Wade Hunter

Official twitter account of Roanoke-Benson Baseball

[Greg Berge @GregBerge]

@SahilBloom Love it… applied to coaching:

Most coaches chase wins, but great coaches chase culture.

Culture is what you allow.
Culture is what you emphasize.
Culture is every day.

[D3Direct @D3Direct]

Going D3 means you're more than your sport

Stats for D3 Athletes ⬇️

- 68% work an internship
- 44% have part time job
- 24% study abroad

No other level offers this type of balance

(Source: @NCAADIII)

[Haydon Price @PriceHaydon]

Transfer Portal | Uncommitted 26’s🚨

Drop Video below 👇🏻

Illinois Valley CC (Division II JUCO) is looking to add the following

1 C

1 MIF

2 Corner INF

2 OF

A program on the rise and opportunities across the board. Interested? Shoot me a DM

@IVBaseball01 @Ty6Ryan @NickHarsted @HenryJerrid @CherokeeLeBeau @JUCOuncommitted @Juco_Spotlight @UncommittedUsa

[Wade Hunter @_RocketBaseball]

@Putnam_Baseball Congrats Coach and team!

[Wade Hunter @_RocketBaseball]

RB/LW season ends today with a 6-3 loss to Lexington. Can't be more proud of this senior group for the culture they have helped create and making me a better coach. Best of luck seniors, you will be greatly missed.

#WeAreRB

[Jon Karcich @JonKarcich]

At 18 years old, Roch Cholowsky had a choice.

Take first-round money from MLB. Or take a football scholarship, he was good enough for Notre Dame to offer him one as a QB.

He turned down both.

Instead he chose to walk onto a UCLA campus and join a program that would win just 19 games is Freshman year. No guaranteed role. No guaranteed anything. Just like life.

Freshman year he spent most of his time at third base. Hit below .250 for a month. One homer three quarters through the season.

In the transfer portal era, where every highly recruited kid bounces the second things get hard... he didn't flinch.

He waited. He worked. He stayed.

And so did his teammates.

The majority of that roster stayed together. Built something. Trusted the process when it wasn't pretty. That's not a coincidence, that's culture. And culture starts with your best player setting the standard every single day.

That's delayed gratification in real time.

Sophomore year: .353. 23 HRs. 74 RBI. National Player of the Year. College World Series.

Here's what people don't talk about though.

The kid keeps a vision board in his dorm room. Has since his senior year of high school. Individual goals on the left side. Team goals on the right side. He doesn't just write them down... he sees them every single day.

Tucked in the corner of that board is a handwritten note from his mom.

Four words.

"Keep your circle small."

At the peak of the hype, when everybody wants a piece of you... he had the blinders on anyway. That doesn't happen by accident. That starts at home.

His head coach John Savage said it plainly:

"His makeup, his leadership, his work ethic in the weight room, drills, practice, meetings, it's all about winning with him."

Savage also called him a "head coach's dream." In 10 years coaching at the D1 level and as a 7th round draft pick myself... I can tell you that phrase gets used maybe once or twice in an entire career.

And then there's the QB piece. Shortstop IS the quarterback of the field. You're calling coverages, commanding the defense, reading the game before the ball is even hit. Cholowsky did that every Friday night under the lights in high school. He didn't just play baseball. He learned how to lead.

His words:

"Football helped me leadership-wise, because nothing works if the guys aren't on the same page."

Now they're the #1 team in the country. And he's the #1 pick in the country.

Does that mean he goes #1 overall in July? Has a long MLB career? Makes the Hall of Fame?

Not necessarily.

But he's living right. He understands his system. He knows who he is and what he needs to do every single day.

The talent gets you noticed.

The character gets you there.

That's Roch Cholowsky. That's why coaches and MLB scouts respect him.

I'm a fan. And we have to remember, it's not easy. But we're only as good as the system we build for ourselves.

Your journey IS YOUR journey!

@CholowskyRoch

[Wade Hunter @_RocketBaseball]

RB/LW advances to the Regional Championship with a 1-0 victory over Illini Bluffs. E.Schumacher with the W 6.2 IP 0ER 4K 1 BB @LaneMartin2396 with the Save. RB/LW faces Lexington at home Saturday 11a.m. in the Regional Championship.

[Sports Psychology @SportPsychTips]

Three ways to overcome fear:
1. Train hard and prepare.
2. Use positive self-talk and body language.
3. Force yourself to face your fears and get used to them.

[Trost @TrustTrost]

Nobody wants to say this out loud:

Nearly 1 in 3 college athletes quit, because they lose passion for the game.

Many quit after the first year, because once they get there they realize the sport has become a job.

And while everyone glorifies the NCAA transfer portal, nearly 80 percent of student athletes who entered last year never found another school and “retired.”

Social media has sold kids (and their parents) the dream that “D-I or bust” is the only path that matters.

It’s not.

JUCO. NAIA. D3.

Those levels can change lives, too, by opening doors you’d never imagine.

If you want to play, there’s a place for you. Sorry to say this, but playing in college is no longer a flex.

Finding the RIGHT fit - not the flashiest one for clicks - is.

Don’t let the ego block a road.

Remember: Not every great sports story starts on ESPN or a post on social media.

#MoreThanJUSTGames #IHSA

[Baseball’s Greatest Moments @BBGreatMoments]

You had one job 🥹

[Wade Hunter @_RocketBaseball]

RB/LW 9 LeRoy 1 at LeRoy last night. E.Schumacher with a CG 0ER, 1 hit, 5K, 0BB and went 4-4 at the plate. https://t.co/0VfeJ7DOwl with 2 hits and an RBI. RB/LW hosts St. Bede Saturdah at home 11am for a conference make-up.

[Sports Psychology @SportPsychTips]

Five things that mature athletes do:
1. Show up on time
2. Work hard in school
3. Take care of their bodies
4. Stay out of trouble
5. Treat others with respect

[Troy Silva @TroyPSilva]

A little burnt out?
Welcome to life!
Body aches/pains?
Yep, daily!
Arm sore/tired?
You play baseball!
Mentally fatigued?
So is everyone else!

It’s that time of year to suck it up, battle through the aches & pains & mentally compete with yourself!
#BaseballTruth

[Wade Hunter @_RocketBaseball]

RB/LW traveled to Rochester last night and headed into the 7th up 1-0. Unfortunately the boys fell short losing 2-1. H.Knepp 2-3, https://t.co/0VfeJ7DOwl 1-3 RBI and 3 web gems in CF, J.Sauder 1-2. @LaneMartin2396 6.2 IP 7K OBB 0ER. Keep grinding boys!

[Wendi A. Irlbeck MS, RDN, LD, CISSN @Wendi_Irlbeck]

Youth sports is on life support.

If you think it’s fine, you’re not paying attention.

Kids age 10-12 are playing way too many tournaments and travel ball. Parents treat it like the World Series. They need less travel, more rest, fueling, and actual development. They’re 12 YO.

The data backs it up:
❌70% of kids drop out of organized sports by age 13.
❌Professionalization (year-round single-sport focus, heavy travel/tournaments) drives overuse injuries, overtraining, and burnout.
❌Nearly 1 in 10 youth athletes experience burnout; up to 35% deal with overtraining.
❌Early specialization before 12-13 raises injury and burnout risks significantly.

Multi-sport kids who rest and play for fun stick around longer and develop better.

Let them be kids. Prioritize recovery, fun, and long-term health over trophies. The best athletes often sample multiple sports early and specialize later.

Who else sees this?

[Wade Hunter @_RocketBaseball]

100% TRUTH

[Chris Parker @chris_parker222]

If you want to be a coach in 2026, you need to become versed in the following careers:
- Coach
- Teacher
- Psychologist
- Tech Specialist
- Custodian
- Uber Driver
- Marketing
- Financial Planner
- Groundskeeper
- Mediation Specialist
- Psychic
- And many more...

[Wade Hunter @_RocketBaseball]

RB/LW 7 Midland 6 in a crazy weather day in Varna. @leytonharms 2-3 2run💣 4RBI. @henrykoehler13 1-3 2B 2RBI. E.Schumacher with the W and @daxhunter_09 with the SAVE. RB/LW travels to Rochester Thursday.

[Wade Hunter @_RocketBaseball]

RB/LW 18 Midland 16. Alotta good and some bad but the boys found a way on Senior Night! https://t.co/0VfeJ7DOwl 4-4 3 RBI, @henrykoehler13 2-5 3RBI, @LaneMartin2396 2-3 3RBI, @Youngman_6 2-3 RBI, E.Schumacher with the W on the mound and 3RBI. At Midland tomorrow.

[Wade Hunter @_RocketBaseball]

Senoir Night Today!

[D3 Data @D3SportsData]

The 64 DIII Baseball NCAA Tournament Teams.
#d3data #d3 #d3sports #d3baseball