| Register

Lightning Baseball Academy

Home
About Us
- The Tucker's
- Testimonials
- DT's Blog
  - Competition vs Exposure
  - Is Today's Technology Helping or Hurting?
Instructors
College Commits
Teams
- Youth Teams
- High School Teams
2024 Lightning Team Tryouts
Lessons
Swag Store
Register Now

Lightning Baseball offers access to the most highly qualified and professional coaching staff in Colorado.

Under the expert leadership of Dave Tucker, our coaches are outstanding individuals that all played NCAA Division 1 and/or Professional baseball and want to share their experiences, all in a way that resonates with our young players.

We believe that level of experience is priceless, and brings with it a unique perspective of the game not often witnessed firsthand. Our coaches focus on their expertise and commit to teaching our players the skills from the positions that they played in.

Our players are expected to work hard, meet our high expectations, and most importantly have lots of fun in the process!

Michael Tucker

All-American Pitcher, All-Region & All-Conference SS in 1 year at Seward County CC
All Conference, Team Captain, Team MVP, Offensive MVP, Defensive MVP as switch-hitting 3B at the University of Washington
Led team to NCAA Rice Regional
Finished career 9th on UW Home Run list (#1 for switch-hitters)
On Dean's List & earned the Mary Gates Scholarship awarded to top Student-Athlete
Member of WSAAC at UW (Washington Student-Athlete Advisory Council)
Drafted by Baltimore Orioles reaching AAA, 2x All-Star in 6 years of Professional Baseball (played 3B, 2B, 1B, SS, LF, P and C)
Player/Coach for Reno Silver Sox - led team to post season twice and a League Championship
Offered multiple professional coaching opportunities

Matt Tucker

4-year starter at University of Washington and Dallas Baptist University
Switch-hitting CF/RF/2B/3B helping UW to NCAA Oxford Regional Freshman year
1 of 4 2B in the country to have 10+ HR and 15+ SB at the NCAA D1 level at DBU
Led DBU in hitting 2006 at .350
Finished career with 30+ HR and garnering "All-Independent" League honors
Drafted by Baltimore Orioles and played 7 years of Professional Baseball
Only IF in Orioles minor league system over a 10-year span to be top 5 in AVG, OB %, Slugging % and OPS (1 of 5 total players!)
Offered coaching position with Baltimore Orioles

Brandon Bantz

8-year Professional career (Mariners, Nationals, Marlins)
MLB Debut 2013 - Seattle Mariners
Ranked #2 catching prospect in Mariners system 2009-10
Seattle Mariner Top Prospect Camp Invitee 2010
2-time John Ellis Award winner for Outstanding Community Service (Mariners 2009, 2012)
Professional career caught stealing - 54%
4-year D1 Collegiate starter @ Dallas Baptist University
Collegiate (DBU 2014) and High School (Mansfield, TX - 2018) Hall of Fame Inductee
4-year President's list member for academic excellence - DBU 2006-09
Developed training curriculum (hitting & catching) for MLB, MiLB, Collegiate and youth players for Dodgers Training Academy 2018-22
Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist

Seth Davis

3-time All-Conference (2012-14) @ Augustana College
2-time All-Region (2013, 2015)
ABCA All-American (2013)
D3 Baseball All-Decade Team 2010's
2-time Team Captain 2014-15
Drafted in 29th round by New York Mets
Played 8 years of Professional Baseball

Connor Crane

Phi Theta Kappa member @ Lamar CC
2x 1st Team All-American @ Lamar CC
Marucci Elite Hitter Award for Western District
2x 2nd Team All-Conference @ McNeese State University
5 years of Professional baseball
2016 Trois-Rivieres Rookie of the Year
2018 CANAM League Champions

Sean Kennedy

Garden City CC All-Conference, Academic All-American
Top 5 finalist for Student of the Year
Metro State University RMAC All-Conference, All-Academic 1st Team
Athletic Director's Association Academic Achievement Award Winner
Graduated Magna Cum Laude
2019 MSU Denver Entrepreneurship Student of the Year

Christian Manmano

Played at Lamar CC 2018-19
Played at UCCS 2020-21
RMAC Champion 2021
Captain Senior Year 2021
Associate of Arts degree from Lamar CC
History department student of the year 2018
Bachelor in History, minor in Psychology

Parker Morin

1st Team All-SWAC @ College of Southern Idaho 2010 & 2011
College of Southern Idaho President's Award Finalist
1st Team All-Pac 12 @ University of Utah 2011 & 2012
14th Round Draft Pick by Kansas City Royals
2013 Baseball America "Best Defensive Catcher"
2013 & 2014 AAA National Championship
2014-2018 MLB Spring Training Invitee
2015 Team USA National Summer member
Silver Medalist in the Premier 12 Tournament hosted in Taiwan and Japan
2020-2023 Kansas City Royals Staff as a Special Advisor

Lightning Instructors

Eric Olguin...played for Dave Tucker in HS...4 year starter/closer at Utah Valley University and 2x Team Leader (Team Captain) and 2x Academic All-WAC...conference champions and NCAA Baton Rouge Regional

Scott VanderWeg...Starting pitcher at Midland College and Lamar University...Drafted by St. Louis Cardinals...pitched for 8 years in professional baseball with an oustanding career ERA of 3.80.

Zach Higgins…played for Dave Tucker in HS..JC All-Conference at Ft. Scott CC, Led team in hitting (.425 and doubles)…Distinguished Academic All-American. 2 years at NCAA D1 @ South Dakota St…8 years assistant coach at Mt. Vista HS helping team to one state championship, and five Final Four appearances.

Chad Miller…Single season record holder for AVG (.389) at Arapahoe CC and HR (11); Single season record holder for runs scored (68) while at NCAA D1 Liberty University in 2006…2nd team All-Conference 3B in 2006…Al Worthington Award winner at Liberty U. Hit for the cycle vs Longwood University.

Josh Huntley…played for Dave Tucker in HS…All-Conference, led Ivy League in RBI...

Travis Orwig...played for Dave Tucker in HS...4 year scholar-athlete at North Carolina St. where he pitched out of the bullpen all 4 years..member of 2013 College World Series team, helped team to 2012 NCAA Super Regional at Gainesville, 2013 and 2016 NCAA regionals at Raleigh and 2015 regional at Ft. Worth.