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Q & A With Bloomingdale Head Coach Kris Wilken

September 6, 2014

Prep Baseball Report recently interviewed Bloomingdale Head Coach and the 2014 Tampa Tribune Hillsborough Coach of the Year Kris Wilken.

PBR: Please tell us a little about yourself and your baseball Program.

Wilken: My name is Kris Wilken and I am the head coach at Bloomingdale HS in Valrico, Fl.  I have been the head coach for 7 years.  In those 7 years we have won 116 games in 8A and reached the state final once.  We have had about 90% of our players move on to play some sort of college baseball.

PBR: Please tell us about your coaching style and about anyone who may have influenced you in your style or philosophy.

Wilken My coaching style varies from year to year depending on the players.  My high school Coach, Jim Johns from Eldorado HS in Albuquerque, NM probably had the most influence on me as a coach.  I remember him as setting high expectations, being extremely consistent in how he handled the team, but was also open to his players.

PBR: Is there one game you look forward to every year? One opponent you especially enjoy playing?

Wilken: My best friend (Matt Stallbaumer at Brandon HS) runs a very good program and we usually end up playing a couple times a year.  Coaching against him is something I always look forward to.

PBR: How do you utilize the summer for your program?

Wilken: Summer ball here is very inadequate as far as developing players and getting them opportunities to advance beyond HS.  Therefore, I do my best to make sure that all my players are playing some sort of travel ball.

PBR:  What changes have you seen in high school baseball, if any, in recent years?

Wilken: I think that college coaches need to do a better job of contacting the high school coaches rather than the travel ball coaches to discuss kids.  High School coaches know more about the quality of the kid.

PBR: Who are some players in your program that we will be getting to know soon?

Wilken: My 2015 senior class is especially good.  Logan Crouse RHP is committed to FSU but will likely be a high round draft pick.  2 other pitchers Daylon Owens and Tommy Mclaughlin will be guys to watch.  I have 2 outfielders in that class that should get an opportunity beyond HS Conrado Skepple and Doug Sandberg.  And I have an infielder from that class Danny Lorenzo that is drawing some attention from smaller schools.  In the 2016 class, I have a SS that several big schools have inquired about (Austin James.) And then I had 2 freshman this past year that I believe will be 2 of the best I’ve had here in Nate Chevalier and Cody Wilson.

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