EVENTS

Brent Strom is one of baseball’s most respected pitching coaches and player-development specialists. Born in San Diego on 14 October 1948, he combines traditional pitching knowledge with biomechanics, data and modern analytics.

Playing Career

A left-handed pitcher, Strom helped the University of Southern California win NCAA championships in 1968 and 1970. He pitched a three-hit complete game in the 1970 championship game and earned First-Team All-America honours that season. The New York Mets subsequently selected him third overall in the first round of the 1970 MLB Draft.

Strom played parts of five Major League seasons with the New York Mets, Cleveland Indians and San Diego Padres. Across 100 appearances and 501 innings, he recorded a 22–39 record, a 3.95 ERA and 278 strikeouts.

Coaching Career

Since beginning his coaching career in 1981, Strom has established a reputation for helping pitchers improve at both Minor League and Major League level. He served as Houston Astros pitching coach from 2014 to 2021, contributing to three World Series appearances and the club’s 2017 championship. He subsequently guided the Arizona Diamondbacks’ pitching staff from 2022 to 2024, including their run to the 2023 World Series.

Named Baseball America’s MLB Coach of the Year in 2018, Strom joined the Pittsburgh Pirates as assistant pitching coach for the 2025 season. In August 2026, he returned to the Astros as a pitching consultant for the remainder of the season.

Strom was selected for the 2026 College Baseball Hall of Fame class in recognition of his outstanding collegiate career. The induction ceremony is scheduled for February 2027.

Dan Blewett is a former professional pitcher, coach, author and speaker who helps athletes and coaches develop the physical and mental skills required to succeed. Known for his clear and practical teaching style, he provides instruction for both baseball and softball players, parents and coaches.

Playing Career

A right-handed pitcher, Blewett played six seasons of professional independent baseball between 2010 and 2016. His career included spells with the Normal CornBelters, Lake County Fielders, Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks, Evansville Otters, Camden Riversharks and Long Island Ducks.

Blewett earned two professional All-Star selections and successfully returned to the game following two major elbow operations. His experiences with injuries, rehabilitation and the pressures of professional sport have strongly influenced his approach to coaching and athlete development.

Coaching and Education

After his playing career, Blewett became the founder and co-owner of Warbird Academy, a baseball and softball training facility in Illinois. Through his academy, clinics, courses and online content, he has helped thousands of athletes improve their pitching, throwing mechanics, strength, speed, confidence and mental resilience.

Blewett teaches players and coaches from both baseball and softball, adapting professional-level concepts into practical instruction that can be applied at every level of the game. His softball programmes include overhand throwing mechanics, arm care, strength training and position-specific development.

He is also the author of several books for athletes, coaches and parents, including Pitching Isn’t Complicated, Dear Baseball Gods, Clean Your Cleats and This Slump Shall Pass. As a speaker and mentor, he shares lessons about perseverance, confidence, leadership and overcoming setbacks.

More information about his coaching, courses and educational resources is available on DanBlewett.com.

Tom O'Connell, the first high school coach to serve as President of the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA), recently retired after an illustrious 51-year career in baseball coaching. From 1969 to 2000, he led Pulaski High School in Milwaukee, where his teams achieved a record number of wins. Following his retirement from teaching, he spent 15 years at Catholic Central High School in Burlington, Wisconsin, where his teams won five state championships and reached the state quarterfinals for ten consecutive years. He later revitalized the baseball program at St. Francis High School.

O'Connell has been named National Coach of the Year three times and Midwest Coach of the Year four times. In 1995, he coached the USA Baseball North Team at the U.S. Olympic Festival, and he has been inducted into five Halls of Fame, including the ABCA Hall of Fame, where he was the 16th high school coach ever inducted.

A leader within the ABCA, O'Connell served as President in 2002 and now sits on its Board of Directors. He is also proud of his contributions to the ABCA Code of Ethics and his ongoing work in international baseball through ISG Baseball.

O'Connell has authored three books, including *Coaching Baseball: Techniques and Tactics*, and has been a frequent speaker at clinics across the U.S., Europe, and New Zealand. He has also scouted for several MLB teams and served as Lead Envoy Coach in Germany for Major League Baseball.

Beyond baseball, O'Connell has been actively involved with Milwaukee Irish Fest, where he has served on its Board of Directors. He and his wife Paula have three children and six grandchildren.