Last summer Coach Josh Vandemark was leading his 15 year old Bulls against the best competition in the country at the AABC Mickey Mantle World Series in McKinney, TX. Now he’s heading back down to the heat of the Texas Winter League in San Antonio. Josh is coming off a senior year at Madonna where he posted a 3.93 ERA and averaged a strike out per inning in over 50 innings. While coaching his now 16 year old team and directing the Bullpen’s pitching programs Josh has continued to work on his craft and has his fastball is now sitting north of 90. At 6’5 Josh stands to have a successful winter with the hopes of signing with a major league or independent team.
About the league: The winter baseball league is for current and aspiring professional baseball players seeking to improve their skills under the direction of veteran professional baseball managers and gain exposure to those managers and coaches in order to have the chance to play professional baseball during the upcoming regular season. The 2013 Texas Winter League saw almost 75% of players sign professional contracts with teams from various leagues around the country! The TWL is committed to bringing in managers and coaches from around the country who represent both affiliated and independent teams. For the 2014 season they have already confirmed that representatives from the following leagues will be at the TWL looking to sign players: American Association, Frontier League, United League, Can-Am League, as well as coaches and scouts from the Phillies, Marlins, and Diamondbacks.
Background on Coach Vandemark: As a Junior appeared in seven games at Madonna, all starts on the mound … Posted a 5-1 record with a 3.24 earned run average … Struck out 26 hitters in 33.1 innings of work … Earned his first MU win with a complete game effort at Point Loma (Feb. 11), striking out seven while scattering six hits … Struck out a career-best eight batters at Bryan (Feb. 18) in another complete game win in which he allowed just three hits… That summer he helped lead the Michigan Bulls College Team to its second NABF National Championship.
Josh followed up his junior season with a 6-1 record on the mound in 2013… Posting a 3.93 ERA with a .265 opponent’s batting average against… Throwing a career high in innings (52.2) Josh struck out 51 while just surrendering 12 walks. Since then it’s been helping young arms develop while developing his own as well.
Prior to Madonna: Lakeland Community College (2010) … Glen Oaks Community College (2011) … Appeared in 10 games at Lakeland, striking out 41 in 46 and two thirds innings of work … Earned NJCAA All-America first team honors at Glen Oaks in 2011 … Posted a 2.25 earned run average in 68 innings … Struck out 63 hitters while walking just 16 to post an 8-3 record …
Prep: Hicksville High School (2009) … Lettered in baseball, basketball and golf for the Aces … Three-time All-Green Meadows Conference selection in baseball (2007, ’08, ’09) … Ranks second all-time at HHS in strikeouts and posted a 23-12 career record … Earned all-conference honors four times in basketball and picked up all-state honors as a senior (2009) … Holds the Hicksville career-record for scoring, rebounds and blocked shots … Became the first player in school history to pass 1,000 career points …
