Leadership Qualities in Catchers | Playing to Win and Situational Hitting w/ Miami (OH) Associate Head Coach, Kyle Trewyn

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Kyle Trewyn is a college baseball coach and the hitting coach at Miami University in Ohio. He has a Master's degree in Education and has conducted research on leadership in the catching position. With years of experience in recruiting and player development, Kyle brings a wealth of knowledge to the podcast.

Summary:

In this episode, Patrick Jones interviews Kyle Trewyn, the hitting coach at Miami University in Ohio. They discuss Kyle's research on leadership in the catching position, his recruiting philosophy, and his vision for the program at Miami. Kyle also shares his thoughts on the importance of charisma in catchers, the role of left-handed hitters, and the use of metrics in recruiting. He emphasizes the need for balance in recruiting, the value of situational hitting, and the importance of game planning.

Kyle Trewyn Contact Information: 

• Twitter

 

Key Takeaways

1. Catchers need charisma and leadership qualities to excel in their position.

2. Left-handed hitters have an advantage against right-handed breaking balls.

3. Recruiting should be a balance of high school players, junior college transfers, and portal transfers.

4. Situational hitting is crucial in college baseball and helps improve overall performance.

5. Game planning involves studying video footage, analyzing pitching tendencies, and creating scouting reports.

• "The best teams I've been around have had a catcher that has that charisma to be able to demand respect at the same time, but also be able to kind of be one of the boys." 
  
  
• "Hitting is the hardest thing to do in all of sports and I really don't even think there's a close second." 
  
  
• "If a guy can hit and it isn't quote unquote, mechanically sound or the right way, let him hit. I don't care."
  
  
• "If you can't situationally hit, it's going to be really tough for you to be in the lineup." 
  
  
• "The answer is right there in the middle. I think you have to be able to do both." 
  
  

Timestamps

[0:34] Process of doing Thesis on Leadership for Catcher

[2:35] Insights on Leadership Qualities in Recruiting

[04:29] Freshman Challenges and the Upperclassmen Advantage in Catching

[05:54] The Challenges and Adjustments in First Year at Miami University

[08:39] Vision for the Baseball Program at Miami University

[11:15] Recruiting Biases and Preferences for Left-Handed Hitters

[13:35] Balancing Metrics and Gut Feel for Evaluation

[16:06] What to look for in Analyzing Hitters

[19:27] Recruiting Strategies in the Transfer Portal

[22:38] Choosing Between High School Recruits and Portal Transfer

[24:09] Helping High Schools Get Recruited for College Baseball

[26:31] Recruitment Approach in Offering Players in College Baseball

[28:12] The Importance of Multiple Viewing and The Role of Statistics in Recruitment

[30:24] Typical Day and Emphasized Principles in the Fall Season

[33:37] The Significance of Situational Hitting in College Baseball

[39:57] How to help players develop a Game Plan