Eric Stein

This week’s Moonlighter goes way back with Moonlight Tim. Eric Stein was a sophomore leader for the Iowa Central Tritons when Tim joined the team as a freshman. Even as a 19-year-old, Eric Stein’s baseball IQ made it clear that his future was in coaching if he wanted it. Roughly 18 years after that first meeting, Tim sits down with Eric to talk about Stein’s progression from player to head coach for those same Tritons.

Eric Stein grew up on a farm outside Portsmouth, Iowa, and attended Harlan Community High School. After a successful high school baseball career, Stein moved to the big city of Fort Dodge to play for Iowa Central during the 2004 and 2005 seasons. After considerable success as an infielder, including recognition for his defensive skills, Stein played for Grand View University. When his playing days were over, he took a call from Rick Pederson to come back as an assistant coach. Stein took over as a head coach in the 2018-2019 season and has had consistent success over the last few years, racking up 75 wins so far.


(Listen to Ep 91: A League of His Own - Coach Rick Pederson)

Tim and Eric both have a passion for Iowa Central and junior college baseball. This interview focuses on the world of JUCO baseball from the players' and coaches' perspectives. They cover everything from recruiting kids to a 2-year school to the impact of Eric Sim. 

(Listen to Ep 81: Eric Sim - Every Day was his Worst Day)

Tim takes Eric through his eight beliefs about success in junior college baseball. These nuggets of wisdom are explained from both the veteran player angle and the current skipper. Tim’s list ranges from staying out of trouble to ensuring your attitude and work ethic keep you on the path to success. Stein has to recruit young men to Fort Dodge to help his program take the next step by moving on to 4-year schools when their time in JUCO is done. His success so far shows that he knows what it takes to win at the junior college level, but maybe Tim’s list could be the Moonlight bump to help Stein and the Tritons bring home that world series ring.

Are you a proud supporter of the Moonlight Graham Show? Buy the "Moonlighter Tee"
 https://www.moonlightgrahamshow.com/buy-swag/moonlighter-tee-1

We would love to meet you on social media. Give us a follow!

More Episodes with Coaches
Mitch Osborn
Mitch Osborn

Every Iowa sports fan knows the reputation of Harlan Community High School. The Harlan Cyclones are known far and wide for their success in every sport. Coach Bladt and the football program built a foundation of success that the entire community rests on. There is a lot of pride in the school colors and full bleachers whenever they take the field or court. Mitch Osborn has helped to continue that success in his roles as AD and head basketball coach. This week we sit down with Coach Osborn to learn about his career and what makes Harlan so darn special.

Read More →
Mike Szalat - Making Cross Country Fun for over 20 years!
Mike Szalat - Making Cross Country Fun for over 20 years!

Sports are about so much more than wins and losses. At the same time, though, sports aren’t nearly as fun if you don’t care about wins and losses. At the middle school and high school level, more than anything else, sports are about learning life lessons and building relationships. It takes a special kind of coach to be able to balance the drive to develop young people and develop competitors. Mike Szalat is one of those people. Over the last 20+ years, few people have put more hours into the students and athletes at St. Edmond in Fort Dodge.

Read More →
Matt Buschmann - Blue Jays Bullpen Coach
Matt Buschmann - Blue Jays Bullpen Coach

Every once in a while, a Moonlighter just falls into your lap. Matt Buschmann connected to the podcast on Twitter, and, as it turns out, he was just the kind of story we are looking for. Matt Buschmann is a 10-year minor league baseball veteran who made three appearances in the Majors. When his playing days were done, he became the bullpen coach for the Toronto Blue Jays. Buschmann has the kind of story diehard baseball fan loves to hear, and he came to the right place to tell it.

Read More →
Eric Stein
Eric Stein

This week’s Moonlighter goes way back with Moonlight Tim. Eric Stein was a sophomore leader for the Iowa Central Tritons when Tim joined the team as a freshman. Even as a 19-year-old, Eric Stein’s baseball IQ made it clear that his future was in coaching if he wanted it. Roughly 18 years after that first meeting, Tim sits down with Eric to talk about Stein’s progression from player to head coach for those same Tritons.

Read More →
Marty Sutherland
Marty Sutherland

There are few roles more important than that of coach. Part mentor, part cheerleader, part teacher part disciplinarian, and sometimes even part father or mother figure. This week’s Moonlighter fits those descriptors to a T. Marty Sutherland has spent most of his life in sports and played a prominent role in the lives of countless young men.

Read More →
Adam Fellers
Adam Fellers

One thing that we love about sports is the way that no matter how old we get, sports stay the same. Depending on where we are in our lives, we can be the athlete, the fan, the coach, or even the dad. This week’s Moonlighter has a perspective on wrestling from every angle. The former high school and D1 wrestler now wears the hats of coach and dad. Adam Fellers has seen it all and has a take on just about everything.

Read More →
Brooks McKowen
Brooks McKowen

All-time leading scorer and role player don’t really fit in the same sentence. But in the case of this week’s Moonlighter, they are both a part of his story. Brooks McKowen graduated high school having set a new standard for Iowa high school basketball players. While at UNI he became a new player. When he hung up the sneakers, he found another role holding a clipboard. No matter what role he takes on, Brooks McKowen continues to find success on the basketball court.

Read More →
Coach Dick Tighe
Coach Dick Tighe

In his 60+ years as a high school football coach, Dick Tighe has seen just about everything. And he remembers just about all of it. This week Tim and Tom get to sit down with their former coach to hear about one of the winningest high school football coaching careers in history.

Read More →
Randy Rahe
Randy Rahe

Our Moonlighter this week went from a small town to the Big Sky. Randy Rahe is a four-time Big Sky Conference coach of the year at Weber State University. He has 5 conference titles and has won 63% of his games. While he is one of the top mid-major coaches in the country right now, he graduated from tiny, and now closed, Bancroft St. John’s. Rahe was a two-sport star for the Johnnies and went on to play both baseball and basketball at Buena Vista. When his playing days were done he traded his jump shot for a clipboard and fast breaks for walking the sideline.

Read More →
Joel Osborn
Joel Osborn

This week’s Moonlighter just knows how to win. Heck, Harlan just about had to add gold to its school colors during his senior year. The winning didn’t stop with his high school graduation though. His experiences as a high school player and college athlete prepared him for helping lead a perennial D-II football power. After a decade as an assistant, he has taken the reins of his own football program and Joel Osborn is looking to keep the Ws coming.

Read More →
Coaches, BaseballTim Flattery12Comment