The Speaking Line-up
Spanky McFarland- James Madison
McFarland will begin his 23rd year in college coaching this year. Last year the Dukes were 42-19 and made the NCAA field where they finished runner-up in the Chapel Hill Regional. His record at James Madison is 445-349 with three NCAA Tournament appearances. He has over 600 career college coaching victories.
Rob Smith- Crieghton Pitching Coach
Smith will be starting his fifth year at Creighton and in his previous four years, his staff has led the always-tough MVC, twice in pitching statistics and has been in the NCAA top-20 all four years. He spent five successful years at Purdue and two years as coach of the Wausau Woodchucks, prior to his move to Creighton.
Pat Bloom and Jeremy Jirschele- UW-Stevens Point
A 2001 Pointer graduate, Coach Bloom is 260-122 in eight seasons as the head coach. This includes four World Series appearances and five straight WIAC Tournament titles from 2005-2009. Jirshele was a four-year UW-Oshkosh letter winner, a two-time All-American, and played minor league baseball in the Royals chain before joining the Point staff last spring.
Tom Lechnir-UW-Oshkosh
Under his leadership, the Titans are 665-241 with a 1994 National Title. He is the winningest coach WIAC history and sixth overall among active Division III coaches. The Titans have appeared in nine World Series under Lechnir’s coaching career.
Augie Schmidt- Carthage College
Augie Schmidt will be beginning his 25th year as head coach at Carthage. His record is 760-304 His teams have captured nine Conference titles and four World Series appearances. As a player, Augie was a First Team All-American at the University of New Orleans.
John Vodenlich- UW-Whitewater
In eight seasons under Vodenlich, the Warhawks are 290-95 and his teams have won six WIAC championships and have four World Series appearances, including a 2005 National Championship. He has spoken throughout Europe and is a UW-Whitewater Hall of Fame player and coach.
Mark Hallberg- Arizona Diamondbacks
A Barron High School graduate, Mark played college baseball at UIC and Florida State, before being drafted by the Diamondbacks in the ninth round of the 2007 MLB draft. Last year he played in the AAA Pacific Coast League, where he hit .279 with 23 doubles and 63 RBI. He only struck out 22 times in 428 at-bats, a trait he has retained since high school, when he was a First Team All-State pick. He played all infield positions last summer, with his most games coming at second base.
Zack Minasian- Milwaukee Brewers Director of Scouting
Minasian has put in eight seasons in the Brewers front office and overseas a 13-man pro scouting staff informing Doug Melvin on 6000 players throughout every level of baseball.
Justin Dehmer- Head Coach at Iowa’s Martensdale St. Mary’s
His career coaching record is 163-43 and his team has won the State Championship each of the last two year’s and has put together a National Record 87 game winning streak, which is still on-going. He played college ball at Central Arizona College, Kansas State, and Grand Canyon University.
WBCA 2012 Clinic Lineup
Friday February 10
4:00-4:40 “Turning the Double Play”
Mark Hallberg-Arizona Diamondbacks
4:40-5:00 Exhibit Break
5:00-5:40 “Being a One Pitch Warrior”
-Justin Dehmer-
5:45-6:25 “Base Running”
-Mark Hallberg
6:25-6:45 Exhibit Break
6:45-7:25 “Drills to Detect and Correct Hitting Flaws”
-Tom Lechnir-UW-Oshkosh
7:30-8:10 “Talking With the Brewers”
-Zack Minasian-Director of Scouting
8:10-8:30 Exhibit Break
8:30-9:10 “Setting Goals, Staying Positive, and Handling the Ups and Downs of a Sport Based on Failure”
-Spanky McFarland-James Madison
9:15-10:00 “Questions and Answers” with John Vodenlich (UW-Whitewater) and Augie Schmidt (Carthage)
10:00 WBCA Social
Saturday, February 11
9:00-9:40 “Anatomy of an 87 Game Winning Streak”
-Justin Dehmer
9:45-10:25 “Improving Infield Play”
-Pat Bloom and Jeremy Jirschele-UW-Stevens Point
10:30-10:55 WBCA Membership Meeting/Exhibit Break
10:55-11:35 “Managing Todays Parents and Assistant Coaches”
-Spanky McFarland
11:35-12:10 “Winning by Minimizing Free Bases”
-Rob Smith-Creighton University Pitching Coach
12:15-2:30 “Hall of Fame and Honors Banquet”
2:40-3:30 “Drills to Master the Delivery”
-Rob Smith