Mike Sabatino - ABCA/Soldier Sports High School Div. I Assistant Coach of the Year, Edwardsville (IL) HS

Next up on the ABCA Podcast is Mike Sabatino, assistant coach at Edwardsville High School and the 2025 ABCA/Soldier Sports High School Division I Assistant Coach of the Year. Sabatino joined the Edwardsville staff in 2018, beginning with the freshman team before taking over as Varsity Pitching Coach in 2019. Since then, the Tigers have built one of the most dominant runs in Illinois high school baseball, posting a combined 198-42 record, capturing three state championships, and adding a third-place finish. Edwardsville has averaged 33 wins per season during Sabatino’s six years guiding the pitching staff. On the mound, the Tigers have been exceptional. Since 2019, Edwardsville pitchers have compiled a 2.17 cumulative ERA, producing multiple double-digit game winners, including Matt Boyer (2019), Spencer Stearns (2022), Logan Geggus (2023), and Chase Milburn (2024). Beyond the high school field, Sabatino serves as Director of Athletic Performance at Maximized Pitching Lab, bringing cutting-edge development strategies into his program. In this episode, we take a deep dive into blending modern pitching modalities with traditional coaching principles—covering workload management, in-season maintenance, off-season development, and how to keep arms thriving year-round. The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.