Steve Ballance

Coach Steve Ballance, sballance@diginbaseball.com

 [Coaching 16 years]

Coach Ballance has been either a player, coach, or an instructor for the past 28 years and counting. Growing up in Baltimore, Coach Ballance played on some of the best and most prestigious travel baseball teams in Maryland as a youngster. Some of which played in and won on the national level. He was a successful stand out student-athlete in 3 sports in high school at Sparrows Point High in Baltimore County. In Baseball he was a 4-year starter on varsity, and was named all divison 4 times, as well as all county honorable mention junior and senior year. What was so interesting about Coach Ballance's accomplishments in high school was the fact he won these individual honors at 4 different positions. Freshmen year as a catcher, Sophomore year at 3rd Base, Junior as a Pitcher, and Senior as a Shortstop. He also to this day holds 11 career and single season offensive records. Most notable single season and career batting average and doubles hit. Defensively he made just 2 errors in 4 years. And lastly as a Pitcher in 4 years walked 4 batters while striking out 137 batters in 133 innings pitched with a career ERA of 1.97. Coach Ballance was named Sparrows Point's Varsity Baseball team's MVP his Sophomore,Junior, and Senior year. Due to his performance on the field in high school and on the summer/fall circuits he garnered interest from many colleges, mostly D1 and 5 major league organizations as a catcher. Due to back injuries his career was cut short while at Essex Community College in Maryland.

For the past 16 years and counting Coach Ballance has been instructing and coaching at the travel level, high school level and college level. As well as an active member of the MSABC. And contributing editor for Baseball the Magazine. He is the Co-Owner and Co- Founder of Dig In Baseball and Head Varsity Baseball Coach at Glenelg high school in Howard County. Coach has been able to always find time to continuing his work with players and teams, from an instructor level in the fundamentals and finer points of the game in the areas of Pitching, Catching, Fielding, Base Running, and mental aspects. Coach Ballance has a wide variety of accomplishments as a Head or Assistant Coach. He successfully ran the 18u division of the Yankee Rebels for 5 years winning 4 Baltimore Metro Eastern Division Titles. He had his own non-profit organization the Baltimore Waves for 4 years while winning 3 Baltimore Metro Eastern Division Titles, and also being State Champions in 2006, 2007,and 2008. Representing Maryland in the Dizzy Dean World Series all three years in South Haven, Mississippi. 2007 and 2008 were 3rd and 4th place finishes. While 2006 the team was National Runner up and one pitch away from a National Championship. Ballance's team was the only team ever in Maryland Amateur Baseball history to accomplish the feat of going to this World Series in the 17/19u division 3 times consecutively. Lastly before Dig In Baseball, Coach Ballance was the Head Coach for the Maryland Monarchs 17u team and had successful runs at the NABF in Tennessee.  As a high school Coach he has won 2 JV Championships as a Head Coach and 1 State Championship at the Varsity level as an Assistant.  Last Season Coaches, Glenelg squad was preseason ranked number 2 by the Baltimore Sun and Varsity Sports Network. Some of the things coach is the happiest about, have been his countless number of players to go on to the college ranks and 11 of his former players who have went into coaching. He also has Coached or Instructed 19 players who have went on to play professional baseball. Finally, Coach Ballance was the Head Coach at Anne Arundel Community College in Arnold, Maryland from 2007-2010. Where his team was the 2009 Maryland JUCO State Champions. And he was named the 2009 Maryland Junior College Coach of the Year. He has amassed a coaching career winning percentage of 78% and Ballance is regarded as one of the best coaches, teachers and instructors of the game in the mid-atlantic area. And believes in the motto "Play everyday like it's your last"

Coach Ballance: “I’ve been extremely lucky to have been a part of the game of baseball—as player and coach—for 26 years. I have a passion for the game and enjoy sharing my knowledge with player-students I instruct, as well as coaches I mentor. By giving back, I feel everything comes full circle—that’s why it’s great. Baseball is sharing things, ideas and thoughts for the younger generation; not hoarding it all—that’s baseball’s greatness, always moving forward. Seeing players and coaches reach higher potential gives me great satisfaction. As a Dig In Baseball partner, I can make this happen for years to come.”

Coaching Achievements

  • Fall 2011-present, Head Coach, Dig In Baseball’s 17U Showcase Team and 13u National Team
  • Fall 2012, finalist, Dig In Baseball; 17U Showcase Team: second place, Virginia Prospect Wire Fall Championships, Virginia Sports Complex, Ruther Glen, VA; second place, Liberty University tournament, Lynchburg, VA; 16U Team: second place, Mount St. Mary’s tournament, Emmitsburg, MD

  • 2001-2005, coached at Centennial High School, Ellicott City, MD; Archbishop Curley High School, Baltimore; and Anne Arundel Community College, Arnold, MD

  • Fall 2011, finalist, Dig In Baseball’s 17U Showcase Team,Virginia Prospect Wire Fall Championships, Virginia Sports Complex
  • 2001-2005, coached at Centennial High School, Ellicott City, MD; Archbishop Curley High School, Baltimore; and Anne Arundel Community College, Arnold, MD
  • 2000-2010, coached summer/club baseball with Yankee Rebels, Baltimore Waves, and Maryland Monarchs
  • 2009, youngest coach in Maryland baseball history to win junior college championship, at Anne Arundel Community College

  • 2005-2008, as 19U Baltimore Waves coach, won four consecutive Dizzy Dean State Championships, becoming only team in Maryland amateur baseball history to achieve that goal. As 19U Baltimore Waves coach, played in Dizzy Dean National Championships four consecutive years, placing in Top 4 each year

  • 2004, youngest coach in Maryland high school baseball history to win state championship, at Centennial High School
  • As coach of 18U Yankee Rebels and 19U Baltimore Waves, won seven league championships
  • As coach of 18U Yankee Rebels, Played in three consecutive National Amateur Baseball Federation Regional Championships

College & High School Baseball Experience

  • 1999-2000, played at Community College of Baltimore County (Essex Campus)
  • Offered scholarships from University of Florida; West Virginia University; and University of Maryland, Baltimore
  • 1996-1999, four-year varsity starter at Sparrows Point High School, Edgemere, MD
  • 4-time all division selection at four positions: catcher, third baseman, pitcher, shortstop
  • 3-time team MVP
  • Hold high school records for in-season batting average, career batting average, doubles (season and career), fewest strikeouts (career and season), most wins pitching