How 2026 National Champion Denison Builds A Dominant Pitching Staff

Preseason rankings feel nice until you realize you start playing the games and now you have to earn everything again. Denison University associate head coach and pitching coach Ryne Romick joins us to explain how a championship-level program keeps its edge, rebuilds identity, and stays hungry while on their way to a national  championship.
We get specific on what actually plays for pitchers at the college level: why “strikes win” never stops being true, how fastball life and fastball command can make or break development, and why the best freshmen often help the team sooner by shrinking their role and ditching their ego. Ryne also pulls back the curtain on college baseball recruiting, including the reality that coaches may only see a short snapshot at a travel tournament, plus the intangibles that matter most when projecting who will thrive in a demanding program. 

We also go big-picture on Division I vs Division III baseball, the depth and experience differences, and why “fit” beats chasing labels. Ryan shares why strength training is the biggest readiness gap he sees when pitchers step on campus, and he gives an honest take on the sacrifice and family support required to coach at a high level. If you coach, play, or parent a pitcher, you’ll leave with clearer recruiting priorities and a more grounded plan for getting better. 

Subscribe for the rest of our champions series, share this with a coach or player who needs it, and please leave a review and rating so more baseball coaches can find the show.

Transcript

Champions Built And Denison’s Standard

SPEAKER_02 0:01

Today on Baseball Coaches Unplugged, part two of a four-part series of how champions are built. Denison University put together a 44-game win streak and was D3 national champions in 2026. To do this, your pitching staff has to be incredible. Associate head coach and pitching coach Ryan Romick details what coaches look for in recruits, the wake-up call for freshmen, and what the difference maker is. Next on Baseball Coaches Unplugged.

SPEAKER_01 0:35

Baseball Coaches Unplugged is a podcast for high school travel and college baseball coaches who want to build better players and stronger programs. Each episode features real conversations about high school baseball coaches.

Facility Sponsor And Program Support

SPEAKER_02 1:19

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Expectations After Graduating Key Arms

SPEAKER_02 2:33

What um going into this season, was that the expectation? Because I know you had a really great season last year. Is that kind of what you're thinking was going to be happening again this year?

SPEAKER_00 2:43

Yeah, uh, you know, obviously it's there's there's high expectations now, and that's you know, not due to uh ever due to the current team you get those preseason rankings, always due to the guys that that played on the year before's team and and years past, right? So those are kind of respectful rankings. But um, but yeah, we have a different team. Obviously, we graduated um you know, probably 80% of our innings off our pitching staff last year, have some guys playing Division I baseball now, and um, you know, graduated some some good offensive players too. It's just um it's a different team. So obviously our standards are high and our expectations are high, but um you know you you have to go out and earn it in the dirt. So um that's what we're trying to do right now. We're just trying to get better and and trying to find our way, trying to find our identity right now.

SPEAKER_02 3:29

So I think this is uh your seventh season at Denison, and I believe if I'm correct, you're the fourth year of in a row of advancing to the regionals after last season. What's more challenging? Climbing to the into those national rankings and and making it to the regionals, or now you're in that mode of we got to stay on top, and now you kind of have that bullseye on your back when you're going out and playing teams this season?

SPEAKER_00 3:57

Yeah, it's it's interesting. Um you're gonna get everybody's you're gonna get everybody's best shot. Um but I think um for us, you know, we're we're chasing. We're still chasing. So I I think um, you know, like our this team's one of one of our words is is hungry. Um we're still we're still trying to crack the the the um the cusp of getting into that World Series tournament. Um and we haven't been able to do that yet. And we've been taking these little baby steps. Um I think those first steps of becoming a a program that wins some games and does that, I think, is a is an easy step. I think trying to crack into that top upper echelon of of college baseball, um, you know, what what Marietta's done, what the BWs have done, um, you know, Worcester had done uh and getting to those World Series, that's that's where you're trying to get to. So um, yeah, I think the you know, the rankings are the rankings. That's you know, sports writers and putting rankings out. That is what it is, but it's it's um, you know, winning those big games, playing really good competition, and then trying to put yourself there. If you keep giving yourself enough shots, hopefully you you put something together. And and we've been right there. We've been to two straight um regional finals. Um you know, and those aren't easy. They're not easy to get to, and they're definitely not easy to play in. Um and they they really test you. But um hopefully you keep putting yourself in those spots um you can kind of push through a little bit, and and that's what we're trying to do now.

SPEAKER_02 5:21

Well, D3 baseball in Ohio is probably one of the top states in the country, I would think, when it comes to Division III, wouldn't you say?

SPEAKER_00 5:30

Yeah, it's um it's it's loaded with talent. So it's um, you know, you can go within a couple hours and and find uh a pile of top 25 teams, top 30 teams, um, you know, some some really, really high-level baseball. So it's a great spot to be in, um, you know, as far as um getting sharpened by uh by others that are really, really good.

SPEAKER_02 5:50

Now, your recruiting grounds, are you kind of do you get a lot of your players from here in Ohio or are you pretty much uh national, I guess?

SPEAKER_00 6:01

Yeah, it's our ours is different than most, right? We're not we're not as regionally based as a lot of other Ohio schools, um, you know, being a top whatever 30, 40 uh liberal school in the country, uh liberal arts school. So um, you know, our our academic requirements put us in a little different niche than a lot of other schools. Um and then our name brand as far as being one of those schools and what where we attract kids from is a little different. So, you know, those pockets of like Maryland, DC, uh Virginia, um, there's a lot of students that come uh here from there. Uh Chicago area is big for us. Um and then, of course, you know, New York, New Jersey, um, Philly, um, those those major metropolitan areas, we're getting a lot of kids from Charlotte now. Um, but we've we've had kids from everywhere, um, as far as California and Texas and Alabama, uh, down to Florida. So it's it's a it's a much more national um you know recruiting landscape than it is regionally based. But we do, we do we're I think the one of the the cool things um that we've been able to do in the last probably five years is we've been able to grow a lot better name um you know from a baseball standpoint and from a school standpoint in Ohio. Um and that's that's been important um because I think if you looked, you know, when I first started here with Coach Deegan in 2012, um I think we had we had I think we did we actually had a set of twins from Toledo, the Zamuta twins, and I think they were the only two Ohio kids on the roster. Um and and so it was it was it was that kind of scarce. Um and now, you know, you'll look up and you know we have Upper Arlington kids, we have um, you know, Dublin Jerome, as we talked about, um, you know, we have uh some guys from the old tangies that you know that we've got into that 270 loop and we've actually found some kids that fit, and that's that's what it's about. It's just finding the right fit. Um we're finding good baseball players um from good families that are looking for that type of education, um, and it's and it's worked out. So we've we've kind of cracked into Ohio a little bit, um, but still just it takes the right fit.

SPEAKER_02 8:08

Absolutely.

Staff Chemistry And Trust

SPEAKER_02 8:10

Well, you mentioned Coach Dig and Mike Diggin. He uh was on episode 25 for me and uh just a phenomenal coach. Yeah, he uh his episode really took off when I put that one out. And talk a little bit about your relationship with him and uh the other assistant, uh Danny Lapera, and how important the uh coaching staff cohesion is for you guys.

SPEAKER_00 8:37

It's it's it's everything. Um, you know, and and we've been together for a long time now. And I mean, he's been um he's a really big mentor of mine, you know. When I started out, I mean he was he's the only reason I got into this, really. The only reason. Um I was um I had quit playing. Um I started as a GA at a D2 school. Um, I really I really didn't have much connections. Um, you know, growing up where I grew up, I didn't have connections out there. You know, I didn't play travel baseball, I played Legion baseball. Um, and you know, a lot of I didn't have like buddies playing college baseball and coaching and stuff. So um I had started working as camps when he was running camps at Marietta. Um, and and um that's kind of how our relationship started. And then it was basically me just how many him, like, hey, did you hear of anything? Do you hear of any jobs? Like, I need a job. And I was actually coaching in in um New England um in the NECBL that summer, and finally he called and said, Hey, I have an opportunity. I said, I'm in. He said, I didn't tell you what it was yet. I said, I don't care. Um, so I I just knew he was he was the type of person I wanted to be around, right? He's a he's a um very emotionally intelligent person, he's a super smart baseball guy, um, and he's just he's a good human being. So I knew I wanted to be around him. Um, I didn't know what capacity that was ever gonna be or or what, um, but it turned into a really good friendship. And um, you know, like we've been together for a long time. So sure, is there been rough patches or whatever? Yeah, where we disagree, sure. Um, but at the end of the day, um, I know he's a good human being. Um, I know he wants what's best for the team. Um, and like that's that's all I can ask for. Um and and DLP, DLP started working for us. Uh he worked with us four years now, five years now. So um maybe the most positive human being on on the planet Earth that I that I've ever been around for a long period of time. Like, he's just that positive of a person. Great hitting guy, uh, great catching guy. Um, but he's just such a positive life force um workhorse, just a grinder. Um, yeah, he's he doesn't doesn't stop moving. Yesterday he actually caught in our intersquad game. We were really yeah, we're thin behind the plate, and we were trying to give our catchers a day off. And and Danny was like, I'll I'll suit up. I can still catch. I catch in men's league or whatever. And he got back to he was good. I was I was calling balls and strikes from behind the mountain, and he uh he stole a few for him. So no, he's he's he's awesome. So yeah, our our staff is is is really, really good. And we're just I think the the communication is key there, right? Like um, I think um just talking things through as much as you can. Um, even when things get tough, and and I think we do a decent job of that. Um always can be better, but um, we're typically pretty good at getting things on the table and and figuring things out. So um that's uh yeah, it's a great group.

SPEAKER_02 11:30

Well, he uh you you mentioned Coach Lapera there, um, putting the gear on. He had a huge impact on my son who played at Ohio Dominican. Yeah, I believe he was there for two years with my son, and uh, you know, he just transformed me as far as the weight room went. And he was just it's something that my son will never forget. And you know, I always look back on it, and he was definitely a huge uh impact guy for my son playing at the college level.

SPEAKER_00 11:57

Yeah, he's he's a he's a he's a guy that uh people have a great relationship for

Multi-Sport Upbringing And Competitiveness

SPEAKER_00 12:02

for a long time.

SPEAKER_02 12:02

So well, let's let's go back to your playing days. Oh boy. Talk about talk about being an all-ohio athlete in both baseball and basketball, and specifically the the benefits you got from being a multi-sport athlete at uh River High School in in Hannibal, Ohio.

SPEAKER_00 12:24

Yeah, I you know, you you went to Bel Air, so uh you know if if you play in the valley, um if you if you play sports, you play as much as you can, right? You don't get to choose like one. Um and if if you do, then other coaches are gonna hound you at the school because there's just not that many bodies. So um I actually golfed too. I was terrible. Um I'm I'm average now, but I was terrible then. But they were like, hey, you can you can swing, so come play golf. So uh I played golf and rode the coattails, some guys. But yeah, you know, uh my dad's the basketball coach, um, had been, you know, he was assistant when I was growing up and then became the head coach, I think, when I was in fifth or sixth grade. Um, so yeah, I was just always in the basketball gym. Um, and basketball was probably um, it was the sport I think that I enjoyed playing the most. Like I was most myself playing basketball. Um, and I don't know why. Um, but yeah, I think it's just the the old school in baseball, like don't show up your opponent, don't do anything. In basketball, I talk trash and uh punk fans and did all that. So um, but I I enjoyed that. And you never get that atmosphere back, like a high school basketball gym on a Tuesday or Friday night and and having a packed house or whatever and playing playing good teams. So um, but yeah, those that that was probably you know my favorite sport to play as far as the atmosphere goes. But um, but yeah, you know, I played played basketball and and and baseball. And um, but yeah, it was it was fun. I don't know, it was just um we just played, right? Like um, you never um there wasn't a day where it was like you know, you'd have basketball practice and then I'd play catch with my dad afterwards, you know, or we'd have bat we'd have baseball practice and I'd shoot hoops afterwards. It was just you were always doing something. Um and so it didn't seem like it was too much or I was ever gonna get burnt out. I just wanted to play. So if there was there was a uh a game on the chaise I courts, we go play. You know, if um you played out Sardis on the outdoor courts, you go play. Um, you know, so that's just kind of how it's how how we grew up. You know, there wasn't cell phones when I was little. So get out of the house and come back when it was dark.

SPEAKER_02 14:30

Yeah, that's that's the thing that you know, living here in Dublin, but the the Columbus, Ohio area, that you know, I growing up back in eastern Ohio, it's uh that that's all you really have. There's there's there wasn't a whole lot of other things to do other than maybe hunt and fish. So people really got into playing the sport, and the the fans really that that was their their entertainment, it seemed like.

SPEAKER_00 14:58

Yeah, that's right. Yeah, you get you get in the car on Friday night, you're going to the football game, no matter where it was. So um it's it's crazy now. We we drive back to Marietta, right? And you you pass like uh Caldwell exit and whatever, and I'm like, yeah, they they were in our conference, and they were in our conference, and guys are like, Well, where did you grow up? And I'm like, about an hour and 30 minutes that way or whatever, you know. Um but that you know, it's not a lot of uh schools real tight together, but you can drive 30 minutes and find a game. So um, but yeah, it's a it was a great place to grow up. Great place to grow up.

The College Baseball Wake-Up Call

SPEAKER_02 15:31

Well, you had a a standout pitching career for the University of Akron, and every high school athlete, you know, the the ones that actually get a chance to play at the college level, they get that wake-up call because they're they're joining a team where every player on the team was basically probably the best player in their their high school. Um, how did you approach it as a player? And what would you recommend for high school players who are preparing themselves for the challenge of becoming a college baseball player?

SPEAKER_00 16:03

Yeah, it's a that's a good question. I I I appreciate you um referring to it as a standout career. It was it was it had its rocky roads. Um but no, I you know, I think um I heard I heard a quote from from Mike Tomlin. I think it's fitting. Um one of my favorite favorite guys that was saying, and he just said, it's not it's not what you're capable of. No one really cares, but it's what you're willing to do. And I think if if when high school guys, if they could view their career and look at it, just step back and see it from a like a four-year arc, um, you know, I think a lot of guys miss the boat because they let's say, you know, me, I was a four-pitch mixed guy coming out of high school, and and you get to college and you know I was a starter, and now I'm gonna get be in the bullpen and I'm gonna try to serve as a one-inning guy or a two-inning guy. Like um, one, I just have to understand like what I'm capable of doesn't really matter. If I can be a four-pitch mixed starter, it's what I'm willing to do like right now to help the team win. And right now, it's probably be like a two-pitch guy, um, you know, that's serviceable and can throw strikes and help the team win right now, and not you know, not sit those pitches on the shelf, but work on them in my spare time and and in catch play and know that down the road they may be usable. But right now, when every hitter's better, the strike zone's smaller, the pressure's more, that my worst pitch when I was in high school is now not usable when I get to college the way it sits, right? Um it may be in some time, but right now it's not usable. So you just got to put it on the shelf, and especially not usable in some big spots, right? I may have I may only have one pitch that's really usable against a good hitter and when I get to college. Um, and I think if you if you're willing to do those things and and kind of leave your ego at the door and understand kind of where you are right now, you're you'll be usable a lot quicker as a college player coming out of high school, where a lot of guys get really stubborn going like I I was I was a starter, I throw four pitches. I not anymore. Like you're just not not right now. You may be, but not right now. Like the way you can help this team win right now is by turning yourself into maybe a one or two pitch guy that throws strikes and and competes um against really good hitters. And I think that's that's probably the thing that guys don't understand is like you, you know, in high school you're gonna face, even at really good high schools, you're gonna face um a couple, three, maybe four college-skilled hitters. And that just means guys that are skilled enough to go to college and play baseball doesn't mean that they're gonna be in the lineup when they get to college, and now you're facing a lineup, and now with COVID, you're an 18-year-old facing 24-year-olds. Yeah. It's a different ball game, right? It's a totally different ball game. So that the stress, the constant um, you know, toll of like I said, the strike zones are going to be smaller, guys are gonna be more physical, they're gonna cover more. Um, yeah, it's it's you just have to remove your ego and realize what you're what you're actually willing to do right now to help.

SPEAKER_02 19:08

Well, you you make the transition from your college playing days to uh you're a pitching coach.

What Coaches Look For In Pitchers

SPEAKER_02 19:16

If you're out on the recruiting trail, what do you look for when you're considering offering a player to come play at Denison University?

SPEAKER_00 19:24

Yeah, it's um man, that's a such a tough question. I you know, there's there's so many things. I think obviously I think there's a skill like there's a skill cutoff, right? You I mean, you know, you have to be um, and whether we're talking velocity or stuff or whatever, there's a skill, there's certainly a skill cutoff um where you know um 76, 77 is just not gonna do it. Um, you know, so I think there's that. That's probably there's gotta be some level where you start at. And then once you kind of get into finer detail things, you know, um strikes win. Like it they always win. Like the strike zone's not gonna change. It's going to be there for the rest of eternity in baseball. Um, and umpires are only getting better. They're they're they're not um, they're gonna get uh more refined at the division one level. Now it's getting really refined because there's trackman data, right? So now um, umpires are more ridiculed as far as you know, calling those chalk pitches that are close to the other batter's box. Um, they're not doing it as much at that level now. So walks are up, home runs are up, and it only makes sense. Like pitchers are more over the plate now. Um, so I think when you go watch guys, if if you're a let's say a five walk per seven inning guy in high school, that's trouble when you get to this level. Because like I said, hitters are better. Uh you're you know, the umpires are tighter, um, the pressure is more, the anxiety is more, stress is more, whatever. So um, you know, so you're looking for guys that can compete in the zone. Um, obviously having multiple pitches we can throw for strikes is great. Um, but for me, I think that some of the you know the the weird things like just having feel for the baseball, like having feel for the game, that your presence on the mound, like how we deal with failure, those things are vitally important because there's really a small chance that you get to college and don't get smacked in the face once, twice, ten times, right? So your ability to um take a punch and and compose yourself and not mope or get ticked or whatever and really stay in that competition zone. Um that I think that's probably something as far as the um you know the intangibles that I'm that I'm looking for. Um but strikes win always. Uh stuff plays um at this level, it just does. Um if you got a plus breaking ball and you can spin it. Um if you got a good changeup um with good arm speed, um if you got a fastball with life, I think you know, usually the first things I think that that are really tough to fix is fastball command and fastball life, like the shape of the fastball. Like whatever that is, it's it's usually tough to like make. Make a massive adjustment. If you don't have fastball command and you don't have life on your fastball, it's tough to fix that right away. Like, can we teach a breaking ball? Sure. Can we find something, whether it's a cutter, slider, you know, whatever? Sure. We can figure something out. But if you don't have a if you're a 30% fastball strike guy and it's dead, that's really tough to start building from there, right? So I think those are some of the simple things to check.

SPEAKER_02 22:30

Also as a recruiter, when you're looking at uh pitchers, if you see something at a a travel tournament wherever, what would be something that you say, all right, if I see this, that kid I'm scratching him off my list.

SPEAKER_00 22:47

I I should I struggle to do that. I think um, you know, there's just there's just so much context, right? And I think I'm glad you asked the question because I allowed me to, I guess, uh, take it a different direction. I'll still answer your question, but I I would say what I think um young kids don't realize in recruiting, especially smaller schools, right, is this recruiting thing is really just it's just a snapshot. Like that's all you get. And and we have to assume so many things, and sometimes terrible we assume terribly. Sometimes you assume right, sometimes it's terrible. Um, but you have to assume so much because um you're inferring from this 20-pitch inning who this guy is, right? Or this, you know, and and you don't have any context. Um, so sometimes guys throw really well and they expect, like, I'm getting an offer, and it's like, I I just saw 20 pitches, that's what I saw. Like, right, and I'll just leave it right at that. Like, and it can be your worst 20 pitches. That doesn't mean I'll cross you off, because it's just 20 pitches. And I think if guys kind of can can frame that, I know that's really difficult to do, especially when you're 16, 17 years old, to have that kind of emotional maturity, but like even when you're bad, it's not so bad. It's okay. Like, it could be the worst outing you've had in your life, right? And and that happens to all of us. Um, no, nobody's gonna be this good all the time. So I try to I try to go in with that kind of mindset, but there's there's always some, I think it's more the I wouldn't say from the pitching side of things, there's things where I'm just going like, no, heck no. Um from the intangible side of things, I think there's some things where you have to go, like, how much is too much, right? Like, um, is he a bad teammate? The is he is he you know talking poorly with his coaches? Like, um, are his parents talking poorly with his coaches or talking poorly about other players? Like those things are intangibles that are really tough to overcome and I and and probably tough to grow out of. And they're they're possible, just like everything else, the snapshots possible. You can just have a bad day, but those are things I'm more leery of now than um the pitching thing, you know, him him spraying the ball around or not being able to land a breaking ball or whatever it is, not holding runners well. Those things are things that could could be a bad day. But um the intangible part of things I think are easy to probably go. This is gonna be tough for him to be a guy I'm gonna recruit.

Recruiting Snapshots And Real Red Flags

SPEAKER_02 25:21

Do you rely on maybe their high school coach to kind of get a better idea?

SPEAKER_00 25:26

100%. Yeah, I you know, I think that's that's something we've done a better job of. Um, you know, probably the last four or five years is is having more background on guys, and there's still like look, it's it's uh it's never perfect. Um, there's still situations where things happen quickly and you kind of have to move, and some things slide through the cracks. Um, but you try to get a good view of of who this person is, who their parents are, like what type of background do they come from. Um and and hopefully you can have a really good view of what you're getting um when they come to campus. And I think um that's that's as best as you can do. And and and it doesn't mean that that they're not gonna make mistakes once they get here. They're 18 to 22 years old, they're gonna screw up just like all of us screw up. Um But you you know, you you hope that those people that have been around them the most, they're they're high school coaches, they're guys they work out with in a facility, um, people that they they they work with and they're they're working hard with, and you go, what's what's he really like? Like you tell me, and and and and the crazy thing is guys guys don't understand how honest high school coaches are. They're really honest. Um, and and there's plenty of times where I've called and said, What do you got on this guy? Saw him, kind of like it. No, don't do it. It's like, oh, okay. And uh, you know, and those those are people you can you can trust, you know. So um I think that's that's always something that high school guys should know. You know, you gotta treat everybody with respect and and um earn those those uh kudos that coaches give out.

SPEAKER_02 27:06

Right, because you don't want a high school coach to give a big recommendation for a player and then he shows up on campus and yeah, he's the complete opposite. So coach's credibility at the high school level, that's that's important.

SPEAKER_00 27:19

Yeah, yeah, 100%. And and look, like you know, Reverend Coach Deegan again, he's been doing this. I don't want to age him, but he's been doing this for a long, long time. And there's there's so many people that have been in this game that that have mutual respect for him and he does for them. And there's a lot of guys um that slide through the cracks, you know. Like I said, we're a small school. It's not like we have three coaches on the road recruiting all the time. Um, you know, life gets tough. So um, you know, those guys will call and say, hey, this guy's not getting any looks, and and you need to take a really good look. He's a great player, he's a great kid, good family, blah, blah, blah. Okay, we're in. Like this guy's been doing this a long time, and they have a mutual respect. We've got some other players in our program. Those are easy guys to go, you know, we're gonna go in that direction. Um, and and vice versa, right? When you call that guy and he says, I don't think he's a good fit for you, okay, good, then we're done. Like it's it's easy. Um, so yeah, those those relationships are vital vitally important for the recruiting aspect of things.

The Real Gap Between D1 And D3

SPEAKER_02 28:21

Now, you've played at the Division I level for the University of Akron, you've coached for the for University of Dayton, and you know, you get these uh high school players that are are D one or bus guys. How how much of a difference did have you, you know, you've you've played it and coached it. How much of a difference is there between D1 and D3?

SPEAKER_00 28:49

There's definitely a difference. Um, there's definitely a difference, and and and I think it's just an all-encompassing thing, right? Um, and I can't I I can't fault those kids for that either. Um, I did the same thing, right? So for me it came down to Marietta WW and and um Akron, right? And and Marietta was for sure in there, right? It was probably number two choice. Um and Coach Deegan was was one of those guys recruiting me, by the way. So um, but yeah, you know, so that's that's where I grew up, right? I grew up going with my dad to those games. So uh, but that that division one tag, it was shiny and I was chasing it, right? So um, you know, but I I can't fault them for that. You chase whatever dream is your dream and and find your right fit. But um, you know, there there's a difference. It's it's um, you know, especially um I think there's a talent gap. I think um that gap has shrunk, especially on the top end of things, right? So when you're looking at really, really um competitive Division III programs, especially, you know, like you said here in Ohio, there's there's plenty of players in this state, and it's been proven now. Um so this isn't just kind of coach speak, but um it's been proven now with the COVID um extra years of eligibility, right? So if you look at even across you know Worcester's outfielders playing at Creighton, um Kenyon's number one pitchers at Duke and doing really, really well. Um we have a pitcher at Maryland um throwing meaningful innings for for a Big Ten team. Um we have another pitcher at UMass playing uh pitching on the weekends. Um we have an outfielder at Albany. Um, you know, um you know BW's had guys play, Marietta's got a guy hitting the four-hole at Rice. Um so it you know, so like look, there's it's it's proven like the the the guys at the at the upper levels of of Division III uh baseball, they they can absolutely play and compete and and serve good roles at the division one level. Um I think it's just uh the big difference is that depth thing, right? So when you get down there um, you know, in the bottoms of pitching staffs and the middle of pitching staffs, it's it's still um, especially for your better mid-majors, they're still gonna carry 90-92, whatever. And and you're gonna see that from one, maybe two guys at the division three level, where you're gonna see that for five, six, seven arms or whatever um at the division one level. And when you get to the better mid-majors at division one level, you're gonna see 95-97, 93, 95. Um, so that talent is is crazy there. And and then just the athletic talent of the position player group, I think is just a little deeper. Um, and then you know, the experiences are different, right? That's that's just honest. You know, there's um it's usually different travel and um there's more time away from classes, and um, you're probably not not trying to hit your last class and run out to BP. You're just gonna miss that class and go to BP and and you know, those those things are different. Um but I think when you look, uh one of the things I love about really high-level division three baseball is that every one of our games is a big game. Like every one of them. It doesn't matter. We play on Tuesday, we play, we squeeze a game in on a Monday, it's a massive game. Um, because it's gonna keep us either going to allow us to get to a national tournament, it's gonna keep us from getting there. Where you know, when I was at Dayton, we'd play midweek on a Tuesday. We can play whoever we want in that because it doesn't keep us in the national tournament or out of it. It doesn't matter because the only way we're getting in a national tournament when I was at Dayton is by winning the A-10 tournament. You know, when when you're when you're at Ohio, um when I was coaching there, the only way we get in the national tournament is by winning the Mac. Um, it's not a two-bid league. Um, you know, the NCAC has been a two-bid league. The league we're in at Denison, it's been a two-bid league um the last few years. And, you know, um Wittenberg's been really, really good. You know, it could be a three-bid league, but um, you know, there's um the OEC has been a two, three-bid league. So um all these teams in our region that are they're really solid, um, there's a lot of ways to get in the national tournament. So every game is is huge. It's huge. So that that's fun for me. Like not having throwaway games, um, showing up and and knowing you're playing for your life a little bit.

SPEAKER_02 33:00

Well, I I had I always told my players, I said, you know, if you think you're at that level, the D1, and that's that's your goal, I said, just you can jump in a car and go see some of these D3 teams, and there's some really, really good baseball. And you got to understand that it's it's not a a throwaway to go play Division III or Division II.

SPEAKER_00 33:23

It's it's it's always the question I always throw out at some some of these recruiting talks you do at camps, which is um raise your hand if you've watched a D2 game. Raise your hand if you've watched a JUCO game. Raise your hand. Because most people just assert like talent with level, right? And and the other moniker that I hate is is like uh stop going D1 or bus, just go to D3 and play. Like, hey, come watch us play. Like it, it's not easy to play here. Like for anybody, it's not easy to play here. It's not easy to play at BW, it's not easy to play Worcester, it's not easy to play Wittenburg, it's not easy to play at Marietta. In a competitive program where where things matter and people care, like it is tough. There is guys just driving for a for a um a chance to help the team win every day, and it doesn't matter class, um, there's talent, right? There's depth of talent. So um there's really good players, so it's it's not easy to play. So I think you have to, and and you know, players don't control it anyways. They don't ever make lineup cards out, they don't ever hand it to some kid on the bus and say, write your name in if you'd like. So um I think understanding that you don't control that, you just control finding a really good fit. Um, and and that could be level, but finding a really good fit that you're gonna grow up in because you're gonna become an adult wherever you end up. Um, so I think that's that's the key. But yeah, not you're not not just just because you're not gonna go division one, don't just go somewhere where you can play.

SPEAKER_02 34:49

Yeah, exactly.

Strength Training To Survive The Season

SPEAKER_02 34:50

Well, how important is strength training for your pitchers and what would you recommend if you're a potential high school guy wanting to go play at the college level, what would you recommend uh they focus on with trying to prepare themselves for the the next level of play?

SPEAKER_00 35:08

Uh strength is probably the biggest gap you see um uh when guys step on campus. It's the biggest gap by far. Um if you just just look at the bodies, and some of that's natural, right? You understand that. Like it's you you sometimes you're looking at a 22-year-old senior, 23, and you're looking at a 17 and a half, 18-year-old freshman. There's gonna be a difference in that body, but um I do think um the quicker you can get started on it, you know, we have guys that walk in here that um we have a freshman that that way trained with his dad since he was like 12 years old or whatever, and he's he's a freak. Um he's physically strong, um, he's athletic, he's explosive, and and you can just see that he's put the time in. He's it's it's been um you know detailed hardware for a while. So I think uh but honestly, that's that's one of the most massive gaps where you go, it's gonna be tough for you to it's gonna be tough for you to practice and play at this high of a level long enough for you to to see your talents come out if you're not physically capable of doing it. And and for pitchers, you know, understanding that we're gonna throw more than you've thrown before. And you you may think you threw a lot or whatever, but you're gonna throw more. So like um, you know, I would say way over you know, 50, 60, 70% of guys come in and they're just not prepared physically for the toll of like throwing hard and also having to go really hard when they're in games all the time. Like I said, you're gonna face a lineup of guys that the nine-hole guy is still gonna be able to drive a ball and you hit a double. So um you can't just coast through that lineup. Like it's it's tough, it's demanding. So yeah, physicality is is by far um, I would say one of the stop gaps that keep young guys from from getting there, especially even like talented, even talented guys, they they get here and then physically they get overwhelmed and um it takes them a while.

SPEAKER_02 37:08

Well, I wanted to touch on the parents and the fans real quick.

Coaching Sacrifice And Family Time

SPEAKER_02 37:12

I I'm convinced that most fully don't understand the time commitment that a high school or a college coach puts into the game. And you being at the college level, how important is it to have that work-life balance? And I'm sure you probably have a very supportive spouse that that's uh behind you in this endeavor.

SPEAKER_00 37:35

Yeah, yeah. It's uh there's no balance. There's no balance. You know, it's um it's just sacrifice, right? Um and it's it's trying to make time when you have time for sure. Um, like I said, Coach Steegan is um he's got to be one of the best ones. I don't I don't I I I worked for a few. He's he's one of the best of of understanding um families, um, you know, and I'm appreciative of that. Um, but it's it's tough, right? It's just tough. It's a sacrifice for everybody involved, not sacrifice for me, sure, because I I have a one-year-old now, so um a sacrifice for me because I'm missing stuff. Um, but it's a sacrifice for everybody that's involved in your life, you know, wives, um, the kids. Um, so yeah, I don't I don't think there's a balance. I think it's just it's understanding that um, you know, there's there's value in all this. Um it's understanding that um when you have time away, you got to give them that time and you know, try to be undivided as much as you can, and that's not easy either, um, especially when you're in the the deep parts of a season. I I do a lot of stuff after my son and my wife go to bed. Um so I'm a I'm a night owl. I'm not a I'm a terrible morning person. You can ask anybody that knows me. Um I'm terrible, but I I uh I I'm up. I'm up a lot. So um I try to do a lot of stuff then. Um like I you know, my my dad cracked up. Um, you know, my son was like five months old or whatever, and um he was he turned on a baseball game, and my son was like sitting there on his lap just watching. And my dad was like, I can't believe he's watching the game. And I said, Um, that's how he started his life. Like I was had D3 games, live streams on the TV, and uh it was like you know, one o'clock in the morning, and he'd wake up, so I'd go feed him, and we'd just sit there and I'd watch teams we were gonna play, and he'd watch with me. So like he he grew up watching you know Cromie live streams. Um yeah, that's I don't I don't think there's a balance. I think it's just it's um it's what you do and and and you try to make it work and you try to be appreciative for sure of of the people that are around you because it's not easy on them either.

Rapid Fire Answers And How To Connect

SPEAKER_02 39:47

Well, I I like to do a little rapid fire here at the end of the podcast here, and I I had Coach Deegan on for episode 25, and at one point we discussed pickup basketball. Sure. And how he how it taught him so much. Yeah. And so I I I gotta ask, you know, you being an all-ohio guy, if you two play pickup basketball, who wins that?

SPEAKER_00 40:14

Uh his mid-range game is is that's his claim to fame. It's his mid-range game. But I I think I think my I think my length would hurt him. I think my length would hurt him. So um, yeah, I I the you know the trouble is uh I I can't dribble the way I used to be able to dribble. It's like the first thing that goes, right? You can't find a handle on the ball anymore. So um I I sneak down the gym and shoot from time to time, but um, yeah, I I think I think I would give him trouble on the defensive side of things. I think I'd have to be defensive-minded for sure.

SPEAKER_02 40:43

Okay. Well, most intimidating pitcher in MLB history.

SPEAKER_00 40:49

Oh, it's gotta be Nolan Ryan, right? Uh yeah, I I think it's either him or it's either him or Randy Johnson. I, you know, I think Randy Johnson made people scared for their life. Um, there's a lot coming at you.

SPEAKER_02 41:02

Best experience as a player.

SPEAKER_00 41:05

Um playing at Tennessee. That was that was my freshman year. It was like my first experience playing. I started shortstop um and uh yeah, played at Tennessee in front of they. I think they were at the time, there was no start date or whatever. So we were only like a couple weekends in, but they were like 12-0 or 12-1 or something. They were, you know, a top 20 team in the country, and it was a packed place, and they were all singing Rocky Top or whatever. So I was just, you know, like I said, I I grew up playing on dirt infields in the valley. So that was that was I was over my skis there.

SPEAKER_02 41:38

Yeah, definitely. What made you uh want to become a coach?

SPEAKER_00 41:43

My dad, for sure. Yeah, just being around him, like I said, I spent my childhood in the in the gym with him, um, you know, and and watching him, you know, just deal with people. He's such a good people person. Um he's he's great with that. He's a great um he's great at explaining things. And I think that's a lot of what coaching is, is is understanding people, building relationships, and then um having a multitude of ways to explain things. And that's that's all it's all he was ever good at, and not all he's ever good at, but he was just so good at it, and and um, you know, he's yeah, he's he's someone I wanted to be.

SPEAKER_02 42:24

Touching back on the basketball again, I'm sure your bracket's perfect at this point with the March Madness. No. Who do you with the final four that we have? Who do you have winning it all?

SPEAKER_00 42:35

I got UConn. I I love Bobby Hurley. Um I I had them in the final four. Um, so I I I get that's the only one I got right. Um but yeah, no, I uh I'm I'm a Bobby Hurley fan for sure. And and um yeah, I I I just they're they're a complete team. They play I I love a team that plays defense really well, and they played they play great defense.

SPEAKER_02 42:55

So well, for the listeners of the Athlete One podcast who want to check you out on social media, how do how do we find you on social media?

SPEAKER_00 43:05

Um on Twitter. Um that's where I do most of my stuff. Um, you know, um yeah, any anything on there, um reach out. Um if you want to talk for sure, you can email me. Find my stuff on on our uh baseball website. But uh I think it's Rein R23 or Coach Rome on Twitter. And um yeah, hit me up on there and and uh reach out, connect. I try to help as much as I can.

SPEAKER_02 43:29

Well, I can't say enough good things about you. You know, and it to me it it's it's special to get a chance to talk to someone from the valley. Sure. And you know, it's it's it means a lot for me to have you take the time out of your day. And I know you guys are I I can't thank you enough for for being on the Yeah, I I appreciate you having me.

SPEAKER_00 43:49

Anybody that anybody that sharpened their sword uh uh for post-760 is is all right in my book.

SPEAKER_02 43:55

So there we go. Well, once again, Ryan Roamick from Denison University, the pitching coach. Thanks again, coach.

SPEAKER_00 44:04

Thank you, Ken. Appreciate it.

Final Thanks And Listener Support

SPEAKER_02 44:07

Special thanks to Ryan Romick, Denison University Baseball, and thank you, the listener, for joining us each and every episode. If you have an opportunity, please take the time to leave us a review. Give us a rating, it helps us to grow the show. And a special thanks to our sponsor, the Netting Professionals. Contact them today at 844-620-2707. That's 844 620 2707. And as always, thanks for listening.