Coach Tory and Coach Don preview episode 415, thank patrons, and highlight Nebraska hosting UCLA with over 8,000 fans as a possible true home-field regular-season attendance record, noting softball’s growth. The city of the week is Bloomington, Indiana, and they promote Square Cuts training discs and sponsors EAS and Elite Sporting Goods. A listener reports Tennessee varsity games canceled due to a severe umpire shortage; they discuss poor treatment of officials and encouraging more people to umpire. In the lead-off segment, they debate year-round softball, risks of burnout and injury, and advocate balancing commitment with multi-sport participation. They explain the “Rule of Thirds” for great, average, and terrible days and emphasize performing through adversity using goals. The coaching tip stresses pitchers practicing fielding, overhand throwing, and situational awareness, including a two-ball drill. Tory also criticizes an overly small TV strike zone in college games and its effects on pitchers, offense, and record comparisons.

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Coach Tory and Coach Don preview episode 414, thank Patreon supporters, and share a “good news, bad news” did-you-know: pitching coach Bill Hillhouse has died after battling cancer, while Oklahoma pitching coach Jennifer Rocha has returned to the dugout after her own cancer fight, alongside encouragement to support cancer research. The City of the Week is Oxford, Mississippi. A recruiting listener question challenges “Division I or bust,” emphasizing academics and that playing college softball at any level is an accomplishment. Tory then discusses unrealistic expectations for young players transitioning from tee ball/coach pitch to kid pitch and travel ball, stressing long-term development over quick fixes. The cleanup segment reviews a popular Atlanta-area Banana Ball-style tournament, praising the fun while noting safety and skill concerns for young players. The coaching tip argues coaches must clearly communicate team rules and reasons for discipline/benching and enforce rules consistently.

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Coach Tory and Coach Don preview episode 413 of Everything Fast Pitch, thank Patreon supporters, and highlight “Did You Know” that Florida State’s Isa Torres set an NCAA Division I record with 16 consecutive hits. The city of the week is Houston, Texas. They answer a listener question about the best way to request clarification from an umpire, emphasizing calm, specific, rule-based questions rather than emotional confrontation. In the leadoff segment they reflect on how dramatically women’s athletics and technology have changed since the 1960s–1990s, citing growth in size, skill, and athleticism in sports like basketball and softball. The cleanup topic urges stopping “crack or scratch” bat posts and accepting that composite bats inevitably crack and break. The coaching tip stresses practicing and prioritizing defensive communication to avoid missed popups and injuries, and they tease a future interview on body language and the mental game.

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Coach Tory and Coach Don preview episode 412, thank patrons, and share USA Softball Hall of Fame news honoring Monica Abbott and the Raybestos Brakettes. City of the Week is Madison, Wisconsin, and a Player of the Week recognized for work ethic and leadership. Tory answers a listener question about 10U players ignoring instructions, discussing accountability, consequences, and today’s team-hopping culture. The main segment is an interview with Tiffany Deering (former Michigan national champion) about Athletic Placement Services (APS), a new app-based recruiting hub that matches athletes with schools, streamlines emailing from personal Gmail, integrates YouTube/X, provides engagement analytics, camp searches, and roster/portal data, with a free promo through August. The coaching tip emphasizes modeling, practicing, and rewarding positive body language.

If people want to take advantage of the Promo from APS going on until end of August they can: 1- Go to apsrecruits.com 2- create an account using email or google auth 3- if prompted, authorize email 4- promo code Launch2026 5- begin building profile- sync x and YouTube 6- they can then download the app. Tutorials are available once they log in. They can follow on Facebook and Instagram @apsrecruits.

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Coach Tory and Coach Don preview episode 411 and note that UCLA’s Kelly Inouye-Perez has become the winningest coach in UCLA softball history. City of the week is Baton Rouge, Louisiana. A listener asks why Liberty isn’t ranked in the D1 softball poll; they explain Liberty is still a mid-major, has played a very tough early schedule, and may rise later. Part two of an interview with Ken Krause and Jay Bolden (From the Coach’s Mouth) covers a pitching/catching shortage driven by too many teams, limited work ethic, overuse of top young pitchers, and parent expectations, emphasizing practice over excessive games and overuse injuries. The cleanup segment critiques time-limit games and wasted time from huddles, celebrations, and arguing. The coaching tip promotes a head coach self-evaluation tool across key categories.

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Coach Tory and Coach Don open episode 410 with a show rundown. Tory issues corrections: when last week’s undefeated Power Four teams segment released, North Carolina and Grand Canyon were also unbeaten. This week’s City of the Week is Spartanburg, South Carolina, citing USC Upstate, nearby JUCOs, and the Tiger River softball complex. Player of the Week is a player recognized for commitment and rapid improvement despite little prior experience. Listener question asks how long pitchers should warm up; they stress that “ready” means able to locate every expected pitch (not just feeling loose), that travel-ball uncertainty can tempt corner-cutting, and that pitcher plans and honest fatigue communication help. The lead-off segment begins with part one of an interview with Ken Krause and Jay Bolden of the “From the Coach’s Mouth” podcast: Ken coached travel ball ~15 years, shifted to full-time lessons; Jay is an educator who entered softball via a JV opening, played men’s fastpitch, coached travel/high school, and has coached college while teaching pitching/hitting. They describe a guest-interview format plus occasional topic episodes Key takeaways include lifelong learning, coaching the person first, and hearing elite coaches’ doubts and growth journeys. They highlight Bill Hillhouse’s influence on pitching mechanics and Rick Pauly’s mentorship and and discuss increased crossover from men’s fastpitch into women’s programs. In cleanup, Coach Tory and Coach Don address travel-ball organizations pushing “D1 or bust,” arguing it’s often marketing that discounts strong D2/NAIA options, overlooks playing time realities, and ignores that any college roster spot signifies a high-level player; they also note NIL/transfer portal dynamics. The coaching tip emphasizes written practice plans, “everyday drills,” targeting weaknesses with data, better staff coordination, and using past plans to prevent recurring problems.

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Coach Tory and Coach Don preview and record Everything Fast Pitch episode 409 via Zoom, highlighting a listener-driven show and thanking supporters on patreon.com/everythingfastpitch. In the warmup “Did You Know,” they note three Division I undefeated teams at the time of recording—Tennessee, Florida, and Alabama—and discuss SEC strength and ongoing top-team dominance. The city of the week is Huntsville, Alabama, with mention of strong softball in the area, UAH’s Division II success, and local universities. Player of the week is Bronwyn Conroy (College of Charleston), recognized as rookie of the week after a standout week including five runs, nine hits, three RBIs, and multiple stolen bases; they share Don’s prior familiarity with her and invite more nominations via email. The equipment tip promotes Square Cuts training discs (FastPitchPrep.com), priced at $49.95 per dozen, with YouTube demos and varied uses beyond hitting. A listener question asks how transfers, extra eligibility, and NIL may shift Division I recruiting; they agree programs increasingly prioritize proven portal players while still pursuing elite high school recruits, and discuss pressure to win, scholarship changes, and financial strains on athletic departments. In the leadoff segment, they debate travel ball teams advertising “non-parent coaches,” arguing it doesn’t guarantee fairness or quality and that many parent coaches are highly committed, while paid non-parent coaches can still have biases. In the cleanup segment, they address an 8U team rotating players every inning, supporting multi-position development but recommending more consistent innings/roles so players can learn from mistakes. The coaching tip focuses on helping players choose the right bat (length/weight), discouraging gimmicky sizing formulas and knee-jerk changes based on short-term results, and recommending the longest/heaviest bat a player can swing with good bat speed and control, while noting the cost and rapid outgrowing of expensive bats.

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Coach Tory and Coach Don welcome you to Episode 408 of Everything Fast Pitch. In “Did You Know,” they cover an NCAA rule change allowing all institutional staff in baseball/softball to provide technical and tactical instruction through the end of the current season, noting it may widen the gap between well-funded “super schools” and smaller programs. A listener question addresses a Sports Illustrated article about Texas Tech and the Matador Club, explaining NIL/tampering loopholes where collectives can contact players even when coaches cannot, and discussing how agents and NIL have changed recruiting. The lead-off segment is Part 2 of Tory’s interview with former Georgia standout and pro player Sara Mosley, who recounts her determination to play at Georgia, a showcase moment after being doubted by Coach Tony, her high school adversity (broken hips, two knee surgeries, and her father Bob Mosley’s death junior year), and how those experiences reshaped her purpose. She describes COVID-era disruptions at Georgia, the team’s run to the Women’s College World Series after a difficult SEC season, and excitement about Georgia’s new facility. Sarah discusses the challenging transition from college to pro softball (including playing in Chattanooga and with the Vibe), her Four in One Sports Christian-themed batting gloves and matching glove, and her move into coaching travel ball and taking a coaching job at her high school. In the cleanup segment, Tory and Don note early Division I trends. Several mid-majors earning big wins , and they identify four teams separating themselves early—Texas Tech, Tennessee, Texas, and Oklahoma—citing depth and pitching staffs. They also mention strong senior pitching across D1 and early struggles by some lower-half SEC teams, plus Nebraska as dangerous but with early losses that could affect seeding. The coaching tip addresses creating live batting practice without overusing team pitchers, suggesting scrimmage variations, front toss, small-group games, using older/guest pitchers or paid pitchers appropriately by age and timing, and balancing challenge with confidence.

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