Baseball Academy Overview
IMG Academy’s baseball academy is the nation's premier program for dedicated baseball players who want to play at the next level and perform at their peak in the classroom. While on-field development and position-specific training may consume practice time, test-prep, college placement and academic growth fulfill the time off the diamond.
Coaches with over 200 years of combined experience both competing and coaching in the collegiate and MLB arenas initiate the development as an overall athlete from day one. Inclusive of on-field baseball training, enhancement of playing time and experience through multiple teams, college recruitment exposure, and athletic growth from the strength and mental conditioning realms, the baseball academy molds student-athletes into the most sought-after athletes at college showcases and beyond.
Program & Alumni Accomplishments
185 D1 commitments since 2006
12 National Tournaments won since 2006
31 Student-athletes earned All-American honors
6 Alumni competed in the 2018 Road to Omaha
29 Student-athletes selected in MLB First Year Players Draft
30 Alumni have made MLB appearances
Baseball Program Structure
IMG Academy ensures that the focus of the baseball program remains on complete, individual development. Throughout the year, scouting days for both professional and college teams take place on our Florida campus along with a series of other exposure events across the country, including college tours and baseball showcases.
The baseball academy consists of multiple teams at the Varsity and Junior Varsity level, as well as post-graduate and freshmen programs. Depending on the team, competition includes national, regional and local competition. With flexibility amongst teams, players have the ability to practice multiple positions throughout the year and develop through enhanced, internal competition. Coaches focus on each student-athlete from the start of their first semester through fall working grounds, position-specific training, and even 1 on 1 coaching sessions mirroring that of an MLB instructional league at the Florida baseball academy.
Sample Baseball Schedule
Fall Semester
Testing / Evaluation & Individual Foundational Growth
Weeks 1-4
- Skill and physical testing to include speed, arm strength, and exit velocity launch angle
- Individual position breakdown
- Introduce program fundamentals
- Strength & conditioning: introductory & assessment phase
Team Competitive Growth / Fall League
Weeks 5-9
- Establish working groups
- Building of competitive team environment
- Focus on physical and mental development
- Exposure to showcase and tournament circuit
Intensive Individual Growth / Offseason
Weeks 10-12
- Extensive small group and individual development
- Breakdown and buildup of skill sets
- Application of vision and mental training
- Growth phase: strength and conditioning, speed, arm strength
Individual Skill Work / Athleticism / Competition / Strength & Conditioning
Weeks 13-15
- Individual development: 1 hour sessions, 4 days/week
- Growth phase: strength and conditioning, speed, arm strength
- Maintain flexibility and athleticism
- Alternative competitions
Spring Semester
Individual & Team Development / Spring Training
Weeks 1-2
- Individual/team drills and practice routines to prepare for FHSAA season
- Extensive drill work covering team offensive and defensive fundamentals
- Strength and conditioning: growth phase
Competitive Preparation / Spring Training
Weeks 3-5
- Beginning of FHSAA competition
- Scrimmages
- Identify roles within the team
- Strength and conditioning: growth phase
FHSAA SEASON
Weeks 6-15
- 25 game schedules
- 2-3 tournaments (Varsity)
- National exposure
- Strength and conditioning: maintenance phase
Intensive Individual Growth / Post-season Development
Weeks 16-20
- Critical evaluation
- Extensive individual development
- 10+ games - Ascender series
- Preparation for summer schedule
Athletic and Personal Development Integration (APD)
Student-athletes grasp an understanding of the mechanical, technical and mental aspects of the game, and performance elements like strength training, mental toughness, and vision training encompass a portion of delivery. With vision training, athletes learn the importance of preparedness and understand elements of peripheral vision, quick awareness, and reaction times. With a course entirely focused on building men of character, the baseball academy continually works towards each individual to adhere to respect towards oneself, women, authority, and their team. Student-athletes become fundamentally sound and completely prepared to compete at the next step, no matter their initial level in our baseball program.
Technology & Facilities
- 6-plex baseball complex
- Baseball stadium for showcase games and tournaments
- Six fields
- 16 practice mounds
- Four indoor batting cages
- 12 outdoor batting cages
- HitTrax Technology inside our batting cages
- Capture essential metrics and data to track and monitor progress on a daily basis
- Measure progression on a weekly basis of bat speed and velocity
- Use of metrics towards strength and conditioning focuses
- Game simulator provides real-time feedback that's accurate, instructional and allows players to compete in a controlled setting
- ProBatter PX2 professional pitching machines
- HitTrax Technology inside our batting cages
- Field House with professional-style locker rooms, coaches' offices, and meeting rooms for game and practice analysis and team training
- EON Virtual Reality
- Strike zone awareness with game-like repetitions
- Improve batter’s pitch recognition and performance at the plate
- Prepare for games with various versions of pitches

Performance and Sports Science Center
- Mind Gym for mental conditioning sessions and vision training
- Fit Lights, dynaBOARD, and cognitive perceptive technology
- Yoga studio
- Strength and conditioning equipment
- Classrooms for nutrition and leadership training
- Athletic training facility for recovery and regeneration, including hot and cold tubs
Pro-level Recovery
Located on our East Campus, designed and engineered by leading doctors, physios and coaches, TimTam brings professional recovery to IMG Academy athletes as our official recovery sponsor. Recover faster & train harder.
Baseball Academy Photo Gallery
Admissions
All prospective student-athletes must submit a completed application, including academic records and recommendations.
Baseball Program Tuition
For academic year 2018-2019, tuition ranges from $54,650 to $78,650 per year depending on age, boarding and grade of student-athlete. Go to our tuition page for the full sport-by-sport cost breakdown.
Baseball Camps
A great way to learn more about IMG Academy is to attend a camp and see first-hand how to take your game to the next level.
Baseball Coaches & Staff
Dan Simonds
Director
Joe Jordano
Head Coach, National Team - Black
David Anderson
Varsity Assistant Coach / Hitting and Outfield Coach
Edgar Caceres
Varsity Assistant Coach / Infield Coordinator
Tony Ferreira
Varsity Assistant Coach / Pitching Coach
Steve Frey
Varsity Assistant Coach / Pitching Coordinator
Kason Gabbard
Varsity Head Coach / Pitching Coach
John-Ford Griffin
Hitting Coordinator
Daniel Hadra
Varsity Assistant Coach / Pitching Coach
John Lackaff
Student-Athlete Advisor
Justin Zinkovich
Varsity Head Coach / Pitching Coach
Ted Power
Varsity Pitching Coach
Raymond Noe
JV Head Coach/Outfield Coach
Mikey O'Brien
Pitching Coach / Assistant Coach
Mark Pope
JV Pitching Coach
Ben Crabtree
Freshman Head Coach / Catching Coach
Colbe Herr
Program Manager
Jeff Opalewski
Post-Graduate Assistant Coach
Charles Gooch
Head of Leadership
Jackie Barcal
Head of Nutrition
Will Townsley IV
Physical Conditioning Coach
Uranius Johnson
Physical Conditioning Coach
Taylor Stutzman
Mental Conditioning Coach
Ryan Ward
Coach/Video Coordinator
Kit Carlson
Student-Athlete Advisor
Jeff DeRuiter
College Advisor
Wayne Walton
College Advisor
Kelly Quackenbush
Athletic Trainer
Andy Dillon
Academic Affairs Manager – Baseball and Basketball
Joseph Kukets
Post Graduate Coordinator
Clay Hanson
Athletic Trainer
Notable Baseball Program College Commitments
Student-athletes receive individualized roadmaps for reaching their goal of playing their sport at the collegiate level. This work begins when a student enters upper school at grade 9 and above.


- Jake Fauske IMG Academy Class of '17, University of ChicagoIMG is a breeding ground for excellence in general, not just athletically. I love the game of baseball, and I want to stay around it as long as possible, but IMG has also been a tool for me to help me get to the next level academically and my career.

- LT Tolbert IMG Academy Class of '15, University of South CarolinaIMG Academy takes pride in everything here – school, baseball, the workouts, nutrition – everything you do here, you’re doing it for a purpose, and they want you to get better, they want you to succeed and push you to be the best you can be in every aspect of life.

- Casey Mullholland IMG Academy Class of '10, L.A. DodgersThe biggest thing I realize now that I didn’t know, is how many connections and opportunities those connections would open for me. As I moved my way through high school, college, and professional baseball, many of those same people I talked to when I was 13 that helped me grow as a person are still helping me today.
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Bradenton, FL 34210
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