From Mid-Major to Super Regional: How Evansville Baseball Competes with the  Best | Matt Wollenzin 

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In this episode, I sits down with Matt Wollenzin, the Hitting Coach and Recruiting Coordinator at the University of Evansville, to discuss the keys to their baseball program’s success.

Matt shares his extensive coaching journey, from his early days in summer ball to his current position at Evansville, and reveals how his approach to coaching and player development has evolved.

Matt explains how the Evansville baseball program thrives on a culture of collaboration and teamwork.

At Evansville, coaches and players work together to create a cohesive unit, with every player holding themselves and each other accountable.

This culture has been central to the team’s remarkable Super Regional run in 2024, where belief in the process and each other played a huge role in their success.

One of the standout aspects of Evansville’s program is the individualized approach to player development, especially when it comes to hitting.

Rather than adhering to a “cookie-cutter” method, Matt tailors training and drills to each hitter’s specific needs, which has proven successful with some of their top players.

He highlights that the best hitters love the craft of hitting and put in the necessary work to continuously improve.

On the recruiting side, Evansville places a high value on high school players, seeing them as the foundation of the program.

Matt shares how the team focuses on long-term development, nurturing talent over four years and prioritizing the growth of each player as both an athlete and an individual.

He also touches on the rare but important use of the transfer portal and how they only recruit players with whom they have established connections, ensuring that they fit into the team culture.

Timestamps: 

00:00:00 – Introduction to Matt Wollenzin
00:03:30 – Matt’s background in coaching and his role at Evansville
00:07:00 – Culture and teamwork at Evansville baseball
00:10:00 – Unconventional hitting development strategies
00:14:30 – Super Regional run and the importance of belief
00:18:30 – Collaborative coaching approach at Evansville
00:22:30 – Recruiting philosophy and focus on high school players
00:27:00 – Fall ball, drills, and individualized player development
00:31:30 – Importance of player growth both on and off the field
00:36:00 – Matt’s thoughts on future recruiting and player commitment

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