New England Baseball Journal’s The Base Path

Austin Prep’s Head Coach Pollard Discusses Recruiting, Ranking

Austin Prep Head Coach Jonathan Pollard joins the podcast to talk about what makes his program special, and how he helps students find the right match. Pollard has a unique approach that combines the students’ skills with their personalities. Find out more in this edition of The Base Path.

JuCo Coach Mejia On Developing Great Young Talent

Our guest is the coach of the number three ranked junior college (JuCo) team in the nation, Northern Essex Community College’s Jeff Mejia. He arrived at Northern Essex as the Knights’ head coach in the 2013 season. Since then, the team has been crowned New England regional champions six times, district champions five times and earned five bids to the NJCAA World Series.

Be A “Winning Pitcher” With A Unique Framingham Academy

Want to add speed to your fastball? How about adding velocity to your swing? Winning Pitchers Academy in Framingham, Mass. claims to have the recipe — and it is proving it. We talk with Winning Pitchers Academy trainers John Miller and Jamie Aldoupolis about how they get their students to give their all.

MIAA Preview With Hall of Fame Coach Steve Simoes of Hopkinton High

The Massachusetts high school baseball season is underway, and our guest is a Hall of Fame coach whose team played for a state championship last season. Hopkinton High School Coach Steve Simoes was inducted to the Massachusetts Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame earlier this year. Last spring, he led Hopkinton to the D2 state championship game, and he also has experience coaching Legion and college baseball. Enjoy his thoughts on the state of the game after a legendary career.

Sizing Up the New England Prep School Scene With Phillips Andover Coach Kevin Graber

Baseball season is underway in New England! Most high school, prep and Little League teams kicked off the season in the last week. Today, we preview the prep season with the coach of the top-ranked team in New England. Phillips Andover coach Kevin Graber will be joining us. Under Graber, Andover has won four league championships. This is the fourth season in which the Big Blue have started the season as the number one ranked prep program in New England.

FROM THE FIELD: We Visit UConn To Talk With Coach, Players

A special! We’re out of the studio and into the field! We visited UConn in Storrs, Conn., to talk with Coach Jim Penders, leading prospect Reggie Crawford who is recovering from Tommy John surgery and slugging pitcher Erik Stock who transferred to UConn from Old Dominion. Enjoy this report from UConn’s baseball field, recorded during batting practice.

Thayer’s Rick Foresteire Decides to Step Down, Reflects on Decades of Sports Leadership

Thayer Academy's AD and Varsity Baseball Coach Rick Foresteire has been leading prep sports since the 1990s. Having coached at Buckingham, Browne and Nichols and Thayer, Foresteire has decided it's time to move on from the game and seek new adventures. In this podcast, he explains to Dan Guttenplan why he chose to make the move, and what he has seen change in the game throughout his career.

Bentley’s Coach Celebrates 54th and Final Season

Bentley University’s Bob DeFelice, the longest tenured coach across all levels of college baseball, is entering his final season in 2022. In this podcast, Coach DeFelice tells us what he has learned across 54 years of Division II coaching, his life as Bentley’s only baseball coach, and how he almost became a career football coach instead.

Get the “Recruiting Edge” With Former MLB Player and Scout Ryan Leahy

Ryan Leahy’s baseball journey is as complex as any you’ve heard of. He started as a player, making his way to the L.A. Angels, when he was diagnosed with recurring thyroid cancer. Not letting the illness define him, Leahy won the Angels’ 2008 Courage Award and was friends with BU’s Pete Frates, whose ALS diagnosis brought New Englanders together. Leahy has gone on to scout for MLB and found Recruiting Edge, a consultancy for students looking to get an honest assessment and the best match for their baseball careers. 

Vanderbilt’s Corbin Says Let Them Play!

In this edition, we’re joined by Vanderbilt Commodores Head Coach Tim Corbin. A native of Wolfeboro, N.H., helped lift Vanderbilt to national championships in 2014 and 2019. Over his 20-year career at Vanderbilt, Corbin has led his teams to a record of 802-377-1 – good for a winning percentage of .680. His message boils down to not “over-coaching” and “letting the kids play.”