Past Events

Lacey Waldrop was the 2015 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year and the ACC Pitcher of the Year in the 2014 and 2015 seasons. She graduated from Florida State as the program’s all time wins leader.

Lacey played professionally for four years. She was drafted third overall by the Chicago Bandits in the 2015 NPF Draft and helped the Bandits win two consecutive Cowles Cup Championships.

Lacey spent five seasons as a pitching coach at the collegiate level including stops as a graduate assistant at the University of Oklahoma and pitching coach at Duke and the University of Houston.

Megan Wiggins will enter her 14th year of professional softball in 2024. Megan currently plays for Athletes Unlimited but has played professionally in the National Pro Fastpitch League (NPF) where she earned All NPF honors seven times in her career and played five seasons in the Japan Professional League. She was the Offensive Player of the Year in the NPF and led the JPL in home runs three different seasons. A former All-American at the University of Georgia, she led team to back-to-back Women’s College World Series appearances in 2009 and 2010. Off the field, Megan is the owner of The Peaches, a summer collegiate team where she also leads its foundation.

Jami is the current CEO of The Alliance Fastpitch, a national league system for amateur fastpitch. Prior to co-founding The Alliance Fastpitch, Jami was a three-time Academic Big 12 performer and First Team Big 12 Outfielder as a member of the Texas A&M softball team where she played from the 2005 to 2008 seasons. She was a part of two Big 12 Championships and two Women’s College World Series finishes, including National Runner-up in 2008. Jami played four professional seasons in the National Pro Fastpitch league before leaving to pursue her Ph.D. in sport management. In addition to her role with the Alliance Fastpitch, Jami spent five years at USSSA leading their national fastpitch grassroots programs.

Dejah Mulipola is a professional softball player with Athletes Unlimited and was the starting catcher for Team USA in the 2020 Olympics. Dejah was the Champion of the Athletes Unlimited 2022 season becoming the first position player to ever win the Championship. She has also finished third overall in AUX 2022 Season. Dejah has been a member of Team USA since 2018 winning multiple international championships and leading dominant pitching staffs. Prior to her professional career, Dejah played under the legendary Mike Candrea at the University of Arizona. She was named the 2019 Johnny Bench Catcher of the Year and was a two-time selection as the NFCA Catcher of the Year.

I’m Tony Clark, a former Major League ballplayer and now the Executive Director of the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA). At the MLBPA, we represent all current MLB and MiLB Players. As Players, we have all been where you are today. We know the hard work, commitment to detail, teamwork, preparation, and training that it takes to be the best you can be — both on and off the field! We also know that the main difference between those who realize their full potential and those who fall short is often the quality of instruction they receive, as well as the type of environment in which they receive it. Further, young athletes need the opportunity to develop and showcase their skills. These are all of the reasons that we founded Players Way. We wanted to provide every aspiring ballplayer, indifferent to experience level, access to current and former professional ballplayers. They will share their valuable knowledge and experience as part of a broad network of instructors and programming. The result is the delivery of a consistent brand of development and support you can trust. To be your best, you should learn from the best.

Brigette Del Ponte is a retired professional and international softball player. She represented Team Mexico in the 2020 Olympics after several years on the international circuit. Brigette played six professional seasons in the National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) League and won multiple NPF Championships with the USSSA Pride. Prior to her professional career, Brigette was an All American and All Pac-10 infielder for the University of Arizona. She competed in multiple NCAA Post Seasons and Women’s College World Series. Brigette has extensive experience as a college coach and clinician having worked numerous identification and development camps and clinics since 2010.

As a two-time All-Star, Andrew earned ALCS MVP honors in 2016 setting playoff strikeout records for relievers. Miller was a professional baseball starting pitcher and reliever for 15 seasons, including stints with the Detroit Tigers, Florida Marlins, Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, Cleveland Indians, and St. Louis Cardinals. He was also a member of the 2017 World Baseball Classic squad. Miller, a set-up, middle relief and closer, pitched in seven consecutive playoff seasons. He played college baseball at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Originally drafted in 1990 by the Houston Astros, Chris opted to attend the University of Nevada, before being drafted again in 1993 in the second round by San Francisco Giants. Chris played professional baseball for 6 seasons. Primarily a centerfielder, the left-handed hitter played for four teams, including the Chicago White Sox, Baltimore Orioles, Oakland Athletics, and the Tampa Bay Devil Rays (now Rays). Singleton later parlayed his playing experience serving nearly 15 years as an analyst on ESPN/Baseball Tonight, ESPN radio, and ESPN Sunday Night Baseball, as well as Bally Sports Wisconsin.

Drafted in 2005, Josh Thole played professional baseball for over 14 years. A catcher known for managing a pitching staff, especially knuckleballers, Josh played for seven teams, including the New York Mets, Toronto Blue Jays, and Arizona Diamondbacks. In 2012, he caught Johan Santana’s no hitter, the first in the team’s 50-year history, and caught R.A. Dickey throughout his Cy Young season. Josh now resides in upstate New York and is the owner of The Thole Collective, which provides lessons, clinics, and leadership programs for baseball players. He also works with the MLPBA, focusing on the minor leagues.

A world champion in 2011 with the St. Louis Cardinals, Daniel Descalso played in the majors for 10 years with the St. Louis Cardinal, Colorado Rockies. Arizona Diamondbacks, St. Louis Cardinals, and Chicago Cubs. As a second baseman, Daniel was known for his mental preparation and versatility. In one year with the Colorado, he played six different positions and in 2014 was the first Cardinal in history to start at all infield positions over four consecutive games. As a Gold Glove finalist at third base, Daniel even pitched in four games. In college, he played at the University of California, Davis and was on the Gold Medal USA Team at the 2009 Baseball World Cup in Italy.

Chris Iannetta was a professional baseball catcher for 14 seasons with the Colorado Rockies, Los Angele Angels, Seattle Mariners, and Arizona Diamondbacks. Known for his handling of pitchers and durability, Chris caught Jared Weaver’s no-hitter in 2012 despite a fractured wrist in the second inning. He played college baseball at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. As the leader of the Players Way training method for participating former pros, he currently also works serves on the Player Advisory Board for MLBPA and is co-owner of Jack Winery with former MLB player Vernon Wells.

Chris Iannetta was a professional baseball catcher for 14 seasons with the Colorado Rockies, Los Angele Angels, Seattle Mariners, and Arizona Diamondbacks. Known for his handling of pitchers and durability, Chris caught Jared Weaver’s no-hitter in 2012 despite a fractured wrist in the second inning. He played college baseball at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. As the leader of the Players Way training method for participating former pros, he currently also works serves on the Player Advisory Board for MLBPA and is co-owner of Jack Winery with former MLB player Vernon Wells.