Tory Acheson & Don McKinlay
500 episodes listed below
Two former college coaches break down travel-ball recruiting, pitching workload, and youth development.
Everything Fastpitch is a weekly softball coaching podcast hosted by Coach Torrey (Tory Acheson) and Coach Don McKinlay, former college coaches now working as full-time instructors and travel-ball coaches. Episodes combine coaching commentary, listener questions, and occasional guest interviews to cover youth and travel-ball development, recruiting pathways from JUCO to Division I, pitching workload and overuse injuries, and practice planning. Recurring segments include a 'Player of the Week,' an equipment tip, and an ongoing 'Mount Rushmore of college softball' listener project. The show also tracks college and professional softball news, such as AUSL expansion and attendance figures at major programs.
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Everything Fastpitch is a two-host coaching show built around Coach Torrey and Coach Don McKinlay, both former college softball coaches who now run instruction and travel-ball programs. Most episodes are structured discussions between the two hosts rather than straight interviews, though one host sometimes records solo when the other is unavailable, and select episodes feature guest coaches such as Scott Thomas of Gulf Coast State College or fellow podcasters Ken Krause and Jay Bolden of From the Coach's Mouth. Recurring subject matter includes travel-ball culture (time-limited games, umpire shortages, parent and sideline behavior), recruiting pressure and the 'D1 or bust' mindset, pitching shortages and pitcher overuse, practice-to-game ratios, and the case for multi-sport participation over early specialization. The hosts also work through listener-submitted coaching problems, ranging from 10U hitters freezing against live pitching to how to communicate playing-time discipline to a team. Segments are formulaic week to week: a 'Player of the Week,' an equipment tip, a 'Did You Know' item, and a running listener project (the college softball 'Mount Rushmore'). The show is sponsored by Elite Sporting Goods and EAS, a personalized recruiting service, and solicits listener support through Patreon; it is produced by Stan Lewis. The intended audience is travel-ball and school softball parents, players, and coaches, particularly those weighing recruiting decisions or training approaches for players roughly age 10 through college. Tone throughout is practical and instructional rather than promotional, drawing on the hosts' own coaching and recruiting experience alongside current college and pro softball storylines (attendance records, AUSL roster moves, JUCO pathways).
Made for: Travel-ball and school softball parents, players, and coaches navigating recruiting decisions, pitching development, and youth training.
What sets it apart: Run by two former college coaches who pair hands-on youth/travel-ball coaching advice with college and pro softball recruiting news, rather than pure drills content or athlete-interview formats.
Everything Fastpitch is a podcast hosted by Coach Tory Acheson and Coach Don McKinlay. Tory and Don are former college coaches that are now full time instructors and travel ball coaches. Since retiring form active collegiate coaching they have committed themselves to providing educational materials to the fastpitch community. This podcast is one of the resources they are providing. Their website has 500+ blog posts and they have a YouTube channel. All of these cover fastpitch softball from coaching and training beginner athletes up through college athletes. It is a great resource for players, parents and coaches. Whether it be training...
This is the show that treats a nervous 10U at-bat as a coaching problem, not a character flaw.
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Short reviews from the PlayNext desk, based on the episodes we processed.
A coach to coach look at year round softball, balance, and the habits that still matter.
Coach Don and Coach Torrey spend this one on a question that feels simple until it is not: if softball keeps stretching toward year round play, what gets lost along the way? The strongest part is the coaching talk.
Practical youth softball talk about development, discipline, and the limits of early success.
This episode stays on youth softball development, with a clear focus on what young players have to unlearn once the ball is live and the competition gets harder.
Plainspoken coaching talk about time, umpires, parents, and self-evaluation.
Everything Fastpitch keeps things on the ground here: coaching habits, time limits, umpires, parents, and the habit of checking your own work before pointing at everyone else.
A solo episode that stays useful, even with the rough audio.
Everything Fast Pitch goes solo this week, with Coach Tory opening by apologizing for the scratchy voice and pointing back to the technical trouble with Coach Don before a return to Zoom next week.
Practical youth-softball guidance on bridging drill work and live-game swings.
The episode keeps its focus on a familiar youth-softball problem: players can look clean in drills, the cage, tee work, soft toss, and front toss, then lose that shape once live pitching begins.
A practical episode about flexibility, player development, and coaching with intent.
This episode stays close to the practical side of fastpitch. It looks at players who split time across teams or sports, how to judge real development, and how coaching choices shape what happens on the field.
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Zach Lowe and ESPN colleagues dissect NBA trades, cap rules, and roster fit.
Big Cat and PFT Commenter cover the NFL, March Madness, and NHL for laughs.
Ryen Russillo runs weekly NFL and MLB recaps with beat reporters like Jeff Passan and Mike Sando.
Two hosts break down the ATP and WTA tour week, daily through every Grand Slam.
Race journalists and Damon Hill break down F1 driver markets, team history, and car tech.
This episode covers pickup player guidelines, fielding differences between baseball and softball, and coaching style effectiveness in fastpitch softball.
Episode 415's excerpt keeps coming back to balance.
Episode 414 takes the long view on youth softball expectations.
Coach Tori opens with a full agenda.
Everything Fast Pitch by Fast Pitch Prep opens episode 410 with a Zoom recording, a Patreon appeal at $5, $10, and $20 a month, and a preview of four segments.
Coaches discuss listener-driven topics including non-parent coaches, player rotation in 8U, and bat selection tips.
This episode previews a fastpitch softball podcast covering NCAA rule changes, an interview with Sarah Mosley, and coaching tips for live batting practice.
Coaches discuss listener questions on managing as a head coach/pitching coach, playing extra tournaments, and improving player anticipation.
This episode previews segments including an interview with new podcast hosts, a player showcase strategy, and a coaching tip on modeling behavior.
The host discusses the growth of Division I softball and its future in 2026, reflecting on record viewership and expanding opportunities.
Coach Tory Acheson reflects on the growth of women's sports coverage, sharing a personal story about his team's upset win over Alabama in 2007.
This episode of Everything Fast Pitch discusses coping with faster pitching, long-term coaches retiring, improving athleticism, and arriving early, featuring segments like Did You Know, Player of the Week, and listener questions.
Number 397 goes solo.
Coaches preview episode 395 covering AUSL news, field respect, and listener questions.
Coaches discuss listener questions, World Series insights, healthy sports parenting, and off-season reporting requirements for fastpitch softball players.
A 10U lineup looks great in practice.
Coach Torrey is on his own for episode 390, with three coach problems on the board: pickup team conflicts, tracking player growth, and coaching to win instead of coaching not to lose.
Coaches discuss handling adversity, gentle sports parents, and celebrating successes in fastpitch softball.
This episode covers hitting tools and gadgets, tournament scheduling issues, and the value of taking teams to watch college games.
This episode of Everything Fast Pitch discusses managing input from different coaches, the debate between being a benchwarmer on varsity versus playing on JV, and effective outfield practice techniques.