Varsity Baseball | 2/7/2023 2:54:00 PM

During a recent high school preseason game, the MLB scouts were abuzz asking questions as they typically do. But these questions were different. "Is this Inspiration's college post grad team?" one scout asked. "No, this is our Varsity team," an Inspiration rep would reply."These kids look like grown men," the scout answered back.These are standard questions these days when Inspiration's varsity team is on the road. Winners of three FICAA state championships in the past 5 seasons and ranked in the top 50 high school programs in the country last year, people are starting to take notice. But what's been the difference? "Our secret weapon is [Strength and Conditioning director] coach Brian Commerford," says baseball director Mario Jimenez. "We've got one of the best strength coaches in the country and he sets the tone for the program every day." Coach Commerford, a former strength coach at Arkansas Tech University who played college baseball at Hendrix College says he wants his boys to show up the most physically prepared to handle the high-level baseball/softball Florida offers. But that's presented challenges for coach Jimenez when it comes to scheduling games. "It's a lot harder to schedule games now than it was 5 years ago," said Jimenez, in his 10 th year as baseball / director. "I had to send a text message to HS coaches across the region asking for games and assuring them that we do not use any of our post grads for high school games. Other coaches will come up to me often and ask what we feed our guys." The National Strength and Conditioning Association has taken notice as well, naming Inspiration Academy "The Gold Standard" for S & C for high school athletics for 2023. So what sets coach Commerford's program apart? A big part of it is the time he's afforded to focus on the baseball & softball programs. "Back in college as a strength coach, you're in charge of a bunch of  different sports, so it's difficult to pour into the athletes like you want," said Commerford. "Here at IA, my focus is on our ballplayers and creating a fun, competitive environment where the kids can track their progress. I get to be on the field with them as well, so it's a 360 degree view of development." Senior Brennan Petersen, whose attended a couple different high school agrees the time he gets with coach Brian makes a huge difference. "Every day is a challenge in the weight room. Every workout is completely different, so you never know what to expect." On the softball side, the difference between public school strength programs and IA is drastic. Junior Danika Best, whose attended multiple high schools, agrees. "At my old school, you go in there and you're basically on your own. And not every girl could even get in the weight room class. Here at IA, every day you're tracking to see if you can take the next step. It's very competitive."