Miami Baseball Player Development Series

with Jim Morris,
former University of Miami Head Coach; 2016 NCAA College World Series;
2x NCAA World Series Champions (1999 & 2001);
2x American Baseball Coaches' Association (ABCA) National Coach of the Year (1999 & 2001);
Back-to-Back-to-Back ACC Coastal Division Champions (2014-16);
4x ACC Coach of the Year; 1,590 wins - only the sixth head coach in the history of Division I baseball to reach the 1,500 wins mark

Infield play for any baseball team is critical. An effective infield is the cornerstone of any great defense. If you cannot stop the other team from scoring, you will not win the close games - and winning those close games is what truly makes a champion.

Explaining culture components for mental strength along with fundamental drills for glove control and fielding effectiveness, legendary baseball coach Jim Morris shows you how to establish a routine for infielders that will improve their throwing technique, fielding technique and enhance the speed in which double plays are executed.

Drills for Improving Fielding

Learn specific drills for infielders - the same drills that helped University of Miami to a .983 fielding percentage that led the country in 2016. Coach Morris demonstrates various drills building up players physically and mentally to create consistent, effective fielders. You'll get the following:

• Dry ball drills where the ball is stationary, but players learn how to approach the ball - maximizing time and throw delivery.
• Throwing drills that improve accuracy and strength of throws to secure putouts.
• Live ball drills where players work on getting their "live" repetitions in to improve game time efficiency.
• Knee drills to isolate the upper body in fielding ground balls.
• Footwork drills to teach double plays, appropriate fielding depths, and alertness for fielding.

Take advantage of a well-thought-out, efficient and effective drill series that was developed by one of college baseball's best head coaches.

Defensive Positioning Diagrams

Learn in-game coaching maneuvers that will help your team to succeed. Morris shares a structured, easily-communicated sign system that helps you put defenders in proper position - batter-to-batter and even pitch-to-pitch. Correct defensive positioning can cut down on an opponent's ability to gain momentum and minimize scoring opportunities.

Player Development Techniques

Coach Morris shares techniques for dissecting player development goals and putting together personalized plans for players that will help you get the most out of your athletes. You'll discover how to build a systematic drill program that allows players to practice on their own, while still being in line with your goals and techniques. Also, you'll see how to incorporate individual defensive drills and team defensive drills that grow the overall player development experience

Coach Morris holds nothing back in this video. He shares his life-long knowledge of how to play infield and how to develop infielders to become the best they can be. This is the perfect resource to better understand how to develop great infielders.

85 minutes. 2017.

with Gino DiMare,
University of Miami Head Coach;
Played for Miami (1989 - 1992) and was a longtime University of Miami Assistant Coach (1997 - 2018);
2016 NCAA College World Series;
Back-to-Back-to-Back ACC Coastal Division Champions (2014-16);
2x NCAA World Series Champions (1999 & 2001)

Improve the ability of your outfield to take away hits, throw runners out, and stop runners from taking extra bases. Coach Gino DiMare provides multiple drills and techniques for improving first step quickness, tracking, and taking angles to field fly balls and ground balls in throwing and non-throwing situations. Additionally, he discusses the mental aspect of fielding to help ensure your players want the ball and are ready to play.

Outfield Drills

Learn how to use progressive drills to teach defensive techniques for outfielders. Coach DiMare explains the teaching points he emphasizes for each of the drills. Drills include:

• Crossover drills to ensure quick reaction to any ball hit.
• Drop-step drills to cover balls hit over the head of outfielders.
• Catching drills that emphasize taking appropriate angles to the ball.
• Ground ball drills that maximize the ability of outfielders to throw out runners and take away bases from hitters.
• Dry ball drills to practice footwork getting to the ball and relaying it back into the infield.
• Fly ball drills to take appropriate defensive angles while avoiding sun interference.
• Live ball drills to learn how balls come off a bat with different spins and angles.

Techniques for fielding routine fly balls and ground balls include methods for improving the angle and momentum toward the infield for making the play. DiMare also explains how to quickly and accurately get the ball to the appropriate base or cut-off man. He describes the benefit of practicing a 2 step crow hop to improve timing and accuracy of throws. The same crow hop technique is utilized after making a one-handed scoop of a "do-or-die" ground ball in an attempt to throw a runner out that is trying to take an extra base.

Coach DiMare gives you everything you need to know about developing effective outfielders that consistently make outs. You will learn the mindset, techniques, and abilities to put players in positions they can be successful. If players are successful and confident, your team will win championships.

88 minutes. 2017.

with J.D. Arteaga,
University of Miami Assistant Coach/Pitching;
2016 NCAA College World Series; Back-to-Back-to-Back ACC Coastal Division Champions (2014-16)

All coaches know pitching sets the tone for the defense. If pitchers can't throw strikes and control the run game, games can go from winnable to blowouts very quickly. Coach J.D. Arteaga teaches accuracy drills, balance drills, and throwing drills along with pickoff moves in this video to help you guide your pitchers to success.

Pick-off Moves to Control Baserunners

Learn practice drills and techniques to develop pitchers who have mound presence in controlling opposing baserunners. Coach Arteaga's pick-off drills help pitchers learn the intricacies of different pick-offs to all bases to ensure run offense control. Included is:

• Footwork for right-handed pitchers for accurate throws to first base.
• How to interpret baseball's balk rules to effectively use left-handed pitchers' natural advantages to keep baserunners honest at first base.
• How to ensure pitchers' top and bottom halves work harmoniously to develop quick, firm, and accurate throws to second base - using both inside and outside pickoff moves.
• A tutorial of the "cheat with your feet" technique on pick-off moves to second base that creates a split-second advantage.

Pitching Drills for Practice Plans

Throw more quality pitches in games by developing a well-rounded practice plan for your pitchers. Learn how to use progression drills to teach pitchers how be successful in throwing. Starting from the ground up, focus on proper mechanics to stay consistent and build a repeatable delivery. Drills include:

• Balance and stride drills to build a solid foundation of muscle memory for consistent and repeatable mechanics.
• Rocker and tap drills to train a pitcher's body to use rhythm and momentum for greater velocity.
• The Balance Point and Finish Point drill to get pitchers to stay under control late in games and in pressure situations by relying on practice routines that train all parts of the body to work together.

Utilizing the Rocker Stride Drill, your pitchers will learn to engage their top and bottom halves to work together. Harnessing the momentum of fluid hips and power generated from the pitcher's backside while breaking hands and pointing a proper guide-side of their upper body will reinforce the drive and finish that will produce effective velocity and accurate location. Using this as a key part of your practice plan will help you develop a consistent pitching staff and put your defense in a position to win ball games.

Coach Arteaga teaches you key concepts that have helped make Miami a powerhouse in college baseball. You will learn how to build a strong practice plan to develop a deep and consistent pitching rotation, as well as how to limit damage done by opposing hitters who do reach base with effective pickoff moves and throws. As your pitchers' consistency on the mound increases, so will your team's winning percentage.

50 minutes. 2017.

with J.D. Arteaga,
University of Miami Assistant Coach/Pitching;
2016 NCAA College World Series; Back-to-Back-to-Back ACC Coastal Division Champions (2014-16)

A lot of focus goes into developing a pitcher's throwing motion. Pitchers not only have to throw strikes and set the tone for the game - they also have to be ready to field.

Using a progression of defensive drills, J.D. Arteaga provides you with the coaching points that enhance pitchers' infield play, when and how to break down while fielding batted and bunted balls, as well as how to cover bases.

Practice Repetitions

Learn the finer coaching points that help build a staff of pitchers that you can consider defensive assets for your program. Coach Arteaga emphasizes the need for repetition and control in practice settings to train players to react better in games.

Drills for a Pitcher's Fielding Practice

Using his pitchers to demonstrate the drills, Coach Arteaga details six drills for defending at the pitcher position on hits, bunts, and balls in the outfield. You'll get:

• 3-to-1 drills that illustrate the need for pitchers to work towards 1st base on any ball hit to the right side of the infield.
• "In-betweener" drills that show the need for communication between the pitcher and the infielders while fielding batted balls in the infield.
• Comebacker drills to teach your pitchers the mechanics for fielding comebackers and making throws to first or second base.
• Bunted ball fielding drills to teach pitchers how to intelligently make outs while limiting damage.
• Drills that work on defending 'suicide squeezes'.
• How to backup bases hits to the outfield so pitchers help avoid damage done through passed balls or errant throws.

You'll see how Coach Arteaga stresses the need for pitchers to be prepared through practice. He highlights specific drills and tools to emphasize important topics.

This video will help you recognize how important it is to have complete pitchers - athletes who can pitch, control the running game and field the position. Coach Arteaga gives you the defensive requirements of the pitcher, the drills to develop those skills, and the nuances required for pitchers to differentiate themselves from the rest of the pack.

67 minutes. 2017.

with Norberto Lopez,
University of Miami Assistant Coach;
2016 NCAA College World Series; Back-to-Back-to-Back ACC Coastal Division Champions (2014-16)

The catcher is the coach on the field; they create strikes and control the running game. In this video, Norberto Lopez gives you a wide array of information important for developing a successful catcher.

Lopez teaches catching in a way that gives you the techniques, methods, and strategies to become a fundamentally sound performer at an elite level. This video is a comprehensive guide that provides tests, drills, instruction and illustrated assessments of posture, stance (sign, primary and secondary), glove position, footwork, receiving, blocking and throwing.

You'll also hear Lopez talk about cultural needs of a catcher to be successful in the Hurricane program and how to develop procedures, routines, and habits that make catchers successful.

Stance and Receiving

Catchers are unique; they may be more balanced and have better movement in a square stance, a glove side open, or an arm side lean. Coach Lopez shows you how to create a primary stance that fits your catcher to receive and block with no wasted movement. Learn how to assess your catcher's imbalances, test their mobility, and create a mobility training plan.

Receiving is the most important skill you perform as a catcher. Properly receiving pitchers maximizes the number of strikes that get called. Learn to set your glove in the "power position," perform a detailed sequence for moving from the sign stance to the primary or secondary stance without tipping pitches, and proper glove routes that improve your chances of having borderline pitches called strikes.

Detailed instruction and drills are provided to improve your ability to perform the "quarter turn, sway and thumb roll" techniques to keep the ball in the strike zone, catch the ball in a power position, and maintain good mechanics for throwing runners out when indicated.

Blocking

Learn a "Back Chaining Technique" progression of eight drills that will improve your catcher's ability to read pitches and beat the ball to the spot, initiate movement from the hips, improve speed of movement into the blocking position, center the baseball, and absorb the baseball. Mastering these drills will give your catcher the ability to help the team keep double plays in order and stop the opposing team from having huge innings offensively.

Throwing

Develop a quick and accurate throw from your secondary stance that will improve your chance to throw runners out. Lopez provides drills that will teach a proper throwing sequence to maximize your catcher's throwing ability. With a proper sequence, catchers can speed up their release time and improve their accuracy to shut down the opposing team's running game. These drills synchronize lower and upper body mechanics, improve scapular loading, develop proper deflection, and improve directional path of the lower extremities from the secondary stance.

In addition to a significant number of drills, illustrations and instruction to teach you how to "read, react, and recover" like an all-star catcher, Coach Lopez provides detailed information on footwork, glove position, stance, wild pitch recovery and motor memory development during pregame warm-ups that will help you become fundamentally sound.

This video is an excellent teaching tool to help catchers take their skills to an elite level. You'll get comprehensive instruction, drills and strategies to help you improve the fundamental skills of receiving, blocking and throwing in your catchers.

79 minutes. 2017.

with Gino DiMare,
University of Miami Head Coach;
Played for Miami (1989 - 1992) and was a longtime University of Miami Assistant Coach (1997 - 2018);
2016 NCAA College World Series;
Back-to-Back-to-Back ACC Coastal Division Champions (2014-16);
2x NCAA World Series Champions (1999 & 2001)

Hitting a baseball is the hardest thing to do in any sport and having the knowledge and ability to teach players how to maximize their potential is a must. Gino DiMare provides this capability in this video with a step-by-step cage routine to build a hitter's complete approach at the plate.

Coach DiMare teaches the "feel" for zone hitting, a skill often neglected by coaches. Players will learn how to approach every zone above the plate, and hit with authority through a series of specific, competitive drills that will build a hitter's approach and confidence. This systematic routine works hitters with a series of tee, front toss, cross toss and coach pitch drills to build a batter's capabilities to be successful every inch of the zone to drive the ball to all fields.

He goes a step further and works on the mental side of hitting by placing hitters in game scenarios. By teaching players how to perform in certain situations, players enter tense situations not only with the skills, but the confidence to excel.

Tee Drills

Use tee drills to teach your hitters how to drive the ball to all fields. DiMare introduces six tee drills to build a fundamentally sound swing. Work on hitting any pitch in any zone with the zone simulation drill. DiMare also shows several drills to break down the elements of the swing by isolating certain body parts and movements.

Front Toss Drills

Coach DiMare introduces two front toss drills he uses with his hitters to help them stay on the pitch and drive the ball to the opposite field. In the off-center front toss drill, the batter must let the ball travel and get deep to hit it properly. This helps the hitter use his backside to drive through the ball.

Situational Hitting

Hitters must not only recognize the situation but execute in order to get runners into scoring position or score runs. Learn about seven common situations batters are faced with and where the batter wants to hit the ball in each of the situations. DiMare puts hitters through their paces and demands that they have a strong understanding of when to keep the ball out of the middle, when to hit behind the runner and when it's okay to lift the ball.

Learn the approach a batter should have with:

• Hit and run
• Man on second, no outs
• Man on third, less than 2 outs
• Run and hit
Clutch hit, 2 outs
• 2-strike hitting
• 3-2 count

Throughout the video, you'll see demonstrations of these drills while DiMare presents examples of success and failure, offering feedback and strategies on how to correct swings and hits. He offers valuable, veteran insight that can help any coach direct a more effective offense.

Train every player in your lineup to be a complete hitter with this systematic, progressive cage workout!

45 minutes. 2017.

with Jim Morris,
former University of Miami Head Coach; 2016 NCAA College World Series;
2x NCAA World Series Champions (1999 & 2001);
2x American Baseball Coaches' Association (ABCA) National Coach of the Year (1999 & 2001);
Back-to-Back-to-Back ACC Coastal Division Champions (2014-16);
4x ACC Coach of the Year; 1,590 wins - only the sixth head coach in the history of Division I baseball to reach the 1,500 wins mark

Jim Morris provides you with an inside look to his program's whole-team defense practice. In this video, he takes you through the aspects of his defensive coaching that have made the University of Miami's baseball team one of the most efficient units in the country. In all, 10 different facets of defensive play are illustrated. You'll see defensive practice drills, game situations, and strategies to prepare your team for games.

Watching this video is like sitting in the bleachers observing the coaching staff work out the team on the first day of practice. The coaches start each segment with a group meeting, then they send the team out to their positions to run the drills. Watch as the coaching staff implements each part of their defensive game plan and the correlating drills. Coach Morris builds on the saying "don't expect anything from your team if you haven't taught it" and provides his team with every possible defensive situation they must master.

Fly Ball Communication

Every team needs to communicate effectively to be a good defensive squad. A communication and priority system is important to make sure your team gets outs on balls in the air and to help players avoid collisions. Using a pitching machine for accuracy, Coach Morris focuses on team defense regarding communication for pop flies along with base coverage assignments. While players go through these game situations, Coach Morris and his staff provide feedback.

Cutoffs and Relays

Coach Morris moves to relay plays from the outfield and focuses on teaching outfielders and infielders their duties to decrease an opponent's offensive efficiency. An assistant coach hits fungos to different outfielders, and the infielders react to the mentioned situations and throws. Players are instructed to make accurate throws and concentrate on listening and processing the situations given for each drill.

Bunt Defense

You'll see how Coach Morris helps his new ball players understand bunt coverage and how to always get an out. Coach Morris goes into bunt defense, covering his rules which will make it easier for your players to make decisions. In this segment, he also works on pick-offs and rundowns. Every time a bunt or infield hit is executed by a coach, the entire team defense structure goes into motion.

Outfield Defense

Outfielders receive live fungo practice to execute hitting and fielding, along with making proper throws. Coaches provide feedback and explain each situation to increase reaction time and efficiency so outfielders know how to react right away to each hit.

This video is designed to help you develop a cohesive efficient defensive unit. Defensive errors are costly and can be the difference between having a poor team and a great team. By watching this video, you will learn how to instruct your players to be game-ready mentally. By exposing players to different game situations, players know how to respond effectively and rapidly to in-game situations.

159 minutes. 2017.