Coaches

25+ years of Baseball Experience/4 Seasons of Pro Baseball/4 years of College Baseball

Coaching Background: November of 2024, Stevens was tabbed as the Field Manager for the Johnstown Mill Rats of the Prospect League.August of 2024,Stevens returned to Middle Georgia State where he turned in the #4 ranked recruiting class according to Perfect Game and the 20^th ranked JUCO Incoming Class according to NAIA Ball.June of 2024, Stevens joined the Macon Bacon of the Coastal Plains League as an Assistant Coach. August of 2023, Stevens accepted the Assistant Coaching Position at Middle Georgia State University where he continues to lead the Pitching Staff, Human Performance, and oversee all aspects of Recruiting as the University prepares for the Peach Belt Conference transition. The summer of 2023, Stevens was tabbed as the Field Manager for the High Point-Thomasville HiToms of the Coastal Plains League. In the fall, he returned to Keystone College for his 2^nd full season under Head Coach Jamie Shevchik where they would go on to clinch the 18^th Conference Championship in a row and another Regional Bid. The summer of 2022, Stevens returned to the Southern Collegiate Baseball League (SCBL) as the Field Manager for the Lake Norman Copperheads. That summer, Stevens was tabbed as the Field Manager for SCBL SE Prospect Collegiate Showcase with (10) Copperheads receiving invitations. In his first year as the Pitching Coach at Keystone College, Stevens led the staff to a 5.76 ERA, 17^th Conference Championship, and Regional Runner-up. Stevens spent the summer of 2021 in the Cape Cod Baseball League where he celebrated a Championship with the Brewster Whitecaps as the Assistant Pitching Coach/Performance Coach. Prior to stepping down, Edward Waters University made its first appearance in the Annual HBCU World Series in May of 2021. He spent the summer of 2020 Coaching the North Florida Storm 16U Silver and running Player Development Camps with youth athletes in NE FL. In the Spring of 2019-20 he returned to Edward Waters University as the Pitching Coach/Recruiting Coordinator (cut short due to COVID-19). In the summer of 2019, Stevens served as the Field Manager in the Old North State League (ONSL) with the Guilford Blueticks where they finished as the ONSL Runner-up. In December of 2018, Stevens joined the Edward Waters Coaching Staff as an Assistant Coach; June of 2019, Stevens was promoted to Pitching Coach at EWU. At EWU, Stevens oversaw all aspects of Pitching Development and Recruiting. In the fall of 2018, Stevens was a Volunteer Assistant on the Nationally Ranked Aurora University (Division III) Staff under Head Coach Adam Stevens. The Spartans offense along with Stevens serving as a Hitting Coach was instrumental in posting a .315 Team Average with 20 Homeruns in the Spring of 2019. Aurora University (35-11) went on to win the 2018-19 Northern Athletic Collegiate Conference qualifying for the St. Louis Regional. Stevens spent the summer of 2018 as the Pitching Coach/Performance Coach with the Lake Norman Copperheads in the Southern Collegiate Baseball League (SCBL). Stevens provided instructions for Division I, II, III, and NAIA Collegiate Baseball Players. In the Spring of 2018, Stevens started his collegiate coaching career as an Assistant Coach at Trinity Baptist College (NAIA) in Northeast Florida. Stevens added support and knowledge to the program on and off the baseball field. During his final internship, Stevens served as the Assistant Coach/Performance Coach for the 2015 Renegades 15U CABA World Series Champions. Stevens has shadowed Eric Cressey (NY Yankees S&C Coordinator) and Tom House (Collegiate/MLB Pitching Coach).
 
Professional Experience: Stevens played three seasons of Independent Professional Baseball hitting a combined .333. In 2017, he spent one season playing International Professional Baseball for the Buenos Aires Shankees in Argentina; Stevens hit a career-high .533 with 7 RBI’s and 6 SB in the Short Season; Leading the Shankees to its first LMB Championship in Franchise History. Stevens has received invitations to closed tryouts with the Brewers (Area Scout-Charlie Sullivan), Angels (Area Scout-Clay Daniels), and Twins (Associate Scout-Lester Douglas).

Collegiate Experience: Stevens played all Outfield positions at Thomas University (NAIA) before transferring to Aurora University (Division III). He became a role player at Aurora University and created depth in the outfield during the two appearances in the NACC Tournament. Stevens concluded his college baseball career with a .304 batting average and a walk-off single against conference rival MSOE to help the 2015 Spartans clinch a NACC Tournament bid.

Coaching Highlights:
2018-19 Northern Athletic Collegiate Conference Champions
Coached and developed the 2019 Conference Position Player of the Week and Male Newcomer of the Year at University of Dubuque-Kellen Mitchell
Coached and developed the NACC Hitter of the Week (5/7/2019-A.J. Gill)
Coached and developed (2) UDFA Signees (Gill – White Sox, Roycroft – Cardinals)
Coached and developed (3) 2019 All-Midwest Region Players
Coached and developed (4) 2019 NACC All-Conference Players and (2) NACC Second Team All-Conference Players
Coached and Developed (11) A.I.I. All-Conference Players
Coached the ONSL Player of the Year (Western Division-Tyler Dellerman)
Coached the ONSL Hitter of the Week (6/16/2019-Tyler Dellerman)
7 All-Star Selections
3 HR Derby Selections
ONSL Runner-Up (2^nd Place Finish)
Cape Cod League Championship with Brewster Whitecaps
Coached (4) CCBL All-Team Selections (Jones, Thompson, Hubbart, Stanavich)
(30+) Brewster Whitecaps Selected in the 2022-23 MLB Draft
17^th and 18^th CSAC Championship(s) with Keystone College
Selected as Head Coach for SCBL SE Prospect Collegiate Showcase
(10) Showcase Selections from Copperheads Roster + Coaching Staff
Coached and developed Will Verdung III (13^th Rd – Pick 399 – Braves)
(4) CPL All-Stars from HiToms Roster (Dearing, Suarez, Kepley, Beeker)
(6) Players selected in the 2023-24 MLB Draft from Whitecaps and HiToms (Wilson, Beeker, Gervase, Farone, Caron, and Cozart)

AJ Pabst is entering his first season with the Mill Rats in 2025.

AJ attended Argyle High School in Argyle, Texas.  He both pitched and played at Davidson College in North Carolina.  At Davidson, Pabst led the team in pitching appearances in 2023, and earned his Bachelor of Arts in Economics. Pabst finished his playing career at UNC-Charlotte.

Prior to Johnstown, Pabst was hired as an assistant coach at Iowa Western Community College, where he mainly helps the pitching staff, serves as the bullpen coach in games, and is the operations and social media manager. In 2024, he was the Pitching Coach for the Concord Athletics of the Southern Collegiate Baseball League in Concord, North Carolina. He was also on staff at the Practice Factory Baseball Academy in St. Louis, Missouri.