Meet The Team

Steve Bennecke

Steve has been involved in baseball for his entire life. What began in the city parks of Chicago culminated with playing at the collegiate level for Onondaga Community College and Barry University (DII), where he was a catcher. His coaching career spans all levels of the sport, including Little League, Youth Travel, High School Junior Varsity and Varsity, and College. Currently, he is the head coach at Kalamazoo Valley Community College, where he has been recognized as MCCAA Coach of the Year twice. In addition, he has spent two summers as the hitting and position coach for the Kalamazoo Growlers and one summer with the Battle Creek Battle Jacks. During this time, he has worked with numerous Power 5 collegiate players and MLB draft picks, including current Cincinnati Reds player Blake Dunn and first-round picks Griff Offeral, Jake Gelof, and Dom Pitelli. Steve is also Driveline Hitting certified. He opened BTLA because of his passion for leveraging his extensive experience to help produce elite ballplayers and assist them in reaching their full potential.

Trenton Quartermaine

Trenton grew up in Richland, Michigan, and graduated from Gull Lake High School in 2017. From 2017 to 2019, he played baseball at Kalamazoo Valley Community College (JUCO), earning 2x All-Conference honors, JBB All-American recognition, and winning the MCCAA Triple Crown. From 2019 to 2022, he continued at Ball State University (D1), where he was a 1st Team All-MAC first baseman and helped secure a 2022 MAC Regular Season Title. During the Summers of 2019 and 2020, he was a member of the Kalamazoo Growlers. Currently serving as an Assistant Coach at Kalamazoo Valley CC. As an assistant, the team finished 21-21 in 2023 and improved to 31-14 in 2024, making a Regional Appearance.

Jake Morton

Jake Morton is the coach of the 17/18 team. This is his second year as a coach and trainer. He was drafted by the Detroit Tigers out of Hudsonville High School his senior year as a catcher. He went on to play at Oakland University, where he was team captain and then drafted by Cleveland Guardians. 

CJ Huntley 

CJ Huntley graduated from Mattawan High School and played outfield for four years at Indiana State University, where he was a three-year starter. He has led multiple coaching clinics for kids ages 7-18 and coached in the Northwoods League for one season with the MacDaddies, winning the league championship. CJ also played semi-professionally in the USPBL league.

Josh Swinehart

Josh Swinehart graduated from Mattawan High School and played outfield for Western Michigan University for five years, during which time he was a three-year starter. This is his third summer coaching for BTLA.

Brian Neel 

Brian Neel is a baseball coach with extensive experience at various levels. 1 He played at KVCC during the 1987-89 season before starting his coaching career. He was a varsity assistant coach at Loy Norrix for six years (1995-2001) before becoming the head coach there for 14 years (2001-2015). After that, he spent six years as a varsity assistant at Mattawan (2015-2021). Currently, he is an assistant coach at KVCC, where he has been working for the past four years (2021-present).  

Garret Swan

Garret Swan is a Lumen Christi High School graduate, an all-conference player from KVCC, and the starting catcher for Davenport University. This is his second year coaching with the Growlers, having coached the 10U team last season.

Dylan Stanton

Dylan grew up in the area, attending Gull Lake. He played three sports through high school until he played baseball at the University of Michigan. After his time at Michigan was over, he wanted to give back to his community and teach younger athletes all that he had learned along the way. He believes listening and working hard are factors that contribute to an athlete's development. 

Adam Turner

Adam Turner was a four-year varsity starter who graduated from Orchard Lake Saint Mary's in 1997. He then played baseball at Northern Kentucky University, graduating in 2000. From 2000 to 2001, Adam worked as a private instructor in the Metro Detroit area. He coached the West Michigan Wild from 2022 to 2024, working with their 14U-16U teams. In 2024, he was an assistant coach for the BTLA 14U team and is currently the head coach for the BTLA 15U team.

Gavin Gardner

Gavin Gardner is a former Kalamazoo Valley baseball player (2022-2024) and is now in his second year coaching with BTLA. He is passionate about mentoring young athletes, helping them grow on and off the field, and reaching their full potential. He strives to create a positive environment where players can build confidence and achieve their goals in baseball.

Parker Neel

Parker Neel is a native of Mattawan, Michigan.  He played for two years at KVCC and is currently in his second year at Davenport University. A BTLA coach since 2023, Parker has coached players from 14u to 17u. He also contributed to the program's development by assisting with lifting and speed/agility training in its early stages.  

Brooks Hemingway 

Brooks Hemingway is a 23-year-old native of Kalamazoo, Michigan. A former two-year starter at KVCC, Brooks is now in his third year coaching with BTLA, specializing in infield defense and positioning. His expertise in this area includes working with players on proper footwork, glove positioning, and throwing mechanics to ensure quick and accurate plays. He also focuses on strategic infield positioning based on game situations, such as shifts and adjustments for different hitters, helping players anticipate plays and maximize their defensive range. Brooks aims to develop well-rounded infielders who are confident and effective in all aspects of their defensive game.