The video version of this conversation is also available on the new IHSBCA YouTube channel:  https://www.youtube.com/@ihsbcaIn this episode we got the great opportunity to talk with the head coach for the Savannah Bananas, Tyler Gillum, just before they head out for their 2023 World Tour.  Though baseball 'purists' may not be fully on board with the style of play that has brought millions of fans to Savannah Bananas games, Coach Gillum is chalked full of baseball wisdom!  Tyler's coaching passion goes back to when he played for Eddie Collins, the former record holder for most coaching wins, nationally, in high school baseball.  After playing collegiately, Coach Gillum started his coaching career with stints with the YD Red Sox of the Cape Cod League, Brazos Valley Bombers of the Texas Collegiate League and 11 years with South Mountain.  He spoke at the 2023 ABCA national conference and multiple state High School baseball coaches conferences.  He has many creative and successful baseball programs on his resume - "All you can eat" Infield camps, "Greenlight Special Baserunning System", "Growth Toolbox Life Skills Course" to name a few - and is driven by his unyielding passion for baseball and impacting peoples lives in a positive way, which leads to a can't-miss episode of IHSBCA Conversations!

Recorded just prior to the start of the 2023 season, we are excited to get a chance to chat with Rich Maloney, head baseball coach for the Ball State Cardinals and 2023 Dave Keiltiz Ethics in Coaching Award winner.Maloney has been a Div. I head coach for 27 seasons, currently serving his second stint at Ball State and is the winningest baseball coach in the schools history. In 2022 he eclipsed the 900-win mark ranking him 16th among active Div. I coaches.  In his 10 seasons at Michigan, Maloney led the Wolverines to 3 straight Big Ten Championships and 4 straight NCAA regional appearances from 2005-2008. He has coached 65 draft picks including 6 first rounders. Maloney is a Western Michigan alum, playing for the legendary Fred Decker. Maloney played 6 seasons of professional baseball before starting his coaching career with Coach Decker at Western Michigan. Maloney was the 2018 ABCA President, served 6 years as the ABCA Div. I Chair and is currently on the ABCA Board of Directors.

A great conversation is always to be had when talking with one of my favorite high school baseball personalities in Indiana ~ Pat O'Neil, current coach for the Danville Warriors, started his baseball life with a true pioneer of baseball in the Hoosier state, the late Ken Schreiber of the LaPorte Slicers.  The idea for todays conversation topic, Coaching Top Prospects, comes from Coach O'Neil's days coaching the Brownsburg Bulldogs where he was the skipper for players like Lance Lynn, Drew Store and Tucker Barnhart, along with many players who took their game to the D1 collegiate level.From how coaching has changed over the years, to his perfect 35-0 team in 2005, labeled as "the best team in Indiana high school history,  to his 'pretend' 2020 season where they went 34-1, and everything in between - it's always an honest and fun conversation with coach Pat O'Neil!

IHSBCA is the sponsoring body for the Indiana Baseball Hall of Fame which is located in the Ruxor Student center on the campus of Vincennes University of Jasper in southwest Indiana.  The Hall of Fame is the topic of today's special presentation as we bring you the 2023 Red Carpet interviews hosted by two of my colleagues Sweet Lu and the Captain,  that being Jeff Luzadder of Lafayette and Steve Krah of Elkhart.  The Red Carpet interviews are an annual event that take place during the IHSABCA conference where we get to set down with the newly inducted members and just talk a little informally about what their induction means to them and some of the special people and circumstances that occurred along their path to the Hall.Members of the Hall of Fame are inducted based on one of three categories:  As a Player, A Coach, or A Contributor to baseball in Indiana, and are awarded either by IHSBCA member vote, or by a veteran selection committee.  The 2023 Class of the Indiana Baseball Hall of Fame includesWayne Johnson, inducted as a coach with his days at Mooresville and Brownsburg, Kelby Webright, inducted as a coach for his days at NorwellDrew Storen, inducted as a player for his days at Brownsburg high school, Stanford University and 8 years in major league baseball,Jeff Samardzija, inducted as a player for his days at Valparaiso high school, Notre Dame University and 13 seasons in major league baseballand Leonard "Lefty" Johnston, through his 6 years playing with the Indianapolis Indians and long successful career as a manager and scout.Following the induction interviews, Jeff and Steve also sat down with the 2023 Indiana Baseball Hall of Fame spotlight member Jake Burton, former coach for McCutcheon High School and current head coach for Twin Lakes High School.

In this episode we speak with Gene Mattingly, head coach of the Southridge High School Raiders baseball team in Huntingburg, Indiana where they play home games at League Stadium, longtime home to the DC Bombers and fictitious home to the Rockford Peaches in the movie A League of Their Own.  Coach Mattingly enters his 5th year as head coach for the Raiders, following 11 years as the assistant.  He took the Raiders to the State Finals in the first three years as head coach for the Raiders - losing in dramatic fashion on the first two (2018 and 2019, Class 2A), followed by season cancellation in 2020 then taking home the IHSAA 3A title in 2021.  In an Interview that host Dan Hill calls one of his most anticipated and rich discussions yet, coach Mattingly zooms in on his coaching & personal life, and how we are missing the mark when we don't embrace and learn from losses in both.

Four successful high school baseball coaches from the Hoosier Crossroads Conference (HCC) discuss the dynamics of their personal association with each other and how this bond directly carries over to the value they provide to everybody around them - both on and off the field.  Ryan Bunnell of the Westfield Shamrocks, Matthew Cherry of the Fishers Tigers, Justin Keever of  the Noblesville Millers, and Jared Moore of the Zionsville Eagles talk about many facets of their respective lives as a coach, father, husband and teacher - and how this brotherhood relationship that they share serves to keep them hungry to be the best they can be individually in each role they take in life, as well as bring out the best those they lead and coach - or as they would put it, those they serve.

The Jasper Wildcats have won 40 sectional baseball titles, 26 Regionals, 11 Semi-State's and 6 State Championships.  Jasper, located in southwest Indiana, is also the location of the Indiana Baseball Hall of Fame (IBHOF) and the setting where we sat down with our two guests for this episode, former head coach Ray Howard and current head coach Terry Gobert - Ray being the executive director of the IBHOF, and both being inductees, respectively.   A great episode where we go outside the lines to discuss all the factors throughout the years that have made Jasper High School baseball  such a special program.

For our 2nd episode of IHSBCA Conversations, we got a chance to chat with someone who truly has his finger on the pulse of the baseball community across the Unites States.  Ryan Brownlee is an Evansville Memorial High School graduate who played collegiately at University of Evansville and  has had coaching stops at Evansville, University of Iowa and Western Illinois.   Ryan is now with the American Baseball Coaches Association where he hosts the weekly ABCA Podcast - one of the most followed sports podcasts in the United States!

Welcome to the inaugural episode of IHSBCA Conversations!Our first guest is, naturally, the Executive Director of the Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Association, Brian Abbott.  In todays conversation, Brian and Dan talk about the mission of the IHSBCA and its' value to baseball coaches in Indiana, as well as many other challenges and joys of coaching baseball in the great state of Indiana.