Baseball and Softball Coaches Clinics

Butch Thompson is a renowned college baseball coach with a storied career. A native of Amory, Mississippi, he has developed numerous talented players, including 24 Major League Baseball draft picks. Thompson has led Auburn University to multiple NCAA Tournament appearances, including a College World Series berth in 2019. His coaching philosophy emphasizes strong pitching, sound defense, and aggressive baserunning.

Gianni Bloom is the Jupiter Hammerheads Defensive Coach. Prior to this role, he served as the Director of Player Development for the University of California, Santa Barbara baseball program. As a former UCSB Gaucho catcher, Bloom brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the position. His focus on defensive excellence and player development makes him an excellent speaker for our clinic.

Todd Fitz-Gerald is the head baseball coach at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, where he has led the Eagles to multiple Florida state championships, including titles in 2016, 2021, and 2022. Under his leadership, the program has become a national powerhouse known for producing top-tier talent, with several players advancing to college baseball and the MLB draft. Fitz-Gerald has over 20 years of coaching experience. His coaching philosophy centers on discipline, teamwork, and developing players both on and off the field.

Keith Bateman is a coach that does things the right way. At Augsburg, Bateman has coached 29 All-MIAC; nine All-MIAC Defensive Team; 17 All-Region student-athletes, including one MIAC Rookie of the Year; one Regional Rookie of the Year; and one NCAA DIII/Rawlings Gold Glove recipient. Bateman has had 12 players play in summer collegiate baseball leagues with 10 of those playing in the prestigious Northwoods League. He has also had two of his former players go on to sign professional contracts. Bateman's players have also had success in the classroom with 51 Academic All-MIAC and nine Academic All-District award winners, one Academic All-American, and one NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship recipient.

Navery is currently entering his 6th season with Minnesota Twins. Hailing from Nashville, Tennessee he pitched collegiately at Vanderbilt University where he held the single season saves record. In 2011, he was drafted by the Atlanta Braves and spent seven seasons pitching professionally. After hanging up his cleats, Navery earned his M.B.A., then began his career in the front office with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2019. Navery joined the Twins Pro Scouting department in 2020. What he enjoys most about player evaluation is the opportunity to leverage his playing background alongside his passion for data and analytics.

Born and raised in Minnesota, Andrew Ettel has been a lifelong Twins fan thanks to his dad who instilled a love for baseball at an early age. While playing baseball through high school, Ettel found he had a greater aptitude for math and went on to attend the University of Minnesota. Currently residing in Lino Lakes, Ettel was the first dedicated analyst for the Minnesota Twins, beginning as an intern in 2012. As a baseball research analyst, his current focus lies in building predictive models for player acquisition and development and assisting with in-game strategy.

Ryan Brownlee is the head baseball coach at Western Illinois University. He has led the Leathernecks to increased success since taking over in 2013, including multiple NCAA Tournament appearances. Brownlee’s teams have consistently produced talented players, with several being drafted by Major League Baseball organizations. Before Western Illinois, he served as an assistant coach at Iowa, where he was instrumental in recruiting and developing top talent.

Head baseball coach James Mulcahy has led the Perham High School Yellowjackets for the past seven years and consistently ranked in the top 10 of the state. Under Mulcahy, the Yellowjackets are 135-25 overall, 69-3 in conference play, and have won 6 consecutive conference Heart O Lakes conference titles, three Section 8AA titles, and three state appearances, including a 2nd place finish in 2023. Previously, he coached in California at Verdugo Hills High School and Granada Hills High School where he guided the Highlanders to the D2 Los Angeles City Championship in 2004. Coach Mulcahy attributes much of the Yellowjackets’ success to their early season focus while indoors. In many years this can be as many as 4+ weeks, which forces the team to develop skills, compete, and get game-ready in small spaces. The Yellowjackets have not had a single outdoor practice in the last three years before their first game.

Connor Gandossy joined the University of Minnesota baseball program in 2024 as an assistant coach. With a proven track record of developing hitters and catchers, Gandossy brings valuable experience from his seven years at Creighton University. He played a key role in the Bluejays' success, including multiple NCAA Tournament appearances and consistently strong offensive performances. Before Creighton, Gandossy spent the 2012-16 seasons at Saint Louis University, where he served as an assistant coach for four years.

Ty McDevitt is the head baseball coach at the University of Minnesota. He has recently taken over the program after a long and successful tenure under John Anderson. Known for his innovative approach to pitching development, McDevitt emphasizes data-driven analysis and cutting-edge techniques. Under his guidance, the Gophers pitching staff has seen significant improvement, particularly in terms of performance and injury prevention. McDevitt's commitment to player development and his passion for the game have made him a respected figure in college baseball.

With a deep admiration and love for the game, much of Larry DiVito’s life has been set within the four corners of a baseball diamond. DiVito has starred in every role from player to coach in America’s favorite pastime. For the past three decades Larry Divito has taken the stage as a groundskeeper, including 15 years as the Head Groundskeeper for the Minnesota Twins. Throughout DiVito’s extensive resume, baseball serves as the commonality. When asked what it was that kept him in baseball for all these years, DiVito did not hesitate with his answer: “I love this game, I respect the game. I love to see things run properly for a sport I have great passion for. And game days, I love game day. That is what keeps me going.”

Troy Urdahl has been the head baseball coach since 2002 at St. Anthony Village High School, where he also serves as the school's activities director. Urdahl’s teams have won two Minnesota state championships during that time and Urdahl has been named state baseball coach of the year twice. He has served as a state all-star coach and has been inducted into the Litchfield Baseball Association and Minnesota High School Baseball Coaches Association Halls of Fame. Urdahl wrote the baseball-themed coaching leadership book Chasing Influence: Transformational Coaching to Build Champions for Life which reached #1 best-seller status on Amazon. In 2024 Urdahl was a finalist for the National High School Athletic Coaches Association baseball coach of the year, and he also coached for the Norweigan National Baseball team in the European championships. Urdahl completed his doctoral research studying the participation experiences of high school athletes.

In November 2024, it was announced that Twins President, Baseball Operations Derek Falvey will be elevated to President, Baseball & Business Operations in the first quarter of 2025, becoming the fifth president in Twins history. He was originally hired to lead the Twins’ baseball department in October 2016 and was named President, Baseball Operations in November 2019.

Since his hiring, Falvey has engineered the growth and modernization of the club’s baseball operations, resulting in the Twins recording the 10th-most wins in Major League Baseball over the past eight seasons, capturing three division titles and four Postseason berths, and building one of the game’s highest-ranked player development systems. He has been responsible for establishing the vision and strategies for the club’s baseball operations, overseeing all aspects of the department including: the major league team, coaches and support staff; contract negotiations; player development; scouting; research and development; medical; and communications. As a member of the club’s executive leadership team, he has also been instrumental in accelerating the club’s organization-wide commitment to employee growth, development and mental health, as well as being an active partner in evolving the Twins’ strategic planning process, focus on innovation and dedication to community engagement. Falvey was named to Twin Cities Business’ list of “100 People to Know” in both 2017 and 2018.

Falvey’s career in baseball started with Cleveland in November 2007 when he began an internship in Baseball Operations. In his first three years with the now-Guardians franchise, Derek assisted both the Amateur and International Scouting departments, before spending the 2011 season as Assistant Director of Baseball Operations. He was promoted to Director of Baseball Operations in December 2011, then elevated to Assistant General Manager in 2016. During his time in Cleveland, Derek assisted President of Baseball Operations Chris Antonetti and General Manager Mike Chernoff in all areas of baseball operations, including financial, statistical and contractual dealings, and also contributed to all aspects of professional and amateur player procurement and development. He also oversaw the advance scouting process and worked closely with the major league coaching staff to assist in the day-to-day management of major league operations.

Derek played baseball at Trinity College in Hartford, CT, where he earned a degree in economics in June 2005. After graduating, Falvey returned home to the Boston, MA area, where he worked until joining the Cleveland organization. Derek resides in Edina, MN, with his wife, Meghan, their sons, Jack and Ryan, and daughter, Brynn.