Rob Knaak

CFO at Reliant Transportation, Former Doane University Baseball

[Corn Belt League @CornBeltLeague]

Keith Knaak goes the distance on the mound tossing seven scoreless frames as the Bombers defeat the River Bandits

FINAL
Bombers 7
River Bandits 0

TOP PERFORMERS
Jellen 2-3 2RBIs
Morrison 2-4 RBI
Jurgensen 2B RBI
Knaak 7IP 0R 5H 5K 0BB

Fox 3.1IP 1ER 2H 6K 0BB
Altstadt 2-3

[Clint Hurdle @ClintHurdle13]

My son Christian retired from baseball when he was 4.

He's now about to wrap up culinary school.

When I talk baking with him, his eyes light up the way mine did talking about hitting with my dad.

That's what you want for your kids.

Not your path. Their path.

[Matt Lisle @CoachLisle]

Things I wish I would have known as a player: How much time the coaching staff spends thinking about what's best for the team.

[Coach Beede @CoachBeede]

With Division I coaches barred from contacting rising juniors until August 1, the college camp has quietly become the most important place your athlete can be this summer. A camp on a school's own field is one of the few settings where a coach can watch your son or daughter in person and form a real opinion. But be selective. A camp at a school that actually recruits their position and level is worth ten generic showcases promising a hundred coaches who never come. Pay for the field where the right eyes already are.

[𝘑𝘦𝘧𝘧 𝘔𝘰𝘺𝘦𝘳 @JeffMoyer41]

I watch a lot of HS and Travel Baseball and here’s what gets evaluated that most players/coaches/understand:

1. Catch Play - how do you treat “getting loose” before a game? Is there meaning to it or are you just throwing to throw….

2. Ground Balls between innings - 7-3-21
7 inn, 3 GBs/inn, 21 reps/game. How do you treat those? How are your throws?

3. On Deck Reps - What are you doing to prepare for your AB? You have three responsibilities. 1. Time the Pitcher, 2. Communicate w/base runners 3. Relay location to hitter. You’re not there to “get loose”

4. Response to Failure - how do you respond to a Strikeout, an error, a bad call, giving up a bomb?

5. Communication - Are you talking between pitches, directing cutoffs, helping teammates w/ pitcher tendencies, etc.

6. Competitiveness In Non Game Situations sprinting on and off the field, backing up bases, prep steps, moving with hitters tendencies, does every pitch matter?

These are the aspects of the game that are often taken for granted but make a huge difference for your evaluation.

[Corn Belt League @CornBeltLeague]

Keith Knaak leads the offense with 6 total bases while driving in 4 runs to help the Bombers defeat the Filthballers.

FINAL
Bombers 10
Filthballers 4

TOP PERFORMERS
Knaak 3-4 3B 2B 4RBI
Strong 3-4 2B RBI 3R SB
Jurgensen 3-4 RBI 2R SB

Modrell 2-3 2B R
Schrader HR

[Harrison Cordell Fant @Fantavious9]

🚨 A MUST LISTEN for all amateur ballplayers wanting to play in college. Long but SO MUCH VALUE here!

Alabama HC Rob Vaughn on college baseball recruiting and the type of player you truly want in your program, no matter the level.

“Our job in college baseball, yes, it's to win games. Yes, it's to develop big leaguers, and yes, it's all the things that we all talk about in recruiting, but more than anything, it's to prepare these kids to be successful for whatever comes next. And man, as good as the talent is in this league, as good as the talent is on this team, not all of them are going to be career big leaguers, you know. And I think what makes Tyler Fay’s journey so awesome, is in a world that is inundated with particularly moms and dads that want your kid to cut and run when when they're not starting every day or they're not playing every day. You see at one end of the equation, you either get the parents are like, ‘Hey man, put your head down to work. We got to get better.’ And you get the parents that feed into the narrative, ‘man, they're not giving you a chance. You got to go. You got to leave.’ the thing about him that makes him so special is regardless of whether Tyler's a 20-year big league or not, that guy's going to be a smashing success in life because when things get hard, he doesn't cut and run. He's not sticking his hand out looking for the next easy way and who's going to pay me more. He’s the I'm going to put my head down. I'm going to work and I'm going to get better.”

Guys like him are the exact reason you believe in what you recruit. You believe in makeup, you better hunt makeup because that guy has that in spades. And that's why he deserves every ounce of what he's getting right now.”

[Greg Berge @GregBerge]

Sean McVay said, “Winning is a habit; let’s make it ours.”

Winning is a lifestyle. It is how you do things.
What habits make winning possible?

Here are the 6 Habits of Winners.

1. Keep Stacking Days
Winners show up every day. It’s not about going all out once in a while but consistency. Small, daily actions compound over time. Whether in the gym, the classroom, or your mindset, showing up EVERY DAY beats sporadic intensity.

2. Focus on the Process, Not Just the Results
Winners don’t obsess over outcomes—they focus on the steps that get them there. The journey is where growth happens. By locking in on the process, they make success inevitable by constantly improving what they can control.

3. Embrace the Struggle
Winners don’t shy away from challenges or discomfort. They know that growth happens in the tough moments. When others quit or back down, winners lean in. They understand that pain and struggle are part of the path to greatness.

4. Adapt and Adjust
Winners are flexible. They don’t stick to a rigid plan when things change - they adapt. Whether it’s a new strategy, an unexpected challenge, or setbacks, winners adjust and keep moving forward.

5. Stay Humble and Hungry
No matter how much success they’ve had, winners never think they’ve “arrived.” They remain humble, knowing there’s always room to improve. And they stay hungry, constantly pushing themselves to improve, no matter how much they’ve already achieved.

6. Mental Toughness
Winners build mental resilience. They don’t let failures define them or allow external pressures to control their mindset. They train their minds as much as their bodies, learning to stay focused, calm, and confident in any situation.

_____

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[Rob Knaak @RobKnaak]

Nailed it!

[Coach Beede @CoachBeede]

Most families think recruiting is about getting noticed.
After 35 years, I can tell you it is the opposite. The student-athletes who succeed are the ones who get clear before they get noticed.
Clear on what level fits. Clear on what schools fit academically. Clear on what kind of program their son will actually thrive in.
Visibility without clarity creates noise, not offers.

[nebpreps @THEnebpreps]

TARPS OFF @WernerPark

Lincoln East’s players are giving the grounds crew a little hand removing the field tarp 🤣

[Rob Knaak @RobKnaak]

@ryankragh Congrats Coach!

[Coach Beede @CoachBeede]

I have watched too many families spend three years and $50,000 chasing a Division I dream that was never realistic.
Not because the athlete wasn't a baseball player. He was.
Because nobody around him was honest enough to say: "Your son is a great D3 player. That is a wonderful thing to be."
D3 baseball is real baseball. Real coaches. Actual competition. Real degrees that open real doors.
The lie is not that your son isn't D1. The lie is that D1 is the only finish line worth running toward.

[NAIA Ball @NAIABall]

🏆 LINCOLN OPENING ROUND

START THE CELEBRATION IN NEBRASKA! THE DOANE TIGERS ARE HEADING TO LEWISTON

#1 Doane (NE) defeats #3 Madonna (MI) 7-4

Jett Grossart 3-4 3 RBI
Carter Roth 2-5 2 RBI
Max Harris 1-2 2B
Broc Songster 8 IP 3 ER 6 K

Tigers sweep through the Opening Round and are heading to the World Series for the first time in program history!

🎥: @DoaneAthletics @UrbanEdgeTv

#NAIABall

[Dirt Bro Diamond Training @DirtBroUSA]

Blaming others is a sign of immaturity.

It’s not the official’s fault. Not your teammate’s. Not the coach’s. Not the weather’s.

Own it. Hold yourself accountable. Make adjustments. Work harder.

Focus on what you can control: your preparation, attitude, effort, gratitude, energy, and focus.

[Troy Silva @TroyPSilva]

1 unselfish AB
can win a game

1 high baseball IQ play
can win a game

1 hustle play
can win a game

1 great base running read
can win a game

….And it could be early in the game!

If you REALLY want to win, dominating the “minor” details leads to “major” W’s!

#BaseballTruth

[Bradley Ingram @BradleyIngram24]

I watch a lot of college baseball; what I see is a lot of batters who early in counts watch center cut fastball go by only to swing at breaking balls off the plate!

Hitters, think like pitcher's who are hammered to get ahead & stay ahead!

Often the first pitch is the best pitch you'll see in an at bat; step into the box prepared to hit!

[Doane Baseball @DoaneBaseball]

Tigers Sweep Morningside to finish the conference regular season 24-4 and Win the GPAC Regular Season Title! #GoDoane

[NAIA Ball @NAIABall]

@DoaneBaseball receiving their regular season conference championship trophy in front of a Chipotle might be the most #NAIABall thing we’ve ever seen

@ChipotleTweets sponsorship? Let’s talk business 👀

[Coach Beede @CoachBeede]

Attention High School Pitchers : While you’re chasing velocity via gurus and gadgets, College Coaches want to know 1. Can he decelerate with runners on base, 2. Does he throw secondary pitches in plus counts for strikes 3. What’s his separation FB /CU 4. Can he throw strikes at college level -4a. CAN HE CONTROL GLOVE SIDE FOR STRIKES !! @bsblbluebook @CresseySP @PitchingNinja @Pitchingbadger @NCAABaseball @DaveSerrano11

[Tracy Smith @TracyJSmith13]

Hey Pitchers … want a good drill to help improve your command and confidence? Try the “Short Box Drill”.

#baseball #michigan #drill #development #pitching