J3 TRAINERS

Elite Coaches for Athletes Seeking to Excel

J3 Training Academy in Mattoon, Illinois, is a premier facility dedicated to the development of baseball and softball players of all ages and skill levels. The academy is home to an elite team of trainers, including two former MLB pitchers and eight NCAA Division I pitchers, bringing a wealth of professional and collegiate experience to the table. Whether you're a beginner looking to build a strong foundation or an advanced player aiming to refine your skills, J3 provides tailored training programs focused on pitching, hitting, and overall player development.

At J3 Training Academy, athletes benefit from personalized coaching rooted in real-world, high-level competition. The trainers emphasize fundamental techniques while incorporating advanced strategies that have been proven on both the professional and collegiate stages. With a focus on long-term athlete growth, the academy fosters an environment where players can develop their physical skills, mental toughness, and game intelligence, preparing them for success at any level of competition.

Julio Godinez

Coach Godinez is entering his 5th season as head coach at Lake Land College. This 2023 season the Laker finished 5th in the GRAC and competed for a Region 24 Championship game for the first time in 15 years. Since taking over the Laker baseball program in Fall of 2019 coach Godinez and his staff have been able to move 42 players on the the next level. 14 NCAA D1 Commits, 9 NCAA D2 Commits, 5 NCAA D3 Commits, 14 NAIA Commits and 2 former Lakers in 2022 say their name called in the MLB first player draft, Hayden Birdsong (6 Round, San Francisco Giants) Cole Paplham (Free Agent, San Diego Padres). In 2022 the Lakers moved 8 players on the the NCAA D1 level after finishing the season 26-30. The 2021 season, the Lakers were able to see some success on the field and in the class room, posting a 27-28 record, but falling short in the region playoffs after having their 2020 season canceled due to Covid. As a team, the Lakers posted a 3.25-year GPA after ending their spring semester with a 3.47 GPA.

Before coming back to Lake Land College, Coach Godinez spent 6 seasons in assistant coaching roles at Eastern Illinois University, where he helped coach three All-American athletes, numerous All-Ohio Valley Conference selections, and MLB Draft Pick players. Most recent was Trey Sweeney, 1st Round (20th Pick) by the New York Yankees, Will Kelin, Kansas City Royals 5th Round, Mike Yesenka, St. Louis Cardinals,17th Round, Jimmy Govern Kansas City Royals, 30th round. During his time at EIU, Coach Godinez worked in various rolls; coaching catchers, hitters to his finals, and 2 years where he was the Panthers Pitching coach

Coach Godinez first college coaching experiance was at Lake Land College from 2012-2013, where he served as Pitching Coach and Recruiting coordinator for the Lakers. Godinez’s coaching career began in 2011 at Murray High School in Murray, Iowa, where he served in assistant and pitching coach roles. From there, his experiences include assistant positions at Graceland University in Lamoni, Iowa and Lake Land College before moving on to Eastern Illinois University.

Godinez’s playing career began at Kishwaukee Community College in 2008. In 2010, he transferred to Graceland University in Lamoni, Iowa where he was a two-time all-conference selection. He graduated from Graceland with a bachelor’s degree in 2012. Coach Godinez is a native of Chicago, Illinois.

Gabe Black

Gabe Black is the current hitting coach and recruiting coordinator for Lake Land College Baseball. A Mattoon native, Black will be starting his 4th season with the Lakers. Gabe spent his playing career as a member of the first ever Mattoon Hit-men team before moving on and playing with the Post 88 Legion program.

Black played his college career at Greenville University before transferring to Eastern Illinois University to finish his bachelor’s degree in Sports Management. This was also the time Black began his coaching career with the Mattoon Hit-Men. During Black’s time at Lake Land College, he has coached 16 players that moved onto the Division I level. Gabe has also helped take the Lakers to their first Region Championship appearance in 25 years, as well as the first 30-win season in 30 years.

Ben Hecht

I was born and raised in Effingham and graduated from St. Anthony High School, where I was a two-time All-State selection and the 2012 IHSA Player of the Year.

I was selected in the 31st round of the MLB Draft by the New York Mets in 2013 and went on to play Division I baseball at Illinois State University. I also spent a season at Lincoln Land Community College, earning All-American honors, before finishing my collegiate career at Wichita State University.

In 2017, I was selected in the 12th round of the MLB Draft by the Chicago Cubs and would play seven seasons of professional baseball, reaching as high as the Double-A level.

I currently serve as the Director of Pitching Development at J3, overseeing athlete development with Premier Pitching & Performance out of Wentzville, MO where I dual as a satellite trainer.

My work centers on integrating force plate data, biomechanical analysis, and a comprehensive assessment process to identify performance limitations and build targeted, individualized development plans. The objective is to improve how athletes produce and transfer force within the pitching delivery and ensure those outputs are expressed efficiently under game conditions.

I also lead arsenal development through the integration of ball flight data from TrackMan and high-speed video analysis using Edgertronic camera, allowing for detailed evaluation of pitch characteristics, hand position, and seam orientation. This process supports the refinement of pitch shapes, pitch usage, and overall pitch design.

My objective is to develop pitchers who can produce force, transfer it efficiently through the delivery, and execute consistently under game conditions. Velocity is addressed within a broader model that emphasizes movement efficiency, pitch quality, and durability.

Davis Johnson

Played at MHS, and Lake Land College. Lead the area in batting average at .452 in 2017 earning All-Conference Honors. Hit .313 and .317 in two seasons at Lake Land College, leading the team in doubles his first season. Has been apart of Mattoon Baseball for multiple decades, as a player, coach, and board member. Starting as a player on the first Mattoon Cal Ripken team to qualify for a World Series in 2012, continuing all the way through serving as a Babe Ruth board member until 2024.

Davis is also certified through Driveline's Pitch Design course. Along with Pitch Design, Davis also has certifications with use of Trackman and Edgertronic Camera.

Meade Johnson

As a Freshman at Heartland Community College (2022):

Pitched to a 8-1 record and one save with a 2.39 ERA through 49.0 innings.
Appeared in 12 games and made six starts.
Struck out 70 batters and held opposing hitters to a .182 batting average

As a Sophomore at Heartland Community College (2023):

Pitched to a 7-0 record with 3.67 ERA through 68.2 innings
Started and appeared in 14 games.
Struck out 99 batters and held opposing hitters to a .215 batting average.
Helped lead Heartland Community College to its first NJCAA Division II National Championship with a 5.0 inning, 11 strikeout performance against Southeastern Community College (6/2).
Struck out a season-high 12 in a 6.2 inning performance against Lackawanna College in the NJCAA DII World Series (5/28).

As a Junior at the University of Maryland (2024):

Appeared in nine games and made 4 starts.
Struck out 23 batters in 21.2 innings of work.

Meade will finish his career at Southern Illinois University in 2025, Meade will be doing all the online training, in terms of online throwing programs, lifting programs, and nutritional plans. Meade has experience across multiple levels, including a 2023 National Championship at Heartland Community College, where he was named Most Outstanding Player of the World Series, along with Most Outstanding Pitcher of the World Series, and picked up the win in the National Championship game. Meade also has experience playing at the Power 5 Division 1 level.

Bailey Dowling

I grew up in a small town with big dreams. From the start, I always wanted to play college softball at the University of Alabama, and with a lot of hard work and support from my friends, family, and coaches, I was able to live out that dream.

Softball has always held a special place in my heart since the moment I first stepped onto the field, and now I get to share that passion with others. My goal is to help girls chase their dreams—just as I did—and when life throws obstacles their way, I will be right there with them, guiding them through the challenges.

While my career wasn’t always smooth sailing, I’ve learned that it’s all about adjustments. Unable to play my senior season of softball due to COVID-19, I graduated from St. Joseph-Ogden High School as a 3-time Illinois Gatorade Player of the Year, 3-time WCIA Player of the Year, 3-time News Gazette Player of the Year, 4-time All American and was the holder of multiple State of Illinois Softball Records. My travel
ball teams transition from local teams to the Chicago Bandits and I finished out my travel ball career with the Georgia Impact. The summer going into my senior year of high school I played for the 2019 USA Junior Women’s Nation Team where we won Gold against Japan. I attended The University of Alabama to continue my career and live out my dream. During my time there I earned 2nd Team All-SEC, 2nd Team NFCA All Region, and was fortunate to make it to the Women’s College World Series 3 out of my 4 years at The University of Alabama.

While I was blessed to live out my dream, I never imagined my career would have such unexpected turns, including two major injuries. One forced me to sit out the end of my freshman year, and the other happened right before my senior weekend. I’ll be honest—I felt like the world was ending when these injuries struck, because it truly felt that way at the time. Looking back, I’m not thankful for the injuries themselves, but for what I learned through them. They helped me become a better teammate, player, and person, and I owe that growth to my relationship with Jesus. Without Him, none of this would have been possible. Even though He placed obstacles in my path, they shaped me into who I am today.

I graduated from college in May of 2025 with the most fulfilling outlook. I want to help girls chase their dreams, just like I did. I offer mental training whether that be in person or virtual as well as player development sessions for offense and defense.

While my career wasn’t always perfect, I can’t help but feel blessed for what softball has given me.