Feb 25, 2026

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A New Chapter for Greenville Baseball

On Wednesday, February 25th, Spectrum welcomed Chad Henry into the studio for his first conversation as the new head varsity baseball coach at Greenville. While it’s Henry’s first year leading the program, he’s far from new to baseball, and far from new to working with Greenville athletes.

The host noted the full circle moment of sitting across from a former coach, describing Henry as “no stranger to baseball” and a natural selection for the job based on his background and experience.

Henry said he’s spent a long time around Greenville athletics, including coaching alongside Ryan Fiely during what he described as a strong five year run. He explained that after stepping away for a period to focus on being a father and coaching at the little league level, he still stayed involved with Greenville athletes and saw continued success working with them.

Building Something Bigger Through American Legion Post 140

Before taking the Greenville varsity job, Henry spent extensive time connected to American Legion Post 140, and he explained how that work shaped his larger view of the baseball pipeline in Greenville.

Henry said the American Legion program had gone away in the late 1990s, with 1998 being the last year he recalled. He credited Coach Eric Blumenstock with bringing it back in 2014, with a clear mission: build something local kids can see, admire, and want to become part of.

The idea, Henry said, was to bring area talent together and have them play in front of younger players at the little league level, so kids had something to aspire to the same way older generations once did. He recalled that in the early years after the program returned, it struggled for wins, but over time it grew into something much larger.

Henry shared that at his first tryout as the Legion coach, only four players showed up. From that rough beginning, he said the program was built up year after year until it eventually included five teams across five age groups. He added that the program reached a point where more than 100 kids tried out each year, and the results started to match the growth.

What Greenville Baseball Should Feel Like

For listeners in the Grand Lake Region who do not follow Greenville closely, the host asked Henry what he wants Greenville baseball to feel like and what fans should expect when they show up to a game.

Henry said he wants Greenville baseball to be known for what the team brings onto the field every single time. He emphasized consistency and professionalism, saying his teams are not “chirpy,” not looking to get into it with opponents, and not expecting special favors. Instead, he wants a team that shows up, does its work, plays competitive baseball, and gives itself a chance to be on the right side of the scoreboard more often than not.

Discipline, Teamwork, Passion: What It Looks Like Day to Day

When asked what discipline, teamwork, and passion look like in real life, Henry described practices built around developing “skills that scale.” He said the early focus includes increasing bat speed, foot speed, and arm strength, with the goal of getting bigger, faster, and stronger.

He also said competitiveness is a major part of the environment he wants to create. Henry described designing daily competition so players aren’t simply “running it against ourselves,” but instead pushing to win. He said he likes the idea of sending home winners and losers each day in some form, because it builds a competitive mindset that carries over into games.

Henry explained that he has seen culture shift over a season, even in how leaders choose teams for competitions. Early on, he said, seniors pick their friends and the most talented players. By the end of the season, he said, the same seniors are picking players who usually go last, specifically to challenge themselves. In his view, that is when a team starts to grow, when players invite competition, rise to the moment, and begin playing for each other.

Non Negotiables: “Bring Your Compete”

When the conversation turned to culture and what is non negotiable, Henry kept it simple.

He said the only thing he asks players to bring to practice is their “compete.” If players bring that every day, he said he will supply the rest. He added that the day to day expectations are straightforward: show up to get better, hustle on and off the field, play the game the right way, and keep quiet around officials and the other team.

What Greenville Is Capable Of When It’s Clicking

Henry said he believes Greenville should get back to the level the program had in earlier years. He acknowledged he can’t speak for every class since 2011, but noted there has been talent in the program and said the last winning season he remembers was 2014.

He pointed to the infrastructure in Greenville as a reason the program should be able to produce a consistent on field product. He referenced the little league diamonds and the facilities available to train, and said there isn’t much reason Greenville can’t be competitive year after year.

Henry also said he believes the high school program has a responsibility to engage younger players. If those kids are going to wear a Greenville uniform someday, he said, the program should be providing knowledge early, incentivizing them to stick with baseball, and helping them improve so the pipeline stays strong.

Facilities Upgrades: Turf on the Field and “The Yard” Expansion

The host, who remembered Greenville’s fields and described the high school diamond as one of the more underrated facilities in the area, brought up upgrades, and Henry shared a major update: artificial turf is being installed on the field.

They also discussed “The Yard,” a training space the host said recently received a major upgrade. Henry described significant changes, including walls being removed to create a much larger, warehouse like training area. He credited investment from the Jones family and highlighted new tools that will directly impact player development.

One of the biggest additions, Henry said, is a HitTrax system, allowing players to see real feedback such as exit velocity and ball flight instead of spending the winter hitting what feel like “cage bombs” that turn into infield pop ups once they get outdoors. He said the facility now includes three professional mounds, plate mats, and the ability to run multiple cages at the same time with multiple pitching machines.

Henry also estimated there is at least $10,000 worth of training and strength equipment in the space, and explained that he has gathered higher level weight programs, including borrowing from players currently at Wright State, to help implement more serious, structured development.

Player Development: Learn, Improve Daily, and Move Past Failure

When asked what he wants players improving most from day one to the end of the season, Henry said he wants them to stop repeating the same mistakes and to keep getting better every single day.

He emphasized that baseball is built on failure. Even great hitters fail most of the time, and even great pitchers give up runs. Because of that, Henry said players must learn to move past the bad moments quickly.

To make that lesson real, he shared a story from past teams when they kept a small Fisher Price toilet in the dugout as a reminder to “flush the bad stuff.” When a player struck out, made an error, or had a tough moment, they would flush it and move on. The moment that stuck with him most was when a player hit a home run, came through the line, and still flushed it. Henry said the idea is simple: what happened is over. Whether it was good or bad, baseball is about what you can do next.

The Most Overlooked Skill: Physical Fitness and Athleticism

Henry said the skill he believes high school players overlook most is physical fitness.

He explained that parents often ask about lessons and extra reps, and while those things help, the difference at higher levels comes down to athleticism. He used the example of throwing across the infield, comparing the distance a high school shortstop throws to the same distance a professional makes routine. The difference, he said, is that elite players are throwing harder and moving faster, and that comes from athletic development.

Henry said he can help make players better during the season, but he cannot make them better athletes outside of it unless they are willing to put in that time.

Leadership: Lead By Example and Lift the Group

Asked about leadership, Henry said he believes in leading by example and acknowledged that leadership looks different from player to player.

He referenced past Greenville players to illustrate those differences, including Andrew McKenzie as a vocal leader who also led by example, and Tripp Davis as someone so locked in on the mound that teammates learned to simply let him work. Henry said both were examples of doing things the right way, and their work ethic made others want to work harder.

This season, Henry noted a key reality: he has only three returning lettermen and only one returning senior. Because of that, he said the juniors who return with experience will be expected to set the standard and bring others up to speed.

Travel Ball and Summer Baseball: Bring It Back to Your School

The host asked about travel ball pulling athletes in different directions and how families can stay invested in the high school program.

Henry said summer baseball should ultimately be about getting better for your high school team. He said the goal is to bring skills back to play with classmates and compete for something that lasts, like a banner that stays in the school forever.

He said he supports playing at a level that challenges a player, and he described it as case by case. Some players should play higher level summer ball if that is what will push them. Others can benefit from local opportunities. But no matter what, his message was consistent: play where you will improve, and then bring it back to your program.

The Miami Valley League Challenge and The Standard of Competition

Greenville competes in the Miami Valley League, and Henry said the league will be a major challenge. He specifically mentioned facing Butler twice, Troy twice, and Tip twice, and described Tip as being as good as anyone in recent years.

He said the league includes significant talent and pointed to examples like high level catchers and players committing to major programs, including two juniors from Butler who, he said, recently signed to Ohio State. Even with that, Henry said the approach does not change: Greenville will show up, compete, and look for wins.

Style of Play: Teach the Game, Adapt, and Run When You Can

When asked what style of baseball fans will see, Henry said he is big on teaching the game and being adaptable.

He said he loves to run and loves to put the ball in play, referencing aggressive base running concepts like stealing third and hit and runs. But he also said that style depends on the personnel. If the team is not fast, he has to adjust.

Henry described implementing base running improvements after attending a seminar, including techniques and concepts he credited to Matt Tallarico, who he said is at Wright State now and connected with the Cubs. Henry said that summer his team went 81 for 95 on stolen base attempts, and he noted that once players bought in, execution improved dramatically.

He also shared a key detail about how he manages running the bases now. He said he has not given a steal sign in almost four years. Instead, he uses green lights and red lights, empowering players to make reads and decisions. If a player gets thrown out, Henry said he is fine with it as long as the player had a reason and can explain the situation.

Baseball as a Science: Metrics, Timing, and Green Yellow Red Lists

As the conversation shifted into the modern side of the sport, Henry described base running as a science.

He explained concepts like teaching a 12 foot lead and tracking how fast a player can cover 78 feet. He also described training pitchers to get the ball to the catcher quickly, and combining that with catcher pop times to understand what runners a team can and cannot realistically throw out.

Henry said he keeps lists of runner times and organizes them into green, yellow, and red categories to guide decision making. He acknowledged that those kinds of metrics were not available the same way in earlier eras, but said combining old school feel with new school information can make a team dangerous.

What a Good Season Looks Like in Year One

Looking ahead to the season, Henry said he wants Greenville to get back to competing in games that have recently gotten away from them. He referenced matchups that have turned into lopsided, run rule results and said he believes Greenville should be competing regardless of opponent.

He shared how open the roster is this year, noting he returns just eight innings pitched on the mound. He also said he has only one returning senior, and three sophomores who lettered, meaning there is a lot of uncertainty but also opportunity.

Henry said he has talented sophomores he believes will make a difference. He also shared what he called a cool development: after starting with only one returning senior, he now has 10 seniors playing this year, including players returning who have not played in a few seasons. He said they will see how it goes, including whether those returners can catch up to varsity pitching again.

His expectations are clear. Henry said he wants double digit wins, he wants Greenville to be a factor in the conference standings, and he wants to win a couple of tournament games as well.

A Message to the Greenville Community

Asked what he wants the Greenville community to know about this group of players, Henry said the community is going to be proud of them.

He acknowledged that some people warned him about what he was stepping into, especially after two of the program’s best players transferred out before he was hired. But Henry said the current group has put in real work.

He detailed the offseason plan: a throwing program beginning in September, bulk lifting in November, and workouts on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday starting December 1st. He said players who were not involved in fall or winter sports have been grinding consistently, and that the arrival of a new coach has also created excitement and momentum.

Henry said the program has been put in place, the players have accepted it, and they are excelling within it. He believes that consistency will show up on the field, and he explained that the goal is to start at one level, finish at a higher level, and continue raising the floor over time, which in turn raises the ceiling.

Vulnerability, Accountability, and Moving Forward

As the interview wrapped up, the host reflected on the standards Henry and former coach Ryan Fiely  set, emphasizing the belief that playing time comes from putting in the work and doing the right things, even when a player’s role is not exactly what they imagined.

Henry added that one of the pillars he preaches is vulnerability. He described it as being able to accept failure, deal with it, feel what needs to be felt, and then get back out there. He said the world is not over after a loss, the sun still comes up tomorrow, and the team will identify what went wrong and move forward.

He also tied that back to a mindset common in baseball, referencing the idea that repeating the same thing while expecting different results is a trap players must avoid. Instead, Henry’s message was clear: learn, adjust, and come back ready to compete.

Closing the Conversation

The host thanked Henry for coming in and wished him luck with the season, and Henry closed with a quick note of appreciation before the segment ended.