The Don Lives!

College baseball is back at ‘The Don’. The Uwharrie Wampus Cats are an independent collegiate wood-bat baseball team beginning play with the 2023 season! Making their home at what will be a newly-upgraded Don Montgomery Park in Albemarle, North Carolina's downtown area, the team will play a schedule of more than 40 games during the summer and compete with the Carolina Disco Turkeys of Winston-Salem for the Highway 52 Cup as part of a season rivalry series. Other opponents for the Wampus Cats will include top area and regional teams, including high-profile exhibition match-ups at the Wilmington Sharks and Boone Bigfoots of the Coastal Plain League.

In this episode of ‘Forgotten Eagles’, Jeff Frye, “Former Major League Baseball player and your Certified Hitting Guru” joins the show. Jeff talks about his baseball career before tackling the madness of baseball social media and the countless hitting gurus across the nation. #SheGone

The Finale. The much anticipated 3rd and final podcast with Blake Helm is one for the ages. A true story of heartbreak, triumph and undenied courage. Blake Helm is a true journeyman and shares all from his unbelievable path from camouflage back to cleats and the insane ups and downs both physically and mentally - from a local men’s league to his first professional baseball contract and a reality show with Cal Ripken Jr. sprinkled somewhere in between. Not only all of that but Helm also delivers with an insane firefighting story, hitting with Jayson Werth and much more on this unforgettable podcast!

Blake Helm rejoins ‘The Nest’ for Part 2 and it’s as advertised. And will leave you excited for the Part 3 finale! Helsabeck and Helm travel through the wild career Helm has had on and off the diamond. From Lincoln Land CC to Murray State to the military and multiple injuries throughout, Blake dives deep into the process, the emotions of the roller coaster ride and much more! Broken bats adorning fire places and breaking into cages searching for that swing to ‘click’ again, it’s not a surprise that these two former baseball players hit it off from day 1 and continue that wonderful relationship here in Part 2 for all to hear!

This episode brings on the ‘TreFo’ native and one of Helsabeck’s all time best friends, Jacob Russell! Jon and Jake talk about the infamous first time the two met before diving into Jake’s high school athletic career and how he actually ended up on a video game! Stories of playing for Coach Helsabeck along with a brotherly love relationship that blossomed over the years, this podcast tells all. Along with a lot of insight for the athletes of today. ‘The ball was fair’ - ‘get your pants on’ - starting DW Baseball and much more! Plus, a look into fatherhood as the ‘Young King’ Knox Jeffrey Russell was just born! These stories have been told many times, but never from a ‘Celebrity Shot’ standpoint, as Jake is the All-Time Appearance Record Holder as a pitcher at NCCU and again, he’s on a video game! Another ride down memory lane from brothers, another great podcast to peak into in your travels!

‘The King of Fall’, Hunter Pate joins Coach Helsabeck in this episode and it is a doozy! Parents and Players alike should listen to the beauty that is, Hunter Pate! A man using his platform to serve the Lord and Savior - Jesus Christ and teach the future of the game. Pate may be crushing it on the ‘Men’s Slow Pitch Circuit’, but he’s doing so much more when he isn’t playing. The two guys talk about Pate’s time in Albemarle after shout outs to Dale Neve and the All4God baseball brand! The power swinging, almost 32 year old Pate drops a TON of baseball knowledge for the listeners! Pate also tells you why Helsabeck is deemed, “The Wizard”.....

The #1 ranked baseball player in South Carolina in the 2024 class and top 5 ranked player nationally, PJ Morlando joins Coach Helsabeck in ‘The Nest’ and its everything that is right with the world. Helsabeck drops an announcement about his future before the player/coach duo dive into the generational talent that is... PJ Morlando. PJ talks about his early years of baseball, the high school and summer grind, the mental side of baseball, his approach and much more! An absolutely delightful podcast... kids, take notes! PJ drops tons of baseball knowledge throughout... a must listen!

The 23rd episode was not planned this way but is without a doubt one of the most intriguing podcast to date. Guest, and former collegiate summer ball teammate of Jon Helsabeck, Blake Helm joins the podcast and it is one for the ages. The guest and former pro baseball player flips the script and becomes the hosts and dives into Helsabeck’s story! After talking about Blake’s high school tenure and injury-ridden collegiate career, he changes the game and dives head first into the story of Jon Helsabeck. And as he peels back layers, it seems to shed a light on just why Helsabeck has so much passion in life, the game of baseball and why he stands for what he believes in. Part 2 coming soon where Blake Helm and Helsabeck dive into the Illinois native’s story and return the favor!

Former Eagle catcher Aaron Snead joins the podcast and boy does he have a story to tell! Snead talks about failing out of UNC Charlotte before finding a home at Stanly. Snead discusses all kinds of crazy occurrences including a coach asking if we were home or away in the top of the 1st inning with 1 out recorded! The Rockingham fight returns along with a plethora of stories including a foul ball that busted a windshield, a transformer blowing up, pitchers umpiring intersquads and much more! Another golden episode from the guys bringing you the stories of the Stanly Baseball Program!

In a super special *Celebrity Shot* edition, the Head Baseball Coach of Southeastern Community College joins ‘The Nest.’ Robert Burns, one of the youngest collegiate head baseball coach’s in the nation joins Coach Helsabeck to discuss a wide array of topics. Burns’ early years growing up, playing college baseball which of course comes with crazy college baseball stories (i.e. a teammate losing a finger), becoming an announcer, going through depression ... and oh yea, a brain surgery somewhere in all that... ultimately leads you to who, what, when, where, why and how Coach Burns got the head job - how season one went - and what to expect at ‘The Pasture’ moving forward. It’s a beautiful episode! We hope you guys enjoy listening to it as much as we did recording it!