The Art & Science of Arm Care with Coach Tom Vessella

In this episode of More Than Velocity, Jordan and Matt sit down with Tommy Vessella, head baseball coach at Hillsdale College. A former professional pitcher drafted in the 11th round by the Houston Astros, Vessella spent seven seasons in the minors with both the Astros and San Francisco Giants, reaching AAA with the Fresno Grizzlies before moving into coaching.

Now entering his fifth season leading Hillsdale, Vessella has guided the Chargers to back-to-back G-MAC Tournament appearances, a program record for strikeouts, and the development of multiple All-Americans. His coaching background spans the Cape Cod League, the Medicine Hat Mavericks, and six seasons at Moorpark Community College.

In this conversation, Coach Vessella shares:

• His journey from small-college player to professional pitcher and coach
• The principles behind keeping Hillsdale pitchers healthy and surgery-free
• Why communication and individualized training matter more than cookie-cutter programs
• How technology like ArmCare helps bridge the gap between “feel” and data
• Lessons on balancing development, workload, and player autonomy You can follow Hillsdale on

Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/hillsdalecollegebaseball