2018 Scheduled Speakers

Dr. Dirk Baker

Worcester State University

Dr. Dirk Baker is the winningest coach in Worcester State baseball history with a career record of 477-332-1 (.590).  While at the helm, Worcester State has had 20-plus wins in 14 out of the last 18 seasons as well as captured eight MASCAC regular season titles and Coach Baker has been honored as the MASCAC Coach of the Year multiple times.  A 1991 graduate of Boston University, Coach Baker was a three-year starter, a two-year captain, and a Division I NEIBA All-Star. He set single-season records for homers, walks and he started in 130 consecutive games.  Coach Baker received his Masters of Human Movement from BU in 1993 and his Doctorate in Curriculum & Teaching in 1998.  Coach Baker is a multiple coach of the year recipient, has authored numerous books and publications in Collegiate Baseball Magazine, and has spoken at various conventions in the past, including the MBCA.  We are pleased to once again have Coach Baker presenting at our clinic; this year on Bunting 101.

Kevin Barnaby

Fitchburg State University

Coach Barnaby enters his third season as head coach at Fitchburg State University. In 2016, Coach Barnaby led the Falcons to a 10-4 mark in league play and the #3 seed in the conference tournament and he was named the MASCAC Coach of the Year.  Coach Barnaby has coached in the Futures Collegiate Baseball League (FCBL), becoming the head coach of the FCBL’s Wachusetts Dirt Dawgs in 2014.  In 2012, he served as hitting coach and recruiting coordinator for Fitchburg State University, then joined the staff at UMass – Lowell in the summer of 2013 before taking over as head coach back at Fitchburg State University in 2016.  On the field, Barnaby played two years of collegiate baseball at Worcester State University, helping the Lancers capture a MASCAC title and qualify for an NCAA Regional playoff berth in his final season. ​ The MBCA is excited to have Coach Barnaby share his knowledge on baserunning at our clinic.

John Casey
Tufts University

Coach Casey has won over 600 games and has established Tufts Baseball as one of the most respected programs in New England. The Jumbos won back-to-back New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) titles in 2016 and 2017 and 2010 and 2011. The Jumbos have been to the NCAA Regionals 5 of the past 8 years earning the #1 seed in the 2011 NCAA New England Regional Tournaments. Coach Casey is a Past President of the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) and is a member of its Board of Directors and Chair of the Coaches – Umpire Relations Committee. Coach Casey also currently serves on the NCAA Baseball Rules Committee and is the former secretary-treasurer of the New England Intercollegiate Baseball Association (NEIBA). Coach Casey has been a longtime supporter and member of the MBCA and we are pleased that he will be an integral contributor to our Panel Discussion about hitting.

Chris Costello

Walpole HS (MA)

Coach Costello took over the Walpole baseball program in 2015 for retired, legendary coach Bill Tompkins and has kept the momentum going as Walpole has continued to see great success.  A Walpole HS graduate who had brief stints in the Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers farm systems, Coach Costello has quickly earned a reputation for developing pitchers.  The MBCA is pleased that Coach Costello will be sharing his pitching program and philosophy with its members.

Dr. Peter Fadde

Game Sense Sports

Dr. Fadde is professor and director of the Learning Design and Technology graduate program at Southern Illinois University. Before earning his PhD, Dr. Fadde was Athletics Video Coordinator for 13 seasons at Purdue University. Dr. Fadde researches training of perceptual and decision skills in high-speed, high-stress performance domains including military and sports. His e-book The Sixth Tool: Training Baseball Pitch Recognition is available on Amazon.  Dr. Fadde consults with major league baseball organizations and college baseball teams; he is Chief Science Officer of gameSense Sports, LLC.  The MBCA is fortunate to have Dr. Fadde share the most recent research and techniques on the under-developed skills of pitch recognition.  You will be fascinated by the information, research, and ways to build skill in your players through pitch recognition.

Bryan Haley

Endicott College

Coach Haley has been the head coach at Endicott College since 2008 and has compiled a record of 277-173 and is a 3-time CCC Coach of the Year.  Coach Haley had Endicott one win from the Division III CWS twice – in 2013 and 2014.  A Brandeis four-time letter winner, captain, and All-Conference performer, he made the transition to coaching very smoothly and successfully.  Although Coach Haley has been incredibly successful on the field, it is his work with his players off the field that has garnered him equal praise.  He has developed a culture second to none, as was evident with his team having a record 16 student-athletes earn Academic All-Conference Team in 2017.  The MBCA is honored to have Coach Haley share his philosophy and ideas about developing and creating a winning culture.

Kirk Fredericks

Wellesley HS (MA) Assistant Coach

Coach Fredericks is one of the most respected and successful coaches in MA history, winning 3 state titles (2005, 2007, 2011) and 13 DCL league titles in his 14 years at Lincoln-Sudbury.  He has tremendous experience and knowledge about all levels of baseball.  In addition to his 21 years of coaching HS baseball, he was an American Legion coach in Braintree for 8 seasons and has coached the U16 New England Ruffnecks which he continues to do and has been doing so for more than a decade.  He has been a Boston Globe, Boston Herald, MIAA, BCA, and MBUA coach of the year throughout his coaching career.  He is widely considered to be very detailed-oriented and has developed numerous players to continue their playing careers in college as well as professionally.  The MBCA is honored to have Coach Fredericks share his knowledge on hitting and other topics as part of our panel discussion.

Mark “Pudge” Gjormand

Madison HS (VA)

Coach Gjormand has over 30 years of HS coaching experience with the last 22 being at James Madison HS where he has guided the Warhawks to league championships in 12 of the past 16 seasons.  While at James Madison HS, he has a record of 397-128 with a state and national title in 2002 when they finished 29-0.  His teams have been ranked nationally in the top 25 in six different seasons and he has spoken numerous times at the BCA Convention, always providing great insights and knowledge.  He will be speaking at the MBCA clinic this year on team defense drills as well as sharing his favorite hitting drills with the association.

Mike Glavine

Northeastern University

Coach Glavine was recently named the 2017 CAA Coach of the Year for his efforts this past season.  Coach Glavine is a Billerica native who starred at Northeastern as a hitter before spending 10 years in professional baseball in the Indians and Mets systems.  He returned to Northeastern as an assistant coach in 2007 before taking over as head coach in 2015.  Since becoming head coach, Glavine has coached four Northeastern players to MLB Draft selections and has quickly turned Northeastern into one of the top landing spots for players looking to develop at the D-1 level.  The MBCA is thrilled to have Coach Glavine partake in our panel discussion on hitting as well as discuss other topics of interest.

Steve Lomasney

Former MLB Player

Steve Lomasney had a 12-year MLB career with the Red Sox, Orioles, Reds, and Twins.  After being drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the 5th round of the 1995 amateur draft, Lomasney instantly became a rising star in the minor system, named the top-rated prospect in the Red Sox organization by Baseball America, peaking when named Minor League Player of the Year (1999) for Boston’s Class A affiliate in Sarasota.  He starred for Peabody High School in Peabody, MA in both baseball and football.  He was named the MVP of the Greater Boston League, Player of the Year, and a member of All-Scholastic teams in football and baseball.   The MBCA is proud to have “one of their own” speak about working with catchers and the technical side of blocking, receiving, and footwork.

John O’Neil

Cressey Sports Performance

John O’Neil is a Strength & Conditioning Coach at Cressey Sports Performance in Hudson, MA.  John not only has experience training youth athletes, but has also coached high school baseball, played college baseball, and interned with the Baltimore Orioles. He graduated from Dickinson College with a B.S. in Mathematics.  John’s work and attention to detail as it relates to applying lifting routines to throwing mechanics is second to none.  The MBCA is pleased to have John speak to the association about how to best manage pitchers between starts.