Eric Stein

The Moonlight Graham Show

This week’s Moonlighter goes way back with Moonlight Tim. Eric Stein was a sophomore leader for the Iowa Central Tritons when Tim joined the team as a freshman. Even as a 19-year-old, Eric Stein’s baseball IQ made it clear that his future was in coaching if he wanted it. Roughly 18 years after that first meeting, Tim sits down with Eric to talk about Stein’s progression from player to head coach for those same Tritons.

Eric Stein grew up on a farm outside Portsmouth, Iowa, and attended Harlan Community High School. After a successful high school baseball career, Stein moved to the big city of Fort Dodge to play for Iowa Central during the 2004 and 2005 seasons. After considerable success as an infielder, including recognition for his defensive skills, Stein played for Grand View University. When his playing days were over, he took a call from Rick Pedersen to come back as an assistant coach. Stein took over as a head coach in the 2018-2019 season and has had consistent success over the last few years, racking up 75 wins so far.

Tim and Eric both have a passion for Iowa Central and junior college baseball. This interview focuses on the world of JUCO baseball from the players' and coaches' perspectives. They cover everything from recruiting kids to a 2-year school to the impact of Eric Sim.

Tim takes Eric through his eight beliefs about success in junior college baseball. These nuggets of wisdom are explained from both the veteran player angle and the current skipper. Tim’s list ranges from staying out of trouble to ensuring your attitude and work ethic keep you on the path to success. Stein has to recruit young men to Fort Dodge to help his program take the next step by moving on to 4-year schools when their time in JUCO is done. His success so far shows that he knows what it takes to win at the junior college level, but maybe Tim’s list could be the Moonlight bump to help Stein and the Tritons bring home that world series ring.