Virginia Baseball Club, Inc.: VBC Instructors
The VBC Professional Teaching Staff
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The most important quality of any academy is the teaching staff. We have the best coaches/teachers in the region - PLEASE COMPARE our staff to any in the area. Our coaches have the experience of playing at a high level and years of coaching youth and high school baseball or softball. The VBC is managed by certified VA public school educators and experienced coaches. We have teaching professionals for each level of the game - coaches who understand levels of development and how to connect with players.
Our professional teaching staff is enhanced by our partnership with MVP Baseball School, led by Mark Gjormand (Madison HS Head Baseball Coach) and Scott Rowland (former Oakton HS Head Baseball Coach). Learn more about MVP instructors at http://www.mvpbaseballschool.com/
HIGH SCHOOL HEAD COACH STAFF
Doug Grove (W-L HS), Adam Amerine (GMHS), Joe McDonald (Marshall HS), Kevin Healy (Langley HS), John Thomas (McLean HS), Ronnie Abrigo (Annandale HS), Chris Warren (WT Woodson HS), Justin Janis (Oakton HS), Mark Gjormand (Madison HS), Billy Emerson (PVI HS), Randy Lightle (J.E.B. Stuart HS), Jody Rutherford (Lake Braddock HS), John Lam (Edison HS), Morgan Spencer (Centreville HS), Rick Freeman (Fairfax HS), Galvin Morris (South Lakes HS), George Rumore (LBSS Head Softball Coach), Chad Stephens (Yorktown HS Head JV Coach).
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CHRIS BERSET, Hitting/Catching Instructor
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Chris is currently playing in the Cincinnati Reds organization as a switch hitting catcher. He is a former All-Met player (2004 and 2006) and Puma All-American HS Team (2006). Chris attended the Heights School. He received a four-year scholarship and was captain of the University of Michigan baseball team. In his senior year he hit .373, 81 doubles and 15 HRs. He played for the GB World Cup Team in 2009, batting .387 in the World Cup Games.
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AARON TARR - VBC Merrifield Lead Youth Instructor
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Aaron has been a High School teacher in Arlington and Fairfax counties for the past five years, but is now joining the VBC full-time. Aaron began playing at Yorktown High School as a three year varsity starter where he won all-district honors as a utility player, second baseman, and pitcher. He was a coachs award and MVP award winner, as well as the team captain as a senior.
Aaron played outfield and pitcher for Hamilton College in up-state New York, setting single season records for walks (35) and on-base percentage (.582), while batting .322 as a freshman. However, torn labrums in both shoulders ended his playing days after two seasons.
Aaron is currently the assistant varsity coach at Marshall High School and the Assistant Coach of American Legion Post 139 in Arlington.
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JOHN SKAGGS, VBC Lead Instructor
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John is a new full-time instructor at the VBC. He played professionally for the Macon Pinetoppers in the Peach State League in Macon, Georgia. He played his collegiate ball at Wayne State University in Detroit, MI. He finished his WSU career as the programs all-time leader in fielding percentage (.994)and also ranks ninth in putouts (584). In his senior year he was team co-captain and received Honorable Mention All-GLIAC accolades. He finished the year with a .992 fielding percentage, tied for sixth-best in WSU history, and had 1.000 fielding percentage his first 3 seasons. He finished with 345 putouts, second-most in school history and just six shy of the league record. He batted .389 his last season and led the Warriors to a conference and league championship. He was named to the GLIAC All-Academic team 4 years in a row.
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MATT SKIRVING, Instructor
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Matt just finished his second season as a catcher in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization. He finished the 2011 season near the top in many offensive categories for the Pirates Short Season-A affiliate State College Spikes. Matt played his college baseball at Eastern Michigan University where he earned all-Conference and all-Region recognition in 2009 hitting .348 with 16 home runs and 64 runs batted in. He is a graduate of Dow High School in Midland, MI and played in the 2008 American Legion World Series in Shelby, NC with his Midland Berryhill Post 165 team.
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SCOTT KIMBLE Instructor
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Scott was a four-year starter at Longwood University. As a freshman he earned a spot on the All-Ping team as a utility player as well as All-Independent honors. During his senior year he was co-captain, where he hit .383 with 70 hits (11 doubles, 2 triples, 4 homeruns), 47 runs, 27 RBIs, and 12 SBs. He finished his career in 2010 hitting .331 with 10 HR, 150 runs, 93 RBIs and 57 SBs. In 2008 He played in the Mountain Collegiate Summer Baseball League with the Fort Collins Foxes. In 2010 He played in the JayHawk League with the Haysville Heat where they played in the NBC World Series. This past summer he tried out with the River City Rascals of the Frontier League in OFallon, MO. He graduated from Longwood University in 2011 with a BA in Graphic Design.
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CHRIS BRIERE, Instructor
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Chris was a four-year, two-way starter at Longwood University, playing center field and pitcher. In his senior year in 2011, Chris was considered one of the top 25 college baseball players nationwide. He was selected to the watch list for the 2011 John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year Award.
A team captain his senior year, Chris was the number one pitcher on the staff with a 7-3 record on the mound and a 3.27 ERA through 71.2 innings with 42 strikeouts. He has started 26 of 29 games in center field as well while hitting .417 with two home runs, nine doubles, 17 RBI, 23 runs, and two stolen bases. Chris made ten pitching appearances with ten starts and one complete game. He led the Lancers in wins and innings. Chris played High School baseball at James River High School - 2007 AAA State Champions. In the summer of 2008 Chris played for the Fairfax Nationals in the Clark Griffith League and was selected to the All - League team as an outfielder. In the summers of 2009 and 2010 he played for the Martinsville Mustangs in the Coastal Plains League. Chris graduated with a degree in business finance and real estate double-major, Chris had a 3.48 cumulative GPA.
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DAN POTOTSKY, Hitting Instructor
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Dan is recognized by area coaches and players as one of the best hitting instructors in the region. He has coached HS baseball in Northern VA since 1988. He was an All-Met player at W-L High School and set SEC hitting records while playing for the University of Kentucky.
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JEFF HORWITT, VBC Express GM and Pitching Instructor
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Jeff is a former standout pitcher at W-L High School ('96) and played college
baseball at Northwestern University. He is a roving pitching instructor with the VBC and has over 10 years of instructional experience.
Jeff also runs the Senators Baseball Club of the Industrial League and
serves as a volunteer coach at W-L. He runs the W-L High School fall baseball program.
jhorwitt@comcast.net
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GEORGE RUMORE, HS Softball Instructor
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Coach Rumore has over thirty years of experience coaching both girls softball and boys baseball in the Northern Virginia Area. Coach Rumore will be starting his fifth season as the Varsity Softball Coach at Lake Braddock High School.
Prior to Lake Braddock High School Coach Rumore was the Varsity Softball Coach at both Mclean High School and Wakefield High School. Coach Rumore spent three years at Bishop OConnell High School as the Junior Varsity Baseball Coach. Coach Rumore has coached travel softball teams over the past seventeen years for such teams as the Vienna Stars, BRYC and the Northern Virginia Patriots, in which he established the organization and coached for nine years.
Before becoming a softball coach, Coach Rumore coached in the Clark C. Griffith Collegiate Baseball League for 7 years, American Legion Baseball for 3 years and coached in the Northern Virginia Fall Baseball League for 13 years. Over the years Coach Rumore has been fortunate enough to have coached numerous players who have gone on to play college softball, college baseball and professional baseball. This will be Coach Rumores third year as a Virginia Baseball Club Instructor.
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MARK MURRAY, Instructor
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Mark grew up playing ball in Arlington. He earned four varsity letters in baseball and two in basketball at Yorktown High School. He was a first-team all district shortstop and pitcher. His pitching record of 11-6 helped lead his teams to two National District titles in 2006 and 2007. Mark is currently a graduate student in the Sports Management program at George Mason University,with a concentration in coaching. Mark did his undergraduate internship as a coach at the Cal Ripken Baseball School in Aberdeen, MD in the summer of 2011. Mark has been working as an instructor at the VBC since 2010.
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VONDELL JOHNSON, Infield and Hitting Instructor
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Vondell has been a VBC coach for the past four years. He played and coached at Averette College. Coach Johnson is an elementary school PE teacher for Arlington County Public Schools and a varsity assistant coach at Bishop Ireton High School. He is the head coach for Arlington American Legion Post 139. He will be working both youth and high school camps as a hitting and infield instructor.
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JAY EARL, Loudoun Summer Director
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Jay is former college player at Fairmont State. Currently he is an elementary school teacher and baseball coach in Jefferson County, WV. He has extensive baseball camp experience, working at the Fairmont State University and VBC camps. He is the assistant JV baseball and football coach at Jefferson High School, WV.
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RANDY LIGHTLE, Instructor & Asst. GM
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Randy Lightle brings 50 years of baseball playing and coaching experience to the Virginia Baseball Club. He is the head varsity baseball coach at JEB Stuart High School. He has coached baseball from T-ball through high school levels. He also manages and plays on 3 senior men's baseball teams. Since his retirement from the Federal Government in 2002 he has committed himself to coaching and developing baseball players of all ages. Randy leads our Tiny Tots and Beginner T-ball programs in Merrifield and works as an insturctor in our youth and high school programs.
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LOGAN LEACH, Administrator & Assistant General Manager
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Administrator and Assistant General Manager. Logan is a senior at George Mason University. She is pursuing a BS in Marketing with a double minor in Sports Management, and Art and Visual Technology with a focus in digital art.
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MIKE MURRAY, VBC Owner and General Manager
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Coach Murray has directed the Virginia Baseball Club since 1992. He has been coaching varsity level baseball since 1988. Since 2003 he has been the assistant varsity baseball coach at Yorktown High School. Mike spent four years as the associate head varsity baseball coach at O'Connell High School (WCAC Champs and #3 ranking in Washington Post in 2001), after spending the previous seven years as the head varsity baseball coach at Wakefield High School. Among the teams Mike has managed include the Arlington American Legion Post 139, Alexandria American Legion Post 129 (co-founder). Mike teaches Sociology and Psychology at Yorktown HS. He was named in "Who's Who Among American Teachers" in 2006. He is a certified trainer for the Positive Coaching Alliance and has traveled around the country presenting PCA workshops. In February 2006, Coach Murray was recognized by the International Sport Institute (click on name above for more information) as one of nine coaches nationwide for his work in promoting a positive sports culture in his community.
mike.murray33@verizon.net
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