022, he held teams scoreless five times and struck out at least one person in all of his 15 appearances (14 as a reliever).

Wainscott played in the summers following each of his first four college seasons — Prospect League’s Danville (Ill.) Dans in 2019, College Summer League at Grand Park (Westfield, Ind.)’s Snapping Turtles in 2020 and 2021 (as a CSL All-Star), MLB Draft League’s West Virginia Black Bears for about two weeks in 2021 and Northwoods League‘s Kenosha (Wis.) Kingfish in 2022.

“The was a fun summer,” says Wainscott. “There was a lot of morale, good dudes and good baseball.

“That summer I felt like I finally came into myself with mound presence and confidence. My velo ticked up and my breaking ball really started snapping harder. I really came into the back-end bullpen role.”

He had the chance to return to EIU, but Wainscott opted to transfer to Arizona State for the exposure and competition that he would have the chance to experience at such a high-profile program.

In 16 games (all out of the bullpen) for the Willie Bloomquist-coached Sun Devils, the righty went 1-1 with two saves, a 6.53 ERA, 18 strikeouts and five walks in 20 2/3 innings.

Wainscott grew up in Perry Township on Indy’s south side and is a 2018 graduate of Perry Meridian High School. He honorable mention all-Mid-State Conference as a sophomore after posting a 2.05 ERA and 50 strikeouts in 44 1/3 innings in 2016. He was first-team all-MSC and honorable mention all-state after going 5-3 with 1.76 ERA and 60 strikeouts in 47 2/3 innings in 2017.

Jake Banwart became Perry Meridian head coach in 2018.

Among his travel ball teams were the Indiana Prospects and Tom Ancelet-coached Midwest Astros (now 5 Star National Indiana).

Jesse is the oldest of Vince and Patty Wainscott’s two sons and considers them both strong mentors.

“I call my dad after every bullpen or outing,” says Jesse. “I go to him for baseball/life advice all the time.

“My mom doesn’t always understand the baseball side. Early in my career, I really looked up to Coach Ancelet. He always trusted me with the baseball.” 

Wainscott’s mentality is about adapting and growing. He’s always picking the brains of other players and coaches.

“I just try to pick up on things,” says Wainscott. “If I’m learning something new everyday, I’m consistently getting better.”

Younger brother Chris Wainscott (Perry Meridian Class of 2020) is a thrower (discus, hammer and shot) on the track and field team at Appalachian State University in Boone, N.C., after beginning his college career at Thomas More University in Crestview Hills, Ky., as a track and football athlete.

“He’s just a tank,” says Jesse of his 270-pound sibling.

Jesse Wainscott. (Kenosha Kingfish Image)

Jesse Wainscott. (Seattle Mariners Photo)

Jesse Wainscott. (Eastern Illinois University Photo)

Jesse Wainscott. (Arizona State University Photo)

Jesse Wainscott. (Arizona State University Photo)

Elkhart County Miracle to take field as ‘White Rumps’ June 6

By STEVE KRAH

IndianaRBI.com

As a nod to local history, the Elkhart County Miracle plan to take on an alternative identity while opening the 2024 Northern League baseball season — the second for the Miracle.

The Craig Wallin-owned team will be renamed the “White Rumps” for one game — 6 p.m. Thursday, June 6 against the Griffith Generals — as a tribute to a Native American reference used to describe the distinctive light fur in the Elk’s rear region. 

Some historians have associated the name Elkhart with a downtown island that resembles the animal’s heart.

Commemorative “White Rumps” jerseys will be worn and hot dogs, popcorn and admission are $1 (One Buck) each on June 6.

Beginning Monday, April 1, the team’s full schedule and individual home game tickets, including “One Buck Night,” will be available at elkhartcountymiracle.com.

The Miracle will play its home games in 2024 at the Elkhart Athletic Complex inside American Park just off Waterfall Drive. The site is adjacent to the former Elkhart Central High School/current Elkhart High School freshman division campus.

NEIBA Hall of Fame adding Dull, Dunno, McMahon

BY STEVE KRAH

http://www.IndianaRBI.com

Mike Dull, Rich Duno and Pat “Bubba” McMahon have been chosen for the induction into the Northeast Indiana Baseball Association Hall of Fame.

The trio will be honored along with Colin Lister Award winner Zach Hosier and Bob Parker Award winner John Nolan at the NEIBA Hall of Fame Banquet at 5 p.m. Sunday, June 9 at Classic Cafe, 4832 Hillegas Road, Fort Wayne.

Dull played at South Adams High School, the University of South Alabama and in the Montreal Expos organization.

Dunno is Owner/CEO at Ground Force Sports LLC-King of the Hill-Queen of the Hill-King of the Swing.

McMahon is head baseball coach at Canterbury High School on Fort Wayne.

Hosier played at Leo High School and Indiana Tech and is a Fort Wayne Baseball Federation supporter. The award honors those who exemplify a profound and distinguished dedication to the game of baseball through one or more of the following: managing/coaching, team sponsorship, securing financial backing, character building and maintaining the integrity of the game by promoting it in a manner befitting of its historical legacy. Lister (1927-2010) was a long-time supper of amateur and professional sports in Fort Wayne.

Nolan is a TV play-by-play announcer for the Fort Wayne TinCaps. The award recognizes outstanding individuals who promote the game of baseball through any form of media relations, marketing, art work, etc. It is given in honor of those who contribute to baseball in a manner that is reminiscent of former photographer and commercial artist Parker (1915-98).

The reservation and online ticket link can be found HERE. Tickets are $25 each and can also be purchased at the door.

Barrett transitions from player to rehab and complex pitching coordinator for Phillies

BY STEVE KRAH

http://www.IndianaRBI.com

Once a “walking medical phenomenon” who broke his humerus bone while pitching after Tommy John elbow surgery and came back to compete in the major leagues, Evansville, Ind., native Aaron Barrett is now using his experiences as the rehab/complex pitching coordinator for the Philadelphia Phillies.

Barrett toed the rubber in big league action for the Washington Nationals in 2014, 2015, 2019 and 2020 and was with the Phillies’ Triple-A team — the Lehigh Valley IronPigs — for 15 games in 2022.

Near the end of that season, he transitioned into a bullpen/assistant pitching coach.

“I knew I wanted to stay in baseball, but I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do,” says Barrett, 36. “After that season, the rehab pitching coordinator role opened up.”

In 2023, he served in that position at the Phillies complex in Clearwater, Fla. He oversaw all players, including pitchers, with some sort of injury. He collaborated with physical therapists, athletic trainers and strength and conditioning coaches and put together throwing programs, movement assessments, specific drills and monitored the player’s progress over time to get them back in the game.

“Our motto is you want to be the best version of yourself,” says Barrett. “It was a lot of fun. There’s a really good culture down there.

“This year there’s a little bit of a promotion. I’m in charge of the same role in rehab. As the complex coordinator I’ve overseeing the entire complex from a pitching standpoint.”

The Florida Complex League team is there along with new players plus Dominican Summer League players and Barrett helps them with their programs and plans, monitoring their workloads and individual goals. 

When a player exits rehab he coordinates where they’re going, what their plan is and their progression once they get to the affiliate club.

“It’s a lot of work but it’s awesome,” says Barrett. “It’s been a blast.

“It’s a different kind of grind.”

After having father Dave Barrett as his first coach, Aaron went on to be a 2006 graduate of Evansville Central High School, where he played for coach Jason Engelbrecht. He played two seasons for coach Rob Fournier at Wabash Valley College (2007, 2008) in Mount Carmel, Ill., and two seasons at the University of Mississippi (2009, 2010) for coach Mike Bianco.

“I’ve been fortunate to have some really good coaches from the youth level through my professional career,” says Barrett. “A lot of coaches throughout my life have made a big-time impact. The game has really given me a lot. I wanted to be able to give all the things that I learned back to the next generation of players. It’s paying it forward.

“Through all of my experiences — not only as a player but the rehab side of things — it’s a perfect fit. Because of all the time that I spent, I can really relate with these players and know exactly what they’re going through.”

Barrett’s immediate boss is Phillies pitching coordinator Travis Hergert. Above Hergert is player development director/assistant general manager Preston Mattingly.

“We grew up together,” says Barrett of Indiana Baseball Hall of Famer Don Mattingly’s second son. “I’ve known Preston since I was about 8 year old.

“This is very natural for us.”

Multiple factors got Barrett to join the Phillies. Besides his relationship with Mattingly, he also came into the organization knowing Brian Kaplan (who is Phillies director of pitching development) and Sam Fuld (who serves as vice president/general manager to president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski).

Barrett has been at Carpenter Complex in Clearwater since the first week of January which is when rehab players reported. Recently wrapped up was a five-week high performance camp with strength and conditioning and individualized programs.

Says Barrett, “It’s another unique way we can stay in-touch with these guys and monitor their build-up.”

Technology allows for the tracking of data, including making sure players are not ramping up too fast or two slow in terms of velocity. Strength and conditioning has numbers that it uses to help players.

As a player, Barrett witnessed a change toward a data-driven way of attacking baseball.

“My first half in the big leagues it was a little bit more of an old-school approach,” says Barrett. “The analytical side was just being introduced into the game then I got hurt. When I came back — the last four years of my career — I had to learn the new era about analytics and what my pitch shapes were. 

“I learned all that stuff.”

Aaron Barrett met Kendyl Mygatt while a student at Mississippi. She had transferred to Ole Miss from Texas Tech, and played soccer at both schools. They married on October 20, 2012. The couple has three children — daughter Kollyns (6) and sons Paxtyn (3) and Camdyn (born in December 2023).

The Barretts reside in the Florida panhandle town of Santa Rosa Beach. They also have a place in Evansville and try to get back their when possible to see family, including Aaron’s parents (who also have a “snowbird” condo in Florida) and grandparents. 

“Evansville was a great place to grow up and live,” says Barrett. “It gave me a great foundation to be in the position I am now.”

Aaron Barrett. (Philadelphia Phillies Photo)

The Barrett family (from left): Paxtyn, Kendyl, Kollyns, Aaron and Camdyn (in his father’s arms).

Aaron Barrett (left). (Philadelphia Phillies Photo)

IU Southeast alum Romero coaching Cubs minor leaguers

By STEVE KRAH

http://www.IndianaRBI.com 

Marco Romero‘s calling card as a baseball player came from swinging the bat.

At Indiana University Southeast, the Caracas, Venezuela native played in 139 games. 

Swinging from the left side, the 6-foot-2 Romero amassed an average of .376 (173-of-460) with 15 home runs, two triples, 44 doubles, 139 runs batted in, 138 runs scored, 42 strikeouts, 95 walks, 29 stolen bases and a 1.076 OPS (.498 on-base percentage plus .578 slugging average). 

He helped the Ben Reel-coached Grenadiers go 109-32 from 2020-22 with a trip to the 2021 NAIA World Series.

“I’ll never regret going to IUS,” says Romero, 27. “I’ve moved around every few years. New Albany is a place that feels like home to me.”

Romero graduated from high school and completed two years of college in Venezuela. The political unrest there caused only-child Marco and mother Julia Villalobos to go to Tampa, Fla., where they had visited family on vacation (father Marco Romero is in Venezuela and his son has contact with him everyday). 

The younger Marco Romero attended a Tampa baseball academy then started his college career over.

He landed at Oakton College in Des Plaines, Ill., and helped the Owls to National Junior College Athletic Association Division III World Series appearances in 2018 and 2019. 

Reel recruited at the NJCAA D-III World Series and coaxed Romero to southern Indiana.

There were a few other options at the NAIA level, but they were in Tennessee and Marco’s mother was in Chicago. 

“I liked the vibes Coach Reel gave me on my visit,” says Romero. “It was about more than baseball.

“He was trying to make them a better person for the world.”

Romero could see that the coach formed close bonds with his players.

Told to sleep on the decision, Romero did not and signed on the day of his visit.

“This is the place I need to be,” says Romero, who enjoyed a productive career and spends time on-campus each off-season.

After graduating as a Business Management major and Entrepreneurship minor in 2022, Romero began aiming for baseball operations jobs since he did not play pro ball.

A Linkedin contact viewed his resume, which showed that he had coached youth players and helped his teammates and served as a team captain, to go for coaching positions.

Romero was hired by the Houston Astros and went to work as a hitting coach apprentice at their West Palm Beach, Fla., complex in the summer of 2022.

Since December 2022, Romero has been a player development coach in the Chicago Cubs organization. In 2023, he helped the Double-A Tennessee Smokies on both the hitting and pitching side. In 2024, he will likely be an assistant hitting coach — with either the High-A South Bend (Ind.) Cubs or Low-A Myrtle Beach (S.C.) Pelicans. Those assignments have not yet been announced.

Romero went to Mesa, Ariz., on Jan. 3 to work at an early camp and spring training starts in a few weeks. Justin Stone is the Director of Hitting and Will Remillard is the Assistant Director of Hitting.

From Romero’s perspective, quality of contact is the most important tool for an everyday player.

“It’s how well the can make contact with the ball,” says Romero. “Some make good decisions at the plate but don’t hit the ball hard.”

A metric used by the Cubs is Expected Weighted On-Base Average (xwOBA). While organizations may differer on some of the numbers, it is formulated with velocity, launch angle and, on certain types of batted balls, Sprint Speed.

“It eliminates the outcome of the ball in-play,” says Romero. “If the hitter hits a 110 mph line drive caught by the center fielder, there’s nothing he can do about that.” 

Romero also notes that some organizations are focused on development at the minor league level and others promote winning.

“In the big leagues it’s all about productive outs and it’s all about winning,” says Romero. “There’s an open debate on this. A million hitting coaches are going to give you a million answers. To me, you want to maximize the run value per ball in-play.

“In professional baseball, every hitter is different. The key is to have an explanation on why you’re doing something.”

Romero is serious about what he does because the hitters he coaches need to produce or the organization will let them go.

“At this level you’re playing with people’s careers,” says Romero. “You can end someone’s career by making the wrong adjustment.

“It’s not a hobby anymore. People need you to perform. That’s what inspires me to do this everyday. There are two things that I’m passionate about: Baseball and seeing people succeed.

“My mantra in my life is leave them a better person than they were before they met me.”

His short-term goal is to be a hitting coach, his long-term goal is to be a big league manager.

“I want to be able to influence who they are as a player,” says Romero. “You get more of that as a manager.”

Romero notes that mental skills coaches travel throughout the minor leagues and on-field coaches will direct the players that may be struggling to them.

While the percentages can be debated, Romero sees baseball as more mental than physical.

“If there confidence is not where it should be, they’re not going to perform,” says Romero. “You have to make sure everyone is in the right mental state.”

Marco Romero. (Chicago Cubs Photo)

Jimtown, Ball State alum Floyd heading into third season with Orioles player development

BY STEVE KRAH

http://www.IndianaRBI.com

Nick Floyd looked into his future while he was still a baseball player and saw himself teaching the game and helping others get better at it.

“Coaching was something in the back of my head that I would pursue,” says Floyd. “It worked out that I did.”

Floyd, 26, is doing it during the fall and winter months by giving lessons to ages 10 through college in his hometown of Elkhart, Ind. 

A 2015 graduate of Jimtown High School, Floyd is conducting sessions though January at D-Bat Elkhart or at a young client’s home and has been asked by Jimtown head coach Cory Stoner to address JHS players before resuming duties on the professional player development side with the Baltimore Orioles organization. 

Floyd is slated to be a bullpen coach/staff assistant with the Low Class A Carolina League’s Delmarva Shorebirds in Salisbury, Md., in 2024 after two seasons as a staff assistant with the Triple-A International League’s Norfolk (Va.) Tides.

On a typical day during a Tuesday-through-Sunday homestand, Floyd would arrive at the park around 11:30 a.m. and leave around 11:30 p.m., with tasks to perform before, during and after games. 

Floyd will again do things like throw batting practice, swing a fungo bat and work with technology but will also work closely with pitchers.

A year ago, Floyd became close with major league offensive strategy coach Cody Asche and also assisted co-hitting coaches Matt Borgschulte and Ryan Fuller and Anthony Villa in his role as minor league hitting coordinator. Villa is now director of player development.

The Orioles have exposed Floyd to high level players and their skills and practice habits — as hitters or pitchers.

“All those things I’ve learned from the Orioles have just been an incredible experience that can make me a more well-rounded coach in the future,” says Floyd.

Unlike some systems, the O’s like to have a challenging practice environment that coaches put on the players.

“Instead of normal tee work, flips or something that’s a little bit easier and ‘feel-good’ hitting we do a lot of things that challenge players on a daily basis.”

There’s competitive BP, curveball machine or other drill that’s not easy.

“They’re designed to almost fail,” says Floyd. “It’s not showing up at the park, hitting off a tee and then playing a game. It’s about getting better.”

In competitive BP, Floyd throws to a medicine ball behind the plate which represents the strike zone and throws a mix of pitches. It becomes a competition between pitcher and hitter.

“We’re trying to simulate a game atmosphere in practice more often,” says Floyd. “A lot of professional organizations don’t quite do that.”

The Orioles want their batters to have plate discipline.

“The most important aspect of hitting is making good swing decisions or not chasing balls out of the (strike) zone.

“It’s about knowing your strengths and weaknesses and what the pitcher is trying to do to get you out.

“We practice situational hitting in BP as well. There’s a man on third with less than two outs or bases are loaded with no outs and we try to do damage.”

Floyd was at big league spring training camp in 2023. 

“There was a lot of on-field stuff getting the guys prepped,” says Floyd. “Once you go off to your season that’s when a lot the technology comes in.”

Minor league spring training in Sarasota, Fla., begins in February.

Floyd pitched four seasons at Ball State University in Muncie, Ind. (2016-19) and earned a Finance degree. His head coach was Rich Maloney and his pitching coach was Dustin Glant.

Floyd experienced independent professional ball with the American Association’s Gary (Ind.) SouthShore RailCats, The Battle of the Bourbon Trail’s Florence (Ky.) Y’alls (part of a COVID-19 pop-up circuit) and Pioneer League’s Idaho Falls Chukars.

An opportunity to go into coaching came at the end of Floyd’s playing days and with encouragement from Glant he went after the pitching coach at Indiana University-Kokomo and served on the staff of Drew Brantley for the 2022 season.

Chase Sebby, who was a catcher for Floyd at Ball State who was now an Orioles minor league coach, made his friend aware of a need for staff assistants — a newly-created position.

In the last few years, Floyd has gone from viewing baseball through the lens of a player to that of a coach.

On the mound, he had one job to do — get outs with his assortment of pitches.

“As a coach I try to pay attention to everything in the game,” says Floyd. “When I was pitching I was focused on my job. Everything else was not my job so I let my teammates do the rest of it.”

As a coach, he is aware you can’t have a cookie-cutter approach with all athletes.

“Players respond to criticism or encouragement in different ways,” says Floyd. “In professional baseball it becomes really individualized. No two players are getting coached up the same way. Some players need to work on the same things but it’s not for the same reason.”

At Ball State, Maloney brought in guest speakers to talk about the mental side of baseball including visualization.

“You close your eyes and see a play happen in your head,” says Floyd. “Visualizing is harder than what some people think. Your mind can go a bunch of different ways if you’re distracted.

“You can never take a play off, especially in pro ball. The margin of error is so small. One mistake can cost a game or season.”

With the Orioles, mental skills coaches are ex-Navy Seals that go over topics like handling pressure, proper rest, performance and preparation.

In college, Maloney, Glant and other coaches taught Floyd about competing and confidence.

“We carried ourselves like we were the best pitching staff in the country,” says Floyd. 

Since leaving Ball State, Floyd has crossed paths with many former teammates and coaches.

Besides Sebby, there’s former BSU roommate Chayce McDermott (a pitcher in the Orioles organization who could make his MLB debut in 2024), Zach Plesac (a pitcher who recently went from the Cleveland Guardians to the Los Angeles Angels) and Drey Jameson (a pitcher who made his MLB debut with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2022).

“Both are incredible competitors,” says Floyd of Plesac and Jameson. “Drey has that attitude. He’s got that swagger about him.”

Alex Call (outfielder in the Washington Nationals organization), Kyle Nicolas (pitcher in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization) and Ty Weatherly (pitcher in the Orioles system) are among the others.

“One of the coolest things has been all the connections in baseball,” says Floyd.

Nick Floyd. (Baltimore Orioles Photo)

McCormick goes from Gyrenes to Red Sox

BY STEVE KRAH

http://www.IndianaRBI.com

With know-how gained as a player, trainer and coach, Michael McCormick has been hired to guide pitchers in the Boston Red Sox organization.

McCormick, a 2012 graduate of Speedway (Ind.) High School, pitched at Parkland College in Champaign, Ill., and Eastern Illinois University and in the Chicago White Sox system and independent ball followed by stints as a Driveline Baseball trainer and pitching coach (2020) then head coach at Ave Maria (Fla.) University (2021-23).

The Red Sox reached out at the beginning of the fall. Hired about a month ago, McCormick will be a pitching coach for the rookie ball team based in Fort Myers, Fla. Camp starts in January and the Florida Complex League season begins in June.

Until seeing the players and other personnel, McCormick is go over data while familiarizing himself with different Red Sox systems and getting on-boarded onto those systems.

“I’m familiarizing myself with each guy and getting an idea of what they need to improve on this next season,” says McCormick.

He expects a smooth transition and will continue to emphasize relationship leadership over transactional.

“It reinforces the fact that the development of relationships between coaches and players in fundamental for trying to develop guys on the baseball field,” says McCormick, 30. “It’s just getting to know the person — off the field as well as on the field. 

“You’ve just got to build that rapport. It’s easier to make those adjustments when there’s trust going both ways.”

The roster will be made up of player selected in the 2023 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft or those coming from the Dominican academy.

McCormick, who took Spanish in highs school, says he is conversational in the language and got to use it while playing pro ball and with bilinguals at Ave Maria.

“I’m looking forward to using it everyday (with the Red Sox) and it getting even better,” says McCormick.

Former big league left-hander Craig Breslow was hired in October as the Red Sox chief baseball officer after being Director of Strategic Initiatives for Baseball Operations with the Chicago Cubs.

Justin Willard became the Red Sox director of pitching in December after serving as pitching coordinator for the Minnesota Twins.

“I’m really excited to work with those two,” says McCormick. “It’s also the gains the Red Sox have been able to make on the pitching side I’m excited to contribute where I can.

“The emphasis will be more so on the player development side as opposed to winning at the rookie ball level. But when you focus on the important things sometimes winning is a result.

“The end goal is to win a (World Series) championship.”

McCormick will also interact with Red Sox Director of Player Development Brian Abraham as well as many others in the system’s player development department especially those who focus on pitchers. There are other former Driveline employees, too.

There will be daily interaction with the strength and conditioning staff, athletic trainers and nutritionists.

“It’s a holistic approach when it comes to player development,” says McCormick. “More goes into it than solely pitching.”

The job change does not require McCormick and his family to move. He will commute from Ave Maria to Fort Myers, a distance of about 35 miles.

Wife Teigan McCormick is heading into her first season as indoor/beach volleyball coach at AMU, which recently upgraded Tom Golisano Field House. 

The McCormicks met at Parkland when he was playing baseball and she volleyball. The couple has three children — daughter Kolby Rae (7) and sons Steston (2) and Augustin (4 months). Kolby Rae attends Rhodora J. Donahue Academy of Ave Maria.

“We love living here in Ave Maria,” says McCormick. “It really worked out.”

Staying in Ave Maria also means that when time allows Michael will be able to visit the team and his younger brother Nicholas McCormick (a Speedway and Eastern Illinois graduate) — who was elevated from Gyrenes pitching coach to head coach with Michael’s leaving. Nicholas is a 2014 Speedway alum.

Ave Maria plays in The Sun Conference and that NAIA-affiliated league’s tournament is slated for JetBlue Park at Fenway South in Fort Myers.

Marcus McCormick — father of Michael and Nicholas — was the head baseball coach at Speedway through the 2023 season. He has stepped away from that position and is now athletic director at Speedway Middle School while also giving baseball lessons.

The Sparkplugs baseball program is now led by former McCormick assistant Matt Burke.

Michael McCormick. (Ave Maria University Photo)

Persistency pays for Indianapolis-raised left-hander Wynja

BY STEVE KRAH

http://www.IndianaRBI.com

Hayden Wynja’s career as a baseball pitcher has not gone in a straight line.

In fact, the lanky left-hander looked to be at the end of the line on more than one occasion. 

But Wynja persisted through rough patches and finds himself preparing for his third year in the pros with the San Francisco Giants organization.

“All I ever wanted to do was play professional baseball,” says Wynja, 25. “It’s been a crazy, crazy, crazy journey. But it’s been a lot of fun.

“I’m very blessed. That’s for sure.”

A 2017 graduate of Heritage Christian High School in Indianapolis who helped the Dan Ambrose-coached Eagles win three IHSAA sectional titles was selected in the 30th round of the 2017 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft by the Atlanta Braves but did not sign.

Wynja (pronounced Win-Yuh) red-shirted in his first year at Purdue University (2018) then hurled 11 2/3 innings over eight outings for the Boilermakers in 2019.

“I essentially got cut,” says Wynja.

During the COVID-19-shortened season of 2020, Wynja got into five games and logged 13 1/3 innings at Lincoln Trail College in Robinson, Ill.

At the University of South Florida in Tampa in 2021, the lefty pitched in just two games and two innings. 

“I kind of got cut again.” says Wynja.

One of his USF teammates was catcher Jake Sullivan, son of Florida Baseball ARMory founder Randy Sullivan in Lakeland.

“I gave everything to the ARMory,” says Wynja who landed at Murray (Ky.) State University. “Murray State and the Florida Baseball ARMory are why I’m still playing baseball.”

With the Dan Skirka-coached MSU Racers, Wynja earned the Friday night starter job in 2022. He took the mound 15 times (14 starts) and went 6-4 with a 3.67 ERA, 86 strikeouts and 24 walks in 73 2/3 innings

Last off-season, Wynja wrote the 70-page paper he needed to complete a Communications degree from Murray State.

Signed by the Giants as a minor league free agent July 28, 2022, Wynja pitched in three contests and 3 1/3 innings for the the Orange team in the Arizona Complex League that season.

In 2023 with the Low Class-A San Jose (Calif.) Giants and Advanced-A Eugene (Ore.) Emeralds, Wynja made 29 mound appearances (16 starts) and went 7-6 with two saves, a 4.16 earned run average, 115 strikeouts and 38 walks in 97 1/3 innings. He fanned batters at a rate of 10.6 per nine innings.

He then chosen to take part in the Arizona Fall League.

“It was a super honor,” says Wynja, who worked in five games and went 1-0 with a 7.20 ERA, 16 strikeouts and nine walks in 10 innings. His K-per-9 rate with the Scottsdale Scorpions was 14.4.

Throwing from a high three-quarter arm angle, Wynja delivers a four-seam fastball that traveled at 90 to 94 mph and a hard slider that went 81 to 84 mph.

“That’s my swing-and-miss pitch,” says Wynja. “I’ve had a couple of hitters call it the ‘ghost ball.’ — you can’t quite see the spin.

“I execute my slider really well. I haven’t developed nearly what I will be. I’m not a polished product. I don’t go into outings trying to strike out guys ever. But I try to attack and get ahead in the count. My thought process is when it gets to 1-2 or 0-2, they’re mine every time. I have that much trust in my slider.

“I put people away quick.”

In 2023, he threw his change-up 4 percent of the time and is now working toward 15-percent usage.

It was also in the AFL that Wynja began diving into his release point.

At 8 feet, 2 inches his extension is one of the longest in baseball.

Wynja joined an exclusive club on May 13, 2023 when he threw an immaculate inning (nine pitches and nine strikes) against Lake Elsinore.

“That was crazy,” says Wynja. “That’s one of those things you never think about having.”

Beginning the season as San Jose’s closer, Wynja was moved to the starting rotation and it was in the final inning of one of his first starts that he went immaculate.

San Jose pitching coach Dan Runzler told Wynja to empty the tank and that’s what he did.

The goal-oriented Wynja only held one job before joining the Giants and that was as grocery store bagger for a few months in his early teens. As a minor leaguer he does not make lots of cash, but he manages and uses Airbnb while traveling to train.

“I’m getting paid for pitching,” says Wynja. “It’s hard to complain.”

One of Wynja’s goal this off-season is to put on some pounds.

The 6-foot-9 southpaw is currently tips the scales at 218 (up from 205 at season’s end). 

“The idea is to get to up to 220 to 225,” says Wynja. “I heard that’s where (6-foot-10 Hall of Famer and lefty) Randy Johnson sat at.

“Putting on weight does a couple of things for me. It’ll provide me a lot of consistency with my delivery. I’ll stay strong and it’ll help my velo increase. As my weight goes up I’ll become a better pitcher.”

Wynja returned to Indianapolis in mid-November. After a couple weeks of rest, he trained at PRP Baseball in Noblesville, Ind., during the week with some weekend workouts at RoundTripper Sports Academy in Westfield, Ind. He started his throwing progression a couple of weeks ago.

“It’s great to be from Indiana and play baseball,” says Wynja. “We have a lot of resources.”

At PRP, Wynja got to observe and talk with big leaguers Tim Herrin and Bryan Hoeing. Both 6-foot-6, lefty Herrin is a Terre Haute (Ind.) South Vigo High School graduate and former Indiana University hurler now with the Cleveland Guardians and righty Hoeing is a Batesville (Ind.) High School alum who shined at the University of Louisville and is now with the Miami Marlins.

The day after Christmas, Wynja hit the road. The plan was to see his girlfriend in Atlanta and fly to New York to spend time with family while celebrating father Brad Wynja’s birthday (Hayden is the oldest sibling of two blended families and has a sister — Bella Wynja — who plays volleyball at Mercer University in Macon, Ga.). 

After vacation, Wynja goes back to Atlanta and then heads to the Florida Baseball ARMory — something he did last winter — to ramp up for spring training in Scottsdale.

“I’ll be around a whole new set of big leaguers,” says Wynja. Among those is Seattle Mariners 6-foot-6 right-hander Logan Gilbert. “When I’m a big leaguer I hope to look like (Gilbert). We have similar builds. We move similar. We think about pitching in similar ways. I could pick his brain for hours and hours and hours.

“(FBA gives me a) great environment for me to buy in and really improve. I want to learn how big leaguers train in the off-season — how they eat, sleep, recover. I know I have one shot at this. I’m going to emulate these guys who are super-successful.

“You want to surround yourself with who you want to be or where you’re trying to go.”

Hayden Wynja’s immaculate inning. (San Jose Giants Video)

Hayden Wynja. (San Jose Giants Photo)

Hayden Wynja. (San Jose Giants Photo)

Hayden Wynja. (San Jose Giants Photo)

Hayden Wynja. (San Jose Giants Photo)

Hayden Wynja. (Eugene Emeralds Image)

Hayden Wynja. (Eugene Emeralds Photo)

Hayden Wynja. (Eugene Emeralds Photo)

Hayden Wynja. (Scottsdale Scorpions Photo)

Hayden Wynja. (Scottsdale Scorpions Photo)

Hayden Wynja. (Scottsdale Scorpions Photo)

Penn, Notre Dame alum Kavadas working way up ladder in Red Sox organization

BY STEVE KRAH

http://www.IndianaRBI.com

Niko Kavadas was a force to be reckoned in high school and college and is now becoming the same as a professional baseball player.

The powerful lefty swinger excelled at Penn High School (Mishawaka, Ind.) and the University of Notre Dame. 

Playing for Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Famer Greg Dikos at Penn, Kavadas helped the Kingsmen win a Class 4A state championship as sophomore center fielder in 2015 and finish as 4A state runners-up as a senior shortstop in 2017.

Coached by Mik Aoki (2018-19) and Link Jarrett (2020-21) at Notre Dame, Kavadas played 161 games in a Fighting Irish uniform and hit .286 (158-of-552) with 46 home runs, 28 doubles, 144 runs batted in, 112 runs scored and a 1.002 OPS (.415 on-base percentage plus .587 slugging average). 

In 2021, he thumped a single-season school record 22 homers, drove in 64 runs and was named to numerous All-American teams. He was a semifinalist for the Dick Howser Trophy and Golden Spikes Award.

That year also brought a Business Management and Consulting degree from Notre Dame.

Selected in the 11th round of the 2021 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft by the Boston Red Sox, Kavadas became a pro.

In three minor league seasons (2021-23) and 252 games, he has hit 

.242 (197-of-805) with 50 homers, one triple, 45 doubles, 161 RBIs, 143 runs, 337 strikeouts and 215 walks with a .903 OPS (.413/.489). He was the Red Sox Minor League Player of the Year and played briefly in the Arizona Fall League in 2022.

Splitting his time between the Double-A Portland Sea Dogs and Triple-A Worcester Red Sox in 2023, first baseman Kavadas played in 117 contests and hit .206 (76-of-369) with 22 homers, 16 doubles, 69 RBIs, 62 runs, 172 strikeouts and 98 walks with an .805 OPS (.377/.428).

A few times, Kavadas saw former Notre Dame teammate Nick Podkul (an Andrean High School graduate now in the Philadelphia Phillies system) in the opposing dugout.

Kavadas also made a point to follow former Irish outfielder Matt Vierling (Detroit Tigers) and infielder Jack Brannigan (Pittsburgh Pirates organization) and still communicates regularly with outfielder Jack Zyska (who played at ND 2019-23 and has transferred to the University of Central Florida where former Irish assistant Rich Wallace is now head coach).

Making the transition from college where teams tend to play weekend series with an occasional midweek contests to the minors and six games a week, Kavadas has embraced the grind.

“Now you’re playing every single day,” says Kavadas. “You have to find time prior to and after games to make improvements in your game or else you’re going to be static.”

Kavadas’ last game of the season for Worcester was on Sept. 22. He hustled home to Granger, Ind., and attended the wedding of older sister Abby then headed to Fort Myers, Fla., for a six-week camp.

“It was a big strength program,” says Kavadas. “Strength has always been something that’s come natural to me. Being more limber, having more range of motion and being quicker laterally has been a big focus for me since I’ve gotten to pro ball.

“I’ve lost a few pounds since my rookie season and I’m moving better. It’s less about moving more powerfully and moving faster and more agile.”

Kavadas, 25, carries about 225 pounds on his 6-foot frame.

“We had a lot of really good lifts and conditioning and were taking a lot of swings,” says Kavadas of his time in Fort Myers. “They have some really nice technology down there.”

Armed numbers from the season and the offensive-focused camp, Kavadas has spent time in the off-season putting that information to use with the help of Mike Marks.

While in high school, Kavadas, traveled to Sturgis, Mich., a few times a week to train with Marks at Hitters Edge.

Marks has opened a second facility in Osceola, Ind. — about 15 minutes from Kavadas’ home. 

“Mike’s awesome,” says Kavadas. “Mike has this ability to make really complicated things really simple.”

Getting feedback from Marks gives him a direction to move in.

“That really helps me,” says Kavadas. “There’s so many things pulling me in so many directions.

“Mike’s able to take all the data, watch me take a few swings and say ‘You’re in a spot sport. We’re this close.’”

Kavadas and Riley Tirotta, a Mishawaka Marian High School graduate and Toronto Blue Jays minor leaguer, have been off-season regulars at the new digs.

After enjoying time with family (he is the second of Jim and Robin Kavadas’ four children behind Abby and ahead of youngest son C.J. and youngest daughter Tess) and friends around the holidays, Kavadas plans to head back to Florida in January for another six-week camp that leads right into spring training.

There’s more work to do.

Niko Kavadas. (Boston Red Sox Photo)

Niko Kavadas. (University of Notre Dame Image)

Niko Kavadas. (Greenville Drive Image)

Niko Kavdas. (Portland Sea Dogs Image)

Niko Kavadas. (Salem rRd Sox Photo)