Belmont Hill head coach David Cunningham

Dan Guttenplan interviews Belmont Hill head baseball coach David Cunningham, who is entering his fourth season. Cunningham discusses preseason anxiety, returning players and using early March tryouts and scrimmages to build toward an ISL title after reaching last year’s championship game. He explains Belmont Hill’s intentional choice to stay north instead of taking spring trips, relying on indoor cages, turf fields and local scrimmages, and he describes his mentorship under legendary coach Mike Grant and his own emphasis on the mental side of the game. They cover the hectic ISL schedule, recruiting for Belmont Hill (including reclassifying), collaborating with club coaches and camps for college placement, ISL parity and the tournament format, and the value of multisport athletes. A “Three Up, Three Down” segment debates cold-weather baseball, Hall of Fame standards, and loudest stadium memories.

Topics

01:10 Preseason Mindset

02:25 Motivation After Finals

03:43 Staying North For Prep

04:51 Indoor Turf Workarounds

06:05 Coach Mike Grant Legacy

07:56 Mental Game Coaching

09:46 In-Season Weekly Grind

11:18 Recruiting For Prep

13:29 College Recruiting Help

15:48 ISL Parity and Prep

18:24 Thoughts On ISL Tournament

20:10 Standing Out In ISL

20:56 Belmont Hill Values

21:38 Baseball Culture and Support

22:01 Boarding Limits Explained

22:39 Why Multi-Sport Matters

24:39 Recruiting Where to Watch

26:01 Video and Evaluation Tips

27:20 "Three Up, Three Down"

28:04 Is Baseball Too Cold?

30:52 Hall of Fame Standards

34:18 Loudest Stadium Memories

37:55 Final Thanks and Wrap