It would be great to here some opinions on college catching coaches. My son is starting to look at schools and he wants to attend some camps where catching recieves a lot of attention. The closer to the east coast the better.
Original Post
Replies sorted oldest to newest
NP13-
Depending on where your son wants to go to school, he should look at their battery camps. Most colleges have a battery camp during the winter months. This would give your son a chance to see the facilities and meet the coaches. What year is your son graduating?
Take a look at www.macatchers.com and you'll see some of the catching students I work with on a regular basis are professional players as well as college players. I have a winter holiday camp that is geared towards the college catcher. There is also a High School Elite camp that requires a referral from your high school coach to attend.
Hope you find this helpful.
Coach Fletcher
Depending on where your son wants to go to school, he should look at their battery camps. Most colleges have a battery camp during the winter months. This would give your son a chance to see the facilities and meet the coaches. What year is your son graduating?
Take a look at www.macatchers.com and you'll see some of the catching students I work with on a regular basis are professional players as well as college players. I have a winter holiday camp that is geared towards the college catcher. There is also a High School Elite camp that requires a referral from your high school coach to attend.
Hope you find this helpful.
Coach Fletcher
My son is a freshman, he doesn't know anything yet, for that matter, neither do I.
He attended a CCU camp this past summer and love it and Kevin Schnall. They are like his first girlfrield. After finding out more about the quality of CCU baseball, I don't want to kill his dream at 14 years old, he may want to have some other options down the road.
College Pitching / Cathching camps with quality catching instructors is what he is looking for.
Thanks.
He attended a CCU camp this past summer and love it and Kevin Schnall. They are like his first girlfrield. After finding out more about the quality of CCU baseball, I don't want to kill his dream at 14 years old, he may want to have some other options down the road.
College Pitching / Cathching camps with quality catching instructors is what he is looking for.
Thanks.
NP 13...couldn't agree more.
Schnall known for his catchers he gets to the next level...whatever that may be.
My son heading there next year and part of the draw is the direct coaching for catchers he can get; as well that it is a great program with a proven track record of winning. Son feels he has a legit shot at Omaha by playing there.
Schnall known for his catchers he gets to the next level...whatever that may be.
My son heading there next year and part of the draw is the direct coaching for catchers he can get; as well that it is a great program with a proven track record of winning. Son feels he has a legit shot at Omaha by playing there.
BBDAD23,
Did your son go to any college P/C camps that you would recommend?
Did your son go to any college P/C camps that you would recommend?
Florida State University camps have great catching instruction - the Camp Director Chip Baker and Mike Martin Jr. are both former catchers and catching coaches.
Son went to their summer camps and they provide the catchers with a lot of teaching. Don't know about the winter camps but the summer camps have D2, D3 and Juco coaches in attendance helping to run the camp.
Mike Martin Baseball School
Son went to their summer camps and they provide the catchers with a lot of teaching. Don't know about the winter camps but the summer camps have D2, D3 and Juco coaches in attendance helping to run the camp.
Mike Martin Baseball School
Here are a few solid catching coaches:
Tom Griffin - Carson-Newman
Mark Viramontes - San Diego
Joe Mercadante - U of Miami
Turtle Thomas - Head Coach Florida International
Scott Stricklin - Head Coach Kent State
Most of these guys are coaches I have seen at clinics. All were very solid speakers on the topic.
Tom Griffin - Carson-Newman
Mark Viramontes - San Diego
Joe Mercadante - U of Miami
Turtle Thomas - Head Coach Florida International
Scott Stricklin - Head Coach Kent State
Most of these guys are coaches I have seen at clinics. All were very solid speakers on the topic.
I really learned alot about catching from a video called Catching Skills and Drills by current Murray State baseball coach Rob McDonald. So I would say he's probably a pretty good catching coach at the college level.
quote:Originally posted by NP13:
My son is a freshman, he doesn't know anything yet, for that matter, neither do I.
He attended a CCU camp this past summer and love it and Kevin Schnall. They are like his first girlfrield. After finding out more about the quality of CCU baseball, I don't want to kill his dream at 14 years old, he may want to have some other options down the road.
College Pitching / Cathching camps with quality catching instructors is what he is looking for.
Thanks.
NP13- BBDAD23 is exactly right about Schnall. As for your sons experience with him, thats the norm for Kevin's camps. The kids always love him! Kevin is a great guy and great teacher. The experience he had with him will be tough to beat as I know first hand since Kevin and I have done some camps together in the past.
Good Luck!
Coach Fletcher
A few that I have experience with:
Kevin Schnall - Coastal Carolina
Tony Guzzo - Louisburg JC
Nick Boothe - Va Wesleyan College
Kevin Schnall - Coastal Carolina
Tony Guzzo - Louisburg JC
Nick Boothe - Va Wesleyan College
My son went to a CCU camp this weekend, it was great. As much as my son would like all 2013 catcher to avoid CCU(kidding), If your interested in catching, go to one of their camps if you can.
Be ready to work!
Thinking about going south for a long weekend in Jan.
Any input on the pitching / catching camp at UNC Wilmington?
Be ready to work!
Thinking about going south for a long weekend in Jan.
Any input on the pitching / catching camp at UNC Wilmington?
You might want to try UF, I do beleive that HC Kevin O'Sullivan works with both pitchers and catchers, as he did at Clemson. Not sure if he does it at the camps.
A big problem with attending the larger D1 FL camps is that most recruit and sign local players.
A big problem with attending the larger D1 FL camps is that most recruit and sign local players.
The pitcher catcher camp at UNCW is outstanding. Everyone I know that has ever went really enjoyed it and got some great instruction.
Coach_May or anyone,
This is the camp that my son is interested in attending.
http://collegebaseballcamps.co...ageAvailableKey=2908
This would be a 18 hour round trip, in your opinion, is it worth the ride, or would that money and time be more wisely spent elsewhere.
This is the camp that my son is interested in attending.
http://collegebaseballcamps.co...ageAvailableKey=2908
This would be a 18 hour round trip, in your opinion, is it worth the ride, or would that money and time be more wisely spent elsewhere.
Hello everyone. First time on the board. I was wondering if anyone had any insight on the winter catching camps in Houston TX. I know UofH and Rice have one but just wondering if its worth the money. Thanks.
If you are anywhere near the Southern California area this is the guy I think you should see.
www.backstopbaseball.com or backstopbaseball@verizon.net
His name is Brian Loyd (he was my son's catching instructor his Senior year of HS and is now my son's catching instructor when my son is home from school...we really wish we found him earlier)
Here is his bio..
Former CSUF 2x All American catcher, 2x Big West Conference All Star, 2x College World Series Participant, College World Series Champion, USA Baseball Team Player, 1996 Olympic Baseball Team player and Bronze Medal winner, who was selected to the San Diego Padres in the 5th round of the 1997 MLB amateur draft.
The guy is everything you would want in front of your kid in terms of technique, pitcher/catcher rapport, mental game coaching, game calling, seeing the holes in the swings of opponents and in general is just a great person.
(Julie, I will send another "support the HSBBW" donation for this plug... but this guy is too good not to post.
www.backstopbaseball.com or backstopbaseball@verizon.net
His name is Brian Loyd (he was my son's catching instructor his Senior year of HS and is now my son's catching instructor when my son is home from school...we really wish we found him earlier)
Here is his bio..
Former CSUF 2x All American catcher, 2x Big West Conference All Star, 2x College World Series Participant, College World Series Champion, USA Baseball Team Player, 1996 Olympic Baseball Team player and Bronze Medal winner, who was selected to the San Diego Padres in the 5th round of the 1997 MLB amateur draft.
The guy is everything you would want in front of your kid in terms of technique, pitcher/catcher rapport, mental game coaching, game calling, seeing the holes in the swings of opponents and in general is just a great person.
(Julie, I will send another "support the HSBBW" donation for this plug... but this guy is too good not to post.
Found this old thread and was curious for updates, as several of the coaches mentioned in here have moved on. So, for 2018: Who are the best college catching coaches? Not looking for camps or catching instruction, but wondering which colleges develop catchers the best currently?
IMHO and generally speaking, player development at the college level tends to be the player’s responsibility. There is some instruction, but in my boys’ experiences and in that of their friends, instruction is limited.
Fall tends to have more players than mandated roster sizes allow. So endless scrimmages followed by cuts occurs.
Spring brings a roster of 35, maybe a lot more at other levels. A handful of coaches are working to get that big roster game ready in a very short period of time. Then it’s 4, 5, 6 games each week every week.
Some instruction occurs. And some coaches are better than others. And I wouldn’t recommend picking a college for catcher development. Figure out how to get that done in parallel or more likely in Summer and Winter.
Just my opinion.
Joe Wilkins in head coach at Tiffin University.....a D2 in Ohio
Jim Toman, College of Charleston. When my son was being recruited by him he dialed his phone and put my son on with a current major leaguer who called Toman the best catchers coach he ever had, college or pro (not the best overall coach, but best catchers coach). At LIberty when he was head coach his catchers were regularly All Big South and he had 3 in a row drafted.
Kevin Schnall was mentioned several times in the 2009 posts. He left Coastal Carolina for UCF for a few years, but came back to Coastal in 2015. He hasn't lost any of his intensity.
- MidAtlanticDad posted:
Kevin Schnall was mentioned several times in the 2009 posts. He left Coastal Carolina for UCF for a few years, but came back to Coastal in 2015. He hasn't lost any of his intensity.
Excellent video! Thank you.
MidAtlanticDad posted:Kevin Schnall was mentioned several times in the 2009 posts. He left Coastal Carolina for UCF for a few years, but came back to Coastal in 2015. He hasn't lost any of his intensity.
What he said. Until someone proves to me otherwise, he is unquestionably the best. I know him personally and he is tough as nails and expects as much from his catchers. He is also an outstanding recruiter and hitting coach. He is the heir-apparent head coach at Coastal but not sure how long Coach Gilmore plans to continue. Coach Schnall has taken several (at least three) walk-on players and turned them into Johnny Bench finalists (final three players) which is college baseball's highest catching award.
His first year back at Coastal from UCF helped them win the 2016 National Championship and I don't think that was a coincidence. They hold several catchers camps per year and I would highly recommend attending.
