“Goals are for people that want to win once. Process and standards are for people that want to win longterm.”@CoachBobChesney Goals get you chasing success. Daily standards keep you earning it.

The biggest mistake I made as a hitter... I used to TAKE the first pitch fastball. I told myself I needed to get my timing. "See one first." "Time the pitcher." "Get comfortable." At the time, it sounded like a smart strategy. The problem? It wasn't strategy. It was fear. Fear of swinging and missing. Fear of making an out. Fear of looking stupid on the first pitch. But I disguised it as "getting my timing." What changed everything was a hitting journal. Throughout pro ball, I tracked everything. Every pitch I saw. Every pitch I swung at. The count. Pitch location. What I was thinking. What I was feeling. After a full season, I sat down and started digging through the numbers. One stat jumped off the page. On 0-0 fastballs... I was hitting .367. Not only that, a huge percentage of my doubles, triples, and home runs came on that pitch. I couldn't believe it. The pitch I was letting go by was one of the best pitches I'd see all at-bat. It completely changed my perspective. That's when I learned a lesson I'll never forget: Don't confuse fear with strategy. A lot of hitters do it. They pass on good pitches because they're "getting their timing." They become passive because they're "being disciplined." They play careful because they're "trying not to do too much." Sometimes that's true. Sometimes it's fear wearing a different uniform. My journal exposed it immediately. From that day forward, I stopped trying to get comfortable. I started preparing to hit from pitch one. If you're someone that is unsure of swinging at the first pitch... Here's my "first pitch crusher plan" I'd Do Tonight to help you: 1. Front Toss (10 Swings) Treat every pitch like it's 0-0. Be ready to attack your pitch immediately. 2. Short Box (10 Swings) Every pitch starts 0-0. Compete from the first pitch instead of easing into the round. Short box is in between front toss & Batting Practice distance. If front toss is 10 feet away, and BP is 20 feet away, Short box is 15. What I like to do is sit on a bucket and throw from that distance. 3. Batting Practice (10 Swings) Look for a first-pitch fastball you can drive. Train yourself to be ready from pitch one. One thing I've learned from baseball: The best hitters don't wait to get comfortable. They prepare themselves to compete from the very first pitch. Thank you for reading, Jermaine Curtis P.S. - If you enjoyed this and found it helpful, please share it. (This tells me you want more content like this.)

A message from every professional baseball scout to every high school and college potential baseball prospect. We're always watching! EVERY. SINGLE. LOOK. Pregame work. I/O. BP. Bullpens. Intrasquads. Scrimmages and regular season games. Every one of those is a look — and every look is being written down. How you run to first base… or do you run to first base. How you move on the field and off the field. How you throw between innings. How you take BP when you think no scout is watching. How you execute pitches in a side session or between innings warming up. How you handle or process a poor at bat. Whether you’re coachable or whether you’re not. And how you treat your teammates. First one on the field? Last one off the field? It’s ALL being noted. All of it. Get to the Big Leagues first—before trying to act like those in the TV league. You’re not. Scouts aren't just evaluating your tools. We're evaluating everything: your habits, your effort, your work ethic, and your character. The player who gives effort every rep stands out — because so few do it consistently. Newsflash…Scouts don’t care about your “ranking” or what publications write about you (positive or negative). Scouts don’t care how much NIL money you’re getting, or if you’re getting any at all. We’ll make our own evaluations and our own decisions. Be intentional. Play hard. No matter the setting, the score, the competition or who's in the stands. When you don't, you're only hurting yourself, and you’re to blame. There is not much you can control in this game — but the one thing you can control is your effort, your work ethic, and your hustle. Because when you least expect it, someone is ALWAYS watching, and you never know which look is the one that matters. Winners Win! Make. Every. Look. Count.

We had a great time celebrating former Minuteman Bill Knight’s induction into the @UMassAthletics Hall of Fame last weekend! We also caught up with alumni Pete Gautreau, Muchie Dagliere, Dave Giglio, and Jason Bennett! #Flagship 🚩

It’s becoming impossible to ignore the physicality of Division I baseball. The average D1 roster is around 198 pounds. Does a high school recruit need to be 198 pounds? Of course not. But he needs to show that he’s trending toward the physicality required at that level. With only 34 roster spots, coaches have less room to recruit players who are years away. They need players who can compete and contribute sooner. Skill will always matter. Projection will always matter. But strength, movement and physical development have become a major part of the recruiting conversation. You don’t have to look like a college player yet. But coaches need to be able to see one coming.

Introducing OF Ben Maiorano from Bellingham, MA. He played for Northeast Lions. Hear what he has to say about coming to UMass Boston. #RollBeacs #FeedTheMeter #FindAWay

Bob Chesney shares a must-listen on culture and respect. "They're not here to pick up after you. They're part of our team. They are your equal." "The best teams in America - it's never about any one person." Know their name. Respect everyone.

“Normal is doing what you have to do to get by. Special is doing everything you can do to be the best that you can be,” - Nick Saban

𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐄𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐆𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬 : 𝐈𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐝 ✅ 2028 1B/RHP Benjamin O'Brien (Holliston HS, MA) will be attending Day 1 of the New England State Games 👤 prepbsbl.com/3TSczC4 #NewEnglandStateGames

🚨 Interested vs. Committed • Toughness vs. Excuses • Hard Work vs. Corner Cutting • Accountable vs. Blaming Others ⭐️ Winners don’t tell everyone else how much they want to win. They prove it to everyday by showing how hard they are willing to work.

Eli Kell ‘28 with a HR down in Maryland today - his 3rd HR of the summer! Prospect to get on your radar - has some serious juice in his barrel! Can play all over the INF! @MedwayHSBase #NELonghorns

Great week with @nokona_baseball, took home the championship. Contributed at both the plate and on the mound. Including pitching the last 3.2 innings of the championship. Pitching Stats: 3.2 IP 2 Runs 3 K 1 BB 69% Strikes Hitting Stats: .429 AVG 1.270 OPS 1 3B @Hollistonbb

Baseball players: I do not care about your showcase numbers or your stats. I care about how you respond to failure, whether you put the team first, give 100 percent effort every pitch, and do the little things that help your team win. The best players are not defined by their tools alone. They impact the game in every way, play with energy, lead by example, compete with toughness, and make everyone around them better. Talent gets you noticed. Character, competitiveness, and selflessness set you apart. Team > Individual. Every. Single. Time. I can guarantee the college coaches recruiting you value those qualities just as much, if not more, than your measurable numbers.

‘27 RHP/INF Jack McDonald @jacmac1515 of @Hollistonbb has been terrific this summer. 2-way recruit that is a throwback type player. Plays hard, can play all over the field. Pounds the zone. He will piggyback ‘27 LHP @Pat_Gage13 at 1pm today at St John’s Shrewsbury #nokona