About Baseball Excellence

About Baseball Excellence

We began Baseball Excellence in 1998 with the goal of better educating youth players, parents and coaches about the true fundamentals of the game. In the (Professional) Minor Leagues winning is important but secondary to "player development". We believe that youth leagues should be approached the same way; development over winning. At Baseball Excellence we seek to instruct not only the fundamentals of the game but the "how’s and why’s" of learning to perform them correctly.

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Our Team

Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision. The ability to direct individual accomplishments toward organizational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results. - Andrew Carnegie

derek from baseball-excellence.com

Derek Lilliquist
Coach

Derek attended Sarasota High School in Sarasota, Florida. He pitched for 3 years at the University of Georgia and pitched in the College World Series his junior year. He also hit 20 home runs that year. He was drafted #1 (6th pick overall) by the Atlanta Braves and pitched professionally for 10 years. He has been the Pitching Coach at Vero Beach High School and is currently the St Louis Cardinals Bullpen Coach.

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Jack Grant
Coach

Jack played baseball at Florida State and has coached for over 30 years. The majority of his players who began and remained with his program the last 10 years have gone on to play in college or professional baseball. Clinton Johnston was drafted #1 by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1998 and Jack has coached several players who went on to become college All-Americans.

Jim Thompson
Umpire

Jim has been umpiring in Florida since 1953. He has umpired Little League, Babe Ruth League, high school, American Legion, college, semi-pro and professional baseball. He works spring training games for the Los Angeles Dodgers and is a substitute umpire in the Florida State and Gulf Coast Leagues (Class A professional). He has umpired 2 Olympic Festivals (1987& 1989) and has umpired 11 Florida high school Florida Finals. Jim served on the National Federation Baseball Rules Committee for 6 years and has been inducted into the Florida High School Hall of Fame and the National High School Hall of Fame.