Advertise on podcast: The Athlete's Porch

LJ Mercurius joins me on The Athlete’s Porch to talk about his journey from Faith Lutheran High School to UNLV, the University of Oklahoma and professional baseball with the Arizona Diamondbacks organization. After developing into an All-Mountain West pitcher at UNLV, LJ entered the transfer portal looking to test himself against the best competition in college baseball. He transferred to Oklahoma, led the Sooners in innings and strikeouts and became one of their most important pitchers during their 2026 national championship run. LJ finished the NCAA Tournament with a 1.19 ERA across 22⅔ innings and earned the win in Oklahoma’s championship-clinching victory. He experienced it alongside his younger brother, Xander, before being selected by the Diamondbacks in the fifth round of the MLB Draft. We talk about understanding your identity as a player, developing command through catch play, entering the transfer portal, adjusting to SEC baseball, handling pressure, breathing, playing one pitch at a time and why young pitchers need time away from throwing. The Athlete’s Porch: conversations with athletes, for athletes—and anybody else who wants to listen and learn. 00:00 Winning a National Championship With His Brother03:09 Developing Poise and Knowing Your Game06:31 The Changeup That Shaped LJ’s Career08:32 Building Command Through Catch Play12:57 Choosing to Stay Home at UNLV14:26 Developing at UNLV and Entering the Portal17:41 Adjusting to Oklahoma and SEC Baseball21:21 Handling Pressure on the Biggest Stage24:32 Oklahoma’s One-Pitch Mentality29:40 Arm Health, Shutdowns and Avoiding Burnout

Dave Lawn joins The Athlete’s Porch after 40 years coaching baseball. Dave’s career has included stops at Nevada, Cal, USC, Arizona, TCU and the high school level, with more than 100 MLB Draft picks and 43 future Major Leaguers coached along the way. We talk about what four decades in the game have taught him about developing players, parents, recruiting, the transfer portal, pitching, teammates and the mental side of baseball. Dave shares why self-awareness may be a player’s real superpower, why young players need to just play, what parents should actually be coaching, why pitchers need to “obliterate the strike zone,” and what coaches are really watching when you think nobody is paying attention. We also get into his years competing against legendary Stanford coach Mark Marquess, practicing the mental game, handling failure pitch to pitch, and the story of a recruit who impressed Dave without even getting into the game. A lot of baseball knowledge packed into this one. The Athlete’s Porch — conversations with athletes, coaches and people who have spent a lifetime in sports. 00:00 — 40 Years in Baseball: Meet Dave Lawn06:09 — The Biggest Lessons From 40 Years of Coaching13:20 — Playing Time, Opportunity & Handling Adversity16:09 — Transfer Portal Mistakes & Your Reputation20:22 — Developing Pitchers: Obliterate the Strike Zone27:41 — How Dave Would Develop a Young Baseball Player32:44 — What Parents Should Actually Be Coaching38:28 — Lessons From Legendary Stanford Coach Mark Marquess47:37 — The Mental Game: Self-Awareness Is the Superpower1:00:36 — Great Teammates, Character & What Scouts Really See #TheAthletesPorch #DaveLawn #CollegeBaseball #BaseballDevelopment #BaseballRecruiting #MentalPerformance #Pitching #BaseballParents #TransferPortal

Archer Horn joins The Athlete’s Porch for Episode 6. We sat down on Archer’s high school field at St. Ignatius in San Francisco just weeks before he heads to Stanford to begin his college baseball career. After putting himself in position as one of the top prospects heading into the MLB Draft, Archer has experienced something very few high school athletes get to experience: playing with scouts in the stands, navigating expectations and pressure, and making decisions about what comes next. But this conversation goes well beyond the draft. We talk about how Archer developed physically, the importance of sleep and nutrition, his approach at the plate, what he values defensively, and how he learned to focus on what he can actually control. Archer also opens up about perfectionism, negative self-talk and realizing how much his own thoughts could impact his performance. One of my favorite parts of the conversation is his perspective on his parents — how they supported him, provided opportunities and were always available without forcing baseball on him. We finish with some quick hitters about food, music, Fenway Park and a few other things away from the field. Topics include: • Falling in love with baseball• Growing up playing multiple sports• Physical development and the weight room• Sleep, nutrition and daily routines• Hitting approach and pitch recognition• Infield defense and being on time• Handling MLB Draft attention and scouts• Controlling the controllables• Preparing for Stanford• Perfectionism as a strength and weakness• Negative self-talk and failure• The role parents can play in development• Quick hitters with Archer The Athlete’s Porch is about the journey — conversations with athletes, coaches and people throughout the game about what they’ve learned along the way. 00:00 — Archer Horn’s Baseball Journey03:28 — Multi-Sport Development & Athleticism05:21 — Strength, Sleep, Nutrition & Routine09:25 — Hitting, Pitch Recognition & Defense12:20 — MLB Draft Pressure & Controlling What You Can14:00 — Preparing for Stanford16:18 — Perfectionism, Failure & Self-Talk24:54 — Parents, Support & Quick Hitters

John Gall has experienced baseball at nearly every level imaginable: Stanford legend, MLB player, Olympic medalist, World Series champion, and now President of USA Baseball. In this episode of The Athlete's Porch, John joins Jon Karcich to explore the mental side of baseball and what it takes to keep growing through pressure, failure, and changing roles. John shares lessons from Stanford Baseball, three trips to the College World Series, Team USA, the Olympics, and the St. Louis Cardinals clubhouse alongside players such as Albert Pujols, Yadier Molina, Scott Rolen, and Jim Edmonds. Discussions around: - Why quality at-bats matter more than short-term results - How elite players prepare for limited opportunities and new roles - What separates great teammates from selfish ones - How routines, visualization, and preparation build confidence - Why young players develop at different rates - The danger of letting data and swing metrics replace competing - How parents can support an athlete without taking over the journey - Why perseverance may be baseball's greatest lesson for life One of the most powerful moments comes when John describes standing in a sold-out Major League stadium and realizing it still felt like Little League: beneath the noise and pressure, it was the same game he had always loved. This conversation is for players, parents, coaches, and competitors who care about mental performance, baseball development, leadership, team culture, and playing the long game. The Athlete's Porch is hosted by former Division I baseball coach and MLB draft pick Jon Karcich. The show explores athlete development, recruiting, mental performance, leadership, and the real journey behind success in sports. Timestamps: - 00:00 – Introduction to John Gall - 01:12 – Stanford Baseball and early development - 03:50 – Quality at-bats and the mental approach - 06:45 – The College World Series and championship culture - 08:31 – MLB role players and preparation - 13:38 – Olympic Baseball and Team USA - 14:49 – Youth baseball development - 17:58 – Failure, confidence, and player makeup - 19:12 – Team culture and accountability - 24:56 – Slumps, adjustments, and awareness - 29:40 – Hitting, feedback loops, and development - 32:05 – Metrics versus competing - 36:10 – Pressure, presence, and visualization - 41:35 – Coaching your own kids - 45:22 – Perseverance, leadership, and life lessons

UCSB outfielder Liam Barrett joins The Athlete’s Porch from the Cape Cod Baseball League, where he played for the Hyannis Harbor Hawks alongside some of the best players in the country. Liam shares how breathwork and mental resets helped him transition into Division I baseball, what it takes to earn a coach’s trust, and why athletes must focus on their process instead of chasing outside validation. He also opens up about battling self-doubt during a difficult stretch at the plate, suffering an MCL injury, and rediscovering his confidence through preparation, gratitude, and one simple reminder: smile—you’re playing baseball. In this episode: • Competing in the Cape Cod Baseball League• Using breathwork to slow the game down• Responding to slumps, injuries, and self-doubt• Earning playing time and a coach’s trust• Building a complete baseball toolbox• Following your internal scorecard• Staying grateful through success and failure CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS 00:00 — Liam Barrett’s Cape Cod experience03:00 — Playing with joy and a wiffle-ball mindset06:31 — Self-doubt, adversity, and the power of a smile13:39 — Earning playing time and a coach’s trust23:02 — The internal scorecard and trusting your process27:34 — Cape Cod routines and rapid-fire questions32:08 — Liam’s advice: stay patient, stay hungry, and smile CLOSING TAKEAWAY Put in the work. Trust your preparation. Flush the failure—and remember how fortunate you are to play the game.

In this episode of The Athlete’s Porch, Jon Karcich sits down with Stanford alum and professional left-handed pitcher Drew Dowd to talk about the mental side of development — failure, habits, comparison, patience, and staying in your lane. Drew shares what he learned from: Failing early at Stanford and learning how to separate emotion from reflectionThe long grind of professional baseball and managing physical & mental loadWhy comparison is one of the biggest threats to confidenceHow habits off the field shape performance on itThe underdog mindset behind the quote: “Anybody can cook”Why putting the blinders on is essential for long-term successThis episode is for athletes, parents, and coaches who care about process over results, sustainable growth, and playing the long game. 00:00 Welcome to The Athlete’s Porch 02:55 Falling in love with baseball 06:45 Learning to separate failure from identity 11:20 Reflection vs carrying emotional baggage 15:45 Habits, discipline & Atomic Habits 22:15 Patience, development & playing the long game 28:50 Comparison, blinders & staying in your lane 37:55 “Anybody Can Cook” – the underdog mindset 43:40 Final thoughts & takeaways

In this special episode of The Athlete’s Porch, I sit down with Max Bayles, a former Santa Clara pitcher and 7th-round MLB Draft pick of the Minnesota Twins. Before becoming one of the top pitchers in college baseball, Max was a three-sport athlete who played baseball, football, and rugby. We dive into how those sports shaped his competitive mindset, why preparation creates confidence, and the mental habits that helped him earn an opportunity at the next level. We discuss: How football and rugby built his fearless approach on the moundWhy preparation allows athletes to compete freelyThe power of positive self-talk and trusting your trainingSeparating your identity from your performanceHow journaling became one of his greatest mental-performance toolsWhy staying humble and hungry to learn accelerated his developmentHis mindset leading into the MLB DraftWhether you’re an athlete, parent, coach, or simply someone striving to improve, this conversation is packed with practical lessons on confidence, resilience, and playing the long game. 00:00 Introduction, Multi-Sport Background, and Competitive Mindset05:27 Recruiting Journey and Preparing for Santa Clara10:11 Self-Belief, Positive Self-Talk, and Trusting Your Training17:01 Preparing for the MLB Draft and Staying True to Your Process25:09 Separating the Athlete From the Person Through Journaling35:00 Identity, Focus, Life Outside Baseball, and Final Advice

Before Max Jung Goldberg became a Savannah Banana, his journey looked a lot different than most people would expect. After four years at the University of San Diego, Max entered the transfer portal, continued his career at Hope International, battled through independent baseball, played overseas, and stayed committed to the game long enough for an opportunity with Banana Ball. In this special episode of The Athlete’s Porch, we dive into the lessons that every athlete can learn from his path: • Why choosing the right fit matters more than chasing the biggest logo• The reality of the transfer portal• How independent baseball changes your perspective• Learning to fail without losing confidence• Separating your identity from your performance• Why joy might be the greatest competitive advantage in sports Whether you’re a player, parent, or coach, this conversation is a reminder that success rarely follows a straight line. Sometimes the journey becomes your greatest advantage. 00:00 Welcome to The Athlete’s Porch & Max’s Journey to Banana Ball 01:52 Leaving Division I Baseball & Entering the Transfer Portal 07:04 Hope International, Independent Ball & Staying in the Game 10:14 Banana Ball, Playing with Joy & Loving the Game Again 12:32 Confidence, Failure & The Mental Shift That Changed Everything 20:00 Separating Identity from Performance 29:26 Why the Journey Was Worth It & Preparing for Banana Ball