Coaches

PTA’s Hitting Coordinator Sal Bando, Jr. brings 27 years of coaching experience to the field, including 11 years at the college level, 15 years leading Marquette University High School, and 8 years as a core PTA instructor. A former Oklahoma State standout who played in the College World Series and later signed with the St. Louis Cardinals, Coach Bando has
developed countless players into collegiate athletes and draft picks.

Coach Adam Dewane has been a PTA coach since 2018 and serves as the Youth Director and a Coach. Known for his ability to connect with players, Coach Dewane excels at creating a fun and positive environment that helps athletes realize their potential. He has coached numerous players who have gone on to play at the collegiate and professional levels and has also worked with the USA Baseball NTIS circuit.

Myles Smith brings more than a decade of baseball experience across
college, professional, and international levels. A Detroit native, he played at the University of Missouri, Miami Dade College, and Lee University before being selected in the 4th round of the 2013 MLB Draft by the Boston Red Sox. His career included time in the Red Sox and Diamondbacks organizations, championships in the minors, and a stint in the prestigious Arizona Fall League. Smith went on to become a standout in the American Association, earning Pitcher of the Year honors and four All-Star selections.

Coach Travis Thompson is a former professional player with a decorated career. Drafted in the 12th round by the Colorado Rockies in 1996, he was a key part of Madison Area Technical College's first-ever national championship, earning NJCAA World Series All-Tournament honors and All-American accolades. He was also selected to play for Team USA in the 2005 Pan Am Games in Mexico. Coach Thompson specializes in training former PTA pro and college players and has been a cornerstone of the PTA coaching staff since 2015.

Coach Mike Thrun brings an impressive playing and coaching resume to the field. As a player at UW-Stevens Point, he was a 1st Team All-Conference selection and won four WIAC Conference Tournament Championships. As a coach, he has guided eight players who have gone on to play professional baseball. Since joining the PTA staff in 2015, he has specialized in training former PTA professional and collegiate players.

Coach Kenny Weimer has been coaching at PTA for 3 years as the director of PTA South. He pitched at Finlandia University in college and is currently the assistant pitching coach at Milwaukee Area Tech. Kenny excels at programming, mechanical analysis, and using data to improve pitchers’ arsenals via Trackman. Outside of baseball, Kenny enjoys watching Marlins games and nerding out about Trackman data.

Christ Conley brings extensive experience as both a player and coach to the PTA staff. He competed at the Division I level for Canisius College from 2014–2018 and earned multiple summer league honors, including NYCBL All-Star (2014), two-time PGCBL All-Star (2016,
2017), and PGCBL Player of the Year (2017). Conley began his professional career with
the Utica Unicorns in 2018 before joining the Milwaukee Milkmen of the American
Association in 2019, where he continues to play. In addition to his playing career, Christ has been coaching youth through high school athletes since 2014.

Christian Correa joins PTA with a wealth of playing and coaching experience at the highest levels of baseball. A former catcher in the Astros and Rockies organizations, Correa also represented Colombia in international competition, delivering clutch performances in the Pan American Games. After concluding his pro playing career in 2022, he transitioned into coaching and now serves on the Milwaukee Brewers’ Major League staff as a bullpen catcher. His journey from standout player to MLB coach brings invaluable experience to PTA’s athletes.

Aaron Hill, a Connecticut native and former UConn infielder, has played professionally since 2018 in MLB Partner Leagues. He won a championship with the Milwaukee Milkmen in 2020 and went on to post consistent power numbers, including a career-high 20 home runs in
the Atlantic League. After an international stint in Puerto Rico with the Leones de Ponce, Hill now brings his experience and talent to the DockHounds.

Aaron Simmons is a powerful addition to the PTA coaching staff, bringing both record-setting playing experience and a strong background in player development. At UW–Stevens Point, Simmons set the program’s all-time single-season home run record before continuing his career professionally with the Schaumburg Boomers. As a coach, Simmons has worked with hitters to improve barrel efficiency, exit velocity, and overall approach at the plate, helping athletes boost their averages and on-base percentages. He has also trained PTA South outfielders and infielders, focusing on defensive fundamentals and base running to round out complete players.