ABCA Podcast

This week on the ABCA Podcast we are joined by ABCA/ATEC NCAA Div. II Coach of the Year University of Tampa head coach, Joe Urso. Urso is one of the most accomplished coaches in college baseball history, building one of the greatest dynasties in the game, developed countless professional players, and established a standard of excellence that very few programs at any level can match. Since taking over the Spartans in 2001, Urso has turned Tampa into the gold standard of NCAA Div. II baseball, building a program defined by championships, player development, consistency, and an unwavering commitment to winning. In 2026, Urso led Tampa to its third consecutive NCAA Div. II National Championship, becoming the first program in Div. II baseball history to win three straight national titles. The Spartans finished the season with an impressive 51-9 record, defeating West Chester University 8-4 in the deciding game of the National Championship Series in Cary, North Carolina. That victory gave Tampa its 11th National Championship in program history and the eighth under Urso’s leadership—an incredible accomplishment that further solidifies his place among the greatest coaches in college baseball history. Urso has accumulated more than 1,100 career victories, won numerous Sunshine State Conference championships, made multiple trips to the NCAA Div. II College World Series, and earned national recognition as one of the premier coaches in the country, including being named the 2025 ABCA/ATEC NCAA Div. II National Coach of the Year. This episode is brought to you by Rapsodo Baseball. Great coaching starts with knowing what to work on next. Rapsodo gives coaches the objective data, video, and instant feedback they need to make every rep more purposeful.With 20+ hitting and pitching data points, Live-on-Live capabilities, Seam Orientation, Scripted Sessions, and more, Rapsodo’s PRO 2.0 and PRO 3.0 units help coaches dial in on player development for their athletes with pro-level data and ball-tracking technology. From establishing baselines to validating adjustments and tracking progress, Rapsodo takes the guesswork out of development. Measure what matters. Train with purpose. Learn more by emailing [email protected] or visit their website: Rapsodo.com/Baseball. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more. Download & Subscribe to the Podcast:https://abca.castos.comhttps://www.abca.org/podcastOnline: https://www.abca.orgABCA Member Benefits: https://www.abca.org/benefits Become a Member: https://www.abca.org/apply X/Twitter: https://x.com/abca1945 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abca1945 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ABCA1945 YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/abca1945

This week on the ABCA Podcast we are joined by ABCA/ATEC NJCAA Div. II Coach of the Year, Pearl River head coach and athletic director, Michael Avalon. Since taking over the Wildcats' baseball program in 2016, Avalon has transformed Pearl River into one of the premier junior college baseball programs in the country, consistently competing for conference championships, regional titles, and national championships. Avalon led Pearl River to its second NJCAA Division II National Championship in five seasons, adding to the program's first national title in 2022. The championship followed an incredible 2025 campaign in which the Wildcats won a program-record 53 games and finished as national runners-up. Pearl River has become a model of consistency, with multiple conference championships, Region 23 titles, and NJCAA World Series appearances, while consistently ranking among the top programs in the country. Pearl River has helped more than 100 players continue their baseball careers at four-year institutions, while emphasizing academic achievement, personal growth, accountability, and the development of young men. One of the foundations of his program is a philosophy built around four simple words: Success, Organization, Attitude, and Pride—or S.O.A.P. It's a philosophy passed down from his father that has become a defining part of Pearl River baseball and the culture Coach Avalon has established. In 2025, Avalon took on another major leadership role when he was named athletic director at Pearl River, giving him the opportunity to extend that same championship mindset across the entire athletic department. And in 2026, Pearl River made history by becoming the first NJCAA Division II institution to win baseball and softball national championships in the same season—an incredible accomplishment that speaks to the culture and expectations throughout the athletic department. This episode is brought to you by Rapsodo Baseball. Great coaching starts with knowing what to work on next. Rapsodo gives coaches the objective data, video, and instant feedback they need to make every rep more purposeful. With 20+ hitting and pitching data points, Live-on-Live capabilities, Seam Orientation, Scripted Sessions, and more, Rapsodo’s PRO 2.0 and PRO 3.0 units help coaches dial in on player development for their athletes with pro-level data and ball-tracking technology. From establishing baselines to validating adjustments and tracking progress, Rapsodo takes the guesswork out of development. Measure what matters. Train with purpose. Learn more by emailing [email protected] or visit their website: Rapsodo.com/Baseball. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more. Download & Subscribe to the Podcast:https://abca.castos.comhttps://www.abca.org/podcastOnline: https://www.abca.orgABCA Member Benefits: https://www.abca.org/benefits Become a Member: https://www.abca.org/apply X/Twitter: https://x.com/abca1945 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abca1945 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ABCA1945 YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/abca1945

Next up on the ABCA Podcast is ABCA/ATEC NCAA Div. I Coach of the Year, Oklahoma University head coach, Skip Johnson. Johnson is coming off a historic 2026 season in which he led the Sooners to their third National Championship in program history and their first since 1994. Oklahoma put together an incredible postseason run, going 11-2 in the NCAA Tournament and becoming the first team in tournament history to defeat nine national seeds on its way to winning it all. The Sooners finished the season with a 43-23 record, capturing the national title with a 13-2 victory over North Carolina in the College World Series championship game. Since taking over the Oklahoma program in 2018, Johnson has established the Sooners as a consistent national contender, leading the program to multiple NCAA Tournament appearances, conference championships, and two trips to the College World Series championship finals, including a national runner-up finish in 2022. Johnson spent 10 seasons at the University of Texas working alongside legendary head coach Augie Garrido, helping the Longhorns reach three College World Series while establishing himself as one of the top pitching coaches in the country. Prior to Texas, he spent 13 seasons as the head coach at Navarro College, where he accumulated 450 wins, nine conference championships, and four regional titles. This episode is brought to you by Rapsodo Baseball. Great coaching starts with knowing what to work on next. Rapsodo gives coaches the objective data, video, and instant feedback they need to make every rep more purposeful. With 20+ hitting and pitching data points, Live-on-Live capabilities, Seam Orientation, Scripted Sessions, and more, Rapsodo’s PRO 2.0 and PRO 3.0 units help coaches dial in on player development for their athletes with pro-level data and ball-tracking technology. From establishing baselines to validating adjustments and tracking progress, Rapsodo takes the guesswork out of development. Measure what matters. Train with purpose. Learn more by emailing [email protected] or visit their website: Rapsodo.com/Baseball. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more. Download & Subscribe to the Podcast:https://abca.castos.comhttps://www.abca.org/podcastOnline: https://www.abca.orgABCA Member Benefits: https://www.abca.org/benefits Become a Member: https://www.abca.org/apply X/Twitter: https://x.com/abca1945 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abca1945 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ABCA1945 YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/abca1945

We’re joined on the ABCA Podcast by Tennessee Wesleyan head baseball coach Billy Berry, 2026 ABCA/ATEC NAIA Coach of the Year following a championship season that added another chapter to the Bulldogs’ storied tradition. Berry led Tennessee Wesleyan to a 49-15 record and a 6-1 run at the 69th Avista NAIA World Series in Lewiston, Idaho, where the Bulldogs capped off the season with a dominant 21-3 victory over No. 1 seed Taylor University. That victory delivered Tennessee Wesleyan its third NAIA National Championship and set a World Series championship-game record for largest margin of victory. And the numbers behind this team were just as impressive. The Bulldogs led the NAIA with 735 hits and 170 doubles, ranked fifth nationally with a .349 team batting average, and finished fourth in the country with 538 RBIs. On the mound, Tennessee Wesleyan posted a 4.40 team ERA, led by Justin Jackson, who won 13 games, posted a 2.82 ERA, and led the nation with 108.1 innings pitched. Over nearly two decades leading the Bulldogs, Berry has built Tennessee Wesleyan into one of the premier programs in NAIA baseball. He enters this season with more than 900 career victories at Tennessee Wesleyan, multiple national championships, numerous conference championships, and a résumé that includes previous ABCA/NAIA Coach of the Year honors in 2012 and 2019. Today, we’ll talk about that incredible 2026 championship run, what makes Tennessee Wesleyan baseball so successful year after year, the evolution of recruiting and player development, the lessons that come from nearly two decades in the dugout, and what it takes to build a program that can sustain excellence across generations of players. This episode is brought to you by Rapsodo Baseball. Great coaching starts with knowing what to work on next. Rapsodo gives coaches the objective data, video, and instant feedback they need to make every rep more purposeful. With 20+ hitting and pitching data points, Live-on-Live capabilities, Seam Orientation, Scripted Sessions, and more, Rapsodo’s PRO 2.0 and PRO 3.0 units help coaches dial in on player development for their athletes with pro-level data and ball-tracking technology. From establishing baselines to validating adjustments and tracking progress, Rapsodo takes the guesswork out of development. Measure what matters. Train with purpose. Learn more by emailing [email protected] or visit their website: Rapsodo.com/Baseball. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more. Download & Subscribe to the Podcast:https://abca.castos.comhttps://www.abca.org/podcastOnline: https://www.abca.orgABCA Member Benefits: https://www.abca.org/benefits Become a Member: https://www.abca.org/apply X/Twitter: https://x.com/abca1945 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abca1945 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ABCA1945 YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/abca1945

Ryan Whiteley, head baseball coach at Carl Albert (OK) High School is the 2026 ABCA/ATEC High School Div. II Coach of the Year. Whiteley has built his career around developing players, building relationships, and creating a culture where winning becomes a byproduct of doing things the right way. In 2026, Whiteley led Carl Albert to the Oklahoma Class 5A State Championship, adding another championship chapter to one of the state’s premier high school baseball programs. This was the Titans 4th State Championship since 2021. A Lawton, Oklahoma, native and Lawton Eisenhower graduate, Whiteley played his college baseball at Hutchinson Community College before finishing his playing career at Cameron University. Whiteley then began his coaching career in his hometown before taking his first head-coaching position at Cache High School. In 2017, Whtieley arrived at Carl Albert as an assistant baseball and football coach. He spent four years learning under longtime Titans head coach Tim LaValley, along with fellow assistant Tony Borum, before taking over the program. Today, we’re going to talk about that journey—the lessons he’s learned along the way, what makes the Carl Albert baseball and football culture so special, developing young athletes and building a championship program. This episode is brought to you by Rapsodo Baseball. Great coaching starts with knowing what to work on next. Rapsodo gives coaches the objective data, video, and instant feedback they need to make every rep more purposeful. With 20+ hitting and pitching data points, Live-on-Live capabilities, Seam Orientation, Scripted Sessions, and more, Rapsodo’s PRO 2.0 and PRO 3.0 units help coaches dial in on player development for their athletes with pro-level data and ball-tracking technology. From establishing baselines to validating adjustments and tracking progress, Rapsodo takes the guesswork out of development. Measure what matters. Train with purpose. Learn more by emailing [email protected] or visit their website: Rapsodo.com/Baseball. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more. Download & Subscribe to the Podcast:https://abca.castos.comhttps://www.abca.org/podcastOnline: https://www.abca.orgABCA Member Benefits: https://www.abca.org/benefits Become a Member: https://www.abca.org/apply X/Twitter: https://x.com/abca1945 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abca1945 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ABCA1945 YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/abca1945