Riding The BUS

What are the top three essential skills and attributes of elite level hitters? What is attention to detail and why does it matter? Where should you focus in your preparation? What leads to effortless power as a hitter? Why does approach matter at the plate? What is the compete factor and why could it be the more important than anything else in hitting? We cover the answers to all of these questions and so much more with this week's episode, Committing to YOUR Journey as a Hitter ft. Ross Kivett (Univ. of Houston). Coach Kivett is a former Big 12 Player of the Year at Kansas State University, former 6th round draft pick and professional baseball player, and College World Series coach as part of the University of Tennessee coaching staff in 2021. Coach Kivett drops knowledge bombs all throughout this episode that are sure to help EVERY hitter who wants to play college baseball. Tap play, take a listen, and get ready to take some notes on Committing to YOUR Journey as a Hitter ft. Ross Kivett (Univ. of Houston). 

What are the top three metrics that college baseball coaches look for in a player? How did a bootcamp mentality help Texas go from the bottom of the Big 12 to the College World Series? What matters more - metrics or talent? What can players learn from former MLB Glove Glove outfielder Alex Gordon? Ben Johnson was a standout on the University of Texas baseball team that went to the 2014 College World Series, was drafted by the Kansas City Royals in 2015, and is now the Head of Sales and Strategic Partnerships at Virtual Combine. Ben hops on the BUS to discuss what helped him succeed at the highest level of college baseball and ultimately led him to professional baseball, what metrics matter, the role your mindset plays in winning, and much more on this week's episode of Riding the BUS. Tap play, take a listen, and get ready to take some notes on everything from winning to metrics to a bootcamp mentality as Ben Johnson gets the BUS rolling with tons of knowledge bombs for anyone who wants to play college baseball. 

What are the top three most important things for a pitcher? Why do you need to be able to throw a breaking ball in any count at any time? What exactly is “recovery” and why is it so important? Does every throw matter? Can you compete and get better during catch play? What's the first thing you should do if you're struggling with your breaking ball? This week on Riding The BUS we have a conversation with the Dylan Belanger, Pitching Coach at Division 1 Stephen F. Austin, where we cover all of those questions and much more! Coach Belanger has built his career through the Junior College ranks into Division 1 baseball through a combination of expertise and relationship building. Tap play, take a listen, and get ready to take some notes because this episode has great insight for every player on the field, not just pitchers. 

On this week's edition of Riding The BUS we bring you a Foundations Megasode - a combination of the first three Foundations Episodes of this podcast. These Foundations are essential to any player who wants to make the most of every opportunity on and off the field, in tournaments and in showcases. Starting at the beginning, the first episode is on True Belief, and it's the first for a reason. Everything starts with True Belief. Then, after True Belief comes Controlling the Controllables. Controlling the Controllables is a two step process: 1) identifying the controllables you have within competition and 2) investing your time, effort, and energy in controlling them. If you want to make sure you have the mindset that is going to help you maximize every opportunity ahead of you this summer, then tap play and take a listen to learn how True Belief and Controlling the Controllables will help you keep your DEVELOPMENT BUS rolling at top speed. TIMESTAMPS:00:00: #1: True Belief14:48: #2: Controlling the Controllables, pt. 140:57: #3: Controlling the Controllables, pt. 2

What is more important to catching than any of the actual physical skills? How are hitting and catching related? What is an adjusted pop time and why should you know what that is? What is one very common throwing technique that is wrong? What roles do mobility and nutrition play in being a great catcher? How can perseverance make or break your career? This week's episode covers all those questions and more in #20. Catching & Perseverance ft. Brock Bennett (Univ. of Georgia). Coach Bennett has extensive experience coaching catchers at extremely high levels. If you are a catcher, or want to understand the ingredients of a great catcher, then this is a must listen for you. Tap play, take a listen, and get ready to take some notes as Coach Brock Bennett from the Univ. of Georgia talks Catching and Perseverance. 

What should be your #1 goal above all else at a showcase? What should you do before, during, and after your showcase to make the most of your experience? What are the things you can control to give yourself the best chance to get noticed at your showcase events this summer? Summer showcases are right around the corner and these are just a few of the many questions we answer in episode 19. Checklist for a Great Showcase: 15 Tips to Perform, Stand Out & Get Noticed. Riding The BUS host Trey Fowler has 20+ years of NCAA coaching & showcase experience, and he walks you through these 15 tips that take you from parking lot to parking lot so that you can make the most of any and all possible opportunities. No matter what showcase events you choose to attend, our hope is that you stand out and get the exposure you've been working so hard for. Tap play, take a listen, and get ready to take a bunch of notes as this episode is all about helping you perform, stand out, and get noticed at your showcase events this summer.  

Do you have to believe in yourself to be a champion? What do championship teams have more than other teams? What does an approach look like for championship level hitters? What role does batting practice play in your approach? What do all great infielders have in common? Are feet actually more important than hands for infielders? How can you use MLB hitters to help your hitting development? What is toughness in baseball and why does it matter? This week's episodes answers all those questions and so much more with Coach Scott Wingo (Univ. of South Carolina). Coach Wingo played at South Carolina and was a back-to-back National Champion with the Gamecocks, including the 2011 College World Series Most Outstanding Player. Coach Wingo didn't roll out of bed with the physical tools to be a champion. Instead, he developed the mindset and character and used those to fuel his skills on the field. Tap play, listen up, and take some notes as we learn about the Championship Traits for Hitting & Infield from 2x NCAA D1 National Champion and current coach at Univ. of South Carolina, Scott Wingo. 

Why should you stay in the midst of adversity? Does self-talk really help? What does it take to stick to a routine that helps you succeed? What leads to being an elite defender? How do you erase doubt from your mind? What is the best book you should read for your mindset? Join us for the answers to these questions and so much more on this week's episode, #17. College Player Series ft. Alex Carballo (Kennesaw State Univ.). Alex was an elite player at the NCAA Division 1 level, but he didn't start that way. Alex worked his way to the top of college baseball and his journey through ups and downs, highs and lows, is packed with knowledge bombs that will help any player navigate the adversity he is guaranteed to face and come out better in the end. Tap play, listen up, and get ready to take a bunch of notes on what it takes to thrive through adversity in this latest installment of our College Player Series featuring Alex Carballo, former star outfielder from Kennesaw State University. 

Do you know the difference between baserunning and basestealing? Do you have an “approach” as a baserunner? What is a “tight arc” when running the bases? How do you develop great instincts as a baserunner? Baserunning doesn't get a lot of attention, and yet baserunning plays a huge role in scoring more runs and winning more games. Not only that, but it's a misconception to think that you have to be fast to be a great base runner, and even a base stealer. Baserunning is one of the few things that you can completely control in the game of baseball, and great baserunners help their teams win games. In this week's episode, we are pumped to bring you Jared Broughton from Clemson University to talk Elite Baserunning. Our goal is to help you develop your game in ALL areas, and baserunning is a huge opportunity for players to stand out to both coaches and scouts. Tap play, listen up, and take some notes on how to become an elite baserunner in this week's episode, 16. Elite Baserunning ft. Jared Broughton (Clemson University). 

We are back this week with another edition of Ask The BUS where we answer YOUR recruiting and player development questions. Is high school baseball important? What is the first thing any player should do in the recruiting process? What do parents need to know about their role in the recruiting process? Do stats matter to college coaches? What is the best way to stand out to a college coach off the field? How does eligibility work? All these questions and more are covered in this week's episode, 15. Ask The BUS. Tap play and get ready to take some notes!

Is starting in the weight room as young as 10 years old a bad thing? Is simply gaining strength the main purpose of the weight room? Why is movement so important to physical health? How is ankle mobility the key to creating force? What are the things you can do to improve strength, decrease unnecessary tension, and improve your mobility? We are so pumped to bring you Episode 14. Baseball Specific Strength and Conditioning ft. Nate Hemphill, founder/owner of PSP3. PSP3 trains athletes of all ages - from 10 year olds stepping into the weight room for the first time to Major League Baseball Players. Nate started out as a baseball strength coach at the collegiate and professional level before following his passion to bring much needed strength and conditioning expertise to the youth/amateur ages. This fact is simple (but not easy) - your physicality, athleticism, and ability to stay healthy will impact how far you make it in the game of baseball more than just about anything else. If you want to play college baseball, you need to listen to this episode. Tap play, take a listen, and make sure you're ready to take notes because this episode is absolutely essential for any baseball player who wants to maximize his ability.  

What was the biggest thing that turned a good college pitcher into a draftable professional pitcher? What should you do if you're not getting the playing time you want? What are the two “steps” to a good weight room program? What are the elements of an MLB pitcher's routine? Does every throw matter? What are the keys to competing at your highest level possible? We are pumped to bring you the answers to those questions and so much more in this edition of our Pro Player Series featuring MLB Pitcher Travis Bergen. Travis pitched at the Division 1 level at Kennesaw State University and transformed himself from pitching just 15 innings in an entire season to a 7th round draft pick by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 2015 MLB Draft. Travis pulls back the curtains and offers tons of knowledge bombs and specific details about his mindset, workouts, routines, and recovery. If you want to learn from a current MLB pitcher and help yourself get better then tap play, take a listen, and get ready to take some notes! 

What is a repeatable delivery and why does it matter? How does your body control impact your ceiling as an athlete? What is the one thing that all elite pitchers have in common? Should pitchers focus on their strengths or the hitters weaknesses? How does your body language impact your ability to handle adversity? This week on Riding The BUS we are joined by Justin Scali, Head Baseball Coach at Piedmont University. Coach Scali walks us through the top three things he looks for in a pitcher and shares tons of information on how to improve those areas. This episode is all about pitching, but it's not just for pitchers! Pitchers, catchers, coaches, and anyone that wants to help their team win games can benefit from Coach Scali as he talks through Pitching and Enhancing Your Compete Factor. Tap play, take a listen, and keep your Development BUS rolling!

Outfield is often the most overlooked position on the baseball field. But, that doesn't mean it's not important! And don't worry, outfielders, we have you covered in this week's episode with the 7 Essentials of Outfield Play.How do you get yourself in the best position possible? What does the right pre-pitch routine look like? What exactly does good outfield communication mean? What's the #1 bad habit young outfielders are taught and why do you need to stop it right now? When does the centerfielder NOT have priority over the rightfielder? This episode is packed and covers all these questions and more. This is a great episode for all players and coaches. Why? Because many players transition to the outfield or play outfield as an alternate position. This will also help pitchers, infielders, and catchers get their defense in the best position possible to win more games. Tap play, take a listen, and improve your game no matter what position you play with the 7 Essentials of Outfield Play.  

Why is barrel control so important in hitting? What is the difference between practice and training? Why should you train your non-dominant hand as a hitter? What is the #1 piece of advice for high school aged hitters? On this episode of Riding The BUS, Austin Upshaw, former 13th round draft pick by the Chicago Cubs and current D1 coach at Kennesaw State University shares his experience as both a player and a coach as he answers the questions above and more. There is no “one right way” to hit, but there are some key ingredients to success. If you're looking to improve as a hitter and learn what it takes to hit at the collegiate (and professional) level, tap play, take a listen, and get ready to take some notes! 

Are you (or a player you care about) struggling with self-doubt? How do you work your way out of the valleys of defeat and self-doubt? Why is belief in yourself so important to your success? What role do metrics play in your confidence and development? What book should you read if you're struggling with self-doubt? Luke Torbert, pitcher for Kennesaw State University, joins Riding The BUS on this episode and talks through all those questions and more. You're listening to Riding The BUS because you want to know what it takes to play college baseball. This episode features a current college player who is living his dream right now and it packs a punch with great advice for players, parents, and coaches! Tap play, take a listen, and learn from someone who has been through the recruiting process, experienced highs and lows in his career, and is currently competing at the Division 1 level right now.

What is “king” in catching? What are the top three most important skills for a catcher? What should players at every position be doing in order to develop their leadership skills? What's the #1 piece of advice for all high school players right now? What are practice progressions and how should you use them? Why is video so important in training? Tyler Shewmaker from the one and only Vanderbilt University joins Riding The BUS this week! Coach Shewmaker coaches the catchers at Vanderbilt and while this episode has a focus on catching, Coach has knowledge bombs for players, coaches, and parents all throughout the episode that apply to ANY position on the field. Vanderbilt is a perennial powerhouse in college baseball, and if you want to learn from one of their coaches, tap play and take a listen! 

YOUR questions answered each and every month! Ask The BUS takes questions gathered from YOU, our listeners, and answers them based on our collective experience coaching college baseball for 25+ years, playing collegiate and professional baseball ourselves, and both working with thousands of families and hundreds of coaches each year. This edition of Ask The BUS features the following questions: How do I get a 100% scholarship to play college baseball? How do I manage playing multiple sports that conflict with showcases/camps? How do I know that a showcase is not a money grab? When should a player begin attending camps/showcases? What do college coaches think about playing for multiple high schools/summer teams? What advice do you have for overseas players? Tap play, take a listen, and feel free to send us any recruiting and/or player development question you have so we can add it to the list for next month's Ask The BUS episode! 

What are the ingredients that make up a college-level infielder? What are the essential components of infield play that all infielders need to get good at in order to play at the highest level possible? More than that, what are the ingredients to mental toughness? Baseball is a game of failure, but life off the baseball diamond has challenges, too. How do you set yourself up for success mentally for the adversity that you're sure to face inside the lines on the baseball field AND outside the white lines of life? Curt Courtwright from the University of Illinois joins us on this episode with knowledge bombs both for infield play and for mental toughness on and off the baseball field. His story is incredible (we use that word intentionally) and there is so much we can learn from his perspective no matter what position we play or what we are going through in life. Tap play and buckle up because Coach Courtwright packs on a punch on this week's episode both for infielders and for anyone looking to improve their mental toughness in baseball and/or in life.

Current Boston Red Sox MiLB 2B Grant Williams hops on the BUS this week to discuss his journey that still continues today as he pursues his dream of playing Major League Baseball. Grant played his collegiate baseball at Kennesaw State University and is now working his way up through the minor leagues. On this episode Grant talks about his baseball journey, his mindset that helped him find success on and off the field, his routines as a player, and his approach to overcoming adversity and doubters. Grab a seat, tap play, and take a listen for our first Pro Player Series episode featuring Grant Williams, Boston Red Sox MiLB 2B!

Brandon Guyer, 7-year Major League Baseball veteran and founder of Fully Equipped Athlete, hops on the BUS this week to talk Major League Mindset and this is an absolute can't miss episode! What is the one thing set the 2016 American League Champion Cleveland Indians apart and what can players today learn from that one thing? What is the #1 performance enhancer for athletes? (Hint: ANY player can take advantage of this!)What is the “magic pill” that any player can take to increase their focus, decrease their anxiety, and improve their performance? What routines can athletes develop that will help them perform at their best? If you like those questions and want to hear the answers, you'll want to dive in right away because those are just the tip of the iceberg of incredible content that Brandon Guyer shares on this episode. It's no exaggeration to say that if you listen to this episode and start applying what Brandon teaches to your life then you'll know only become a better baseball player, but you'll grow as a person as well. Tap play and take a listen as Brandon Guyer teaches Major League Mindset and all the ways it will help any player at any level improve, both on and off the field!

Welcome to Riding The BUS powered by Best in the US Showcases! This is the third of three Foundational Episodes to kick off our Riding The BUS journey. The goal of these first three foundational episodes is to start with some foundational principles that, if applied, will help any player at any age take their game to the next level. Riding The BUS is going to provide you with incredible content coming from guest interviews with college coaches, current professional players, current college players, and Q&A episodes, all with the single goal of helping players maximize their development so they can achieve their goal of playing college baseball. In order to make the most of the content coming your way, though, we sincerely believe that these foundational principles are key to maximizing the benefit of the great content and information that is to come from some of the brightest coaches and players within the game.In the first episode we talked about the Power of True Belief that is built upon the pillars of Positive Self Talk, Visualization, and Hard Work. Episodes 2 and 3 talk about a second foundational mindset that is necessary to unleash your truest potential on and off the field - Controlling the Controllables. Controlling the Controllables is a two step process: 1) identifying the controllables you have within competition and 2) investing your time, effort, and energy in controlling them.Tap play and take a listen as we explore the fourth and fifth groups of controllables that every baseball player needs to take his game to the next level. 

Welcome to Riding The BUS powered by Best in the US Showcases! This is our second of three Foundational Episodes to kick off our Riding The BUS journey. The goal of these first three foundational episodes is to start with some foundational principles that, if applied, will help any player at any age take their game to the next level. Riding The BUS is going to provide you with incredible content coming from guest interviews with college coaches, current professional players, current college players, and Q&A episodes, all with the single goal of helping players and their families achieve their goals of playing college baseball. In order to make the most of the content coming your way, though, we sincerely believe that these foundational principles are key to maximizing the benefit of the great content and information that is to come from some of the brightest coaches and players within the game.In the first episode we talked about the Power of True Belief that is built upon the pillars of Positive Self Talk, Visualization, and Hard Work. In this episode we talk about a second foundational mindset that is necessary to unleash your truest potential on and off the field - Controlling the Controllables. Controlling the Controllables is a two step process: 1) identifying the controllables you have within competition and 2) investing your time, effort, and energy in controlling them.Tap play and take a listen as we explore the first three groups of controllables that every baseball player needs to take his game to the next level. 

Riding The BUS, powered by Best in the US Showcases, is here to be the #1 source for player development for young players. Whether you are a player, parent, or coach at the youth, high school, or college level, Riding The BUS brings you information that will help players improve, take their game to the next level, and put themselves in the best position possible to achieve their goal of playing college baseball. How are we going to do this? This podcast and video series will utilize some of the best and brightest minds in the game of baseball - coaches and players alike - to bring you great content that is sure to both encourage and equip players to keep their DEVELOPMENT BUS rolling at top speed as they head down their road towards becoming the best player he can possibly be.Today's episode is episode one of our three-part Foundation Series to kickoff this Riding The BUS journey. We know that we are going to bring our listeners incredible content each and every week that will help players maximize their development to accomplish their dreams. But, we also know that in order to take advantage of all the great content coming down the road, players must have the right mindset. Enter: Foundation Episodes. This first episode is on True Belief, and it's the first for a reason. Everything starts with True Belief. Tap play and take a listen to what True Belief is, why it matters, and how you can use it to keep your DEVELOPMENT BUS rolling at top speed.