ABOUT US
Champion athletes aren’t just born - they’re selected, trained, molded and tested. Since 2000, Mid-State Mavericks has been a competitive force in the Central PA area. We hone raw talent to maturity with quality coaching, primal workouts and a true love of the sport. Teamwork, perseverance, sportsmanship - those are the hallmarks of Mid-State Mavericks.
MISSION STATEMENT
We provide all players with the resources, coaching, knowledge and fundamentals required for success at their “NEXT LEVEL” of competition. Our professional instructors utilize curriculum, drills, and equipment designed specifically to communicate this information effectively.
Our players will be inspired and challenged by participating on teams and in events that provide opportunities to play with and against the best competition.
Our goal is to provide opportunities and exposure while instilling discipline, teamwork, and sportsmanship. The Mid State Mavericks system teaches their players to respect the game, work hard, and develop a “play to win” attitude.”
ABOUT US
OVERVIEW
The objective of the Mid State Mavericks Baseball Academy is to have every player play High School Varsity Baseball as soon as possible. We believe success is obtained through hard work, proper work, and smart work. We will respect the game and play with discipline while being good teammates.
EVALUATING TOOLS VERSUS EVALUATING SKILLS
There are two basic schools of thought about how to evaluate prospects. The first is the “traditional school”, which is also known as the “Tools Rule”. As an example, this style of evaluating looks at a position player on five tools: hitting, hitting for power, running, fielding, and arm strength. When looking at an amateur pitcher, the “traditional school” focuses on velocity of their fastball and, at times, will consider potential body type and call them “projectable”.
The second evaluating mechanism is “Skill Evaluation”. This is a more difficult evaluation and is much more commonplace when a player reaches the college, minor league, and/or major league level. True skill evaluation is based on player’s results and how one adjusts to different levels of competition and to one’s environment. For instance, the age of the player, the league, and the ballpark would be a few examples. Little League and High School play can be quite erratic which makes skill evaluation meaningless.
Therefore, the Mid State Maverick’s player development staff is committed to developing the player’s tools. Our goal is to teach the players in our program to use their skills to enhance their baseball tools. The Mid State Mavericks will treat every player individually and work to improve their techniques (improve their tools). We do not believe in cloning every swing or pitching delivery. However, we strongly feel that there are fundamental “must do’s” to play the game properly.
FUNDAMENTAL BELIEFS
Pitching: Pitchers of all ages and skill levels need to obtain balance, vision, and direction to successfully throw strikes, repeat pitches, and build strength. Pitcher’s need to systematically train to develop a body conducive to throwing quality pitches while learning how to get hitters out. Our pitchers will be asked to field their position and know all the infield signs related to pitching, covering bases, and coverage plays.
Hitting: As we all know, hitting a baseball is argued as the toughest thing to do in all of sports. If a hitter is successful 3 out of 10 times, they are considered an All Star! Balance and proper linear rotation is needed to square the barrel to the baseball. Teaching the proper mental approach is as the physical swing. Players will play as a team and could be asked to bunt, hit and run, and or sacrifice themselves for the team.
Base Running: We will be aggressive on the base paths! We believe, all players, possess the ability to run the bases well. Sure, speed is a huge factor, but, early jumps and good reads are the key indicator that a player knows how to properly run the bases.
Fielding: Knowing where to go with the baseball when it is hit to you is paramount. We will teach our players to properly field and throw. Pick offs, relays, and bunt coverage will be taught throughout the organization. We want to develop confidence in our players so that they want the ball to be hit to them.
Attitude: Baseball is a great game and we should have fun when we play. Players and coaches will make mistakes and we expect everyone (including parents) to encourage and build up our teams. Physical mistakes will happen, but, if we have 100% effort from every player, mental mistakes should be at a minimum. Our teams will hustle at all times. Whether we are winning or losing, we expect effort.
OUR STAFF
The Mid State Mavericks have put together a professional staff to organize, train, and build our players. Every team will not have an ex-professional as their coach; however, all of the former pro players will be working with players throughout the entire Mid State Mavericks system. All Mid State Mavericks coaches will regularly meet to discuss program strategy, teaching techniques, etc. You can read more about our staff on our coaches page.