Behind The Lineup

Where Baseball meets Mindset. Behind The Lineup dives into the strategy, culture, and psychology of the game. Hosted by Navy Veteran and College Baseball Coach Quinn McGrath, each episode breaks down MLB and college baseball news, coaching trends, and mental performance — with insights from players, coaches, and experts. Whether it’s roster moves or routines, this show helps athletes, coaches, and parents grow on and off the field. New episodes weekly on Spotify, Apple, and Amazon.

Behind The Lineup is a sports podcast hosted by Quinn McGrath, with 50 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Quinn McGrath hosts Behind The Lineup, a sports show with 50 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Behind The Lineup

  Episode 49: Building Processes and Systems with Justin Su'a

  Aug 6, 202659 min

  In this episode of Behind The Lineup, we sit down with Justin Su’a, founder of Performance Advisory Group and an experienced advisor who has worked inside some of the most demanding environments in professional sports. Justin’s career has included work with the Boston Red Sox, Cleveland Browns, Tampa Bay Rays, WWE, and IMG Academy. Those experiences gave him a firsthand look at how elite athletes, coaches, executives, and organizations build systems, structure their decision-making, and create repeatable processes that hold up under pressure. Justin now works with individuals and organizations across the NFL, MLB, NBA, PGA, LPGA, ATP, and Division I athletics through Performance Advisory Group. During our conversation, we discuss his mission behind founding the company, the value of systems thinking, how decision-making science can improve performance, and what it means to serve as a process coach. Justin also explains what “the process” really is, why the phrase is often misunderstood, and how organizations can turn ideas into clear, consistent, and effective ways of operating. This episode offers a deeper look at how high-performing people and organizations make decisions, build better systems, and create processes that produce sustainable results. Want to learn more about GameRun? Check out the link below! https://partner.gamerun.ai/quinn-mc-grath

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  Behind The Lineup

  Episode 48: Interview with Dane Fujinaka

  Jul 23, 202649 min

  Dane Fujinaka joins the show to discuss his baseball journey and the process of rebuilding Hawai‘i Pacific University into one of the rising programs in the PacWest. Now entering his fifth season as the Sharks’ head coach, Fujinaka has established a program centered on player development, character, athleticism, and sustainable growth. He reflects on HPU’s historic 2025 season, which included 32 victories, an appearance in the PacWest Championship game, multiple program records, and the development of several nationally recognized players. Fujinaka also takes us through his path from growing up and playing baseball in Hawai‘i to becoming a standout catcher at Sacramento State and beginning his coaching career at Menlo College. He shares lessons from helping transform programs at William Jessup, Sacramento State, and Illinois State before entering professional baseball with the Toronto Blue Jays organization. We also explore his experience managing the Blue Jays’ Dominican Summer League team to a championship, what professional baseball taught him about developing players from different backgrounds, and how he has incorporated those lessons into the college game. Fujinaka explains the vision behind rebuilding HPU, the standards that now define Sharks baseball, and the challenges and opportunities that come with recruiting and coaching in Hawai‘i. He also discusses the type of player who fits his program, the importance of versatility and character, and what it means to create a high-level college baseball pathway for players from the islands. Interested in GameRun ? Check it out now!: https://partner.gamerun.ai/quinn-mc-grath Want to play for Hawaii Pacific? Reach out to Coach Dane Fujinaka on X: https://x.com/DaneFujinaka?s=20

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  Behind The Lineup

  Episode 47: 2026 MLB Draft Breakdown

  Jul 16, 202634 min

  In this special MLB Draft breakdown episode of Behind The Lineup , we go beyond the names and draft order to examine what the numbers reveal about the current path to professional baseball. Using all 613 selections, we break down how many players were drafted from four-year colleges, high schools, and junior colleges. We also analyze the draft position by position, including how the demand for pitchers, shortstops, outfielders, catchers, and corner infielders changes between the high school and college levels. The episode also explores where college draft picks are coming from, comparing Power Four programs, mid-major Division I schools, junior colleges, Division II, Division III, and NAIA programs. Most importantly, we explain what these trends mean for players, parents, and coaches. Is college now the primary path to professional baseball? Why are high school shortstops drafted at such a high rate? How valuable is pitching versatility? Does a player need to attend a Power Four school to get selected? And where does the JUCO route fit into the modern development landscape? This episode turns the draft data into practical takeaways that can help players and families make better decisions about recruiting, development, exposure, and their long-term baseball futures. Check Out GameRun: https://partner.gamerun.ai/quinn-mc-grath

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  Behind The Lineup

  Episode 46: Interview with Tyler Sullivan

  Jul 9, 20261h 41m

  In this episode of Behind The Lineup , we are joined by Tyler Sullivan , the new Head Baseball Coach at Marietta College , one of the most historic and successful programs in Division III baseball. Coach Sullivan becomes just the 15th head coach in the 152-year history of Marietta Baseball and only the third person to lead the program since 1964. He steps into a program built on tradition, championships, alumni pride, and a standard of excellence that few programs in the country can match. Throughout the conversation, Coach Sullivan shares what it means to take over a program with Marietta’s history, how his coaching journey prepared him for this opportunity, and the lessons he learned from successful stops at Seton Hill, Eastern Michigan, and Longwood. We dive into his time at Seton Hill, where he helped the Griffins go 161-64, win championships, reach multiple NCAA Tournaments, and advance to the Division II World Series. Coach Sullivan also discusses his offensive philosophy, what he values in hitters, how he teaches aggressive but smart baserunning, and what it takes to build complete offensive players. The conversation also covers infield defense, player development, leadership, recruiting, building relationships, and the vision he has for the future of Marietta Baseball. Coach Sullivan gives great insight into what it takes to create a winning culture, develop players on and off the field, and honor the tradition of one of college baseball’s premier programs. This is a great episode for players, coaches, parents, and anyone who wants to better understand leadership, development, and what goes into building a championship-level baseball program. Check out GameRun Here!: https://gamerun.ai/?via=quinn-mc-grath&dub_id=ogpP7FKtQYeo7aKQ

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  Behind The Lineup

  Episode 45: What The F**k Is Going On With Travel Baseball?!?

  Jun 25, 202626 min

  Travel baseball has officially gone off the rails. In this episode of Behind the Lineup , we dive into the wild world of 10U and 12U travel baseball: the miles families are driving, the money being spent, the private coaches, the personal trainers, the lessons, the tournaments, and the never-ending pressure to keep up. We talk about how youth baseball has become a full-blown business, and we call out Perfect Game for capitalizing on the “Keeping Up With The Joneses” culture that has taken over the game. Parents are chasing rankings, exposure, status, and validation, while many kids are being pushed into a version of baseball that looks more like a showcase industry than a childhood sport. At the same time, we have to tip our cap to Perfect Game’s business model. Whether people like it or not, it clearly works, and they continue to cash in on the egos, dreams, and fears of parents who want their kids to be the next big thing. We also get into the absurd stories of parents claiming Major League organizations are paying for their kids to travel and play in tournaments, which would raise serious amateur status questions if true. This episode is about the chaos, ego, money, pressure, and absolute craziness that has become travel baseball in 2026.

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