Brian Cain Weekly Monday Message: Inside Ole Miss Baseball: Mental At-Bats

Inside Ole Miss Baseball – Mental At-Bats

By: Brian Cain, of Brian Cain Peak Performance

This week you get to learn how you can prepare yourself to become a true one-pitch warrior at the plate and give yourself the best chance for success coming off the bench in key situations. You learn one of the secrets that Ole Miss Baseball players use – one that I also see top football players in college and “The League” using so that they are ready to maximize opportunities when they arise. Click here to watch.

Your opportunities are going to come. Applying the techniques shared in this video will help you take your preparation to the next level so you can capitalize on your opportunity.

 

 

Your Mental Conditioning Coach,

 

Brian Cain 

Thirty-man Golden Spikes Award watch list revealed

Presentation set for Thursday, July 17, in Los Angeles

Courtesy of USABaseball.com and GoldenSpikesAward.com

DURHAM, N.C. -- USA Baseball released its 30-man midseason Golden Spikes Award watch list on Thursday, bringing the organization one step closer to naming the top amateur baseball player in the country.

The watch list will continue to be a "rolling" list until the semifinalists for the award are announced on May 27, ensuring that athletes can play themselves into consideration for the award. The Golden Spikes Award trophy will be awarded live in Los Angeles on July 17.

Six new players were added to the list since its last release on April 10, joining 24 others from the first watch list. The Southeastern Conference and the Big West Conference led all conferences in watch list players, with four each on the second midseason update. Additionally, 15 different NCAA conferences are represented on the list. The West Coast Conference, PAC 12 Conference and Atlantic Sun Conference all had three athletes on the list.

All the schools represented have one athlete each, except Oregon State which boasts two players on the list. Cal State Fullerton's Thomas Eshelman and Louisiana State's Aaron Nola are both featured on the 2014 Golden Spikes Award 30-man watch list after being named semifinalists for the award in 2013.

USA Baseball officials will announce the list of semifinalists for the 2014 Golden Spikes Award on Tuesday, May 27. The list of athletes will then be sent to a voting body consisting of Golden Spikes Award winners, past USA Baseball National Team coaches and press officers, members of media that closely follow the amateur game, select professional baseball personnel, and current USA Baseball staff, representing a group of more than 200 voters in total.

Fan voting will once again be a part of the Golden Spikes Award in 2014. Tuesday, May 27 marks the day when amateur baseball fans from across the country will be able to vote for their favorite semifinalist on GoldenSpikesAward.com. As part of this selection process all voters will be asked to choose three players from the list of names.

Last year, University of San Diego infielder, Kris Bryant, took home the prestigious award, joining a group of recent winners that includes Mike Zunino (2012), Trevor Bauer (2011), Bryce Harper (2010), Stephen Strasburg (2009) and Buster Posey (2008).

Other past winners of the Golden Spikes Award include Terry Francona (1980), Will Clark (1985), Robin Ventura (1988), Jason Varitek (1994), J.D. Drew (1997), Mark Prior (2001), Jered Weaver (2004), Tim Lincecum (2006) and David Price (2007).

Important 2014 USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award dates include:

Friday, Feb. 14: 60-man preseason watch list released, shaped by USA Baseball officials and advisors
Thursday, April 10: 50-man midseason watch list released, shaped by USA Baseball officials and advisors
Thursday, May 8: 30-man watch list, shaped by USA Baseball officials and advisors
Tuesday, May 27: Semifinalists announced, selected by USA Baseball officials; semifinalist voting begins; voters to select three
Friday, May 30: Deadline to vote for finalists, 5 p.m. ET
Tuesday, June 3: Finalists announced; finalist voting begins; voters to select one
Friday, June 13: Deadline to vote for winner, 5 p.m. ET
Thursday, July 17: Golden Spikes Award presentation
The complete 2014 30-man midseason Golden Spikes Award watch list is as follows:
Name, Position, Class, School (in order of last name, new players bolded)
Caleb Adams, OF, Junior, Louisiana Lafayette
Aaron Brown, OF/LHP, Junior, Pepperdine
Nick Burdi, RHP, Junior, Louisville
Michael Conforto, OF, Junior, Oregon State
Tyler Davis, RHP, Junior, Washington
Chris Ellis, RHP, Junior, Mississippi
Joey Epperson, OF/IF, RS-Senior, UC Santa Barbara
Thomas Eshelman, RHP, Sophomore, Cal State Fullerton
Erick Fedde, EHP, Junior, UNLV
Brandon Finnegan, LHP, Junior, TCU
Mike Franco, RHP, Junior, Florida International
Kyle Freeland, LHP, Junior, Evansville
Casey Gillaspie, IF, Junior, Wichita State
Grayson Greiner, C, Junior, South Carolina
Matt Imhof, LHP, Junior, Cal Poly
Connor Joe, IF, Junior, San Diego
Michael Katz, IF, Junior, William & Mary
Nathan Kirby, LHP, Sophomore, Virginia
Jordan Luplow, OF, Junior, Fresno State
Andrew Morales, RHP, Senior, UC Irvine
Michael Murray, RHP, Sophomore, Florida Gulf Coast
Aaron Nola, RHP, Junior, Louisiana State
Max Pentecost, C, Junior, Kennesaw State
Josh Prevost, RHP, Senior, Seton Hall
A.J. Reed, LHP/IF, Junior, Kentucky
DJ Stewart, OF, Sophomore, Florida State
Sam Travis, IF, Junior, Indiana
Drew Weeks, OF/IF, Junior, North Florida
Ben Wetzler, LHP, Senior, Oregon State
Bradley Zimmer, OF, Junior, San Francisco

Buckeyes Enter Bone-Marrow Registry For Teammate

Buckeyes Enter Bone-Marrow Registry For Teammate

By: Austin Ward ESPN.com

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio State's baseball captain put his team in a line that had nothing to do with getting results on the field, instead organizing players to help a teammate in the midst of a battle with myeloid leukemia.
Senior outfielder Tim Wetzel, already on the national registry for potential bone-marrow donors after going through the sign-up process 18 months ago, helped the rest of the Buckeyes join the list during an off day Monday in hopes one of them will be a match for freshman pitcher Zach Farmer.

Mike Janes/Four Seam Images/AP Images

Ohio State teammates are hoping to be a bone-marrow match for freshman lefty Zach Farmer, pictured here during a 2012 game before joining the Buckeyes.

According to the Columbus Dispatch, all 37 team members and coach Greg Beals had their cheeks swabbed for DNA testing, signed consent forms and provided personal histories to begin the process of becoming potential donors for Farmer or anybody else who may be eligible for a transplant.
"As soon as we learned Zach's diagnosis, I told [Beals] about this," Wetzel told the Dispatch. " ... Everyone was on board with this. This puts the game of baseball into perspective.
"Winning and losing is important, but right now Zach is in a battle for his life. We're trying to help him get through this."

Farmer, a left-hander with a 6-4 record and a 3.28 ERA, had been feeling sick for about a week when he went to see Ohio State's team doctor. Originally thought to have mononucleosis, a blood draw confirmed he had abnormalities in his blood counts.

The Piketon, Ohio, native began treatments April 28 at The James Cancer Hospital at Ohio State.
His teammates will find out if any of them could provide a potential match should Farmer need one once the results from the samples are processed at a facility in Minneapolis that the Dispatch reported could put them on the registry in four to six weeks. Until then, they will turn their attention back to the diamond as they close out the regular season this week with a game on Tuesday against Cincinnati and a three-game set with Northwestern starting Thursday.

The Buckeyes (28-24, 9-12) are trying to build some momentum for the Big Ten tournament.
"Hopefully we get a match for Zach," Beals told the Dispatch. "What he is latching on to is being back in this dugout and playing for Ohio State. He signed up to be a Buckeye, and there is a common threat.
"It is voluntary. We didn't say, 'We need to do this.' It was a no-brainer for the guys in the locker room."


Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.

Baseball America NCAA Division I Top 25

College Top 25 (May 12) 2014

By: Staff Reports BaseballAmerica.com
Virginia remained at No. 1 in the Baseball America Top 25 for the fifth straight week while the top 10 largely was static in terms of composition with the exception of Florida, which fell four spots following a series loss to Vanderbilt.
Oregon State stayed at No. 2 following a sweep of UCLA, and Louisiana-Lafayette remained No. 3 after sweeping a series at South Alabama to clinch the Sun Belt regular-season title. Florida State moved up a spot after taking a weekend series at North Carolina, and Washington, Cal Poly and Miami all moved up one.
The Gators dropped to eighth after losing a home series against Vanderbilt, which stayed put at No. 18, as Florida was the only team in the first 17 to lose a series this weekend. Indiana and Louisville round out the top 10.
The remainder of the top 25 was similarly stagnant, although Mercer and Texas A&M dropped out after losing their respective weekend series. Kansas (at No. 22) and Pepperdine (No. 23) are the new entries this week. The Jayhawks are ranked for the first time since May of 2009, while Pepperdine’s last ranking came in 2012. Kansas has swept three straight Big 12 series, while Pepperdine won a big series against San Diego to secure its place atop the West Coast Conference standings.
The staff of Baseball America determines the Top 25 rankings. Records indicated are through games of May 11 and do not include ties.

Team	W-L	Last Week	Previous Ranking
1. Virginia	41-9	4-0	1
2. Oregon State	38-8	4-0	2
3. Louisiana-Lafayette	46-7	3-0	3
4. Florida State	39-12	3-1	4
5. Washington	36-11	4-0	6
6. Cal Poly	41-10	3-1	7
7. Miami	38-14	4-0	8
8. Florida	34-18	1-3	4
9. Indiana	35-12	3-0	9
10. Louisville	40-12	3-1	10
11. Mississippi	37-15	2-1	11
12. Oklahoma State	38-13	3-0	13
13. Texas Christian	36-14	2-1	12
14. Rice	34-16	3-1	14
15. Louisiana State	36-14	1-1	15
16. Houston	39-13	4-0	16
17. South Carolina	39-13	4-0	17
18. Vanderbilt	38-14	2-2	18
19. Alabama	32-19	2-1	19
20. Mississippi State	33-19	2-1	21
21. Liberty	38-11	3-1	22
22. Kansas	33-21	3-1	NR
23. Pepperdine	34-14	2-2	NR
24. UC Irvine	34-16	2-2	23
25. Texas	34-15	0-0	25
Dropped Out: Texas A&M (20), Mercer (24).

MaxPreps Top 50 National High School Rankings

Lambert loses first game, Archbishop McCarthy moves up to No. 2. Barbe still leads the way as it gets closer to state title.

By: Kevin Askeland MaxPreps.com

Barbe moved within two games of a Louisiana 5A state championship and a possible mythical national championship when it knocked off defending Louisiana state champion Catholic in a sweep last week.

The Buccaneers are 38-2 on the season and advanced to the state semifinals with the sweep. If Barbe can win the next two games, it all but guarantees a final No. 1 ranking in the MaxPreps Xcellent 50 National Baseball Rankings.

Others in contention include Archbishop McCarthy, which moved up to No. 2 following Brian Gonzalez's second-straight no-hitter in the playoffs in a win over Cardinal Gibbons. The Mavericks are attempting to win their fifth-straight state championship.

O'Connor advanced to the third round of the postseason in the Class 5A state playoffs in Texas and has lost just once this season. Meanwhile, previous No. 1 Lambert lost its first game of the season last week, but it is still in line for a possible 6A state championship in Georgia.

See the full rankings here.

The Coaches Insider: Newsletter

Courtesy of The Coaches Insider E-Newsletter: May 14, 2014

Watch as Coach Dan McDonnell explains and players demonstrate this Bunting Fundamentals Drill.

Baseball Exercises: Should You Lift Overhead?

By: Phillip Michael Vaughn

Provided by: Stack.com

 

AP Images

Watch any baseball practice and you'll see pitchers and position players doing band work or performing baseball exercises before hitting the field. They may go years—even their whole careers—without making an overhead movement during training, yet they throw long-toss every day. This does not add up.

You've probably heard coaches say baseball players shouldn't lift overhead because it can hurt their throwing arm. There is some truth to that statement, but let's look at what actually happens when you throw a baseball. Your throwing arm rapidly accelerates toward the intended target, but after you release the ball, your arm rapidly decelerates.

Many pitchers experience arm problems because of lack of attention to the muscles that aid in the deceleration—the shoulder, the lats and the rotator cuff. Proper lifts and exercises can increase the strength of these muscles and aid in flexibility.

I think when coaches hear the words “overhead,” they associate it with trying to create bodybuilders out of their baseball players. This is not the case. Lifting overhead is simply a way to develop a more well-rounded athlete by targeting an oft-neglected muscle group.

What Overhead Lifts Should I Use and When?

During the off-season or times of minimal throwing, the Overhead Shoulder Press can help considerably to develop your shoulder musculature. Power Presses or Jerks are better choices during times of increased throwing or before competition. They help you develop force quickly and maintain strength and power gains.

Overhead Shoulder Press

• Stand with your feet planted into the platform to develop core strength, postural stability and shoulder musculature.
• Do not arch your back or sway backward to get the bar overhead.
• At the top of the Press, push your head slightly through so your biceps cover your ears.
• Keep the bar light enough to complete all sets and reps, but provide enough resistance to see strength gains.
• Sets/Reps: 3-5×8-10

Jerk or Push Press

• Use your legs to drive the bar overhead. This quick, explosive burst of maximum force and time under tension is very specific to the demands of throwing a baseball. Many of your velocity gains will come from developing maximum force quickly.
• Sets/Reps: 2-3×2-5

Tip: The sport performance coach and baseball coach should be in constant communication about how much each athlete throws. Together, they can figure out the optimal amount of overhead lifting and help their athletes avoid overtraining.

Band work and rotator cuff drills also develop the shoulder. However, if you spend too much time training the small muscles of the rotator cuff, you could be neglecting the large muscle groups that influence performance more. Don't get caught up in doing too many “baseball exercises,” which may or may not be beneficial. In your training session, work to develop the primary muscle groups first, then work in the accessory muscles at the end.

As with any exercise, proper instruction, supervision and coaching are extremely important to prevent injury. Before you attempt any overhead or Olympic-style weightlifting movements, consult a coach who is Olympic-weightlifting certified or certified through the National Strength and Conditioning Association. 

Watch as Coach McCreary explains a tip for hitters who would like to increase their bat speed. Courtesy of Baseball By The Yard.

Quote of the Day

"A successful pitcher keeps the leadoff hitter from reaching first base and puts the first pitch over for a strike - the two most important rules of pitching." -- Nolan Ryan

2014 Commencement Address Keynote Speaker: Jay Bilas

Not baseball specific, but it is the graduation season for several players around the country. My cousin Josh sent this to me, and I found it entertaining but informative. Hope everybody can get something from it. The article attached was from the Sporting News and Chris Littman.

By: Chris Littman Sportingnews.com @chrislittman

ESPN analyst Jay Bilas resides in the Charlotte area and made an appearance as the commencement speaker at Queens University earlier this month. We'll highlight some of our favorite nuggets from this speech after the video below, but just know that it doesn't take long to get a Young Jeezy reference.

Outside of the early Jeezy reference, some of our favorite moments:

— "There is one very important reason I am here ... Dick Vitale was unavailable."

— "A lot of my classmates went naked under their gowns."

— "I can't remember anything from my three commencements."

— The five B's of commencement speaking: "Be brief, brother. Be brief!"

— "This is a great time to ask for money."

There's so much more. Enjoy the trillest commencement speech you'll see these next few months.