Coaching Management 12.12

Coaching Management VOL. XII, NO. 12

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Clinic Schedule List of Exhibitors

Cal State Fullerton Head Coach

GEORGE HORTON 2004 National Coach of the Year

Booth 924

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Coaching Management Baseball Edition 2005 ABCA Show Preview Issue

CONTENTS

Vol. XII, No. 12

Ed Flaherty

Russ Frazier

Enos Semore

ABCA Show Preview

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A look at what’s on deck for the 60th annual ABCA Convention, which comes to Nashville Jan. 6-9. Among the ABCA honorees this year are new Hall of Famers Gary Adams, Ed Flaherty, Russ Frazier, Sonny Pittaro, Enos Semore, and George Valesente, and Lefty Gomez Award winner John Cunningham.

Schedule of Clinics

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This year’s list of clinic speakers includes coaches George Horton and Rick Jones as well as former all-star Cal Ripken Jr. Advertisers Directory . .

ABCA Registration Form Web News . . . . . . . . . .

More Products . . . . . . .

Catalog Showcase . . . . .

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On The Cover: Cal State Fullerton Head Coach George Horton was named the ABCA 2004 Division I Coach of the Year after leading the Titans to their fourth NCAA Division I title.

Horton is also a clinic speaker at the 2005 ABCA Convention, Jan. 6-9 in Nashville.

Photo by Matt Brown.

Publisher Mark Goldberg Art Director Pamela Crawford Art Assistant Dina Stander Business Manager Pennie Small Special Projects Dave Wohlhueter

Editor-in-Chief Eleanor Frankel Associate Editor Dennis Read Assistant Editors R.J. Anderson Kenny Berkowitz David Hill Greg Scholand Laura Smith Administrative Assistant Sharon Barbell

List of Exhibitors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 See which companies are exhibiting in the convention hall.

Products on Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28 A look at the items that suppliers will be displaying at their booths.

New Products Debuting

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Get a jump on scoping out the hot new items making their debut in Nashville.

Circulation Director Dave Dubin Circulation Manager John Callaghan

Production Manager Kristin Ayers

Circulation Assistant Joan Doria

Production Assistant Jonni Campbell

Prepress Manager Adam Berenstain

Ad Materials Coordinator Mike Townsend

Prepress Assistant Jim Harper

IT Manager Mark Nye

Asst. Production Manager Kristi Kempf

Advertising Sales Associates Diedra Harkenrider, (607) 257-6970, ext. 24 Sheryl Shaffer, (607) 257-6970, ext. 21 Marketing/Sales Assistant Danielle Catalano Business and Editorial Offices 2488 N. Triphammer Rd., Ithaca, NY 14850 (607) 257-6970, Fax (607) 257-7328 info@MomentumMedia.com Mailing lists for Coaching Management Baseball are provided by the Clell Wade Coaches Directory.

The Coaching Management baseball edition is published in February, September, and December by MAG, Inc. and is distributed free to college and high school coaches in the United States and Canada.

Copyright © 2004 by MAG, Inc. All rights reserved.

Text may not be reproduced in any manner, in whole or in part, without the permission of the publisher.

Unsolicited materials will not be returned unless accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope.

Coaching Management is printed by Banta Publications Group, Kansas City, MO. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Coaching Management, P.O. Box 4806, Ithaca, N.Y. 14852.

Printed in the U.S.A.

COACHING MANAGEMENT

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ABCA

2005 PREVIEW

Annual Convention comes to Nashville ABCA Convention Preview The newly renovated Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center in Nashville hosts the ABCA’s 60th annual convention, Jan. 6-9, 2005.

Second Vice-President Bill Holowaty has arranged a distinguished speaker lineup for the ABCA clinics beginning on Friday morning. This group of quality clinicians includes George Horton, Cal State Fullerton; Pat McMahon, University of Florida; Rick Jones, Tulane University; Ed Flaherty, University of Southern Maine; and 19-time Major League all-star Cal Ripken.

In addition, more than 280 companies will display state-of-the-art equipment, including new coaching aids, apparel, and batting and pitching machines. Many of these items are being displayed for the first time. Other highlights of the convention are the Hall of Fame/Coach of the Year Banquet on Friday, Jan. 7, and the Honors Luncheon on Saturday, Jan. 8, where we recognize and honor individuals who have contributed significantly to the ABCA and to amateur baseball and have made our sport better.

ABCA Hall of Fame Welcomes Six New Members Six coaches will be honored with induction into the ABCA Hall of Fame during the annual Hall of Fame and Coach of the Year Banquet on Friday, Jan. 7, 2005.

The members of the Class of 2005 are Gary Adams, UCLA; Ed Flahert y, Universit y of Southern Maine; Russ Frazier, Louisburg College; Sonny Pittaro; Rider Universit y; Enos Semore, Universit y of Oklahoma; and George Valesente, Ithaca College.

These coaches join 209 other amateur baseball greats in the ABCA Hall of Fame.

The all-time winningest baseball coach in UCLA history with 984 wins, Gary Adams returned to his alma mater as head coach in 1975 after five successful seasons at the Universit y of California-Irvine. Adams, who ranks among the top coaches in the nation with 1,172 career wins, has coached the Bruins to 11 NCAA tournament appearances, four conference titles, and one College World Series appearance. He was named Pac-10 Coach of the Year in 2004, his third such honor.

Adams has produced more Major League players (38) than any active coach in college baseball and ranks second all-time to Rod Dedeaux at USC. Twenty former Bruins were on major league rosters in 1991 (a single-season record). Of

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COACHING MANAGEMENT

those 20, only six were drafted out of high school.

In 2000, UCLA broke another collegiate record when 12 Bruins were selected in the Major League draft. Despite the many professional signings, Adams is most proud of his players’ 80 percent graduation rate.

Before his storied coaching career at UCLA, Adams enjoyed a outstanding playing career with the Bruins and was team captain, leading hitter, and most valuable player in his final Gary Adams season. His coaching career began in 1963 with a two-year stint as Coach Art Reichle’s graduate assistant while working on his master’s degree at UCLA. In 1965, Adams became the assistant coach at the University of California-Riverside, in the town where he had spent his high school and junior college years playing basketball and baseball.

After four years of coaching under Dr. Don Edwards at UCR, Adams was named the first head baseball coach at UC-Irvine. The Irvine baseball teams had winning records from the start, rolling off an NCAA record 32 consecutive wins in 1974, five NCAA playoff appearances, and back-to-back NCAA Division II National Championships in 1973 and 1974.

Adams was named NCAA National Coach of the Year in 1974. In five years at UCI, his teams won 188 games and lost only 69 for a winning percentage of .732.

Having just completed his 19th season as head baseball coach at the Universit y of Southern Maine, Ed Flaherty has established the Huskies program as one of the nation’s finest at the Division III level. In his 19 years as head coach, Flahert y has compiled an impressive 569-241-3 record and guided the Huskies to two national championships. The Southern Maine program has been to the College World Series six times under Flahert y’s direction, and its 1991 NCAA Division III national championship marked the first time a collegiate team from the state of Maine won a national championship in any sport.

A former University of Maine standout, Flaherty has earned many honors throughout his coaching career. He was named the 1991 and 1997 NCAA National Coach of the Year by the ABCA. He was also voted New England Region

Coach of the Year in 1989, 1990, 1991, 1996, and 2001 by the New England Baseball Coaches Association. In addition, he has been named Diamond District One Baseball Coach of the Year in 1989, 1991, 1992, 1996, 2000, and 2001.

Flaherty served as president of the American Baseball Coaches Association in 1999 and currently sits on the ABCA Board of Directors and serves on the ABCA Standing Committee.

Flaherty is past-president of the New England Baseball Coaches Association and received the prestigious Jack Butterfield Award in 1999.

Flaherty also assisted with USA National Baseball Team Trials in Homestead, Fla., in 1994.

While at the University of Maine (1972 to 1976), Flaherty received many honors for his outstanding play as a member of the Black Bears baseball program, including selection to the ABCA Division I All-American Baseball Team in 1975. He was co-captain of the 1976 College World Series team under head coach John Winkin, and was a member of the 1975 USA National Team that won the Intercontinental Cup. Flaherty was inducted into the University of Maine Sports Hall of Fame in 1992 and the State of Maine Baseball Hall of Fame in 1993.

Russ Frazier’s coaching career began in 1959 at Louisburg College, the oldest private junior college in the nation. In 40 seasons, he accumulated 1,034 wins and 390 losses for a .726 winning percentage. In that span, he took his Hurricanes to nine NJCAA World Series in Grand Junction, Colo., placing fifth twice and third once. His Hurricanes won 20 conference championships, 13 regional championships, and nine district championships. Twelve of his players played Major League Baseball, and more than 75 have signed pro contracts.

Frazier was region coach of the year 13 times, district coach of the year nine times, and conference coach of the year 21 times. He was inducted into the NJCAA Hall of Fame in 1987. He was the assistant coach for the USA Team that won the World Amateur Games in St. Petersburg, Fla., in 1974; assistant coach of the USA South Team that won the gold medal in Houston in 1985; and head coach of the USA Junior Olympic Team that won the silver medal in Windsor, Canada, in 1978. Along with coaches Wayne Graham, Will Griffin, and Demie Mainieri, he was selected as a member of the Baseball News 20th Century National Junior College All-Star Team in 2000.

Frazier graduated with a B.S. from North Carolina State University in 1958 and received an M.Ed. from the University of North Carolina

continued on page 6

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ABCA

2005 PREVIEW

in 1959. Coach Frazier played professional baseball in the Cincinnati organization and was a military policeman in the U. S. Army from 1954 to 1956 before beginning his coaching career. In 1987, the Louisburg College trustees surprised and honored Coach Frazier by naming the school’s baseball facility, “Frazier Field.”

Sonny Pittaro recently completed his 34th and final season at the helm of Rider’s varsit y baseball team as the school’s winningest coach in any sport. Now 65, Pittaro announced in February that he would retire at the end of the 2004 season.

The former Brown University standout compiled over 750 wins against a schedule acknowledged as one of the best in Eastern baseball. His career win total ranked among the top 30 in the nation among active coaches.

In the last 20 years, Pittaro has guided Rider to eight NCAA Regional Tournaments, including the 1987 East Regional, where the team advanced to the championship round and was ranked 24th in the final national poll. His Broncs have won nine conference titles, including three Northeast Conference titles, and three of his last four teams reached the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference championship game. His 1998 squad won the MAAC-South in its first season in the conference.

Plaza 233

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COACHING MANAGEMENT

Pittaro completed his reign as president of the American Baseball Coaches Association in 2002.

In 2001, he was the MAAC Coach of the Year.

He served two, three-year terms on the prestigious NCAA Baseball Committee, and by a vote of his fellow coaches, Pittaro has twice been named the Diamond Baseball Coach of the Year in the East Region. He was twice named East Sonny Pittaro Coast Conference Coach of the Year (1986, 1991), and twice honored by the New Jersey Baseball Writers Association as the University Division Coach of the Year (1980, 1984). In 1994, he was named the Northeast Conference Coach of the Year. Pittaro served 10 years as president of the Trenton Select Committee, an organization that honors outstanding athletic achievements in the Trenton area.

Pittaro acquired his baseball expertise as a standout infielder in high school, college, and professional baseball before getting involved in

Request No. 103

coaching. He starred as an infielder at both Trenton High School and Brown University, hitting .424 to earn All-East honors as a junior at Brown. He went on to play professionally in the Washington-Minnesota system for three years.

Forty-two of his Rider players have gone on to play ball professionally, and three reached the major leagues: Jack Armstrong of the 1986 squad; Jeff Kunkel, the third player chosen in the 1983 Major League draft; and Ed Whited, a 1986 graduate and Rider Athletics Hall of Famer.

Five times under Pittaro, a Bronc has earned All-America honors, including Jason Koehler, who also earned Academic All-America honors in 1995, and Ken Kremer, who won the 1988 Division I national batting title.

Pittaro is regarded as one of the finest instructors of fundamentals in the nation and is a regular speaker at baseball clinics throughout the region. Pittaro earned a B.A. degree in history from Brown and has a M.Ed. degree from Temple Universit y.

Enos Semore graduated from Keota High School in 1950, having lettered in baseball and basketball all four years. He then enrolled at Northeastern State Universit y in Tahlequah, Okla., where he again lettered in baseball and basketball all four years. However, during his junior year of college, Semore was drafted into the Army during the Korean Conf lict. He served two years in the Military Police, still playing baseball and basketball while in the service, and then returned to NSU in the fall of 1955. He graduated with a B.S. in education in 1956, followed by a M.Ed. Coach Semore began his coaching career in 1956 at Buhl (Idaho) Junior High where he taught math and physical education in addition to coaching the basketball team. In 1957, he was hired as the junior high basketball coach and assistant high school basketball and baseball coach at Muskogee Public Schools. His career moved up to the college level when he was asked to join Bacone Junior College in 1962 as its head baseball coach as well as assistant basketball coach to Ken Hayes.

Two years later, Semore became head baseball coach, head basketball coach, and track coach. As Bacone’s baseball coach for five years, his team’s record was 155-22, and he took them to the National Junior College Tournament four out of his five years, where they finished seventh, fifth, third, and first. In 1967, they won the national championship with a 47-3 record.

The University of Oklahoma named Semore its head baseball coach in 1967. While in Norman, his teams won seven Big 8 titles, went to 14 NCAA Regionals, and participated in five College World Series. Coach Semore had a record of 851-370 after 22 years at OU. The combined college coaching record for Coach Semore at Bacone and Oklahoma totals 1,006-392. He also won District Coach of the Year honors six times and was named National Coach of the Year by the Southwest Scouts

ABCA Association. Additionally, he was inducted into the Keota High School Hall of Fame and the Northeastern State Universit y Hall of Fame, both in 1989.

George Valesente recently completed his 33rd season as a college coach and his 26th year as head coach at Ithaca College.

Valesente has led the Bombers to 25 NCAA playoff appearances and two NCAA Division III championships (1980 and 1988). He is one of just six Division III baseball coaches to George Valesente win more than one national title.

A 1966 Ithaca graduate, Valesente played on NCAA playoff teams in soccer, basketball, and baseball, serving as captain of the soccer and basketball teams as a senior. He played four seasons of professional baseball in the Washington Senators’ organization, rising to

the AAA level in 1969.

Following his playing career, Valesente coached baseball at Brockport and New Paltz for two seasons each. He was baseball and men’s soccer coach at SUNY-Maritime for two years before returning to Ithaca in 1978 to take his current post.

The Bombers have made nine trips to the Division III World Series under Valesente. His teams have never had a losing season and have won nearly 70 percent of their games and 15 conference champions. Valesente has coached 19 All-Americans at Ithaca and 28 players who signed professional baseball contracts, including Glen Cook, who became the second Bomber to play in the major leagues.

The ABCA named Valesente Division III Coach of the Year in 1980 and 1988. He was named ABCA District Coach of the Year in 1980, 1981, 1986, 1988, 1991, 1992, and 1994. He was named to Ithaca College’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 1980.

Valesente owns bachelor’s and master’s degrees in physical education from Ithaca. His 26-year record at Ithaca is 720-315-5, and his 31-year overall mark is 811-362-5.

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2005 PREVIEW

John Cunningham Wins Lefty Gomez Award John Cunningham began his University of San Diego career in 1962 when he was hired by former athletic director Phil Woolpert to be the freshman basketball coach, assistant varsity basketball coach, and director of intramural activities. He assisted baseball coach Mike Morrow in 1963 and took over the program in 1964.

During the next 35 years, he directed the USD Toreros to 843 victories, 16 winning seasons, and four NCAA Regional appearances, including trips to the College World Series in 1971 and 1978. He was named District VIII Coach of the Year in 1971 and twice was named the West Coast Conference Coach of the Year (1993 and 1998). Fort y-seven of his players signed professional contracts with seven making it to the major leagues.

In 1988, school officials renamed the baseball stadium after him, “Cunningham Baseball Stadium.” In 1991, his peers voted him into the American Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame. The San Diego Baseball Historical Society recognized him as one of the 25 most inf luential people in San Diego involved with the sport of

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ABCA baseball. A native San Diegan, Cunningham attended Saint Augustine High School, then graduated from the University of San Francisco. He continues to assist with team travel for all USD teams.

Sponsored by Wilson Sporting Goods, the annual Lefty Gomez Award is presented to an individual who has distinguished himself John Cunningham among his peers and contributed significantly to baseball locally, nationally and internationally.

Honors Luncheon Each year, the Honors Luncheon is one of the highlights at the ABCA convention. It gives us an opportunit y to pay special tribute to some very special people and once again, several prominent individuals will receive awards.

Cal Ripken, Jr. and Bruce Brown will be receiving this year’s Honor Awards. There are few people in the history of the sport of baseball who

are held in higher esteem than Cal Ripken, Jr. He retired from baseball in 2001 after 21 seasons with the Baltimore Orioles as one of only seven players in history to amass at least 400 home runs and 3,000 hits. In 1995, Cal broke Lou Gehrig’s record for consecutive games played (2,130) and voluntarily ended his streak in 1998 after playing 2,632 consecutive games.

Ripken has always focused on giving back to the community. He founded the Cal Ripken, Jr. Foundation; the Kelly and Cal Ripken, Jr. Foundation; The Baltimore Reads Ripken Learning Center; the Kelly G. Ripken Program; and The Cal Ripken, Jr./Lou Gehrig ALS Research Fund. He is heavily involved with Cal Ripken Baseball, which has over 700,000 youth players worldwide. Cal and his brother, Bill, will also be speak at the ABCA Clinic.

The ABCA emphasizes sportsmanship and ethics as a top priority. At last year’s convention, Michael Josephson, founder of the Josephson Institute of Ethics, was a keynote speaker. This year, Bruce Brown will deliver a keynote speech.

Brown has coached and taught at all levels, including the NFL, for 25 years. He is the Director of ProActive Coaching and also the NAIA Special Presenter of the Champions of Character Initiative. Brown has spoken around the country to athletes, coaches, parent groups,

2005 PREVIEW

and businesses on the subject of character. He has produced 11 instructional coaching videos and authored eight books. At the convention, Mr. Brown will deliver an address entitled, “The Power of a Coach’s Words.”

Any ABCA member may nominate an individual for the Honor Award. The Nominating/ Awards Committee reviews the nominations and selects two or three of these people to receive this award. Past recipients include former President George Bush, John Grisham, Dick Enberg, Sparky Anderson, Sandy Alderson, Pat Williams, Tony Gwynn, Michael Josephson, and Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert.

Four other outstanding individuals will receive the ABCA Meritorious Service Award at the luncheon. They are: Paul Seiler, Executive Director of USA Baseball; David Osinski, Executive Director of the American Baseball Foundation; John Daigle, General Manager at USA Stadium; and David Yeast, Director of the NCAA Umpires Program.

The recipients of this award are selected by the ABCA Hall of Fame Committee and approved by the Board of Directors. The award goes to individuals who have provided outstanding service to amateur baseball.

The Rawlings Sporting Goods Company is the official sponsor of the Honors Luncheon.

ABCA TENTATIVE SCHEDULE OF CLINIC SPEAKERS F R I D AY, J A N U A RY 7 8:15 a.m.-8:30 a.m. Start of Clinic Sessions.

Welcome & Introduction to Clinic Format, Danny Hall, Georgia Tech-ABCA President Bill Holowaty, Eastern Connecticut State University - ABCA First Vice-President 8:30 a.m.-9:15 a.m. “The Right Mind-Set for Championship Baseball,” George Horton, Cal State Fullerton 9:15 a.m.-10 a.m. “The Power of a Coach’s Words,” Bruce Brown, NAIA Champions of Character Initiative 10 a.m.-10:45 a.m. “Pitching Mechanics That Still Produce Results,” Kevin O’Sullivan, Asst. Coach, Clemson Univ.

10:45 a.m.-11:30 a.m. “Practice Organization for All Levels,” Fred Hill, Rutgers University 11:30 a.m.-12:15 p.m. “The Transition from Aluminum to Wood Bat Hitting,” Joe Maddon, Bench Coach, Anaheim Angels 12:15 p.m.-1:30 p.m. Break for lunch 1:30 p.m.-2:15 p.m. “Pre-Practice Stretching and Conditioning Program,” Pat McMahon, University of Florida 2:15 p.m.-3 p.m. “Making Your Infield Better: First-Base Play,” Ed Flaherty, University of Southern Maine 3 p.m.-3:45 p.m. “Catching: Making Everyone Better,” Jim Penders, University of Connecticut 3:45 p.m.-4:30 p.m. “Team Practice Drills That Make Sense,” Rick Jones, Tulane University

4:30 p.m.-5:15 p.m. “Pick Drills and Strategies With Tempo and Timing,” Joe Sottolano, U. S. Military Academy S AT U R D AY, J A N U A RY 8 8:30 a.m.-9:15 a.m. “The Mental Aspects of Coaching Pitchers,” Steve Smith, Baylor University 9:15 a.m.-10 a.m. “Overachievement: The New Model For Exceptional Performance,” Dr. John Eliot, Performance Psychologist, Rice University 10 a.m.-10:45 a.m. “Middle Infield Play,” Cal and Billy Ripken, Ripken Baseball 10:45 a.m.-11:30 a.m. “Rethinking the Mind-Set About Third-Base Play,” Jack Stallings, Georgia Southern University 12:15 p.m.-2 p.m. Honors Luncheon 2 p.m.-2:45 p.m. “Motivating the 21st Century Athlete,” Joe Walsh, Harvard University 2:45 p.m.-3:30 p.m. “Developing the Three-Pitch Pitcher,” Charlie Green, Miami Dade South Community College 3:30 p.m.-4:15 p.m. “Building Blocks for Championship Defense,” Ed Servais, Creighton University 4:15 p.m.-5 p.m. “Winning a Championship Playing Small Ball,” Pat Bailey, George Fox University 5 p.m.-5:45 p.m. “Baserunning: Putting Your Program Over the Top,” Steve Trimper, Manhattan College

HIGH SCHOOL BREAKOUT SESSION 2 p.m.-2:45 p.m. “Most Common High School Hitting Problems,” Guy Anderson, Cordova High School (CA) 2:45 p.m.-3:30 p.m. “Outfield Drills and Techniques,” Kirk Bock, Harrison High School (AR) 3:30 p.m.-4:15 p.m. “Small Ball Baseball: How to Utilize and How to Control,” Bucky Mieras, Orona High School (MN) 4:15 p.m.-5 p.m. “Building a High School Baseball Program and Practice Organization,” Brad Myers, Battle Ground Academy High School (TN) S U N D AY, J A N U A RY 9 8:15 a.m.-9 a.m. “Offensive Keys to Team Hitting Success,” Dave Tollett, Florida Gulf Coast University 9 a.m.-9:45 a.m. “A Program for Shoulder and Elbow Strengthening for Pitchers,” Dan Cassidy, Physical Therapist, Cassidy Sports Physical Therapy 9:45 a.m.-10:30 a.m. “Drills in Developing Outfield Play,” Mitch Thompson, Assistant Coach, Baylor University 10:30 a.m.-11:15 a.m. “Pitch Recognition: Don’t Just Preach it, Teach It,” Dr. Peter J. Fadde, Assistant Professor of Instructional Technology, Southern Illinois University

COACHING MANAGEMENT

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ABCA

2005 PREVIEW

Dave Serrano Named Assistant Coach of Year For his outstanding work as pitching coach and recruiting coordinator at Cal State Fullerton, Dave Serrano has been selected as the ABCA/Baseball America Assistant Coach of the Year. During Serrano’s eight years at Fullerton, the Titan pitching staff led the Big West in ER A five times and ranked among the nation’s top 25 each of the last five years. Serrano’s recruiting classes at Fullerton ranked in the nation’s top two twice in the last four years.

Coach Serrano was the pitching coach and recruiting coordinator at the University of

Tennessee in 1995 and 1996, helping the Volunteers reach the 1995 College World Series.

He began his coaching career at Cerritos College where he served from 1988 to 1994.

After assisting head coach George Horton and the Cal State Fullerton squad to the 2004 Division I National Championship, Serrano was named head coach at the Universit y of California Irvine.

Previous recipients of this outstanding honor are Dean Stotz, Stanford; Tim Corbin, Clemson; Brian O’Connor, Notre Dame; Jim Toman, South Carolina; and Jim Lawler, Texas A&M. Serrano will receive the award during the Saturday’s Honors Luncheon.

Convention Schedule Thursday, January 6 Registration

10 a.m.-7 p.m.

ABCA Committee Meetings

1 p.m.-6 p.m.

Exhibits Open

1 p.m.-6 p.m.

International 6:30 p.m.8 p.m.

Coaches Reception & Meeting ABCA Divisional Meetings

6:30 p.m.-9 p.m.

Spouses Open Reception

7 p.m.-9 p.m.

Friday, January 7

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Registration

7 a.m.-5 p.m.

Clinics

8:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m.

Exhibits

9 a.m.-5 p.m.

Spouses Breakfast

9:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m.

Clinics break for lunch

12:15 p.m.-1:30 p.m.

Clinics

1:30 p.m.-5:15 p.m.

Hall of Fame/Coach 6:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m. of the Year Banquet

Saturday, January 8

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Registration

7 a.m.-noon

Clinics

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Exhibits

9 a.m.-3 p.m.

Honors Luncheon

12:15 p.m.-2 p.m.

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Sunday, January 9 Clinics

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Call for more information and a product demonstration: 1-800-717-4251 www.sportsattack.com

With the three-wheel design, the hitter never loses sight of the ball

Request No. 107

Booths 509 & 511

ABCA

2005 PREVIEW 60th Annual Convention List of Exhibitors The following companies are exhibiting at the ABCA Convention (as of 10.26.04).

Company names are followed by their booth numbers at the convention. * Indicates new exhibitor

*A-Turf (A division of Surface America) - 349 P.O. Box 157 Williamsville, NY 14231 (888) 777-6910 www.aturf.com info@aturf.com A-Turf systems feature the highest quality synthetic grass in the industry. Backed by a coast-tocoast network of experienced installers. Ideal for baseball, football, soccer & more.

Webb Cook See ad on page 22 Action Sports Media – 723 1 Center Court, Suite #200 Portland, OR 97227 (800) 346-8037 Game Ops Commander John Jackson *Action Sports Systems, Inc. – 220 P. O. Box 1442 Morganton, NC 28655 (800) 631-1091 Custom team uniforms for all sports Nand Thapar Adams USA - 300 P. O. Box 489 Cookeville, TN 38501 (800) 251-6857 Baseball protective & field equipment Gary Montgomery Adscreen Group – 500 8010 Leavenworth Street Omaha, NE 68114-5332 (877) 393-5111 Adscreen banners & field products John Graves *AdvoCare - 533 5733 Quest Ridge Road Franklin, TN 37064 (615) 456-7002 Sports & nutritional products Jeremy Fouts Aer-Flo, Inc. – 628 P. O. Box 1329 Oneco, FL 34264 (800) 823-7356 www.aerflo.com billh@aerflo.com Fast-growing manufacturer of quality sports covers and windscreens. Products include two patent-pending products: WIND WEIGHTED™ Baseball Tarps and BUNT ZONE™ Infield Protectors.

Bill Henning See ad on the Inside Back Cover

12

COACHING MANAGEMENT

Akadema, Inc. – 122 & 124 317 Midland Avenue Garfield, NJ 07026 (973) 772-7669 www.akademapro.com lawrence@akademapro.com In Akadema’s short but remarkable history, it has become America’s hottest baseball equipment company for pro, college and high school players. The Akadema phenomenon started with The Professional glove series and continues with The Reptilian and Praying Mantis glove series.

Lawrence Gilligan See ad on page 38 All-Star/Ampac Enterprises – 966 & 968 P. O. Box 1356 Shirley, MA 01464 (800) 777-3810 Baseball equipment & accessories Stan Jurga American Baseball Foundation – 311 1313 - 13th Street South Birmingham, AL 35205 (205) 558-4235 Pitching development/reading/baseball E. David Osinski Ammer Athletic Wear – Plaza 957 679 W. 26th Street Hialeah, FL 33010 (877) 521-6216 Manufacturer of baseball uniforms J. C. Asenjo & Amado Cabrera Anaconda Sports – 602 & 604 1221 Ulster Avenue Kingston, NY 12401 (800) 572-5293 Complete line of baseball products John Stote III Anchor Sports, Ltd. - 450 801 E. Campbell Road, Suite 638 Richardson, TX 75081 (866) 733-8873 Infield conditioner Byron Pierce

Applied Concepts/Stalker Radar - 950 2609 Technology Drive Plano, TX 75074-7467 (800) 782-5537 www.stalkerradar.com shows@stalkerradar.com Stalker Radar manufacturers the Stalker SPORT radar, Stalker PRO radar, and Stalker Acceleration Testing System. Stalker Radars are used by all major league teams.

Paul Hataway See ad on page 40 *AstroTurf – 343 2680 Lakeland Road, SE Dalton, GA 30721 (706) 278-1441 Synthetic turf Alan Snipes *Astute Educational Services - 109 9131 Taft Street, #136 Merrillville, IN 46410 (219) 617-0195 www.astuteed.net/prostyle jim@astuteed.com Astute Educational Services sells the Pro Style line of instructional videos by John Mallee, minor league hitting coordinator for the Florida Marlins. These quality videos teach all the fundamentals of great hitting.

Jim Myers See ad on page 16 Athletes in Action Baseball - 302 651 Taylor Drive Xenia, OH 45385 (937) 352-1000 Summer collegiate teams Jason Lester Athletic Training Equipment Company (ATEC) - Bay 663 655 Spice Island Drive Sparks, NV 89431 (800) 755-5100 x 1203 Pitching machines, nets, balls & tees Larry Leukhardt *Atlanta Team Headwear - 541 4436 Park Drive Norcross, GA 30093 (877) 285-4397 Caps Larry D’Amato

*Atlantic Bat Company – 850 67 Foster Street Peabody, MA 01960 (978) 531-0345 www.atlanticbats.com michelle@atlanticbats.com Atlantic Bat Company, manufacturer of the Chautauqua Bat, produces the highest quality maple and ash bats available on the market today.

Adam Teal See ad on page 32 Baden Sports – 204 34114 - 21st Avenue South Federal Way, WA 98003 (800) 442-1271 Baseballs & accessories Rusty Trudeau The Baseball Academy – 503 5500 – 34th Street West Bradenton, FL 34210 (941) 727-0303 Camps Tom Pluto Baseball America – 700 & 702 201 W. Main Street, Suite 201 Durham, NC 27701 (800) 845-2726 Baseball magazine, Web site & books Lee Folger Baseball Express – 323 & 325 1051 E. Nakoma San Antonio, TX 78216 (210) 348-7000 x 4752 Baseball catalog sales Joey Squilla Baseball Factory – Bay 963 9176 Red Branch Road, Suite M Columbia, MD 21045 (800) 641-4487 Player development & college placement Steve Sclafani Baseball Heaven Sports Complex – 819 18 Old Dock Road Yaphank, NY 11980 (800) 871-6652 Sports facility Lou Volpe BATCO – Plaza 215 111 Treeland Circle Syracuse, NY 13219 (877) 462-2826 Batting cages & infield batting trainers Pete Birmingham

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1655 101st Avenue NE • Minneapolis, MN 55449-4420 U.S.A • (763) 785-1000 • Fax (763) 785-0556 • www.turfco.com Request No. 108

Booths 706, 708 & 710

ABCA

2005 PREVIEW

Baum Research & Development - 610 1155 Hastings Traverse City, MI 49686 (231) 929-0598 Baseball bats Mitch Pietras

Bleachers International, Inc. - 773 P. O. Box 718 Strasburg, CO 80136 (800) 544-6658 Aluminum bleachers Wayne Clark

*BPHL Sports, LLC – 648 235 Shandwick Place Alpharetta, GA 30004 (404) 513-6350 Pitcher’s & catcher’s training aid Danny Pralgo

Beacon Athletics – 729 2224 Evergreen Road, Suite 6 Middleton, WI 53562 (800) 747-5985 www.beaconathletics.com info@beaconathletics.com Beacon Athletics offers training, conditioning, and athletic field equipment to improve the performance of athletes and the fields they play on.

Benji Brye See ad on page 23

BMI Sales Group/Zingbat– 807 7750 Archer Road Justice, IL 60458 (866) 946-4228 www.zingbat.com info@b-m-i-inc.com BMI Sales Group, Inc., designed, produced, and sells the “Zingbat” bat swing trainer. The Zingbat teaches the batter to stay “inside the ball.”

John G. Ciesar See ad on page 30

Brett Brothers Sports – 409 & 411 E. 9514 Montgomery, Building #25 Spokane, WA 99206 (509) 891-6435 Baseball bats & equipment Joe Sample

Boathouse Sports – 854 & 856 425 E. Hunting Park Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19124 (800) 875-1883 Custom team outerwear Mike Schenbeck

BSN Sports - Plaza 433 1901 Diplomat Drive Dallas, TX 75234 (800) 527-7510 Institutional sporting goods Tom Rafferty

*Bomark Sportswear - 216 4774 Interstate Drive Cincinnati, OH 45246 (800) 231-3351 Team apparel & equipment Doug Wilcoxson

BWP Bats, LLC - 837 80 Womeldorf Lane Brookville, PA 15825 (814) 849-0089 www.bwpbats.com sales@bwpbats.com

BetterBaseball - 428 1050 Mt. Paran Road Atlanta, GA 30327 (800) 997-4233 www.betterbaseball.com morales@betterbaseball.com BetterBaseball is your baseball supply headquarters, offering custom nets, baseballs, pitching machines (including ATEC, JUGS, DATA, and Master Pitch), training aids, batting cages, screens, and more.

Glen Robinson See ad on page 34

Brown & Co. Sports Portraits - 711 404 Stonehenge Circle Rockledge, FL 32955 (321) 617-9977 Photographs Joe Brown

For premium performance and a color that will set your field apart, choose from the Soilmaster Select Series by Pro’s Choice. Scientifically engineered to cope with daily maintenance challenges, Soilmaster Select gives your field a professional look and is the TRUE choice of groundskeepers around the league for building and maintaining winning ballfields. Now available in four distinct colors, Soilmaster Select uniform granules manage moisture and alleviate compaction to keep your fields playable. Pro’s Choice delivers a full line of sportsfield products for conditioning soil and infield mix, top dressing infields, quickly drying puddles and revitalizing turf.

Call for information and product samples

www.proschoice1.com

1.800.648.1166 Plaza 439

Request No. 109

BWP Bats, LLC provides high quality wood bats to players at all levels, from youth to professional. All BWP Bats are hand-crafted from quality Pennsylvania hardwoods.

Michael Gregory See ad on page 35 C & H Baseball, Inc. – 806 2215 – 60th Drive East Bradenton, FL 34203 (800) 248-5192 Backstop design & field equipment Torrey Spears Cages*Plus– 743 518 Fair Lane Nampa, ID 83686 (866) 475-9148 Portable batting cages Robert R. DeCloss CC Rental - 824 19 Wright Way Fairfield, NJ 07004-3514 (973) 882-0310 Passenger van rentals in Florida Tom Taylor *Cendant Hotel Group – 506 8547 E. Arapahoe Road, Suite J-135 Greenwood Village, CO 80112 (303) 783-1490 Erik Sabato

The Babe. Hammerin’ Hank. Nomar and A-Rod. They all earned their place among baseball’s greats using the legendary bats of Louisville Slugger.

So did five of the past six national college baseball championship teams. And eight of the past ten teams who made it to the national championship game.

Whether you’re swinging wood or aluminum – or just want a commemorative bat to hang on the wall – reach for the name that’s turned players into legends since 1884: Louisville Slugger.

When it comes to bats,it’s the only name you’ll ever need to know.

THE OFFICIAL BAT OF MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL.® www.slugger.com © 2004 Hillerich & Bradsby Co., Louisville, KY. All rights reserved.

Major League Baseball trademarks and copyrights are used with permission of Major League Baseball Properties, Inc. Visit the official website at MLB.com

Request No. 110

Booths 501 & 600

ABCA

2005 PREVIEW

Challenger Industries – 244 P. O. Box 2727 Dalton, GA 30722-2727 (800) 334-8873 www.challengerind.com challengerind@alltel.net Artificial turf for all your needs.

Challenger has been manufacturing synthetic turf products for over 20 years—turf mats, batting cages, or the entire field.

David White & Roger Harrison See ad on page 33 Clell Wade Coaches Directory – 400 P. O. Box 177 Cassville, MO 65625 (877) 386-4840 State & national coaching directories Karan Wade Coaches Choice – 432 & 434 P. O. Box 1828 Monterey, CA 93942 (888) 229-5745 Instructional books, videos, & DVDs Dr. Jim Peterson

Coaching Management – 828 2488 N. Triphammer Road Ithaca, NY 14850 (607) 257-6970 x 11 Publishing www.athleticbid.com info@momentummedia.com Coaching Management publishes three issues per year for every high school and college head baseball coach in the U.S. with targeted editorial, product information, and ads.

Mark Goldberg

Collegiate Pacific – 833 & 835 13950 Senlac, #200 Dallas, TX 75234 (800) 881-6536 x 248 Baseball equipment Steve Easterling *Cooperstown Baseball World – 105 P. O. Box 398 Bergenfield, NJ 07621 (888) CBW-8750 Youth baseball tournament facility Debra Sirianni

Coastal Plain League – 932 4900 Waters Edge Drive, Suite 201 Raleigh, NC 27606 (919) 852-1960 Collegiate summer baseball league Pete Bock

Cosby, Gerry & Co., Inc. – 201 3 Pennsylvania Plaza New York, NY 10001 (877) 563-6464 Travel/equipment bags & protective equipment Michael Cosby

Cocoa Expo Sports Center – 709 500 Friday Road Cocoa, FL 32926 (321) 639-3976 x 12 Spring break baseball & youth tournaments Jeff Biddle

*Country Stone, Inc. - 569 P. O. Box 420 Waterloo, IN 46793 (260) 837-9049 Ball diamond infield conditioner & warning track mix Darin Kain

CoverSports USA - 507 5744 Woodland Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19143 (800) 445-6680 Field covers, windscreens & fence crown Fred Hoge Crimson Stone, Inc. - 634 6510 Keenes Mill Road Cottondale, AL 35453 (800) 354-5663 Ball field materials Barry Snyder Cutters Gloves – 954 4902 E. McDowell Road, Suite 103 Phoenix, AZ 85008 (800) 821-0231 Batting gloves & batting accessories Chris Sears D-Bat, Inc. – 539 1400 Preston Road, Suite 110 Plano, TX 75073 (888) 398-3393 Wooden baseball/softball bats Cade Griffis Dartfish USA - 912 1301 Hightower Trail, Suite 111 Atlanta, GA 30350 (888) 655-3850 Sports video analysis software

Booth 109

16

Request No. 111

COACHING MANAGEMENT

Booths 620 & 622

Request No. 112

7% 6% "%%. ). "!3%"!,, &/2 9%!23 3/ (/7 #/-% -/34 /& 9/5 (!6% .%6%2 (%!2$ /& 53 '5%33 )4 3 4)-% 4/ -!+% 4(% ,/'/ ")''%2

4HAT S A LOT OF OPENING DAYS !ND A LOT OF INNOVATIONS )N PROTECTIVE GEAR AND TRAINING AIDS )N CATCHER S EQUIPMENT !ND 3CHUTT¤ IS THE OFFICIAL BASE OF -AJOR ,EAGUE "ASEBALL¤ /UR TECHNOLOGICALLY INNOVATIVE PRODUCTS HAVE HELPED CREATE NEW INDUSTRY STANDARDS /UR MARKETING EFFORTS ARE CATCHING UP 3 # ( 5 4 4 5 0 ! . $ 0 , ! 9

Request No. 113

»

Booths 601, 603, 605 & 607

ABCA

2005 PREVIEW

Decker Sports – 502 6912 N. 97th Circle Omaha, NE 68122 (800) 431-5128 Training equipment, baseballs & gloves Loren Gress DeLONG – 401 & 403 821 - 5th Avenue Grinnell, IA 50112 (800) 733-5664 Team uniforms, jackets & caps Timothy Marsho Diamond Pro (txi) – Plaza 615 1341 W. Mockingbird Lane Dallas, TX 75247 (800) 228-2987 www.diamondpro.com diamondpro@txi.com Professional groundskeeping products, infield conditioners, calcine clay, mound clay and bricks, marking dust, warning track, and infield mix.

Barrett Reese, Jr. See ad on page 20

Digital Scout - 406 3248 W. Henderson Road Columbus, OH 43220 (800) 249-1189 Software, stats & scouting Jim Emery Disney Sports Attractions - 508 P. O. Box 470818 Celebration, FL 34747-9998 (407) 938-3467 Tournaments Rick Morris *Dizzy Dean Baseball – 470 P. O. Box 856 Hernando, MS 38632 (662) 429-4365 Youth baseball & softball Danny Phillips

*Eagle Custom Sports – 1049 & 1051 50 Charterhouse Crescent London, ON, Canada N5W 5V5 (800) 809-2230 Bags, baseball gloves & undergarments Adam McLean

Douglas Sports Nets & Equipment – 414 3441 S. 11th Avenue Eldridge, IA 52748 (800) 553-8907 Baseball nets, windscreens & equipment Chris Rickerl

Diamond Sports – Bay 415 11130 Warland Drive Cypress, CA 90630 (800) 366-2999 Baseballs, catcher’s gear, mitts & bags Andrea Gordon

Dynamic Team Sports – 651 & 750 419 Boot Road Downingtown, PA 19335 (800) 437-6223 www.dynamicteamsports.com info@dynamicteamsports.com Dynamic Team Sports produces team uniforms. The Elite Series gives teams the ability to build customized uniforms from the ground up, while the Stockline is available to ship immediately.

Steve Rakoczy See ad on the Back Cover

Earth & Turf Products – 1023 112 S. Railroad Avenue New Holland, PA 17557 (888) 693-2638 www.earthandturf.com johnb@mdsgroup.net Earth & Turf produces topdressers for the sports turf industry. Our units are simple, well-built products that work well and are affordable.

John Bentley See ad on page 32

Easton Sports, Inc. – Plaza 927 7855 Haskell Avenue, Suite 200 Van Nuys, CA 91406 (800) 347-3901 x 653 Bats, gloves, bags, accessories, apparel & shoes Jim Darby *eBaseballClub.com – 236 240 E. Ogden Avenue #102 Hinsdale, IL 60521 (866) 752-9337 College recruiting tool for players eFundraising - 341 205 West Service Rd. Champlain, NY 12919 (800) 561-8388 www.efundraising.com info@efundraising.com Together with QSP, Reader’s Digest, eFundraising has helped groups like yours raise almost $3 billion and counting. Ask about the company’s proven fundraising programs and request your FREE fundraising info kit and gift.

See ad on page 43 *EI Franchise Company – 911 264 S. Main Street Middleton, MA 01949 (978) 762-0448 Training center franchise

Voted “Best of the Best” in Testosterone Magazine The Xvest is considered by many of the Major League strength coaches to be an essential tool for “the edge”.

“We have used the Xvest and have found it to be the best, most comfortable and effective weight vest. We have seen measurable improvements in range of motion, strength and power.”

Gene Coleman, Ed. D. Strength and Conditioning Coach – Houston Astros

Lance Berkman Houston Astros

If you want to play XPLOSIVE, you have to train

XPLOSIVE !

Xvest can be used in your strength, conditioning, speed, agility, plyometric and sport specific drills or training. You will see dramatic improvements in speed and power as well as conditioning and strength.

A few Major League Baseball Teams using the Xvest: 2002 World Champions Anaheim Angels Houston Astros (Divisional leader) Chicago White Sox (Divisional leader)

It’s not a coincidence.

Get the Xvest if you want to compete.

Call 800-697-5658 281-693-4034 Email Info@TheXvest.com www.TheXvest.com

Request No. 114

18

COACHING MANAGEMENT

2005 PREVIEW

ABCA Emch Brothers - 749 4190 Delmar SW Wyoming, MI 49418 (616) 293-8655 Athletic field contractors Phil Hilliker

FishNet (Catahoula Nets) – Bay 455 2901 Fourth Street, Box 549 Jonesville, LA 71343 (800) 873-4778 Net manufacturer Benny Champlin

ESPN The Magazine - 510 Disney Sports & Recreation Clubhouse P. O. Box 10,000 Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830 (407) 938-3423 Magazine fundraising Pete Bryden

Florida Coast Spring Training – 114 20 Lynn Drive Andover, NJ 07821 (973) 691-0070 Spring training facility for colleges & high schools Vinny Carlesi

Eversan, Inc. - 814 34 Main Street Whitesboro, NY 13492 (800) 383-6060 Scoreboards, timers & message signs Michelle Moran Fair-Play Scoreboards – 101 & 103 1700 Delaware Avenue Des Moines, IA 50317 (800) 247-0265 Scoreboards for high schools, colleges & municipal programs Jeff Reeser

Francis L. Dean & Associates - 422 2800 S. Hulen Street, #200 Fort Worth, TX 76109 (800) 375-0552 Athletic insurance Jill Faulder Frank’s Sports Shop – 717 & 719 430 E. Tremont Avenue Bronx, NY 10457 (718) 299-9628 Sporting goods retailer Ronald Stein

Frozen Ropes Training Center – 636 & 638 12 Elkay Drive Chester, NY 10918 (845) 469-7331 Baseball & softball instruction Dan Hummel *Full Performance Fitness – 525 924 Bayview Drive Hermosa Beach, CA 90254 (310) 567-2220 Liquid multivitamin & mineral supplement Jim Welker

Game-On/DiGeronimo Aggregates, LLC - 646 8900 Hemlock Road Independence, OH 44131 (888) 593-0395 www.hayditegame-on.com kmccabe@indexc.com Game-On sports field conditioners are produced by DiGeronimo Aggregates in Cleveland, OH. Products include field conditioners, top dressings, drying agents, and warning track blends.

Keith McCabe See ad on page 24

Gagliardi Insurance Services - 810 284 Digital Drive Morgan Hill, CA 95037 (800) 538-7061 Insurance D. C. Gagliardi

Glover’s Scorebooks – 551 P. O. Box 355 Forestville, CA 95436 (707) 887-2812 Scorebooks & accessory items Tom Glover

*The Game, LLC – 761 P. O. Box 2516 Phenix City, AL 36868 (877) 840-4547 Headwear & apparel Troy Corbin

GoodSports - 505 P. O. Box 769 Exton, PA 19341 (800) 860-4303 Field & facility equipment Roger Higgins

Advanced Skills Tee

The Power Bag

Used by over 1200 colleges & high schools.

• Eliminates both dipping & casting • Teaches with every swing. A silent coach.

• Very portable.

• Durable polyurethane construction & a two year warranty.

Develops strength at contact & promotes staying strong through the ball!

Baseball & Softball

Easily attaches to any pole. Indoor stand available.

Practice Makes Perfect.

Muhl Tech Will Make You Better!

The best skill specific, highly durable training aids are online at:

www.muhltech.com Or order by phone: 1-888-766-8772 Ask for a free demo video and brochure.

Request No.115

Endorsed by Houston Astros Lance Berkman Booth 209 COACHING MANAGEMENT

19

ABCA

2005 PREVIEW

*Grand Slam Sports – Bay 155 P. O. Box 1540 Brighton, MI 48116-5340 (248) 486-4500 Catch & throw back machine Fred Allor *Happy Feet by Heel Your Soles – 755 5198 E. Parsons Point Road Hernando, FL 34442 (352) 637-2299 Therapeutic massaging insoles Anne Black *Head Down Trainers.com - 111 1380 Wilmington Pike West Chester, PA 19382 (888) 422-2768 Sports training device Paul Niggebrugge *Hitting.com – 128 17530 Ventura Boulevard, Suite #201 Encino, CA 91316 (888) 295-8802 Instructional hitting DVD series Dave Hudgens Home Run LLC dba Hoosier Bat Company - 704 P. O. Box 432 Valparaiso, IN 46384 (800) 228-3787 www.hoosierbat.com

baseball@netnitco.net Hoosier Bat Company produces quality ash baseball bats. The Wood Force 2000 has an ash handle, a hickory sweet spot, and maple on the end. The Fungo bat has the same construction. You never need to tape the barrel of either.

Dave Cook See ad on page 42 Human Kinetics Publishing - 304 P. O. Box 5076 1607 N. Market Street Champaign, IL 61825 (800) 747-4457 Sports & fitness books/videos & software Ted Miller Hunter Industries – 823 73 High Rock Road Sandy Hook, CT 06482 (203) 270-8529 Irrigation equipment Lynda Wightman IBC Baseball – 226 & 228 P. O. Box 1052 Eagle Lake, FL 33839 (863) 559-4405 Tournament showcases & event runner Chuck White

*Inside Edge - 424 9301 Bryant Avenue South Bloomington, MN 55420 (952) 948-1481 Pitch charting tools for player feedback & scouting

L. A. Steelcraft Products – 573 P. O. Box 90365 Pasadena, CA 91109 (800) 371-2438 Manufacturer of baseball equipment Lee Van Valkenburg

Jet Sportswear, Inc. - 922 646 Schooner Lane Elk Grove, IL 60007 (866) 538-9327 Performance moisture migration compression wear Edan Tau

*Lee County Sports Authority – 769 2305 Broadway Fort Myers, FL 33901 (239) 344-5201 Southwest Florida’s sports complexes Gary Ewen Liflong-Products.com – 832 3200 S. Country Club Road Melbourne, FL 32901 (877) 543-5664 Training equipment Larry & Judy Thompson

JKP Sports, Inc. – Bay 445 19333 SW 118th Avenue Tualatin, OR 97062 (800) 547-6843 JUGS equipment Dave Candello Just For Nets – 203 3922 W. Osborne Avenue Tampa, FL 33614 (888) 569-6387 Custom netting K & K Insurance Group, Inc. - 206 1712 Magnavox Way Fort Wayne, IN 46804 (800) 426-2889 Sports camp insurance Stacie Richardson

*Little Caesars Fundraising Program - 626 2211 Woodward Avenue Detroit, MI 48201 (888) 452-5487 Pizza kits & cookie dough for fundraising Sarah Szpaichler

Reversible Life-Size Target

• Life-Size 5’10” Baseball and 5’4” Softball Reversible Batter

• Four-Section Strike Zone Which Ball Passes Through

• Tough Stainless Steel • Durable & Lightweight - 28 lbs.

• Easy Set-Up and Movable • Used by Colleges and Pros • Pitcher’s Mate with Shipment: $290

Pitcher’s Mate phone: 270-586-6186

twinhitters@bellsouth.net www.pitchers-mate.com Plaza 615

20

COACHING MANAGEMENT

Request No. 116

Booth 519 Request No. 117

ABCA *Locke Turf, Inc. – 618 109 Blue Heron Drive Mandeville, LA 70477 (985) 624-9053 Mowing equipment Louisville Slugger – 501 & 600 800 W. Main Street Louisville, KY 40202 (800) 282-2287 www.slugger.com Since 1884, when John A. “Bud” Hillerich hand-turned a white ash bat for Pete “The Gladiator” Browning, the finest hitter of the day, the name Louisville Slugger has been synonymous with the game’s greatest players and teams.

Kevin Uhrhan See ads on pages 15 & 29 M.A.S.A., Inc. – 620 & 622 1413 S. Meridian Road Jasper, IN 47546 (800) 264-4519 www.masa.com ggoodness@masa.com M.A.S.A., Inc. distributes a full-color 74-page sporting goods and field maintenance catalog. The company carries a wide assortment of baseball, softball, soccer, and football equipment at discounted prices.

Grayson Goodness See ad on page 16

M-F Athletic & Perform Better – 608 P. O. Box 8090, 11 Amflex Drive Cranston, RI 02920 (800) 556-7464 Training & rehab equipment John Brock *M & S Technologies, Inc. – 436 P. O. Box 1171 Park Ridge, IL 60068 (877) 225-6101 Sports vision tester *Majestic Athletic - 543 100 Majestic Way Bangor, PA 18013 (800) 955-8555 Team sports & licensed apparel Mike Gilroy, Joe Soboloski Markwort Sporting Goods – 725 1101 Research Boulevard St. Louis, MO 63132-1711 (800) 669-6626 www.markwort.com sales@markwort.com Markwort Sporting Goods Company is a distributor/manufacturer of baseball equipment, including baseballs, gloves and mitts, protective equipment, batter’s gloves, uniforms, socks, laces, glove oil, and training accessories.

Herb Markwort See ad on page 23

2005 PREVIEW

Master Pitching Machine – Plaza 621 4200 N.E. Birmingham Road Kansas City, MO 64117 (800) 878-8228 www.masterpitch.com info@masterpitch.com Manufacturer and direct supplier of the Iron Mike Arm Style Pitching Machine, batting cage nets and frames, “L” screens, protective screens, and related items.

Joe Giovagnoli See ad on page 41

MetalWood Bats – 416 P. O. Box 167/301F Roosevelt Blvd.

Eleanor, WV 25070 (866) 982-2287 Baseball/softball training bats Mitch Heaton

Mayday Publishing, Inc. - 211 11038 Hildreth Court Camarillo, CA 93012 (805) 491-3379 Pitching charts & performance software Larry May

Midwest Baseball Academy – 306 10423 Worthington Lane Prospect, KY 40059 (800) 669-6323 National network of baseball camps Joe Marker

McDavid Sports/Med – 309 10305 Argonne Drive Woodridge, IL 60517 (800) 237-8254 Compression apparel & sports medicine Dave Doezie

*Miken Sports - 924 415 E. South Street Caledonia, MN 55921 (877) 807-5291 www.mikensports.com jhoscheit@mikensports.com Founded in 1996, Miken Sports is the industry leader in high-performance, composite bat technology. To learn more, visit the company’s Web site at www.mikensports.com.

Jim Hoscheit See ad on the Inside Front Cover

Memphis Net & Twine – 442 P. O. Box 80331 Memphis, TN 38108 (800) 238-6380 Sports nets & equipment Albert Carruthers

*Mid-Lakes Corporation – 640 P. O. Box 5320 Knoxville, TN 37928 (865) 687-7341 Premium netting for batting tunnels, backstops, and L-screens David Stair

For details, or to register call 800-815-6826

www.nsca-lift.org January 7 – 8, 2005 Louisville, Kentucky Immediately preceding the AFCA meeting The industry’s premier conference for football and baseball strength and conditioning professionals

1.5/15 NSCA/NATA CEUs

National Strength and Conditioning Association Bridging the gap between science and application Request No. 118 COACHING MANAGEMENT

21

ABCA

2005 PREVIEW

Miller Net Company – 609 & 611 P. O. Box 18787 Memphis, TN 38181 (800) 423-6603 www.millernets.com miller@millernets.com Miller Net Company is a family business with a product line developed from three generations of experience. We serve a wide variety of customers, from individuals to major league sports teams to state fish and wildlife agencies.

Harold Miller See ad on page 30 Mizuno USA – Plaza 221 4925 Avalon Ridge Parkway Norcross, GA 30071 (770) 453-7807 Baseball equipment Bram Krieger

Muhl Tech – 209 503 Ogden Wharton, TX 77488 (888) 766-8772 www.muhltech.com sales@themuhl.com Muhl Tech continually strives to develop some of the most innovative baseball training equipment available today, with institutional durability being one of our goals.

Wesley Johnston See ad on page 19

*National Pitching Association – 737 P. O. Box 2350 Del Mar, CA 92014 (866) 977-4824 Pitching instruction Tom House

Nocona Athletic Goods – 606 P. O. Box 329 Nocona, TX 76255 (800) 433-0957 Baseball gloves & equipment Gary Netolicky

*Neal Portnoy Art Studio, Inc. - 721 22 Walnut Street Holden, MA 01520 (508) 829-8000 Sports artwork Neal Portnoy

Northwoods League – 632 2900 4th Street SW Rochester, MN 55902 (507) 536-4579 Summer collegiate baseball league Dick Radatz, Jr. & Rick Lindau

*Mustang Company - 851 P. O. Box 369 Port Richey, FL 34673 (727) 939-1339 Athletic training & rehab equipment Michael Julian

New England Collegiate Baseball League - 820 515 Hawthorne Lane Windsor, CT 06095 (860) 285-0133 Collegiate summer league Kevin MacIllvane

Nylon Net Company – 521 & 523 845 N. Main Street Memphis, TN 38019-2311 (800) 238-7529 Sports nets & pitching machines Robert Alba & Stephen Christides

National Batting Cages, Inc. - 715 P. O. Box 250 Forest Grove, OR 97116-0250 (800) 547-8800 Batting cages, tunnel nets & screens Fred Schmidtke National Mower Co. – 706, 708 & 710 700 Raymond Avenue St. Paul, MN 55114 (651) 646-4079 Field maintenance equipment Joel Orthman

Oakley, Inc. – 222 & 224 One Icon Foothill Ranch, CA 92610 (800) 800-6254 Eyewear Janet Schnitzler

NIKE, Inc. – Bay 241 One Bowerman Drive Beaverton, OR 97005 (503) 671-2973 Technical apparel, footwear & accessories Keith Conrad & Kelly Wylie

*Oates Specialties, LLC – 527 151 FM 1696 East Huntsville, TX 77320 (936) 295-4459 Pitcher-specific conditioning accessories Robert Oates

Southern Athletic Fields... ...your complete source for all athletic field needs!

PLAY BALL!

East River Park – New York, NY

All day…every day.

With an A-Turf synthetic grass baseball field, you won’t have to worry about soggy grass, worn spots or bad bounces. And with brown synthetic for dirt areas, no more clouds of dust.

May we go to work on your next project?

www.aturf.com Booth 349

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COACHING MANAGEMENT

•

888-777-6910

Request No. 119

• • • • • • •

Mar Mound Clay Infield Mixes Field Conditioners Drying Agents Warning Trac Infield Topdressing Various Field Accessories

800.837.8062 www.mulemix.com Bay 933

Request No. 120

ABCA

2005 PREVIEW

*ODEYS “The Field Experts” - 940 9994 F Street Omaha, NE 68127 (402) 597-6296 Field materials Pat O’Donnell

Outdoor Cap Company, Inc. – 818 1200 Melissa Lane Bentonville, AR 72751 (800) 826-6047 Headwear Joe Rubertino

Pickle-Ball, Inc. – 311 4700 – 9th Avenue NW Seattle, WA 98107 (800) 377-9915 Durable poly baseballs Doug Smith

Old Hickory Bat Company – 420 1735 Highway 31W Goodlettsville, TN 37072 (866) PRO-BATS Maple baseball bats, batting gloves, fungos & training bats Travis Copley

Paul Pryor Travel Bags, Inc. – 616 12401 - 66th Street North Largo, FL 33773 (800) 330-8400 Travel/equipment bags, T-shirts, shorts & underwear Bob Milleman

On Deck Sports – Plaza 355 P. O. Box 522 Winthrop, MA 02152 (877) 227-4824 Baseball mounds & equipment Joe Murphy See ad on page 47

Perfect Game USA - 129 1203 Rockford Road SW Cedar Rapids, IA 52404 (319) 298-2923 Scouting report service Gregory A. Legg

PIK Products – 238 & 240 P. O. Box 2108 Norwalk, CT 06852 (877) 845-7845 www.swiftstik.com & www.agrandslam.com sales@swiftstik.com We manufacture effective and affordable training aids for baseball. Our Swift Stik training bat and Grand Slam pitching machine together make the ultimate training system for the hitter.

Louis Seeley See ad on page 26

Phoenix Bat Company – 438 7801 Corporate Boulevard, Suite E Plain City, OH 43064 (877) 598-2287 Professional-quality wood bats Charley “Lefty” Trudeau

Osborne Innovative Products – Bay 555 2221 - 2nd Street Enumclaw, WA 98022 (800) 325-7238 Protective screens, training equipment & field maintenance Mark Zender

TRAINING AID FOR PITCHERS

Pitch Count, LLC - 751 3824 Dade Drive Annandale, VA 22003 (703) 256-4929 Baseball pitch counter Dave Tinsley

Pitcher’s Mate – 519 330 S. Main Street Franklin, KY 42134 (270) 586-6186 www.pitchers-mate.com info@pitchers-mate.com Used by colleges and pros, Pitcher’s Mate is the pitching target that will make your practice time pay off.

Steve Maloney See ad on page 20 Pitching Central – 529 26206 Hanna Road Spring, TX 77386 (281) 298-6319 Baseball pitching products & services Ron Wolforth Pittsburgh Souvenir & Novelty Co. - 410 6628 E. Montreal Place Scottsdale, AZ 85254 (480) 922-1070 Apparel Mike Rossman Players Sporting Goods – 817 5737 N. Graham Street Charlotte, NC 28269 (800) 896-1200 Louisville Slugger Products Ashley Stallings

Beacon Ballfields is now Beacon Athletics!

We’ve changed our name, not our game!

Speed SensorTM records the speed at the moment the ball is released. Press Start, throw the ball, and review the LCD indicator.

INTRODUCING...

Displays Pitch Speed

Up to 120 MPH

Used as a training aid for any age or skill level.

Official size and weight.

Beacon Athletics offers training, conditioning and athletic field equipment to improve the performance of athletes and the fields they play on.

Available in 11" & 12" Softball and 9" Baseball

Softball Junk 800-850-5007

or contact your local dealer MARKWORT SPORTING GOODS COMPANY Request No. 121

beaconathletics.com Visit us online or call anytime!

[800] 747.5985

markwort.com Booth 725

Request No. 122

Booth 729

COACHING MANAGEMENT

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Portolite Products, Inc. – Plaza 215 2950 Nelson Road Delano, MN 55328 (800) 315-8115 Portable pitching mounds Michael Hoppe

Prep Illustrated, Inc. – 816 P. O. Box 191 Eagle Grove, IA 50533 (800) 505-4456 Sports magazine Kay Derscheid

Pro Nine Sports – 200 & 202 P. O. Box 1765 Los Alamitos, CA 90720 (800) 355-5969 Baseballs & catcher’s equipment Frank Hardy

Post Performance - 351 P. O. Box 515 Chesterfield, MO 63006-0515 (618) 973-7760 Customized footwear Terry Collins

Pro-Ice – 707 22612 Mojave Lane Mission Viejo, CA 92691 (800) 581-8202 Cold therapy products Tom Nolan

ProBatter Sports, LLC – Bay 255 15 Old Gate Lane Milford, CT 06460 (203) 874-2500 Video pitching machine

Power Systems, Inc. – 248 & 250 P. O. Box 31709 Knoxville, TN 37930 (800) 321-6975 www.power-systems.com jbales@power-systems.com Since 1986 Power Systems, Inc. has been the No. 1 source for all your training needs, including sports performance, fitness and health products and programs.

Pro-Line Cap Company – 733 & 735 1332 N. Main Street Fort Worth, TX 76106-9117 (800) 227-2456 Caps Charlie Harris

Powers Manufacturing Co. – 333 1340 Sycamore Street Waterloo, IA 50703 (319) 233-6118 Athletic uniforms Josh Bevins

Pro Look Sports – 303, 305 & 307 37 E. Center Street, Suite 304 Provo, UT 84606 (800) PRO-LOOK www.prolooksports.com nikki@prolooksports.com Call (800) PRO-LOOK or visit www.prolooksports.com for completely customizable pre- and post-game wear, and the nicest coaching gear around.

Dustin Rhodes See ads on pages 8 & 36

ProKold Corporation – 868 2607 N. Moore Avenue Moore, OK 73160 (800) 541-7199 Reusable ice wraps Keith Brink Promats, Inc. – 809 P. O. Box 508 Fort Collins, CO 80522 (800) 678-6287 www.promats.com eileen@promats.com Promats manufactures protective field wall padding, railing, and pole padding, windscreening, turf protectors, field covers, and other related stadium components for baseball and softball facilities.

Pete Harvey See ad on page 31

ProMounds, Inc. – Plaza 355 P. O. Box 522 Winthrop, MA 02152 (877) 227-4824 Baseball mounds & equipment Joe Murphy See ad on page 47 Proper Pitch – 227 & 326 P. O. Box 2294 Garner, NC 27529 (800) 336-7503 Indoor/outdoor pitching mounds Mike Beck Pro’s Choice Sportsfield Products – Plaza 439 410 N. Michigan Avenue, Ste. 400 Chicago, IL 60611 (800) 648-1166 proschoice1.com karl.rutherford@oildri.com Soilmaster soil conditioners relieve compaction, quickly wick water away, and promote drainage on soccer, football, and baseball fields resulting in tough, resilient turf.

Dave Cygan See ad on page 14

Game-On

Sports Field Conditioners

Keep your field in top notch shape with 4 great products Game-On Game-On Red Game-Dry And Warning Track blend

Game-On

hayditegame-on.com 1-888-593-0395

Sports Field Conditioners

Distributorships Available Booth 646

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COACHING MANAGEMENT

Request No. 123

2005 PREVIEW

ABCA PUMA – Bay 963 5 Lyberty Way Westford, MA 01886 (800) 782-7862 Baseball footwear Matt Lancor

Reebok International, LTD – Bay 915 1895 J. W. Foster Boulevard Canton, MA 02021 (888) 898-9028 Athletic footwear, apparel & accessories Kevin Adams

Ripken Baseball – 345 & 347 1427 Clarkview Road, Suite 100 Baltimore, MD 21209 (800) 486-0850 Youth baseball camps Andrea Kunicky

S & O Corporation - 815 P. O. Box 167 Gallaway, TN 38036 (800) 624-7853 Windscreens & field covers Tommy White

*Put-In-Cups – 327 & 329 129 Kortney Drive Weatherford, TX 76087 (800) 506-7891 Plastic cups that fit chain-link fences Randall Hunt

Reef Industries, Inc. – 208 P. O. Box 750250 Houston, TX 77275-0250 (800) 231-6074 Reinforced sheeting manufactured into mound & field covers Mark Young

Rixtine Trophy – 811 & 910 2350 ‘O’ Street Lincoln, NE 68510 (800) 347-3810 Trophies, awards, pins, medals & gifts Tim Hoffman

Schutt Sports – 601, 603, 605 & 607 P. O. Box 426, 1200 E. Union Litchfield, IL 62056 (800) 637-2047 www.schuttsports.com contact@schutt-sports.com Schutt Sports markets innovative, quality, protective and field/court equipment for baseball, basketball, football and softball, and collectable helmets and bases to promote fan enjoyment.

Larry Brushett See ad on page 17

*Quest For Victory – 642 & 644 180 Freedom Avenue Murfreesboro, TN 37129 (800) 854-4452 Direct mail donation program Chris Sullivan Rawlings Sporting Goods – Bay 633 1859 Bowles Avenue Fenton, MO 63026 (800) 729-7770 Baseball equipment & clothing Mike Thompson *Red Diamond by Moltan Co. - 934 & 936 7125 Riverdale Bend Road Memphis, TN 38125 (800) 264-5826 Infield conditioner

Rotor Twin Swing Trainer - 727 277 Thornecliffe Drive, Suite A State Road, NC 28676 (877) 375-0315 Rotor Twin - swing trainer/hitting station Bob Balsdon

Riddell – 537 3404 Steeplechase Trail Arlington, TX 76016 (817) 446-4854 Baseball equipment Dave Hosteller RightViewPro – 668 27 Middle Lane South Rolling Hills, CA 90274 (310) 377-9221 Baseball & softball instructional analysis Don Slaughter

Russell Athletic – Bay 943 755 Lee Street Alexander City, AL 35010 (256) 500-4265 Athletic apparel Larry Linenberger

ScorePAD Sports, Inc. – 444 5240-Q Panola Industrial Boulevard Decatur, GA 30035 (678) 270-4001 Palm operated software for scoring baseball Douglas Hines

S.E.N.T. Company, LLC – 572 P. O. Box 834 Gainesville, TX 76241 (800) 905-8837 Training tool for pitchers Tank Nelson

Ringor – 405 & 407 7929 SW Burns Way Wilsonville, OR 97070 (800) 746-4670 Athletic footwear

3TADIUM #HAIRS "LOW -OLDED OR )NJECTION -OLDED 0(/.% &!8 WWW SEATINGSERVICES COM

N N EE W W

P P A A TT EE N N TT EE D D

D D EE S S II G G N N .. . .

CAGE CUP/ATHLETIC SUPPORTER COMBO

FEATURING THE FIRST COMFORTABLE PROTECTIVE CUP: • Protects like Hard Cup with 40% Reduced Weight • Micro-Encapsulated Air In Foam Provides Comfort And Flexibility Against The Skin • High-Impact, Shatter Resistant ABS Plastic Cage Absorbs Impact Shock Instead of Transferring To The Body • Deflects Impact better than Traditional Cup Design as Proved in Independent Laboratory Testing • Ideal For All Contact Sports • Available In 3 sizes: Child, Youth & Adult Sizes • Patent Pending

P.O. Box 1468 Golden, Colorado 80402

1-800-356-9026 FOR FOR AA FREE FREE SAMPLE SAMPLE OF OF THE THE CUP CUP ONLY, ONLY, email email your your address address to to safetgard@qwest.net. safetgard@qwest.net.

Quality Stadium Chair Manufacturer Request No. 124

Booth 115

Request No. 125 COACHING MANAGEMENT

25

ABCA

2005 PREVIEW

*ScoutLYNX – 739 1525 Argonne Lane Alpharetta, GA 30004 (877) 581-9605 Wireless baseball scoutware Brett Illig & Jeff Auterson Seating Services Inc. - 115 P. O. Box 4 Angola, NY 14006 (800) 552-9470 www.seatingservices.com dccooke@seatingservices.com Manufacturers of quality blow molded, gravity tip, low maintenance stadium chairs to enhance your facility. Add your VIP section today.

Diane Cotroneo Cooke See ad on page 25 Signature Systems, LLC - 624 50 E. 42nd Street, Suite 501 New York, NY 10017 (800) 569-2751 Outfield fencing & windscreens Eric Hochman Smithco, Inc. – 706, 708 & 710 34 West Avenue Wayne, PA 19087 (610) 688-4009 Infield groomers & line markers Emil Miller

Booths 238 & 240

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COACHING MANAGEMENT

Sound & Video Creations, Inc. – 218 2820 Azalea Place Nashville, TN 37204 (888) 824-5722 Click Effects music, sound effects & video systems Eric Pangborn South Padre Island Nets, Inc. (SPI) - 650 2001 Amistad Drive San Benito, TX 78586 (866) 248-6387 www.spinets.net spinets@spinets.net SPI Nets manufactures the highest quality sports netting, including batting cages, protective screens, custom backstops and other barrier nets at excellent prices with speedy delivery.

Joe Rodriguez See ad on page 43

Southern Athletic Fields – Bay 933 1309 Mainsail Drive Columbia, TN 38401 (800) 837-8062 www.mulemix.com saf@mulemix.com SAF specializes in the following: infield mixes, mound clay, warning track, field conditioners, field accessories, and drying agents.

SAF is introducing a new red infield conditioner product, available soon!!!

Bill Marbet See ad on page 22

Sportdecals, Inc. - 301 P. O. Box 358 Crystal Lake, IL 60039-0358 (800) 435-6110 Batter helmet decals & imprinted T-shirts Don Metivier & Chris Gagnon

Southwest Host Services – 614 P. O. Box 13808 Scottsdale, AZ 85255 (480) 945-2359 Team & recruiting hotel accommodations Linda Hitchins

Sports Attack – 509 & 511 P. O. Box 1529 Verdi, NV 89439-1529 (800) 717-4251 www.sportsattack.com info@sportsattack.com Sports Attack is a manufacturer of quality sports training equipment.

With 35 years of pitching machine design experience, the current product offering includes professional baseball, volleyball, and tennis training equipment.

Kurt Brenner See ad on page 11

Speedline Athletic Wear – 308 & 310 1804 N. Habana Tampa, FL 33607 (813) 876-1375 Custom team uniforms Dave Aubuchon

Sports Sensors, Inc. – 672 11351 Embassy Drive Cincinnati, OH 45240 (888) 542-9246 Glove Radar & Swing Speed Radar Al Dilz

Request No. 126

ABCA Sports Tutor – Bay 455 3300 Winona Burbank, CA 91504 (800) 448-8867 www.sportsmachines.com courtserve@earthlink.net Sports Tutor is a premier manufacturer of sports machines including machines for baseball, tennis, volleyball, and soccer-for over 15 years.

John Henderson See ad on page 7 Sporturf – 938 2668 Lakeland Road Dalton, GA 30722 (800) 798-1056 www.sporturf.com info@sporturf.com Sporturf was founded in 1976 and reigns as the oldest owneroperated synthetic turf company in the world. Sporturf has been on the frontlines of innovation since its inception.

Darby McCamy See ad on page 35 Sprinturf – 133 994 Old Eagle School Road, Suite 1010 Wayne, PA 19087 (610) 828-6500 Synthetic turf & baseball mats Scotty Smith St. Petersburg/Clearwater CVB – 226 & 228 14450 – 46th Street North, #108 Clearwater, FL 33762 (727) 464-7257 Tournament destination – IBC World Series Kevin Smith Stabilizer Solutions, Inc. - 808 205 S. 28th Street Phoenix, AZ 85034 (800) 336-2468 www.stabilizersolutions.com Stabilizer Solutions, Inc. is a unique company that specializes in natural and fiber reinforced sport, recreational, and landscape surfaces world-wide.

Jon Hubbs See ad on page 41 Stiggy’s Sports Shop - 869 11444 Deerfield Road Cincinnati, OH 45242 (866) 784-4497 Baseball equipment & apparel Steve Stigler & Scott Lawson Strike Zone, Inc. – Plaza 215 10531 Maryland Circle Bloomington, MN 55438 (952) 829-7790 Batting practice unit & pitching machine John L. Beintema

Super-Net – 229 & 328 3209 Air Park Road Fuquay Varina, NC 27526 (800) 955-6387 Batting cages, protective screens & field maintenance equipment Glen Passner SwingAway – Bay 555 2221 – 2nd Street Enumclaw, WA 98022 (800) 325-7238 SwingAway—transportable hitting station Mark Zender *Swingbuster Sports – 337 501 Cahaba Road Selma, AL 36701 (877) 422-8292 Batting trainers Donny Buster Texas Collegiate League – 504 210 W. 6th Street, Suite 1206 Fort Worth, TX 76102 (817) 339-9367 Summer league Wayne Poage Tomark Sports – 515 & 517 P. O. Box 1088 Corona, CA 92878 (951) 371-1844 Recreation equipment sales & service Mark Harpin *The Top 96 Invitational Showcase – 446 23 Bald Rock Road Wayland, MA 01778 (508) 651-0165 High school showcase Kenneth Hill The Toro Company – 315 & 317 8111 Lyndale Avenue South Bloomington, MN 55420 (952) 887-8808 Workman Utility Vehicle & Reelmaster Mower Dale Getz True Pitch, Inc. – 821 P. O. Box 11 Altoona, IA 50009 (800) 647-3539 Portable pitching mounds & Flex-A-Clay Craig Allison Tuff Toe, Inc. – 232 1442 W. Collins Avenue, Suite G Orange, CA 92867-5443 (800) 888-0802 Pitching toes Jeff Musick TurboSlot Sports - 210 P. O. Box 819 Mocksville, NC 27028 (800) 726-3568 Hitting gloves, fungos & TurboStiks Fred Willett

2005 PREVIEW

TURFACE – Bay 425 750 Lake Cook Road, Suite 440 Buffalo Grove, IL 60089 (800) 207-6457 Soil amendments Charlie Vestal

Victory Custom Athletic – Plaza 627 9006 Owensmouth Avenue Canoga Park, CA 91304 (800) 959-3566 Team apparel Rob Mouzis

Turfco Manufacturing – 706, 708 & 710 1655 – 101st Avenue NE Blaine, MN 55449 (763) 785-1050 www.turfco.com gbrodd@turfco.com Turfco Manufacturing has served the professional turf industry for more than 50 years by providing the most advanced aeration and renovation equipment on the market.

Greg Brodd See ad on page 13

Weather Beater by Colorado Lining - 547 28043 FM 1485 East New Caney, TX 77357 (888) 546-4641 www.weather-beater.com www.coloradolining.com jmondor@coloradolining.com WeatherBeater® by Colorado Lining manufactures quality athletic field covers for baseball, football, and softball as well as wind and shade screens, turf blankets, gym floor covers and wall padding for the athletic industry.

Jeff Mondor See ad on page 42

Twin City Knitting Company - 214 P. O. Box 1179 Conover, NC 28613 (800) 438-6884 Athletic socks, caps, belts, wrist/headbands & knit hats Francis Davis Under Armour Athletic Apparel – 319 & 321 1020 Hull Street, 3rd Floor Baltimore, MD 21230 (888) 427-6687 Performance apparel Chris Moses Uniforms Express – 829 & 928 548 Division Street Campbell, CA 95008 (888) 661-7044 Uniforms, jackets & hats Geoff Samuels USA Baseball – 402 & 404 P. O. Box 1131 Durham, NC 27702 (919) 474-8721 National baseball teams Paul Seiler USA TODAY Sports Weekly – 418 7950 Jones Branch Drive McLean, VA 22108 (800) 582-0404 Publication Alex Kennedy Vantage Products Int’l – Plaza 233 7895 Stage Hills Boulevard, Suite 105 Memphis, TN 38133 (800) 244-4457 www.vipsports.com chris@vpisports.com Supplier of batting cages, protective screens, and netting as well as many other baseball related items.

Chris Bawcum See ad on page 6

Western Athletic Supply Co. – 916 & 918 P. O. Box 5407 Riverside, CA 92517 (800) 624-6637 Baseball equipment Jack Lenertz Western Industries – 448 P. O. Box 428 Miles City, MT 59301 (800) 488-3592 Infield, mound & plate covers Richard Martinez Wilson Sporting Goods – Bay 655 8700 W. Bryn Mawr Avenue, Ste. 11 Chicago, IL 60631 (800) 443-0011 x 6853 Baseball goods & uniforms Jim Hackett World Sport – 335 P. O. Box 661624 Los Angeles, CA 90066 (800) 496-8687 Top quality international baseball tours David Eby Worth, Inc. – Plaza 645 1859 Bowles Avenue Fenton, MO 63026 (636) 349-3507 Baseball equipment Mike Thompson WSI Manufacturing – 914 2767 Highway 55 St. Paul, MN 55121 (800) 783-4476 Moisture management & protective gear Joe Wiens Xtra Bat Company - 970 4589 Shepherds Way Batavia, OH 45103 (877) 987-2228 Warm-up/training bat Tim Hecktor COACHING MANAGEMENT

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ABCA

2005 PREVIEW

Products on Display A-TURF 888-777-6910 www.aturf.com Superior manufacturing and installation make A-Turf’s synthetic grass the best in the field. It’s the highest-quality synthetic grass in the industry, with over 300 installations Booth 349 worldwide.

And A-Turf’s worldrenowned resilient Regupol® underpad has over 1,000 installations worldwide. Backed by a coast-to-coast network of experienced installers, A-Turf offers three infill and two conventional synthetic grass systems, ideally suited for football, soccer, lacrosse, field hockey, baseball, and multi-sport venues.

Call or visit the company’s Web site for more information.

Circle No. 200

AER-FLO, INC. 800-823-7356 www.windweighted.com The Bunt Zone™ Infield Protector doubles as the perfect target-training system for bunting practice. It uses three color-coded zones: Yellow is the bunt-for-hit target area; green is the sacrifice bunt zone; and Booth 628 red is the bad bunt zone.

Players get instant feedback at every practice. Tough 9-oz. vinylpolyester mesh survives spike traffic. The Bunt Zone (patents pending) provides maximum turf protection while improving team bunting skills. Ground staples are included.

Circle No. 201 Wind Weighted™ baseball-softball tarps from Aer-Flo are virtually windproof.

These patent-pending covers for the mound, Booth 628 home base, and bullpens have a steel chain in their edge hem, so they stay down in windy conditions. No stakes or sandbags are necessary. The installer

28

COACHING MANAGEMENT

A look at what suppliers will be displaying at their booths in the exhibit hall

device allows installation in 25 seconds by only two people. The tough, waterproof 14-oz. vinyl-polyester fabric is treated against UV and mildew exposure. Wind Weighted tarps and installers take the drudgery out of the game.

Circle No. 202

ASTUTE EDUCATIONAL SVCS., INC. 866-317-0141 www.astuteed.net/prostyle In his new video, entitled Teaching the Professional Swing Pro Style, former major leaguer and current hitting coach John Mallee outlines an instructional program that teaches batters to be mechanically sound. Key areas covered include stance, weight transfer, stride separation, pre-swing movement, body posture during the swing, approach to contact, and follow-through.

The video can be an Booth 109 effective tool for coaches and players at any level.

Circle No. 203

BEACON ATHLETICS 800-747-5985 www.beaconathletics.com The Indoor Tensioned Batting Cage from Beacon Athletics is designed for indoor use and goes up in just 10 minutes. With its unique three-pulley system, the cage can be raised and tensioned as needed. No permanent frame or overhanging cable structure Booth 729 remains in the facility once the cage is removed. It is made with Beacon’s Premium Batting Cage Net, which has special fiber cables that run along the top and center of the net for greater reinforcement.

Circle No. 204

BETTERBASEBALL 800-997-4233 www.betterbaseball.com BetterBaseball is a total baseball supply house, specializing in nets and batting

cages that are custom-cut to any size you want. The company provides quick, friendly customer service.

BetterBaseball supplies everyBooth thing, including 428 bases, plates, mounds, gear, and hardware, and it can all be found at BetterBaseball.com or by calling the company.

Circle No. 205

BWP BATS 814-849-0089 www.bwpbats.com BWP’s Pro Select hard maple bats are made with a unique drying and woodprocuring process that enables the company to provide the finest maple bats on the market. BWP prides itself on the ability to manufacBooth 837 ture a consistent bat at an affordable price. The Pro Select is used by professional baseball players, and is available in four models: BWP271, BWP-243, BWP-110, and BWP-14.

Choose from five different color schemes, three different sizes (32”, 33”, and 34”), and cupped or non-cupped ends. BWP products are available at over 350 retail locations throughout North America.

Circle No. 206

CHALLENGER INDUSTRIES, INC. 800-334-8873 www.challengerind.com DURAPlay home plate baseball and softball mats can be used anywhere a home plate area is needed. Whether covering the batter's box for protection or establishing a home plate area indoors or out, these durable mats create batter’s boxes Booth 244 that are ideal for either sport.

Pre-cut mats are available for fungo/ondeck circles, pitching mounds, and single batter’s boxes.

Synthetic turf products are also available, for batting cages, dugouts, or the whole field, and installation is available as well.

Contact Challenger to learn more.

Circle No. 207

THERE ARE TWO KINDS OF BATS: THE KIND WITH FLEXIBLE HANDLES, AND THE KIND WINNING ALL THE CHAMPIONSHIPS.

© 2004 Hillerich & Bradsby Co., Louisville, KY. All rights reserved.

LATELY, MANY BAT MAKERS HAVE BEEN PUSHING BATS WITH FLEXIBLE, “WHIPPY” HANDLES. Fortunately for baseball, some people aren’t buying the hype. Like 6 of the last 7 national college champions. And 12 of the last 14 teams in the championship game.

The fact is, a flexible handle actually reduces performance for most players. That’s because it flexes just when you don’t want it to – while the ball is in contact with the bat.

Optimum performance comes from a stiff handle combined with a flexible barrel for maximum trampoline effect. That’s the time-tested Louisville Slugger bat design – a design that has helped teams like Cal State Fullerton, Texas and Rice to win championship after championship.

Swing both types and see for yourself. You’ll soon understand why America’s top teams go with the proven, stiff-handled bats of Louisville Slugger.

Texas – 2002 National Champions, Rice- 2003 National Champions Arizona – 2004, Cal State Fullerton - 2004 National Champions THE OFFICIAL BAT OF AMERICA’S PASTIME.

TM

www.slugger.com

Request No. 127

Booths 501 & 600

ABCA

2005 PREVIEW

Products on Display SCHUTT SPORTS 866-4 SCHUTT www.schuttsports.com Schutt Sports’ Coach’s Bag with Back Rest is a high-quality shoulder bag designed for comfort, with a cushioned seat and a supportive back rest. It also features a padded shoulder strap and a gripwrapped carry handle. This bag has compartments to store everything you need

to carry—your scorebook, headphones, cell phone, PDA, and water bottle. There’s even an insulated side Booths pocket for keeping 601,603, refreshments cool.

605,607 Visit Schutt’s Web site to see more quality products.

Circle No. 208

P.O. Box 18787 • Memphis, TN 38181 1-800-423-6603 • Fax: 901-743-6580 Email: miller@millernets.com Website: www.millernets.com Our Nets Are Custom Built of 100% Industrial Grade Nylon IF YOU WANT TO BE THE BEST, BUY FROM THE BEST Booths 609 & 611

Request No. 128

DYNAMIC TEAM SPORTS 800-437-6223 www.dynamicteamsports.com Dynamic Team Sports has introduced its Elite line of custom uniforms for baseball. The Elite Series offers an unlimited number of color combinations to choose from.

Team names, logos, and numbers are dyed directly into the fabric, so they Booths won’t fade, peel, or crack 651, 750 the way sticky silkscreens can, plus they’re lighter than heavy embroidered jerseys. Dynamic guarantees to never discontinue your uniform, so fill-ins are always available. For more information, contact your team uniform supplier.

Circle No. 209 Dynamic Team Sports offers a revolutionary line of custom uniforms called the Elite Series. The Elite Series has one very unique feature: all the artwork, logos, and numbers are sublimated into the garment’s lightweight and breathable fabric. This Booths eliminates the heavy, 651, 750 sticky silkscreens that can peel, crack, and fade over time. With an endless array of color combinations, Elite uniforms are personalized for your team, making them ideal for schools with unusual color schemes.

Circle No. 210

EARTH & TURF PRODUCTS 888-693-2638 www.earthandturf.com The Earth & Turf MultiSpread™ 200 spreads a variety of materials—topdressing for athletic fields, infield mix for baseball infields, chips for pathways, Booth 1023 and salt, sand, or grit for sidewalks and driveways.

Its capacity is 15 cubic feet, and it spreads over a width of up to five feet. The MultiSpread 200 is available with ground drive or hydraulic drive (shown). An optional loading chute facilitates loading with buckets up to 66 inches wide. An Booth 807

Request No. 129

ABCA

2005 PREVIEW

Products on Display available wing kit for the rear shield permits easy control of the spread width and direction.

Circle No. 211

DIGERONIMO AGGREGATES, LLC 888-593-0395 www.hayditegame-on.com Game-On is a brand new sports field soil conditioner that will not break your budget, but will provide excellent results. It’s a lightweight, expandedshale product that absorbs over 20 percent of its weight in water.

Game-On is more durable than clay and does not break down into fine particles.

Game-On is manufacBooth 646 tured in Cleveland, Ohio, and is available in bags or in bulk.

Circle No. 212

M.A.S.A., INC. 800-264-4519 www.MASA.com Poly Cap®, from M.A.S.A., was designed with both the players and the fans in mind. When applied to the top of a chainlink fence, Poly Cap covers the sharp barbs that can damage uniforms and cause player injuries. Its other advantages include field beautification, better visibility, and

increased durability for your fence. The product's optic-yellow color clearly defines the field for playBooths 620, 622 ers and umpires alike. Poly Cap is weather-treated and UV-protected with a patented formula to withstand the most severe conditions.

Circle No. 215

Game-On has introduced its newest product, Game-On Red. Game-On Red is an infield topdress with a brick red color, to give your field a finishing touch and that major-league look. This topdress product will give you a more consistent bounce, and the deep red color will allow your infielders to see the ball more easily.

Booth 646 Game-On Red is available in bags or in bulk.

Circle No. 213

HOOSIER BAT CO. 800-228-3787 www.hoosierbat.com Hoosier Bat Co. makes an all-ash bat that’s used by many major and minor league players, and a patented three-piece wood bat, the Woodforce 2000, that’s now NCAAapproved.

With ash in the handle, Booth 704 hickory in the sweet spot, and maple on the barrel end, this bat provides a solid sweet spot that will not flake, while retaining the same look and feel as a traditional all-ash bat. All Hoosier bats are made from quality wood and crafted to exacting standards.

Circle No. 214 Request No. 130

Booth 809 COACHING MANAGEMENT

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ABCA

2005 PREVIEW

Products on Display MARKWORT SPORTING GOODS 314-652-3757 www.markwort.com Heart-Gard® is a polyethylene guard designed to reduce Booth ball impact to the 725 chest area. It absorbs impact energy and directs that energy away from the heart. Heart-Gard’s size (6” x 6”) allows it to cover the vital area of the chest while not restricting movement. Children can play without the fear of getting hurt, allowing them to learn faster and with greater confidence.

Circle No. 216 Markwort Sporting Goods also offers the C-Flap guard, which features an innovative design that helps prevent facial injuries to batters. It mounts easily

Booth 1023

Booth 725

to the ear flap of the batting helmet, covering the side of the face that’s exposed to the pitcher without obstructing vision or air flow.

Circle No. 217

MASTER PITCHING MACHINE, INC. 800-878-8228 www.masterpitch.com

Plaza 621

The “Iron Mike” pitching machine features a throwing arm that lets the batter see a full wind-up before the ball is pitched, allowing him or her to better develop the fundamental

MIKEN SPORTS 877-807-5291 www.mikensports.com The Freak baseball bat was created using E-Flex technology, a process which generates maximum flex throughout the entire barrel. It harnesses as much energy as possible on impact with the ball, rather than losing it through unnecessary ball deformation. You have never swung a bat with a sweet Booth 924 spot as big as this one. The Freak has the most massive sweet spot of any bat ever

Request No. 131

Booth 850

32

skills used when facing a live pitcher.

That capability makes the “Iron Mike” the preferred pitching machine of professional and amateur players and coaches. All machines are self-feeding, include a remote control, and carry a manufacturer’s warranty.

Circle No. 218

COACHING MANAGEMENT

Request No. 132

ABCA

2005 PREVIEW

Products on Display made. Call Miken or visit the company Web site to learn more about this and many other top-quality baseball products.

Circle No. 219

MILLER NET CO., INC. 800-423-6603 www.millernets.com Miller uses industrial-grade nylon for nets that can be used indoors or out. Its specialty is building nets to customers’ exact specifications, using the highest-quality workmanship. Miller’s nets are available in four grades—lightweight, standard, heavy-duty, and extra Booths 609, 611 heavyduty—and in your choice of blue, green, or black. They’re UV-treated and abrasion resistant for excellent durability.

Circle No. 220

PITCHER’S MATE 270-586-6186 www.pitchers-mate.com Used by college and pro teams, Pitcher’s Mate is a great training aid for pitchers.

It offers a reversible life-size target, featuring a 5’10” baseball batter and a 5’4” softball batter. The target has a passthrough, four-section strike zone.

Constructed of tough material and a

stainless steel frame, the target weighs only 28 lbs. and is easy to set up and move.

Booth 519 Use it indoors or outdoors for serious off-season throwing practice.

Circle No. 223

MUHL TECH 888-766-8772 www.muhltech.com The Advanced Skills Tee is the most versatile, durable teaching tee available.

Molded of tough polyurethane, the forward arm and outside barrier enforce a tight, compact swing, eliminating “dipping” and “casting.” The unique brushcup ball holder is replaceable, and lasts two years Booth 209 or more under heavy use by high school and college teams, making it a great choice for everyday use. The Advanced Skills Tee is used by over 1,200 high school and college programs.

Circle No. 221 The Power Bag from Muhl Tech has a unique design that allows the hitter to strike the foam-filled, polyurethanecovered bag and still finish the swing. This develops strength in the hands and arms and promotes proper follow-through. Use it to develop greater strength on contact for more “pop” on the ball. The Power Bag Booth 209 comes complete with mounting brackets that attach to most poles three inches or smaller. Larger brackets are available upon request. An indoor stand is available for winter training.

Circle No. 222

Challenger Industries has the most durable, popular, and affordable synthetic turf baseball products on the market today. We offer hitting mats, pitching mats, and fungo/on-deck circles, as well as a turf for batting cages and complete fields. We have the products, experience, and staff to handle any need that you may have.

For samples, brochures, or more information, please contact us.

Request No. 133

Booth 244

ABCA

2005 PREVIEW

Products on Display POWER SYSTEMS, INC. 800-321-6975 www.power-systems.com Improve forearm and wrist strength and flexibility with Booths 248, 250 Power Systems’ Premium Forearm Exerciser.

Progress is achieved by adding resistance,

1/2 lb. at a time, using custom chrome plates. It’s ideal for wrist and forearm rehabilitation. The set includes the forearm exerciser, seven 1/2 lb. plates, and a carry bag.

Circle No. 224 For explosive lateral training in a limited space, Power Systems has designed the Wall Lateral Plyo Box. Place this sturdy training tool against a solid wall and adjust the angle of incline to vary intensity. The

Better Baseball

TM

Your Complete Baseball Supply Headquarters We specialize in secure online sales of sporting goods and sports equipment for individuals, teams, and schools.

• Netting • Baseballs • Bags • Bats • Gloves • Field Equip.

• Mounds • Softballs • Bases & Plates • Batting Cages • Pitching Machines • Training Aids/Books/Videos

Quick service and quality products are our trademark.

We have been in business since 1993. We have 10,000 customers, and we would be honored to add you to our list! We ship by UPS and get most orders out in 24 hours, so come join our team, and help us play BetterBaseball!

platform angle can Booths 248, 250 be set at 25, 35, or

45 degrees for targeting multiple patterns of movement to increase lateral agility, speed, and endurance. The 14-gauge, one-inch steel box has a reinforced non-slip surface and a rubber bottom to protect floors.

Circle No. 225

PRO LOOK SPORTS 800-PRO LOOK www.prolooksports.com Pro Look Sports has become the fastest growing team sportswear company for one reason: fully custom, quality uniforms.

Most companies limit your choices to a few styles made from sub-par materials.

Pro Look’s uniforms are made of the finest materials available—cut, trimmed, and sewn to your exact specifications. There are no additional Booths 303, charges for embroi305, 307 dered logos or soft tackle-twill names and numbers. Additionally, all work is backed by an unprecedented two-year guarantee.

If you can think it, Pro Look Sports will do it for one low price. Go Pro. Circle No. 226 “Just wanted to let you know that we received our uniforms today, and they look fantastic. Thanks for everything. The kids are extremely excited. I will be in touch regarding my summer team.”

—Keith Williams, Head Baseball Coach, Rutgers-Camden. If Booths 303, you want to feel the same way about your 305, 307 team’s uniforms, call Pro Look Sports and work with the best.

Circle No. 227

PRO’S CHOICE® 800-648-1166 www.oildri.com

1-800-997-4233 www.betterbaseball.com Booth 428

Request No. 134

For premium performance and a color that will set your field apart, choose the Soilmaster Select Series from Pro’s Choice.

2005 PREVIEW

ABCA

Products on Display Scientifically engineered to meet daily maintenance challenges Plaza 439 and give your field a professional look, Soilmaster Select is the top choice of many groundskeepers for building and maintaining winning ballfields.

Available in four distinct colors (red, green, brown, and charcoal), the uniform granules in Soilmaster Select manage moisture and alleviate compaction to keep your field in top playing condition.

Circle No. 228 Plaza 439

Pro Mound® packing clay from Pro’s Choice is the choice of professional teams, universities, municipalities, and youth leagues worldwide. When used on the mound and in the batter’s box area, it bonds to form a solid sub-surface

foundation that allows the pitcher and batter to dig in and establish firm footing without creating large wear holes. Pro Mound installs quickly, and more importantly, it lasts. Experience safer playing conditions and reduced mound and batter’s box maintenance.

Circle No. 229

PROMATS, INC. 800-678-6287 www.promats.com Promats has supplied protective wall padding for teams or stadiums with affiliations in Major League Baseball, the NBA, the NFL, the CFL, minor league baseball, World Cup soccer, arena football, college baseball, college softball, and college football.

Over 350 stadiBooth 809 ums in the U.S. contain Promats’ protective field wall padding products. Each facility is unique in

its needs, and Promats offers many different types of padding to fill those needs.

Call Promats and have the company design a padding system that will work for you.

Circle No. 230 Promats, the leader in stadium field wall padding with nearly 400 major installations worldwide, has introduced a revolutionary new field wall pad that utilizes superior SKYDEX™ Smarter Cushioning materials. Promats field Booth wall pads with SKYDEX 809 technology are much more durable, almost 60 percent lighter, and more impact-absorbent than standard pads. Like all Promats products, Promats field wall pads with SKYDEX can be customized for your stadium or arena. Call a Promats representative to learn more about this exciting new product.

Circle No. 231

Does Your Grass Need Plastic Surgery?

Sporturf has all the options !

• Full TrueGrass Synthetic Fields • Artificial Turf Halos • Over 3500 International Dealers • Baseball and Golf Stance Mats Buy Direct at

www.sporturf.com/factory-outlet Request No. 135

Booth 837

Request No. 136

Booth 938

COACHING MANAGEMENT

35

Booths 303, 305 & 307

Request No. 137

ABCA

2005 PREVIEW

Products on Display SEATING SERVICES 800-552-9470 www.seatingservices.com Series 3000 Cardinal Model chairs are blow-molded and gravity tip, and they have no springs or pins. This saves money in three ways: The chairs are less expensive to manufacBooth 115 ture, install, and maintain. They were designed for installation on concrete or steel/aluminum grandstands, and seat widths can range from 18 to 22 inches. A wide variety of colors and options make the Series 3000 Cardinal Model an excellent choice for keeping fans comfortable, and for providing VIP seating that can be used for fundraising.

Circle No. 232

SWIFT STIK 877-845-7845 www.swiftstik.com

SOUTHERN ATHLETIC FIELDS 800-837-8062 www.mulemix.com

Swift Stik is the fastest way to improve your swing. This easy-to-use, lightweight training bat is great for baseball and softball, letting you take hundreds of extra swings. Swift Stik improves handeye coordination, builds muscle memory, helps increase bat speed, and teaches the hitter to hit the “sweet spot.”

Swift Stik is endorsed by professional hitting instructor Mike Epstein and University of Tennessee Baseball Coach Rod Delmonico. It is available in 34” and 30” sizes and has a patented, adjustable foam sweet spot. Swift Stik is packaged with an instructional video and four golf ball-sized Wiffle® balls.

This product should be Booths 238, 240 used only with tennis, Wiffle, or soft foam balls.

Circle No. 233

Infield “Pro Groomer”

TM

www.Infield-Drag.com “Pro Groomer”TM now available with electric lift.

Heying Co. has introduced an electric lift option for the PR72-E “Pro Groomer”TM. The electric lift allows the operator to adjust the machine “on-the-fly” from the seat of the towing machine, saving time and hassle. You won’t need three-point hitch or hydraulics so you can pull the groomer with a variety of different machines.

Southern Athletic Fields (SAF) specializes in a Bay 933 wide variety of quality field products.

Some of these products include: infield mixes, mound and packing clays, soil conditioners/calcined clays, drying agents, infield topdressing, warning track materials, and fieldmaintenance accessories. SAF is the onestop source that has everything you need to keep your fields in top shape.

Circle No. 234

YOUR “ONE-STOP SOURCE” FOR AMERICA’S BASEBALL & SPORTS TURF SURFACES & SUPPLIES!

PR72-E “Pro Groomer”TM

Also available with manual lift.

THE PROFESSIONAL'S CHOICE . . . SINCE 1922

Keep your fields level, well-groomed and in safe playing condition. Use on Infields, warning tracks, granular running tracks, etc. It cuts off high areas, keeps material mixed, fills in low areas, and breaks up hard-compacted surfaces all with one machine! Also use to spread new material. Saves labor, reduces water puddling problems, weeds, etc. 6 ft. wide. Steel welded construction.

Articulated tongue and hitch adjust quickly and easily. Very functional and great features including “No tools needed to adjust”.

Drag Mat attachment option also available. Complete info. available on our web site.

PR72-E,25,a Complete Info. at: www.Infield-Drag.com Heying Co. 515 6th Ave. Alton, Iowa 51003 Ph. (712) 756-8847

Request No. 138

USED BY OVER 100 PRO TEAMS! PLUS 8 OF THE LAST 10 WORLD SERIES CHAMPS, OVER 700 COLLEGES, AND THOUSANDS OF TOWNS & SCHOOLS WORLDWIDE!

800-247-BEAM

908-637-4191 / FAX 908-637-8421 REGIONAL INFIELD MIXES & WARNING TRACKS BLENDED FOR EVERY STATE & CLIMATE FROM OVER 20 BULK PLANTS NATIONWIDE! “The best infield mix I’ve ever used!”

— GEORGE TOMA Request No. 139 COACHING MANAGEMENT

37

ABCA

2005 PREVIEW

Products on Display Booths 509, 511

SPORTS ATTACK 800-717-4251 www.sportsattack.com The Hack Attack baseball pitching machine’s exclusive design allows the hitter to see the ball clearly all the way through the feeding motion, acceleration, and release, just like a live pitcher. The Hack Attack throws unmatched right- and left-handed major league fastballs and breaking pitches,

including curve balls, sliders, sinkers, and knuckleballs. It can instantly be set up for fungo work or for throwing grounders, long fly balls, deep line drives, towering infield popups, or popups up-and-back for your catcher, with real game-like back spin.

Circle No. 235

Request No. 140

Sports Attack has introduced the Track Attack vision training machine, a quality year-round majorleague training tool for hitters. Track Attack uses soft, limited-flight pitching machine balls that are 20 percent Booths 509, 511 smaller than baseballs. It’s a valuable hitting station that forces hitters to track and focus on the center of the ball. It makes the head stay down, causing the front shoulder and hips to stay in. Use it on any surface, indoors or out, in the gym, on the field, or at home. A ball feeder is also available.

Circle No. 236

SPORTS TUTOR 800-448-8867 www.sportsmachines.com The new HomePlate machine from Sports Tutor is the first programmable pitching machine designed for both batting cage and on-field use. The HomePlate machine can simulate almost any pitcher you are likely to face. It can Bay 455 throw a 90 mph fastball, followed by a 75 mph curve, followed by a change-up, followed by a slider, with only seven seconds between pitches. You can store up to eight different pitches in each of eight different programs.

HomePlate models start at $2,995.

Circle No. 237

SPORTURF 800-798-1056 www.sporturf.com Sporturf was founded in 1976 and reigns as the oldest owner-operated turf manufacturer in the world. The company provides the stability Booth 938 and experience you demand. Sporturf manufactures All Sport, a synthetic turf made with monofilament polypropylene yarn designed to withstand steel spikes. Sporturf also offers rings of turf to surround home plate areas, custom logos for synthetic fields, batter’s box area mats, field covers and protectors, and several other types of synthetic turf for baseball facilities.

Circle No. 238

Booth 122 & 124

Request No. 141

SPI NETS, INC. 866-243-6387 www.spinets.net SPI Nets is a fullservice net building facility. The company carries a Booth 650 complete line of quality practice nets for baseball and softball training, all of which are made in the U.S. SPI Nets makes quality nylon batting cage nets, protective practice screens, impact netting, and barrier netting, all fully customizable. SPI also offers installation, and accessories for your practice nets.

Circle No. 239

STABILIZER SOLUTIONS, INC. 800-336-2468 www.stabilizersolutions.com Hilltopper, from Stabilizer Solutions, offers a unique combination of long-lasting binders and natural clay that produces a flexible, stable compound for mounds and home plate Booth 808 areas. Hilltopper provides optimum cohesion right out of the bag. It does not need water—just spread and tamp, and it’s ready to go: no mud, no dust. Installation and repairs take half the time of traditional clay products.

Circle No. 240

STALKER RADAR 888-STALKER www.stalkerradar.com The ultra high-performance Stalker Sport radar gun precisely measures the speed of a baseball as it leaves the pitcher’s hand, and also reads the speed as it crosses the plate. These speeds can differ by up to 12 mph. The Stalker Sport is three times more Booth powerful than any 950 other sports radar gun, and can accurately clock pitches from over 300 feet away. A new double-capacity battery handle is available, providing up to 40 hours of use between charges. All Major League Baseball teams use the Stalker Sport.

Circle No. 241

Customer Testimonial

Customer Testimonial

Game-On Launches New Sports Field Soil Conditioner

The Power in Human Performance

If you haven’t heard, Game-On is a new sports field soil conditioner that offers great results at a great price. The product line includes soil conditioners, drying agents, and a brick-red topdressing product.

“After renovating our toughest fields with Game-On, all I can say is WOW!” Jack Castle Department of Recreation & Parks Columbus, OH Here are just some of GAME-ON’s satisfied customers: Ashland University - Ashland, OH Cuyahoga Community College Cleveland, OH North Baltimore H.S. - North Baltimore, OH Carmel Dad’s Club - Carmel, IN Cleveland State University - Cleveland, OH Shaw H.S. - East Cleveland, OH Grove City Parks - Grove City, OH Pike H.S. - Indianapolis, IN Clay Jr. H.S. - Carmel, IN Pickerington Youth Athletic Assoc. Pickerington, OH Linden McKinley H.S. - Columbus, OH Derry Field Schools - Manchester, NH Westerville Central H.S. - Westerville, OH City of Independence - Independence, OH Mendota H.S. - Mendota, IL Culp Landscape - Connellsville, PA Recreation Assoc. of Highland - Hinckley, OH Pickerington H.S. - Pickerington, OH Reardan-Edwell School Dist. - Reardan, WA Ridgeville Christian H.S. - Springboro, OH Frazier Field - Pickerington, OH

The award-winning Keiser Corporation has been manufacturing pneumatic resistance equipment since 1978. The company’s #1 line of quality, low impact, pneumatic “air” resistance equipment was first used by athletes as a safe new way to build strength and power, and improve performance in professional sports. Today, Keiser is utilized by a wide variety of people, including athletes, fitness enthusiasts, and older adults in rehabilitation and hospital settings.

Athletes Performance - Tempe, AZ Home Depot Center - Carson, CA Boston Red Sox - Boston, MA Oakland Raiders - Oakland, CA Houston Rockets - Houston, TX Philadelphia Flyers - Philadelphia, PA Philadelphia Phillies - Philadelphia, PA Synergy Fitness & Sports - Lake Forest, IL University of South Florida - Tampa, FL Seatle Seahawks - Kirkland, WA Berkshire Community College Pittsfield, MA Lawrenceville School - Lawrenceville, NJ National Institute of Career Development Bloomington, MN FBI Academy - Quantico, VA University of Texas - Austin, TX California State at Fullerton - Fullerton, CA Harmon Golf Center - Rockland, MA Tampa Bay Devil Rays - Tampa, FL

Game-On 8900 Hemlock Rd., Independence, OH 44131 888-593-0395

Keiser Corporation 2470 South Cherry Ave., Fresno, CA 93706 800-888-7009

WWW.HAYDITEGAME-ON.COM

WWW.KEISER.COM

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spins as you pull it. Self propelled, works like magic.

■ Moves material sideways to fill

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■ Ideal for conditioning tough,

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■ 7' or 8' sizes, no power needed

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The STALKER SPORT is the World’s #1 High Performance Sports Radar – Able to Measure the Speed of Almost Anything. It’s the Only Truly Accurate Way to Measure Speed.

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Booth 950

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PAGE NO.

A-Turf . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Aer-Flo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IBC Astute Educational Services . . . . . 16 Atlantic Bat Company . . . . . . . . . . 32 Bassco Sporting Goods . . . . . . . . 4-5 Beacon Athletics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Best Western. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 BetterBaseball. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 BWP Bats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Challenger Industries. . . . . . . . . . . 33 Diamond Pro. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Dynamic Team Sports . . . . . . . . . . BC Earth & Turf. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 eFundraising.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Game-On Field Conditioner . . . . . 24 Gatorade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Granada Pitching . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Heying Company (Infield Drag) . . . . . 37 Hoosier Bat Company . . . . . . . . . . 42 Louisville Slugger . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Louisville Slugger (TPX) . . . . . . . . . . 29 M.A.S.A. Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Markwort Sporting Goods. . . . . . . 23 Master Pitching Machine . . . . . . . . 41 Miken . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IFC Millcreek Manufacturing . . . . . . . . 40 Miller Net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

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Muhl Tech . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 NSCA (Sport-Specific Conference) . . . . . 21 Partac/Beam Clay . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Pitcher’s Mate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Praying Mantis (Akadema) . . . . . . . . 38 Pro Look Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Pro Look Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Pro’s Choice Field Products . . . . . . 14 Promats. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 ProMounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 SafeTGard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Schutt Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Seating Services, Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . 25 Southern Athletic Fields . . . . . . . . 22 SPI Nets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Sports Attack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Sports Tutor (HomePlate) . . . . . . . . . . 7 Sporturf. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Stabilizer Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Stalker Radar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Swift Stik (PIK Products) . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Turfco . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Vantage Products Int’l. . . . . . . . . . . 6 WeatherBeater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Xvest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Zingbat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

PRODUCTS DIRECTORY CIRCLE NO.

Request No. 142

Stalker Radar

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FA C TU RI N G

1-800-311-1323

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Request No. 143

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A-Turf . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Aer-Flo (Bunt Zone Infield Protector) . . . 28 Aer-Flo (Wind Weighted Tarps) . . . . . . . 28 Akadema (Funnel glove) . . . . . . . . . . 44 Akadema (Professional Spikes) . . . . . . . 45 Astute Educational (hitting drills) . . . . 44 Astute Educational (professional swing) 28 Atlantic Bat Company . . . . . . . . . . 44 Bassco . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Beacon Athletics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Best Western. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 BetterBaseball. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 BWP Bats (Mr. Nasty) . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 BWP Bats (Pro Select) . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Challenger Industries (baseball turf) . . 44 Challenger Industries (DURAPlay) . . . 28 Country Stone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Country Stone (Redfield) . . . . . . . . . 44 Diamond Pro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 DiGeronimo Aggregates (Game-On) . . . 31 DiGeronimo Aggregates (Game-On Red) . 31 Dynamic Team Sports . . . . . . . . . . 30 Dynamic Team Sports (Elite Series) . . 30 Earth & Turf (24D TruFlow) . . . . . . . . . 45 Earth & Turf (MultiSpread 200) . . . . . . 30 eFundraising.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Grand Slam Pitching Machine . . . . 45 Heying Company (Infield Drag) . . . . . 47 Hoosier Bat Company . . . . . . . . . . 31 Louisville Slugger (Catcher’s Gear) . . . 45 Louisville Slugger (Warrior) . . . . . . . . 44 M.A.S.A. Products . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Markwort (C-Flap guard) . . . . . . . . . . 32 Markwort (Heart-Gard) . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Master Pitching Machine . . . . . . . 32 Miken . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Millcreek Manufacturing . . . . . . . . 47 Miller Net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Muhl Tech (Advanced Skills Tee). . . . . . 32

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Muhl Tech (Power Bag) . . . . . . . . .

NSCA (manual). . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

NSCA (video) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Partac/Beam Clay . . . . . . . . . . .

Pitcher’s Mate . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Power Systems (catalog) . . . . . . .

Power Systems (Forearm Exerciser) .

Power Systems (Plyo Box) . . . . . . .

Power Systems (VersaDisc Pro) . . . .

Pro Look Sports (testimonial) . . . . .

Pro Look Sports (uniforms) . . . . . .

Pro’s Choice (Pro Mound) . . . . . . .

Pro’s Choice (Soilmaster Select) . . .

Promats (field wall pad) . . . . . . . . .

Promats (protective wall padding) . . .

Russell Athletic (placket jersey) . . .

Russell Athletic (Pull-Over) . . . . . .

SafeTGard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Schutt Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Seating Services (Series 3000) . . . .

Seating Services (Series 3500) . . . .

Southern Athletic Fields . . . . . .

SPI Nets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Sports Attack (Hack Attack) . . . . . .

Sports Attack (Track Attack) . . . . . .

Sports Tutor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Sporturf. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Stabilizer Solutions . . . . . . . . . .

Stalker Radar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Swift Stik (PIK Products) . . . . . . . . .

Turfco (Edge-R-Rite) . . . . . . . . . . .

Turfco (Mete-R-Matic XL). . . . . . . . .

Vantage Products Int’l. . . . . . . .

WeatherBeater . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Xvest (Don Chu) . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Xvest (Fire Fighter model) . . . . . . . .

Zingbat (isolation trainer) . . . . . . . .

Zingbat (“trainer” series) . . . . . . . .

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American Baseball Coaches Association 108 South University Avenue Suite #3 Mt. Pleasant, MI 48858-2327 Web site: www.abca.org

Phone: (949) 775-3300 Fax: (949) 775-3600 E-mail: abca@abca.org

In 1945, a group of college baseball coaches gathered in New York City to formulate ideas for the promotion and improvement of collegiate baseball. That group founded what is known today as the American College Baseball Coaches Association. Over the past 50 years, the association has grown to include membership in every division of amateur baseball and is recognized as the world’s largest baseball association.

The main objective of the ABCA is educational in nature, helping to improve the level of coaching. The ABCA helps to promote rapport among the coaches and the divisions within baseball and recognizes deserving players and coaches through several sponsorship/award programs.

Membership for the ABCA is only $30 per year for US residents, $35 for Canadian members, and $40 for others. All membership must be paid on US money orders or checks drawn from US banks.

2005 ABCA NEW MEMBER FORM

I wish to: (circle one)

Name Title Address

Renew my membership Change my address Join as a new member

Office Use Only Check # Invoice Date

Please Circle Association: NCAA I NCAA II NCAA III YOUTH ACAD CANADA

School/Organization Phone No.

NAIA SCOUT

NJCAA HS PRO INT’L

Years Coached Fax No.

Check CC#

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Signature

Request No. 145 Request No. 144

Plaza 621

Booth 808 COACHING MANAGEMENT

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2005 PREVIEW

Products on Display TURFCO MANUFACTURING 800-679-8201 www.turfco.com Unlike traditional rotary edgers, the Turfco Edge-R-Rite’s unique oscillating blade cuts turf without throwing debris, making it Booths cleaner and safer to 706, 708, use in high-traffic 710 areas. It eliminates spade or shovel edging and leaves a professional-looking edge. The right-angle blade edges baseball diamonds, golf course bunkers, and flower beds. Additional blades can be added to edge sidewalks, curbs, and driveways, and to make cuts for drainage or install all sorts of edging. Depth control can be easily adjusted up to four inches. The Edge-R-Rite is built with a solid-steel frame and a traction-assist drive.

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The Turfco Mete-R-Matic® XL tow-type topdresser offers increased hopper capacity to cover larger turf areas on sports fields. It combines Turfco’s patented Mete-RMatic chevron Booths 706, 708, 710 belt design and ground drive system to ensure even distribution of topdressing materials, regardless of moisture content or vehicle speed. As a result, the Mete-R-Matic XL is the easiest to use, most consistent large-area topdresser available. With a hopper capacity of 2.25 cubic yards (1.72 cubic meters), it can carry a load of up to 6,000 lbs.

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TXI/DIAMOND PRO 800-228-2987 www.diamondpro.com

professional groundskeeping products: infield conditioners, calcined clay, mound and homeplate clay, bricks, marking dust, and infield and warning track mixes.

The company offers fast and convenient delivery.

Diamond Pro’s vitrified red clay Plaza 615 infield conditioner is available in bulk nationwide, and is easy to handle and apply.

Truckloads are available in 10-, 15-, and 24-ton loads that save you both time and money. Create an all-around safe and professional infield playing surface for your team.

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Diamond Pro offers a complete line of

HOME RUN, LLC d/b/a

HOOSIER BAT COMPANY Fast becoming THE name for bats.

We have what the players want!

WOOD FUNGO Guaranteed Never to Flake!! With No Taping Required!

GAME BATS Major League Stock • Minor League Stock

WOODFORCE 2000 Hickory Hitting Area – No Taping Required Game Use Approval for: Short Season A and Rookie League NCAA BESR CERTIFIED

28 B.P. 3-Piece Bat for One Hand, Soft Toss and T drills

ORDER YOURS TODAY 1-800-BAT-ERUP (1-800-228-3787) FAX (219)465-0877 • e-mail: baseball@netnitco.net

www.hoosierbat.com Booth 704

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Request No. 146

COACHING MANAGEMENT

Booth 547

Request No. 147

ABCA

2005 PREVIEW

Products on Display VANTAGE PRODUCTS INTN’L. 800-244-4457 www.vpisports.com VPI now offers the Big Bubba professional portable batting cage. The Big Bubba is the premium choice for high school, collegiate, and profesPlaza 233 sional baseball programs who want top quality and great value. The heavy-duty aluminum construction, easy portability, and collapsible design make it the perfect backstop for any level. It is 18’ wide x 22’ deep x 12’ high, and collapses to just five feet high for storage. Relocation is made simple with 16-inch pneumatic wheels, and 42 feet of ricochet cushioning minimizes ball rebound. Use the coach’s observation bar for safe, elevated viewing.

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WEATHERBEATER® BY COLORADO LINING INTN’L. 888-546-4641 www.coloradolining.com The big tournament is this weekend.

You’ve been planning for months. Hundreds are expected. And rain is in the forecast for the next few days. What you need is WeatherBeater’s Workhorse baseball field cover.

Fabricated from 12-mil white tarpaulin with a user-friendly perimeter rope hem and gusseted lift loops, it’s the best field cover on the market. Contact a WeatherBeater specialist for more information. WeatherBeater: Anything less is just a tarp.

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ZINGBAT 866-ZINGBAT (946-4228) www.zingbat.com Zingbat™ recently introduced the new “16 oz.” one-hand isolation trainer. The batter can now practice lead-arm and top-hand drills to isolate proper arm path and hand action. With each swing, the isolation trainer forces the arm to take the correct path, keeping the hand inside the ball. The wrist must snap the barrel at the correct moment, or the patented Zingbat “click” will occur before contact. Coaches and Booth players across the coun807 try are welcoming this new addition to the Zingbat line. Call for a free instructional video or see a demo on the company’s Web site.

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Request No. 149 Request No. 148

Booth 650

Booth 341 COACHING MANAGEMENT

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ABCA

2005 PREVIEW New Products Debuting Get a jump on scoping out hot new products making their debut in Nashville.

AKADEMA® PROFESSIONAL 973-772-7669 www.akademapro.com Akadema® Professional, the company responsible for the most innovative new glove designs in recent years, has done it again with the new Funnel™ glove.

Akadema’s latest design meets the needs of the growing number of professional infielders who bend the thumb and pinky fingers of their gloves outward. The design of the Funnel is like no other, with patent-pending FleXion slits in the thumb and pinky that enable the glove to remain open in its natural state. Because the Funnel retains its unique V shape, it offers maximum fielding surface for those hard ground balls up the middle, or those two-hoppers in the hole.

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ATLANTIC BAT CO. 978-531-4857 www.atlanticbat.com Atlantic Bat Co. is the manufacturer of Chautauqua Bats, the highest-quality wood baseball bats available on the market today, and the choice of many baseball players at all levels. All Chautauqua bats are hand-turned, double dipped, and carefully dried in the company’s special drying rooms. This process provides the hardest finish available, using today’s technology for tomorrow’s success. Quality maple baseball bats are the smart choice for practice and competition. Atlantic offers both maple and ash bats, a safer alternative to many of the aluminum bats on the market.

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ASTUTE EDUCATIONAL SERVICES, INC. 866-317-0141 www.astuteed.net/prostyle The new video by John Mallee, Teaching Hitting Drills Pro Style, is an exceptional collection of drills put together in a superb teaching sequence to help hitters reach their full potential. The video begins with Mallee explaining the seven progressive steps he uses to teach hitters to master his hitting concepts. Then, he delves into a number of key hitting topics, such as early stride separation, top-hand pronation, and fungo drills.

This video should be required viewing for hitters and hitting coaches at all levels.

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CHALLENGER INDUSTRIES, INC. 800-334-8873 www.challengerind.com Challenger offers the new TT33 baseball field turf (shown above). The latest in synthetic turf technology, it's great for covering the entire field, foul ball areas, or just the infield. The company also offers the “Permanent” home plate mat, with inlaid batter's box lines and home plate. With this product, you'll no longer need to re-paint season after season. The new “Permanent” home plate mat will be made with the same high-quality athletic turf as before, complete with a 5 mm urethane cushion.

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COUNTRY STONE, INC. 260-837-9049 Country Stone introduces a product that creates a new era in warning track aesthetics and performance. Redfield is already favored at several pro ball fields for its dark red color, excellent drainage, low maintenance, and stability.

Redfield’s natural hue maintains its brilliance and enriches fields through its excellent color contrast with existing fences and turf areas. Call the company for samples and additional information.

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LOUISVILLE SLUGGER 800-282-2287 www.slugger.com Louisville Slugger has partnered once again with Alcoa, the leading supplier of aluminum bat tubing, to create Warrior™, the newest and strongest bat alloy ever offered in Louisville Slugger TPX® bats. Warrior is featured in the 2005 TPX bat lineup, and was used by TPX teams at the 2004 College World Series. The ultra-strong Warrior alloy is available in the Warrior and Air Warrior bat models, in adult, senior league, and youth versions, and in the Warrior Power Hitter model, available in senior league and youth versions.

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ABCA

AKADEMA® PROFESSIONAL 973-772-7669 www.akademapro.com

COUNTRY STONE, INC. 260-837-9049

Akadema® Professional, most famous for its innovative glove designs, takes baseball to a whole new level with the introduction of lightweight, all-leather Professional Spikes. These spikes eliminate the bulky feeling often associated with baseball spikes, enabling players to increase performance and look good doing it.

Professional Spikes weigh just 13 ounces, and feature a full synthetic leather upper and an aggressive combination of metal and molded-spike technology. They come equipped with a full-length molded sock liner for added comfort.

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Country Stone is pleased to introduce a new look for infields. Redfield topdressing and conditioner offers a deep, dark red color that can improve the appearance of any existing field. With proper grading, Redfield will reduce rainouts by allowing excess water to filter through the surface, helping maintain a firm, playable field with little maintenance required. Call Country Stone for samples and additional information.

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GRAND SLAM PITCHING MACHINE 800-GRAND SLAM www.agrandslam.com

BWP BATS 814-849-0089 www.bwpbats.com

Grand Slam is the most effective pitching machine on the market for developing a hitter’s hand-eye coordination. Its reservoir holds up to 100 golf ball-sized Wiffle® balls and fires a pitch every eight seconds. Each pitch is guaranteed to hit the strike zone, but in varying locations. Standing 16-20 feet from the Grand Slam, a hitter can experience pitches of over 90 mph. The pitch speed is adjustable. The Grand Slam is great for indoor and outdoor practice and is safe to use. Powered by a durable blower motor, the Grand Slam will last for years, because there are no moving wheels to wear down.

The product includes 48 golf ball-sized Wiffle balls and comes with a three-month satisfaction guarantee.

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Many players requested a maple bat with an extra-large full barrel and a flared, thin handle, and BWP Bats has responded with the 2005 Mr. Nasty hard maple wood bat. This bat is endloaded and guaranteed to bring meat to the table. Mr. Nasty comes with a cupped or non-cupped end, and is available in four sizes: 32”, 33”, 33.5”, and 34”. BWP products are available at over 350 retail locations throughout North America. Visit the company’s Web site to locate your most convenient source.

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2005 PREVIEW

EARTH & TURF PRODUCTS, LLC 888-693-2638 www.earthandturf.com Earth & Turf Products announces the release of its new model 24D TruFlow™, a push-type topdresser for spreading dry, flowable materials. The TruFlow features a three cubic-foot capacity, a dispersal drum that's eight inches in diameter, and a spreading pattern 24 inches wide. It also has an adjustable front gate opening, and a simple four-wheel design. It rolls on 4.80/4.00-8 drive tires and 4.00-6 transport tires.

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LOUISVILLE SLUGGER 800-282-2287 www.slugger.com Louisville Slugger has made a technological leap in catcher’s equipment with its new state-of-the-art Bionic Catcher’s Gear. The idea behind this revolutionary gear is to utilize anatomical design for function and performance in mitts, inner gloves, chest protectors, and shin guards. “In addition to studying the anatomy of the hands, legs, chest, and shoulders, we talked to and worked with numerous catchers to get their feedback on what is most comfortable for them, while providing the best protection. The result is Bionic Catcher’s Gear,” says co-developer Dr. Jim Kleinert.

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ABCA

2005 PREVIEW New Products Debuting Get a jump on scoping out hot new products making their debut in Nashville.

POWER SYSTEMS, INC. 800-321-6975 www.power-systems.com Extreme balance, extreme challenge, and extreme versatility for sport-specific and functional training can be yours with the Power Systems VersaDisc Pro. It delivers two levels of balance training in one unique tool. Use it with the flat side down for intermediate balance training, then put the round side down for advanced work.

Intensify core strength while targeting large muscle groups and the auxiliary stabilizing muscles that are often overlooked during workouts. The air filled cushion can be used for standing, sitting, stepping, lying, and kneeling movements. Incorporate medicine balls, dumbbells, and weighted bars for sport-specific workouts and rehabilitation.

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SEATING SERVICES 800-552-9470 www.seatingservices.com Seating Services, manufacturer of quality stadium chairs, has introduced the Cardinal Model Series 3500 tip-up chair for use in settings with narrow row spacing—as narrow as 27 inches. These blow-molded chairs are gravity tip. They have no springs or pins, which saves money in three ways: The chairs are less expensive to manufacture, install, and maintain. They are designed for installation on concrete or steel/aluminum grandstands. Seat widths can range from 18-22 inches. Many available colors and options make these an excellent way to seat more fans in a limited space.

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ZINGBAT™ 866-ZINGBAT www.zingbat.com Zingbat™ has introduced the new “trainer” series of the Zingbat line. This economically-priced version of the regular “pro” series Zingbat is ideal for youth players. This new trainer allows the batter to learn basic swing mechanics. The “composite Zingbat trainer” comes in one length and weight (30 inches, 17 ounces), while the aluminum “pro” series can be customized to meet specific length and weight requirements. Call today for a free instructional CD or video.

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Web News GAME-ON PRODUCTS FOR ATHLETIC FIELDS FEATURED ON THE WEB Visit the GAME-ON Web site for information on quality sports field products. Read product specs and descriptions, and view an animated demonstration that illustrates how the GAME-ON system can improve your field’s performance. Full-color brochures in PDF format are available on the site for viewing and downloading. www.hayditegame-on.com MIZUNO OFFERS A COMPLETE WEB RESOURCE FOR BASEBALL PRODUCTS Mizuno, the World’s number-one baseball company, has a comprehensive Web site with information on its entire line of high-performance baseball gloves, bats, batting gloves, catcher’s gear, footwear, apparel, bags, and accessories. Visit the site for product information, company news, instructions on choosing the right equipment, tips on glove care, a listing of Mizuno’s Major League Baseball staff ambassadors, information on Mizuno’s “Dare to Dream” tour, and more. Mizuno combines the finest materials in the world with hand craftsmanship and revolutionary designs to help players of all abilities perform at their very best. www.mizunousa.com SWIFT STIK’S IMPROVED SITE OFFERS MORE TESTIMONIALS AND PRODUCTS PIK Products has added more testimonials to its Web site, with audio testimonials right on the home page. They highlight just some of the positive feedback that PIK has received from coaches and customers worldwide, to help visitors better recognize the benefits of the company’s products. The site also features a 60-second commercial that reviews the Swift Stik and how it is used, as well as more new products at competitive prices. The site has an easy ordering system, too. www.swiftstik.com ORDER STALKER RADAR PRODUCTS ON-LINE THROUGH AMAZON FROM STALKER’S SITE Stalker Radar, maker of the world’s most popular high-performance sports radar system, now allows you to place on-line orders for its line of quality products. The company’s Web site also offers a detailed brochure on the Stalker SPORT and an on-line version of its owner’s manual. See testimonials from professionals who use Stalker products and read about the SpeedGrabber software package, which makes Stalker’s radar gun an even more valuable tool for tracking your pitchers’ performance. www.stalkerradar.com/sports_sport.shtml FIELD MAINTENANCE COMPANY UPDATES SITE, LISTS DISTRIBUTORS Diamond Pro recently updated its list of distributors and revamped its Web site, allowing customers to quickly locate their local distributor.

Visit the site, click on the Distributors button (located on the left side of the home page), choose your state from the map, and your nearest distributor will appear. Diamond Pro has also expanded its interactive Ask the Pros page to include professional groundskeepers from around the United States. This gives you a local reference to whom you may direct your groundskeeping questions. These new features assure that you receive the best, most specific answer to your questions based on your location. www.diamondpro.com

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More Products HERE ARE SOME PRODUCTS NOT DISPLAYED AT THE ABCA CONVENTION THAT YOU SHOULD ALSO CONSIDER AS YOU PREPARE FOR YOUR UPCOMING SEASON. Bassco 800-250-4923 WWW.BASSCO.COM Bassco Sporting Goods was acquired in July

by Sport Chalet, creating one of the largest team dealer groups in the country.

Since its founding in 1959, Sport Chalet has evolved into a national leader in athletic equipment sales. As a result of this acquisition, Bassco now offers greater product selection, improved customer service, an expanded catalog showcasing products from top football equipment manufacturers, and an enhanced Web site that makes researching and ordering products easier than ever.

Bassco provides the knowledge and experience that coaches look for to maximize their equipment budget. Call today to request a free catalog.

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Best Western 866-661-5437 WWW.BESTWESTERN.COM From tournaments to meetings, booking hotels for your team can be challenging.

Thankfully, Best Western makes life easier, and with more than 2,300 locations in North America, they’re practically everywhere. Each property features amenities like breakfast and free local calls.

Most offer special group amenities and meeting facilities. The company even has dedicated group consultants to help you with all the details. Call the Best Western sports hotline for details.

Circle No. 268

your group. Simply enter the site and send e-mails to friends and family across America, inviting them to visit your on-line store and buy, renew, or extend their magazine subscriptions to help support your group. They’ll save up to 85 percent off the newsstand price on over 650 magazine titles while you earn 40-percent profit.

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Heying Co. 712-756-8847 WWW.INFIELD-DRAG.COM Heying Co. has introduced an electric lift option for the PR72-E “Pro Groomer™,” allowing the operator to make adjustments “on the fly” from the seat of the towing machine.

Keep your granular playing fields level, well groomed, and safe. Use it on infields, warning tracks, granular running tracks, and other similar surfaces. It cuts off high areas and fills in low ones, keeps material mixed, breaks up compacted surfaces, and spreads new material. The “Pro Groomer” is six feet wide, features steel-welded construction and an articulated tongue and hitch, and adjusts quickly and easily. A drag mat attachment is also available.

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Millcreek Manufacturing 800-311-1323 WWW.MILLCREEKMFG.COM Wet material is the most difficult to spread because of its tendency to clump and clog spreading equipment. Millcreek Manufacturing has introduced the Turf Tiger™, a large-capacity topdresser that applies sand/peat topdressing, compost, infield mix, soil conditioners, and other bulk materials even when wet. The Turf Tiger has a 7,500-lb. capacity, and features a patentpending SaberTooth™ spreading mechanism that applies wet material in a uniform pattern 8-12 feet wide, depending on material conditions.

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NSCA 800-815-6826 WWW.NSCA-LIFT.ORG Aside from sports skills, agility can be the greatest predictor of athletic success. Speed, Agility, and Quickness is a 35-minute video produced by the National Strength and Conditioning Association, the worldwide authority on strength and conditioning.

It is intended for strength and conditioning coaches, sport coaches, and athletes who would like to gain an advantage on their competition. It includes the correct starting technique for the 40-yard dash, plyometric techniques, ladder and reactive drills, and more.

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On Deck Sports is your source for all baseball and softball equipment. Along with carrying all major brands of field and training equipment, On Deck specializes in the installation of ARTIFICIAL TURF and CUSTOM NETTING.

eFundraising 866-825-2921 WWW.EFUNDRAISING.COM Try eFundraising’s On-line Fundraising Program, a new way to raise money quickly and easily. With your free, personalized Web site, complete with a magazine store, your supporters can purchase magazine subscriptions on-line and 40 percent of each purchase amount will go back to

www.ondecksports.com Toll Free-800-365-6171 Request No. 150

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More Products The NSCA’s Strength and Conditioning Manual for High School Coaches is produced by the worldwide authority on strength and conditioning, and provides information for high school coaches to use in designing complete strength and conditioning programs for their athletes. The book covers topics like warm up, stretching and flexibility, plyometrics, speed development, and agility, plus a special section on exercise physiology and nutrition.

Coaches will also find sample programs, and over 80 featured exercises and drills with photographs.

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Partac/Beam Clay® 800-247-BEAM WWW.BEAMCLAY.COM Partac/Beam Clay® offers FenceGuard™ protective covers for chain-link fencing.

They’re now available in six colors—safety yellow, dark green, red, white, blue, and orange—and in standard and premium grades. These heavy-duty, UV-resistant polyethylene covers protect players from chain-link fence injuries and provide a neat and distinctive look to fencing. FenceGuard comes in cartons of 10 eight-foot sections with 50 eight-inch UVresistant ties for securing every two feet to the fence. FenceGuard has a five-year manufacturer’s limited warranty and ships by UPS. Circle No. 274

print decorations. Get this uniform in a variety of true athletic colors today.

Circle No. 275 While your players are warming up before the game, this lightweight Russell Athletic Batting Practice Pull-Over will keep them cool and dry, with its moisture-wicking stretch fabric. Made with 86 percent polyester and 14 percent stretch, this new 2005 style is soft and comfortable, and allows for increased freedom of movement. It also features mesh inserts for increased breathability, and notched ends so players can wear it inside of or over their uniforms.

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SafeTGard Corp.

800-356-9026 SAFETGARD@QWEST.NET SafeTGard’s newly-patented Cage Cup™ hard cup and athletic supporter is 40 percent lighter than other cups, and was proven during independent lab testing to have a significantly higher breaking point than any traditional hard cup.

A soft, molded polyfoam interior provides vital impact absorption and reduces transfer to the body. When combined with SafeTGard’s custom-fitting athletic supporter, SafeTGard’s 348A Cage Cup sets today’s standard in comfort and safety.

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Russell Athletic WWW.RUSSELLATHLETIC.COM

Xvest 800-697-5658 WWW.THEXVEST.COM

The Russell Athletic sleeveless mesh two-button placket jersey is a great game-day jersey for your players. Made with a texturized 100-percent polyester mesh, this uniform is comfortable and allows for greater freedom of movement when throwing. Its mesh neck and sleeveless design give it a sportier, more athletic look.

The two-button placket allows plenty of space for your team’s name, logo, and other screen-

“I have found the Xvest to be an excellent tool for providing overloads in plyometric, strength training, conditioning, and rehabilitation programs. The fit and adaptability are excellent. The Xvest allows freedom of movement and doesn't interfere with any of the agility, bounding, or running programs that I write for a wide variety of athletes, colle-

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COACHING MANAGEMENT

giate and professional. The Xvest has proven itself in my programs. Thank you for all your efforts and help in improving my capability as a strength and conditioning specialist.”

—Donald A. Chu, Ph.D., PT, ATC, CSCS, author of Jumping Into Plyometrics.

Circle No. 278 Xvest has a new weight configuration, and it’s heavy: 84 pounds of heavy. The new Xvest, known as the Fire Fighter model, was developed especially for fire fighters and their rigorous training. It has the same basic design as the original Xvest, but internally it has a new weight configuration that allows for 84 pounds of weight. Because of the ability to adjust weight like the original Xvest, everyone from body builders to military personnel is buying them. For more information on all the Xvest models, call the company or visit its Web site.

Circle No. 279

Catalog Showcase Power Systems, Inc. 800-321-6975 WWW.POWER-SYSTEMS.COM Since 1986, Power Systems has been a leading supplier of sports performance, fitness, and rehabilitation products and programming. The company prides itself on being the one resource for all your training needs.

The 2005 catalog has a new look, with better graphics and photos. It includes sections on core strength, medicine balls, speed, plyometrics, agility, strength equipment, strength accessories, and fitness assessment. The catalog features hundreds of new products and dozens of products available exclusively from Power Systems.

The company has even lowered some of its prices, enabling the customer to get premium products for less. Call or visit the company Web site for your free copy.

Circle No. 280

Innovative Baseball Products BUNT ZONETM Infield Protector

WIND WEIGHTEDTM Baseball Tarps MULTIPLE PATENTS PENDING

Optional Wind Weighted INSTALLER device lets two players cover a mound or home plate in less than 30 seconds.

Bunt Zone Protector stimulates a natural competition between players. It can significantly improve team bunting skills if used at every practice.

BUNTING TARGET TRAINING SYSTEM BUILT INTO A QUALITY TURF PROTECTOR

Mound and Base Covers that STAY PUT in WIND WITHOUT stakes or sandbags.

Galvanized steel chain in the edge hem all around keeps wind from getting under, so they stay down even in high winds.

FEATURES

• RED is the “bad bunt” zone • GREENS are the “sacrifice bunt” zones • YELLOW is the “bunt-for-a-hit” target zone FEATURES • Industrial grade 9 oz. vinyl coated polyester mesh • Protected by UV & mildew inhibitors • Tolerant of spike traffic, virtually tear proof • Fusion welded seams • Grommets and stakes included • Sizes for all infields and batting tunnels • Multiple patents pending • For indoor use: combined with solid vinyl polyester fabric to protect gym floor in batting cage Coach Tholen says, “The Bunt Zone Infield Protector is an exciting baseball teaching aid that will help batters learn the lost art of bunting.

Visualization is the key. We coaches tell batters where to bunt, but not everybody responds to verbal instruction. With Bunt Zone Protectors, players can see exactly WHERE to bunt successfully. It gives immediate feedback with no coaching help needed. And best of all, it·s built into a tough mesh infield turf protector that we can use everyday at practice. This is a permanent, always-on training system, not like the cones and other gadgets we·ve used occasionally. The Bunt Zone Infield Protector can improve bunting skills at all levels of baseball.”

Harry Tholen, Head Baseball Coach Santa Fe Community College, Gainesville, FL, President NJCAA Baseball Coaches Assn., NJCAA Baseball Hall of Fame Inductee, ABCA Director

Aer-Flo, Inc.

• Industrial grade 14 oz. vinyl polyester fabric • Protected by UV & mildew inhibitors • Virtually wind-proof, tear-proof and rain-proof • Fusion welded seams • Repairable if spiked • Custom sizes & colors • Factory warranty • Stock sizes: 12·, 18·, 20·, 26·, 30· • Squares 6·, 8·, 10·

Teams using Wind Weighted Tarps Pros & Minors: Dodgers, Yankees, Mud Hens Colleges & Universities: Benet Acad., Cal Poly-SLO, Coastal Carolina, CO, Cypress, Lynn, Manatee CC, MN, Navy, NM, Penn State, Rowan, St. Thomas ,TN, WA, WSU AND, many High Schools, American Legion and Little League teams.

Put Simply: Why buy an old-style infield protector or rain cover now that Bunt ZoneTM Protectors and Wind WeightedTM Covers are available?

EXCLUSIVE Authorized Dealers sell Aer-Flo sports products. Call for dealer nearest you or circle reader response number.

Aer-Flo, Inc. manufactures many nationally distributed products for various industries. Our sports products also include Bench ZoneTM Sideline Turf Protectors and Aer-FloTM Wind Screens. We are a privately held company blessed with extraordinary employees and dealers. Our products are proudly MADE IN THE USA!

Bradenton, FL 34203

800-823-7356

www.aerflo.com All trademarks noted are property of Aer-Flo, Inc. © 2004: Aer-Flo, Inc.

Request No. 151

Booth 628

Booths 651 & 750

Request No. 152