A Little About Me and My Baseball Career Bio Highlights Former college baseball player Inducted into the TNU Athletic Hall of Fame in 2003 Former college baseball hitting & catching coach Former high school baseball head coach Former youth baseball coach Current youth baseball and softball batting instructor since 1992 |
Baseball has been a huge part of my life since I started playing in 1971. Year after year I couldn't wait for the start of the season. And when practice finally started, I couldn't wait for batting practice.
Hitting was definitely the most fun part of baseball for me, probably because it came pretty easy early on. When I outgrew Little League and Babe Ruth League baseball, I played for my high school team.
High school baseball was a great experience. My hitting stayed strong even though the pitching was better. After a successful high school baseball career, I went on to play four years of college baseball at Trevecca Nazarene University in Nashville, Tn.
I was a four year starter, set ten (10) career and single season offensive records at my Alma mater, and was inducted into the TNU Athletic Hall Of Fame in 2003.
Since my college playing days, I have been an assistant college baseball coach, a high school baseball coach, and of course coached my sons through youth baseball.
I had the privilege of playing for a great college baseball coach, Elliot Johnson, a member of the ABCA Hall Of Fame since 2012 (15th in wins among NAIA coaches in the 80's). I was also honored to be an assistant baseball coach for the legendary member of the NAIA Hall Of Fame, and 2009 ABCA Hall of Fame member, and former president of the ABCA, Dave Altopp.
It was truly an honor to play for and coach under these two great baseball coaches. While coaching in college, I was privileged to attend the American Baseball Coaches Association clinics every year, where the top professional and college coaches in the baseball world assembles to teach.
Currently, I am a full-time personal batting instructor. I decided to start this site to share my experience of hitting with you . I never played at the professional level, but many great coaches didn't either. If you have a passion for the game, a successful playing experience, and surround yourself with great baseball minds, you can become a very good baseball player, coach, or instructor.
Not everyone is born with the exceptional physical talent to become a professional baseball player, but if you work hard and become a student of the game, you will become the best that you can be. And isn't that the goal - to be the best that you can be!
Charles "Popcorn" Thompson
Hitting was definitely the most fun part of baseball for me, probably because it came pretty easy early on. When I outgrew Little League and Babe Ruth League baseball, I played for my high school team.
High school baseball was a great experience. My hitting stayed strong even though the pitching was better. After a successful high school baseball career, I went on to play four years of college baseball at Trevecca Nazarene University in Nashville, Tn.
I was a four year starter, set ten (10) career and single season offensive records at my Alma mater, and was inducted into the TNU Athletic Hall Of Fame in 2003.
Since my college playing days, I have been an assistant college baseball coach, a high school baseball coach, and of course coached my sons through youth baseball.
I had the privilege of playing for a great college baseball coach, Elliot Johnson, a member of the ABCA Hall Of Fame since 2012 (15th in wins among NAIA coaches in the 80's). I was also honored to be an assistant baseball coach for the legendary member of the NAIA Hall Of Fame, and 2009 ABCA Hall of Fame member, and former president of the ABCA, Dave Altopp.
It was truly an honor to play for and coach under these two great baseball coaches. While coaching in college, I was privileged to attend the American Baseball Coaches Association clinics every year, where the top professional and college coaches in the baseball world assembles to teach.
Currently, I am a full-time personal batting instructor. I decided to start this site to share my experience of hitting with you . I never played at the professional level, but many great coaches didn't either. If you have a passion for the game, a successful playing experience, and surround yourself with great baseball minds, you can become a very good baseball player, coach, or instructor.
Not everyone is born with the exceptional physical talent to become a professional baseball player, but if you work hard and become a student of the game, you will become the best that you can be. And isn't that the goal - to be the best that you can be!
Charles "Popcorn" Thompson
Some Additional Information
MY TNU BASEBALL CAREER RECORDS (1985-88)
CAREER AT-BATS |
705 |
CAREER HITS |
260 |
CAREER RUNS SCORED |
200 |
CAREER DOUBLES |
53 |
CAREER RBI'S |
159 |
CAREER TOTAL BASES |
402 |
CAREER BASE ON BALLS (WALKS) |
120 |
CAREER BATTING AVERAGE |
.369 |
SINGLE SEASON HITS (1986) |
84 |
SINGLE SEASON RUNS SCORED (1988) |
61 |
This is a yearbook photo my junior year on the Mt. Juliet High School baseball team. That's me in the middle. You might recognize my teammate on the left, 3rd baseman Barry Wilmore, NASA astronaut, and US Navy test pilot. Wilmore was the starting 3rd baseman and backup catcher. Greg Graves is on the right. Graves was also a backup catcher.
|
MY TNU BASEBALL CAREER STATS (1985-88)
BATTING AVERAGE |
.369 |
AT BATS |
705 |
HITS |
260 |
RUNS BATTED IN (RBI's) |
159 |
DOUBLES |
53 |
TRIPLES |
7 |
HOME RUNS |
25 |
BASE ON BALLS (WALKS) |
120 |
RUNS SCORED |
200 |
TOTAL BASES |
402 |
SLUGGING % |
.567 |
ON BASE % |
.461 |
PLATE APPEARANCES |
825 |
ON BASE |
380 |
EXTRA BASE HITS |
85 |
ON-BASE PLUS SLUGGING % (OPS) |
1.028 |
GAMES PLAYED |
187 |
MY TNU BASEBALL SEASON STATS
STATS |
1984-85 |
1985-86 |
1986-87 |
1987-88 |
Batting Average |
.326 |
.394 |
.367 |
.372 |
At Bats |
135 |
213 |
167 |
188 |
Hits |
44 |
84 |
62 |
70 |
Runs Batted In (RBI's) |
30 |
43 |
29 |
57 |
Doubles |
8 |
16 |
10 |
19 |
Triples |
1 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
Home Runs |
3 |
4 |
5 |
13 |
Base On Balls (Walks) |
12 |
40 |
32 |
36 |
Runs Scored |
32 |
54 |
53 |
61 |
Total Bases |
63 |
118 |
92 |
130 |
Slugging % |
.467 |
.662 |
.661 |
.691 |
On Base % |
.381 |
.490 |
.447 |
.473 |
Plate Appearances |
147 |
253 |
201 |
224 |
On Base |
56 |
124 |
94 |
106 |
Extra Base Hits |
12 |
23 |
16 |
33 |
OPS |
.848 |
1.152 |
1.108 |
1.164 |
Games Played |
39 |
53 |
44 |
51 |
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