Hitting a baseball is one of the hardest things to do in all of sports. Hitters have to try to "square up" a round ball with a round bat. On top of that precise timing is necessary to hit the ball. Hitting is extremely reactionary. When you're at the plate you do not have time to think about different mechanics (i.e. how to load your hands, your swing plane, or the counter rotation of your shoulders).

The athlete's muscle memory & mechanics need to be so deeply ingrained that when they step into the batters box, they can simply trust their swing. This allows the hitter to focus on their approach, reading pitches, and hitting the ball hard.

In order to program your body and your brain to move in a way that best suits hitting a baseball, we will have to do a swing reconstruction. This reconstruction is going to take place through four different phases. Each player will be moving at their own pace, some faster than others, players will not be allowed to move from one phase to the next without properly demonstrating knowledge in a specific area and/or the correct mechanics.

In additional to the baseball specific skill sets, each player will also be receiving a full strength & speed development program.

The lifting program will take place at Colorado Academy, under the tutelage of the director of Sports Performance, Wes Kirk. Coach Kirk has worked as a strength and conditioning coach for the Cincinnati Reds organization and for the Oklahoma Sooners, coaching athletes such as Kyler Murray & Billy Hamilton.

The lifting program has been designed specifically for baseball players and we will be working very hard on the lifts that will give athletes the most functional strength to allow them to perform better as a ball player.

The top-of-the-line equipment that the weight room has just been outfitted with will give athletes access to unique exercises that translate directly to functional strength for baseball.

In order to maximize each player's return on the baseball academy they are expected to follow the lifting program. They are also expected to show up, attendance is not optional.

J.T. Putt

Since 2013, Coach Putt has been the head baseball coach for both the Colorado Academy Mustangs (CA) and the Catalyst Cardinals Summer & Fall teams. He brings his well-organized college-level coaching skills to both programs.

At CA, Coach Putt has turned the program into a perennial power over the last 10 years. In 2017, Coach Putt led CA to the program’s most successful year, finishing 3^rd in Colorado High School playoffs while compiling a school record of 20-6, both school records. Coach Scott Payne, Coach Walker Hamilton, and Coach Devon Ceylor were significant contributors to this success as key members of the coaching staff. CA has continued its winning ways, having won its regional championship five years running.

The Catalyst Cardinals summer and fall teams have also experienced great success under the leadership of Coach Putt.

Playing Experience -
High School:  Coach Putt played his high school ball at Mullen High School where he was 1st team All Conference, 1st team All-State (5A), and 1st team All-Colorado (all classifications). He was also voted Varsity MVP his senior season, leading the Mustangs in batting average, home runs, RBI, and OBP. He was also honored to be selected to play in the Top 40 All-Star game, held at Coors Field. Keeping academics as a priority he earned first-team academic all-state honors.

College:  Coach Putt attended Central Arizona College. He helped lead the Vaqueros to a 43-21 record and the District II Championship and was invited to play in the ACCAC all-star game. Continuing his academic achievements, Coach Putt was also named the Student of the Year in the Accounting Program, and for the entire 2nd year class. He then played atUNLV for a year before accepting a scholarship to play closer to home at Regis University in Denver, Colorado

At Regis University, he was voted team captain while also receiving NCBWA All-American and Academic All-American honors. He tied the program’s single-season doubles record his junior year when he led the Rangers in batting average. (.426), doubles (23), total bases (149), slugging pct. (.756), on-base pct. (.491), and stolen bases (17). He also earned All-RMAC First Team, Daktronics All-Central Region Second Team, and American Baseball Coaches Association All-Central Region First Team honors. He graduated Summa Cum Laude with a B.S. in Business Administrative Sciences and was distinguished as the most outstanding student in that program.

Professional: Post-college, Coach Putt was fortunate enough to play professionally in the United States, Australia, and Europe. He played for the Las Cruces Vaqueros alongside fellow Catalyst coach, Rob Herrmann. He played both 3B and OF for the Vaqueros, hitting .296 and slugging .507 to give him an OPS of .939. He also had a .432 on-base percentage. In Australia, he played for the Henley & Grange Rams. He would then move to a suburb of Paris, France to play for the Templiers de Senart, helping lead the team to the league championship tournament.

Scott Payne 

As the head coach of the Catalyst Cardinals 18u squad over the past two summer seasons, Coach Payne has amassed a 58-22 record, giving the Cardinals a .725 win percentage.

In 2016 the Cardinals 18u squad finished the year with a 1.909 Team ERA, a .315 Team Batting AVG., and a .933 Team Fielding Percentage.

With Payne at the helm, 9 seniors have went on to play college baseball in competitive programs over the past 2 summers.

Previous coaching experience -

Prior to joining Catalyst, Coach Payne worked as the roving infield instructor with Cheyenne Post Six in Wyoming and was part of 4 consecutive Legion State Championships.

Playing Experience -

High School: Payne was a 4 year starter for Cheyenne Post 6. As a player for Post 6 Payne was part of 4 consecutive State Championships and 2 regional runner-up teams. Payne was selected to the All State team in both his Junior and Senior years. Payne was also selected as a captain his senior year prior to signing with Mesa CC.

College Mesa CC: Payne played multiple positions in the infield for the Thunderbirds accumulating only 8 errors in 2 seasons. In his sophomore year Payne hit .327 and was selected as the team MVP, invited to the ACCAC all-star game, and was named a team captain before being offered a scholarship to attend Regis University.

College Regis University: Payne finished his career at Regis University graduating with a Health and Exercise Science degree with a Thematic Emphasis on Kinesiology. Payne played second base for the Rangers finishing with a .308 batting AVG.