The Hive Beckons

This past Friday (8/10) the IMG Baseball Academy crowned its 14 & under Wood Bat League Champions. And the trophy hoisting team was non other than the Buccaneers, headed up by yours truly. Entering the tournament as the third overall seed, the Bucs got stellar starting pitching performances including a seven inning complete game in the semi-final matchup, and a near "no-no" in the championship game-which led to a victory over the one-loss Osprey (who we had lost to three times during league play)!

To see how far the kids came from being a .500 team at the end of league play to hitting their stride come playoff time, was a real treat for me-and something I was proud to be apart of!

2012 IMG Baseball Academy 14U WBL Champion Buccaneers

It was an awesome six weeks in Bradenton but the time has come, Jacket Nation. The Hive beckons! I will be settling in on campus this Tuesday (8/14) with my first official Athletics Staff meeting slated for 8 am Wednesday (8/15)! For more details on my arrival in Defiance, follow my Twitter Feed for up to the minute breaking coverage!

Half Way Point

Three weeks down, three weeks to go. Bradenton, FL and the IMG Baseball Academy has in sorts, become a home away from home for me. My time here has been special, and the staff I work with-excellent. And that's not even mentioning the facilities and the players I've had a chance to work with since June 30th.

My first two weeks at the Academy were spent working camps, players from all over the country, even from across the globe come to spend 1-2 weeks here in an attempt to gain knowledge of the game and improve their all around skills. This includes four training sessions per week with IMG's Performance Institute, which houses a staff who is at the tier of their respected profession-training not only high school aged kids but Olympians and Professional Athletes as well.

I now find myself in the thick of the 14 & under Wood Bat League (WBL), playing four games a week filtered in with numerous Defensive Days (D-Days), offensive team workouts, and team practices. The WBL is an interesting beast, the players compete fiercely both on the field and off of it, as all six 14&U teams compete for a WBL Championship. 

As fast as these past three weeks have flown by, I'm sure I'll be packing my things and making the trek back to the Buckeye State in no time. Of course at which time, I'll be immediately settling in on campus at Defiance College. Needless to say, I am immensely enjoying my time here but I know it will be short lived. 

I am also keeping a watchful eye on the horizon, as I count down the days to arriving in Defiance and beginning my journey with the DC Baseball Program. The Hive awaits, and the Sting will undoubtedly be fierce!

Go Jackets, Go!