Brandon Simmons

@AliaRowles2027 @marleewilson @CoachWallace29 @CoachErikaWhitt @Coach_Mogan @WMUSoftball @joshbaer24 @CheetahsBaer @ChiCheetahsOrg @BoDomeBville @RedHawkSB Congrats kid!! Hard work works!!!!

Go Broncos! 💛🤎🐴 @marleewilson @CoachWallace29 @CoachErikaWhitt @Coach_Mogan @WMUSoftball @joshbaer24 @CheetahsBaer @ChiCheetahsOrg @BoDomeBville @RedHawkSB

Who's going to Queen of the Hill and TC Super 72 this weekend? We are on the hunt for future Sabres so drop those schedules!

It’s finally here!! Come watch 🐆 #weplayfast @ondecksoftball @ODM_Testing @LineDsoftball

My team played up this weekend at 16U for the Queen of the Hill Qualifer. We put up a good fight going 2-2 in that 100 degree heat! 🥵 I batted a .429 for the weekend and my OBP was .636. See you next week at the Colorado Sparkler! 🧨 @CheetahsSimmons @joshbaer24

Not the finish we looked for, but had a productive weekend playing up in 16U Queen of the Hill. 7.1 IP….1 W…..3 ER…1 BB. Hit .429 with 2 big doubles. A few more feet and the second one would have gone out. Can’t wait for Colorado next week. @CheetahsSimmons @jillienwaldron @joshbaer24 @DePaulSB @RamblersSB @BarryUSoftball @TransySoftball @CoastRecruitsSB @ExtraInningSB

Hot weekend at the LP4U Queen of the Hill Qualifier! Our team battled well, but ended with an unfortunate early exit on Sunday. I was happy to contribute where I could by hitting .444/.545/1.444 with 3 💣 and 7 RBIs. Also had good plays in the field at SS and behind the plate. Back at work to get better this week in lessons, camps, and practices. Next up Colorado! 🐆 #WePlayFast @CheetahsSimmons @joshbaer24 @BoDomeBville @GBNsoftball

Facts ‼️

Cheetahs Baer 2026 infielder / speedster / incredible teammate Hannah O’Neil has Committed to the university of Wisconsin Stout! #BTAFAM #specialplayer

We are so so so proud of our very own @nina_matthews37 on her commitment to Roosevelt University!!! You’re going to kill it Bean, wishing you the best of luck!! 🥎💚

I got a ton of questions about adding pitching velo, so I thought I would post about metrics and how to improve next: Metrics 1.  I received zero offers while throwing 61-63 mph in games and multiple offers 10 weeks later with a velo range of 63-65 mph.  2.  I was the same person with the same command of my pitches.  The only thing that changed was 2 mph and I added it in less than 3 months.  Now it is pretty clear to me that MY threshold was 63-65.  If I threw less than that, I wasn’t getting noticed. Your threshold might be different depending on your spin rate, but this was mine… 3.  Velo metrics matter for everyone (pitching velo, exit velocity, etc.), but they probably matter even more if you don’t look like a typical player at the schools you are targeting.  It’s easier to imagine a 6 foot tall pitcher adding 5 mph than it is for a 5’3” pitcher.  4.  When I didn’t get calls on Sep 1, I realized the only thing I could really control in this crazy process was getting better.  I couldn’t control if a coach showed up to my field, read an email, or ignored me at a camp, but I could control if I got better at pitching.  I was frustrated that my velo hadn’t changed much in the last year and I thought if I could increase it, I would have a better chance with recruiting in the fall. How to Improve – I’ll focus on how I picked up velo, but I think it applies to the rest of the game 1. You don’t have to work harder.  You have to work smarter.  I really liked something I heard Coach Hays (GCU) say… “Working hard is like putting your pants on in the morning.  Everybody does it.”  He was sort of joking, but it stuck with me.  If you’re not already putting the time in, then I guess working harder can help you, but I think most players who want to improve already do that. 2. To work smart, you have to do things a little different.  You can think of a million different drills that could help you throw harder, and mechanics are definitely important, but I try to make things as simple as they possibly can be and stick to that.  I noticed every time my team consistently focused on speed work after practice that my pitching velo would tick up.  We had stopped doing that during the summer to focus on hitting for our tournaments and my velo started to decrease as tournaments continued.  Speed work made sense to me because driving off the pitching rubber is a lot like a sprinter starting a race. 3.  I started doing speed work drills during my bullpens (mainly focused on sprinting starts and broad jumps) and worked with a good strength and conditioning coach once a week who trains explosive movements (cleans, etc.) and agility.  I didn’t see an immediate improvement, but I knew this had worked for me in the past. I made sure I was mixing in long toss and a lot of walk-ups to make sure I could keep my rhythm and coordinate the power I was starting to generate.  On November 14 of last year, I hit a new PR (66 mph), captured it on video, and posted to social media.  A few days later I was at Don Battles On, hitting 65 mph a decent amount in games and never really dropping much below 63-64.  Every coach that offered me watched me at this tournament. 4.  My Advice: Focus on simple things that make sense and keep track of your progress.  For me, my pitching style is an explosive drive out, so training to explode out like a sprinter makes sense. I’ve continued to train this way. Once I got committed, I started going to my trainer 2-3x a week and my vertical jump has increased by 5” and my broad jump by 7”.  My new PR is 67 mph and I hit that several times the last time I measured my velo.  My goal is 68 this winter and I want to be at 70 before I step foot on the field at Oregon State.  Yes, I still focus on mechanics and everything else pitchers typically do, but at my size I can’t only work the same way other pitchers do.  I have to work smarter. @AZinthecircle @Dadof5appels @AZRisingAppel @CoachKayeAZ

Absolutely 💯

Having a coach who believes in you/always stays positive is one thing, but having a coach who TEACHES you to believe in yourself, be a positive force, keep a great attitude is uncommon & underrated. Those are the types of coaches who impact kids, make a difference, change lives!

🥎⚾️ coaches 🔽🔽🔽🔽

Can’t wait to be a Husky!❤️🖤@SCSUHUSKIES_SB @mitchrob13 @THolt0184 @joshbaer24 @CheetahsBaer

@tdolecki3 @joshbaer24 @coachcbartlett @Coach_JBloomer @JMan4514 @hailey_decker_ Congrats Tay!!!!

FORKS UP🔱😈😈 @joshbaer24 @coachcbartlett @Coach_JBloomer @JMan4514 @hailey_decker_

Come check us out this weekend at the Stars and Stripes tournament!!! @18uCheetahsBS