BASEBALL: QUESTIONS, COACHES, AND, COVID - COACH BAUM
COACHES & COVID is a series of questions answered by the Fullerton College coaching staff addressing the Hornet sports programs, and how they are coping during this pandemic.
Hornet baseball skipper Chad Baum joined the FC staff in 2019 and got his first taste of coaching at the two-year level during last spring's shortened season. Coach Baum has maintained a busy schedule during this pandemic juggling online courses, working with his team, and his spending quality time with his young family. He has also been organizing the Nick Fuscardo Golf Tournament that will take place on Monday, January 11th at the Alta Vista Country Club. If you would like to play in this fun-filled event click here.
How are you using technology to maintain a strong connection with your student-athletes? The other coaches and I are doing our weekly zooms with the team as well as with pitchers, catcher, infielders and outfielders. A lot of the players are doing some activity, and they are either keeping up to date with their progress via a text video of what they are working on.
With COVID and no contact with your players, what are some of the training methods that you're doing to keep them sharp and in shape on the court? The training methods we are doing are not much different than with contact. We have been setting up a pitchers throwing program for our pitchers as well as a 3-month weight, conditioning and arm care program for the players. The only thing that is different is I don't actually get to see if they are doing it. I know soon I will get to see some of our athletes in person and that will tell me if they are staying sharp in the weight room and in conditioning.
How challenging has it been to plan workouts? Are there specific actions or protocol that you go through to keep everyone safe? It has been very difficult to schedule and keep our players on a workout plan. Many of the players during the pandemic have been helping their families and have had to work to help around the house. As well, as all the park and gyms being shut down for so long it was difficult for many of them to find a place to just even play catch. We will follow all the school's protocols to get back safely on campus and make sure that we are keeping our teammates and coaches safe
Which returning players do you feel will have positive impact for the indoor team this spring? Well, I hope that all of them have a positive impact, last year we were very-very young and only had 5 sophomores on the team seeing any playing time. I am very excited to see all the improvements the players have been sharing with the coaches. If I had to pick a few that could have monster years it would be Brock Denbo (SS), Sawyer Chesley (Corner INF), Elias Rios (OF), Brian Landon (OF), Adam Armstrong (RHP) and Ryan Lamastra (2B). These players started most of our games last year, and I look of them to make significant jumps.
How many student-athletes do you currently have on the team? Which players do you feel will have a positive impact on the season? Right now, we have 52 players on the team. I think our coaching staff did a great job even during this pandemic. We recruited hard and got some very talented players on campus this Fall. I know that I am very excited to get to work with them and keep building for the future.
Last season was your first as the Hornet Skipper, what did you learn from that even though it was shortened due to COVID-19? In my first year, every day seemed to go faster than the next. I believe that one of the biggest things I learned is how to be able to manage a big team and keep development one of the most important things, both on the field and in the classroom. The other thing I learned is how to be able to manage my responsibilities of being a professor and still being able to be on top of my game with our baseball team.
What are a few of your team goals for this season? This year is going to be really different to tell you the truth. I would always say to develop these kids into men which is big in our program and a part of our coaching philosophy. This year we will only play 28 games and 2 scrimmages (Normal year we get 40 and 2 scrimmages and 10 fall game), so with limited games and limited opportunities for colleges to recruit my biggest goal is to get our players moved on to the next level. I feel that if we get to move players on our program, we'll be moving in the right direction.
If you could have a weekend pass from COVID what would you do? What do you miss the most from this isolation? If I could have a weekend pass, I would be taking my wife on a week vacation to Cabo. We have both been really busy and have not taken a husband wife vacation in a long time. The thing I miss about isolation is my players. For 21 years I have been lucky to be around college baseball players almost every day. I cannot wait to get back on the field and be hanging with our players.
When you're not teaching or coaching, what do you enjoy doing? Any hobbies? When I am not teaching or coaching, I enjoy hanging out with my family. We really like to hang out and swim in the backyard, go on bike rides, and work on our sports together as a family.
What inspires you in life? What motivates you to motivate others? My family is the biggest inspiration in my life. They have always been supportive of me spending a lot of time at the field and getting ready for games. Without their support I could not be where I am today. What motivates me to motivate others is helping these great student athletes grow as a person and further their academics.
We have a saying "Once a Hornet, Always a Hornet", what is it you love about Fullerton College? I love the people that I get to work with, they are supportive, and everyone works to make Fullerton College a better place each day.
