The Rundown

08/01/2024

On this episode of The Rundown we are joined by College of St. Benedict Head Softball Coach, Rachel Click. Rachel joins us for the duration of this episode as we recap the S&C Winter Bash Alliance qualifier and talk all things CSB! This is a solid episode with some fun twists and turns along the way! As always, thank you for listening to The Rundown!

Link: https://therundownpodcast.buzzsprout.com/1957739/14245442-episode-45-fist-pumps-with-rachel-click

20/12/2023

On this installment of The Rundown Tori and Mike recap a busy and successful fall season for the Midwest Speed 16U National Holt team. It was a fall to remember and our team worked very hard for the results they achieved. Couple of proud coaches here folks! We also find some time between classes to catch up with former Midwest Speed standout Brooklyn Jones who is halfway through her first year attending school and playing ball for our Minnesota Golden Gophers! Brooklyn shares the experience and challenges she has faced in her first semester. From the sounds of it she is doing quite well! As always thank you for listening to The Rundown! Merry Christmas to all!

Link: https://therundownpodcast.buzzsprout.com/1957739/14174305-first-year-lessons-from-a-new-gopher

13/10/2023

On this episode of The Rundown your hosts recap another busy tournament weekend from the USSSA Minnesota Fall State Tournament. We cover the tournament's high finishers from a weekend of quality softball! As if tournament coverage is not enough for you...we also are joined by Gustavus Adolphus College Head Softball Coach and 2017 national champion Coley Ries! Coley shares amazing experiences from her 2017 championship season and gives us an understanding of what drove her and her teammates to greatness! In our conversation we also talk training pitchers and Gusties prospects for the 2024 MIAC season! Thank you for listening to The Rundown!

Link in Bio on IG: https://therundownpodcast.buzzsprout.com/1957739/13743077-episode-44-keepin-it-cool-with-coley-ries

09/09/2023

On this episode of The Rundown Mike and Tori are joined by teammate, catching instructor, and friend Bryan Ludwig. Bryan now has the honor of becoming a returning guest of the show, and once again goes deep on the importance of the catching position and its critical role in our sport. We talk more about receiving, and give you some great insights on how to better leverage practice time for your catchers! It is a great conversation that will get you thinking about the position and how as coaches we can be better. As always thank you for listening to The Rundown.

https://therundownpodcast.buzzsprout.com/1957739/13557226-episode-43-catching-with-the-guru

07/06/2023

On this episode of The Rundown Mike and Brent give you our third MSHSL Softball postseason breakdown featuring an exhaustive preview of the 2023 State Tournament. On this show we give you some inside predictions on which teams to watch and some excellent games to put on your watch list on June 8th and 9th at Caswell Park in Mankato! This season has been a blast to follow and the final few games in Mankato are going to be must see softball! Enjoy the show folks! As always, thank you for listening to The Rundown!

https://therundownpodcast.buzzsprout.com/1957739/12993824-episode-40-state-tournament-scoop

30/05/2023

Just a repost and reminder of all the great section action going on again today!!

Mike and Brent break it down !!

In-depth weekly conversation on the state of fastpitch softball in Minnesota and beyond. Featuring commentary and discussion on trends of the game, outcomes, interviews with top coaches, players, leaders, tips on college recruiting, College/High School/Club/Community program features, tournaments, camps, predictions, and much more!

Link https://therundownpodcast.buzzsprout.com/1957739/12929190-episode-39-2023-mshsl-section-update

Photo: In section 1 AAAA play Rochester Mayos Tiegan Mancuso steals second base vs Lakeville South HS. 📸 photo cred: Sarah Heise

23/05/2023

On this episode of The Rundown Mike and Tori cover a ton of ground bringing you insights into all three NCAA softball divisions. We will preview the Division one NCAA tournament bracket and make our predictions on which teams will make it out of regional play! We cover the division two NSIC Tournament and breakdown the excellent games played by UMD, Augustana, and SCSU! It was a great tourney. Wrapping up the collegiate segment we cover the amazing season that Bethel University had, going undefeated in conference play, repeating as MIAC Champions and their prospects in the Division three NCAA tournament - Go Royals! Our guests on this week’s show are the Minnesota Magic’s Coach and Director Christina Pickett and the University of St. Thomas’ Summit Conference Freshman of the Year - Avery Wukawitz. Christina and Avery talk about their special relationship as coach and player and give us a great example of how a loving, and accountable program can help a dedicated and talented athlete achieve their dreams. As if that is not enough, our final segment brings on a friend of the podcast and now our High School contributor, Brent Anderson. You know Brent from his time with the TC Blitz, and he is now joining our staff at The Rundown as our contributor for all things MSHSL softball. Brent and Mike go deep into the upcoming section tournaments and give you some amazing detail and insight on which teams to watch! This is truly our most jamb packed episode! As always, thank you for listening to The Rundown!

Link also in bio: https://therundownpodcast.buzzsprout.com/1957739/12896718-episode-38-the-extra-mile

24/04/2023

🙌 Fight for Womens sports

24/04/2023

This week on The Rundown Tori and Mike get busy and bring you a four segment mega show featuring a returning guest, editor of Breakdown Sports, Tim Kolehmainen! Another MSHSL softball season has begun and we get into the weeds on predictions, analysis, and all things high school softball. We are also joined by friend and colleague, Jim Koltes of the Maple Grove Crimson! We talk all things Maple Grove softball and relive some great memories about their 2019 MSHSL 4AAAA State Softball Championship! This is a packed episode of The Rundown and one you do not want to miss! As always, thank you for listening to The Rundown!

Link: https://therundownpodcast.buzzsprout.com/1957739/12663548-episode-37-breaking-it-down

04/04/2023

In Lakeville — On this episode of The Rundown we recap an amazing fundraiser held in the name of our friend and coaching colleague at Midwest Speed, Rick Thomas. Rick was recently diagnosed and is now battling a rare form of cancer and the amazing community of softball players, families, and coaches really showed up to help Rick during this difficult journey he finds himself on. It was truly amazing to feel the love and support for such an excellent man! God Bless you Rick. The whole state of MN Softball is in your corner for this fight!

On this episode we also have the honor of talking with another Minnesota Softball legend, MN Bombers Director and Founder, Bob Makela. Bob shares some of his amazing experiences in the game of fastpitch and gives us some great insight into why he is so passionate about this game! It is all about the athletes for Bob, and that is exactly why he has been so successful and respected in our game! This is another gem folks! Thanks for listening to The Rundown!

Link in the Bio on IG: https://therundownpodcast.buzzsprout.com/1957739/12560096-episode-36-bombers-legend

20/03/2023

On this episode of The Rundown Tori and Mike talk shop with State Cloud State Husky softball captains Raven Vandenlangenberg and Sydney Trees about their experiences as collegiate athletes. Raven and Sydney share some great insights about how to manage your time, treat your teammates, and prepare yourself for your future career. These collegiate athletes have raised the bar for success both on and off the field! Enjoy this week’s episode of The Rundown!

Link in bio on IG: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1xEyf8067HXPWEpWsv7mWe?si=xwsvr60tSmukRo4-5jPcuA

20/02/2023

This week on The Rundown Tori and Mike connect with one of Tori’s old friends and colleague Lauren Gardner. Lauren has since built an amazing career in sports broadcasting and now works for the MLB and NHL Networks hosting her own show, Off Base, and as one of the many female hosts of Quick Pitch, On the Fly, and NHL Tonight! In this episode, Lauren and Tori share some stories of the past, and Lauren talks about her road to building a successful career! We hope you enjoy this episode of The Rundown! Thank you for listening!

Link: https://therundownpodcast.buzzsprout.com/1957739/12279084-episode-34-go-out-and-take-it

15/02/2023

Lauren Gardner from MLB Network & NHL Network joins us on the next Rundown episode as she talks about her time as an All Conference softball player and her ascent to the top of her profession in broadcasting!

Awesome episode on working for your dreams 🙌

14/02/2023

On this week’s episode of The Rundown we talk with ASA/USA Hall of Fame pitching coach Doug Gardner about his amazing career in fastpitch! Doug shares a little bit about what it takes to make it in our game and about how he is helping raise funds to help a young Wisconsin athlete recover from injuries sustained from a traumatic car accident. Doug is an amazing coach and has helped many young women achieve their dreams! We hope you enjoy this episode of The Rundown. Thank you for listening!

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03/02/2023

This week on The Rundown Tori and Mike connect with Sr. Account Executive Jon Moscott at Blast Motion to talk about hitting data and how Blast Motion is helping players and coaches benchmark success and create development plans for athletes. Jon shares best practices and some great insights from his professional career as a pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds and as a front office member responsible for bringing data into the player development mix! Enjoy this week’s show and thank you for listening to The Rundown!

Link in bio on Instagram: https://therundownpodcast.buzzsprout.com/1957739/12174496-episode-32-using-data

26/01/2023

On this episode of The Rundown Mike and Tori relive the last MN Vikings game of the 2022 season, and Tori makes a solid case to defend his beloved Kirk Cousins. More importantly, we sit down with former MN Gopher and owner of Catalyst Softball Academy, Erika Smyth. Erika shares the acquisition story of purchasing the softball arm of Starters Sports Training, and gets into the details of how Catalyst is pushing the development envelope with her athletes. It is a great conversation and Erika is doing a fantastic job transforming the softball landscape in Minnesota and beyond. Thank you for listening to The Rundown!

Link in Bio and here ➡️ https://therundownpodcast.buzzsprout.com/1957739/12121860-episode-31-catalyst-softball

25/12/2022

Merry Christmas from The Rundown ✝️🎄

24/12/2022

On this Christmas week episode of The Rundown Tori and Mike relive their recent memories from an unbelievable and record breaking Minnesota Vikings victory over the Indianapolis Colts. It was truly a game to remember and Ol’ Coach Holt got to witness it live! We also get to hear from Tori about his life’s journey in faith, and how his struggles as a young man led him to the Lord and to his calling - coaching, mentoring, and spreading the Good News to all! We wish each of you a very Merry Christmas! Thank you for listening to The Rundown. We are blessed!

https://therundownpodcast.buzzsprout.com/1957739/11926339-episode-30-the-reason-for-the-season

24/12/2022

On this Christmas week episode of The Rundown Tori and Mike relive their recent memories from an unbelievable and record breaking Minnesota Vikings victory over the Indianapolis Colts. It was truly a game to remember and Ol’ Coach Holt got to witness it live! We also get to hear from Tori about his life’s journey in faith, and how his struggles as a young man led him to the Lord and to his calling - coaching, mentoring, and spreading the Good News to all! We wish each of you a very Merry Christmas! Thank you for listening to The Rundown. We are blessed!

https://therundownpodcast.buzzsprout.com/1957739/11926339-episode-30-the-reason-for-the-season

30/11/2022

Randy Moss & The "White" Tori Holt as mentioned in Episode 28

Check out our latest podcast and hear the story 😂

https://therundownpodcast.buzzsprout.com/1957739/11779300-episode-28-huskie-nation?t=0

29/11/2022

On this week’s episode of The Rundown Mike and Tori connect with Saint Cloud State University Women's Softball Head Coach, Mitch Roberts. The Huskies are coming off of a very strong 2022 campaign, and in Mitch’s first year, the team set the school’s single season record for NSIC wins with 23 and home runs with 60! We cover how Mitch builds his team culture and he spills a few secret ingredients on how to win as well. We also give a little preview on the 2022 Winter Bash and preview the Alliance National Qualifying event that S&C Sports Services has added into this year's Winter Bash tournament mix. As always, thank you for listening to The Rundown!

https://therundownpodcast.buzzsprout.com/1957739/11779300-episode-28-huskie-nation

24/11/2022

🦃🙌 Coach Holts Fav Holiday! Happy Thanksgiving 🍁

15/11/2022

15/11/2022

The weekend kept getting better for our hosts Mike and Tori! Congrats to them and their team as they locked a berth to the Alliance National Tournament in Chino Hills, CA and have jumped their HFL ranking for #105 in the country to #22! The best part is that they're still all 15Us!!

Congrats coaches and team!!

13/11/2022

This week on The Rundown Tori and Mike host a round table with some of the most experienced coaches in the Midwest! Sean Hall, Jeremy Chell, Bob Beedle and Mike Mills join the hosts for an amazing 90 minutes of softball chatter. Mike gets angry about stalling, we share some trade secrets, and we give you the best memories of our careers! Honestly, a description of this episode does not do it justice! Give it a listen and thank you for listening to The Rundown!

https://therundownpodcast.buzzsprout.com/1957739/11682792-episode-27-it-s-hard-to-win

18/10/2022

On this episode of The Rundown Mike and Tori catch up with Sara Moulton of Strike Zone Sports and this time she is joined by her business partner and SZS hitting instructor, Sam Macken! This episode marks our first remote broadcast, and we got a first class tour of Sam and Sara’s state of the art facility in Eagan MN! We cover a wide range of topics from hitting mentality to dodge ball! These two instructors know their stuff, and we are very fortunate to have them play such an important part in our softball culture here in MN! Don’t miss this conversation folks. As always, thank you for listening to The Rundown!

Link in Bio on Instagram: https://therundownpodcast.buzzsprout.com/1957739/11520096-episode-26-up-down-and-off-speed

13/10/2022

If you didn't get a chance make sure to check out our latest episode of The Rundown with Mike Candrea!

The legend Mike Candrea on The Rundown

This week on The Rundown we are joined by our sport’s most legendary coach! Our guest is an 8 time NCAA Women's College World Series Champion, 3 time NCAA Coach of the Year, Head Coach of the 2004 gold medalist Olympic Women's Softball team, and the winningest NCAA softball coach in history with 1,674 wins! We are blessed to share the mic with 36 year Head Coach (retired) from the Arizona Wildcats, Mike Candrea. It is an amazing chat with the legend and one you will not want to miss. If that isn't enough for you…we also give you the skinny on another great weekend of play from the S&C Fall Showcase in Sioux Falls, South Dakota held at the brand new and beautiful Sanford Sports Complex. Enjoy the listen folks and thank you for listening to The Rundown.

Link in Bio on Instagram

https://therundownpodcast.buzzsprout.com/1957739/11473662-episode-25-talking-with-the-ledgend

10/10/2022

For your ride home today:

The legend Mike Candrea on The Rundown

This week on The Rundown we are joined by our sport’s most legendary coach! Our guest is an 8 time NCAA Women's College World Series Champion, 3 time NCAA Coach of the Year, Head Coach of the 2004 gold medalist Olympic Women's Softball team, and the winningest NCAA softball coach in history with 1,674 wins! We are blessed to share the mic with 36 year Head Coach (retired) from the Arizona Wildcats, Mike Candrea. It is an amazing chat with the legend and one you will not want to miss. If that isn't enough for you…we also give you the skinny on another great weekend of play from the S&C Fall Showcase in Sioux Falls, South Dakota held at the brand new and beautiful Sanford Sports Complex. Enjoy the listen folks and thank you for listening to The Rundown.

Link in Bio on Instagram

https://therundownpodcast.buzzsprout.com/1957739/11473662-episode-25-talking-with-the-ledgend

04/10/2022

Awesome afternoon taping with legendary Arizona Wildcats Head Coach Mike Candrea.

So much knowledge and so many great stories you won't want to miss it!

The Mike Candrea Pod will be out Monday morning until then check out one of our previous 24 Episodes: https://therundownpodcast.buzzsprout.com/1957739

04/10/2022

On this week’s episode of The Rundown we share about our recent visit with Chelsey Falzone - Manager, Youth Engagement at the Minnesota Twins, as she gave our new team a first class experience at the Twins vs White Sox game at Target field, and more importantly planted the seed for these young women to pursue careers in professional sports! Thank you Chelsey for a wonderful and motivating evening for our group. This week, we recap the USSSA Fall State Tournament and are joined by Midwest Speed 18U pitcher and Boscobel Bulldog, Gretta Grassel, as we offer her congratulations on her verbal commitment to the SEC’s Mississippi State! Hail State! Gretta talks to us about the recruiting process from a player point of view. She is one of the best and we are so proud of her!! But wait…there's more! Our final guest is TC Blitz 16U Co-head coach Brent Anderson. Brent has been a friend of our host’s well before we even had the show! He is a great guy and one of the best coaches around and shares a bit of the inside scoop into his approach and the success of the TC Blitz program. As always, thank you for listening to The Rundown!

Here is the link: https://therundownpodcast.buzzsprout.com/1957739/11433762-episode-24-bulldog-for-life?t=0