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The mission of the Pickerington North High School baseball Coaching staff is to provide a positive and challenging environment where student-athletes can develop their baseball skills, learn the importance of teamwork and sportsmanship, and build character. We believe that baseball is a great vehicle for teaching life lessons, and we are committed to helping our players become better baseball players, better students, and better people.
Specific Goals: Core Values:
To teach the fundamentals of baseball in a fun and challenging way. * Excellence: We strive for excellence in everything we do, both on and off the field.
To develop players' skills and abilities to compete at the highest level possible. * Integrity: We believe in doing the right thing, even when it's difficult.
To instill in players the importance of teamwork, sportsmanship, and respect. * Respect: We treat each other with respect, regardless of our differences.
To help players develop a strong work ethic and a positive attitude. * Responsibility: We take responsibility for our actions and our commitments.
To prepare players for success in college and beyond. * Teamwork: We work together to achieve our goals
We believe that by following these principles, we can help our players reach their full potential as baseball players, students, and people.
2025-2026
PANTHER BASEBALL COACHES' CONTACT INFORMATION
Head Varsity Coach: Tim Thomas
Email: tim_thomas@plsd.us School Phone: 614-830-2730
Tim Thomas enters his 21st year as Head Baseball Coach for Pickerington North High School. His previous coaching experience includes being the assistant varsity coach at Pickerington High School, Pickerington Central High School, and Upper Arlington High School. Coach Thomas also coached for the Columbus All-Americans in the Summer Collegiate League.
He played collegiately at the University of Illinois and Ohio University before spending time in the Cleveland Indians farm system. Tim was a member of the Upper Arlington 1987 State Championship Baseball team and coached the Panthers to the State Runners-up in 2009 and the State Championship in 2016.
Coach Thomas is in his 32nd year as a teacher in Pickerington Local Schools, where he teaches Physical Education and Health at PHSN. Tim participates in the Central District, Ohio, National, and American Baseball Coaches Associations. Coach Thomas believes that a strong work ethic and team camaraderie are the keys to a successful season.
Tim resides in Pickerington with his wife, Pam, a teacher with PLSD, and his three daughters, Katie (25), Kara (22), and Alexa (17).
Assistant Varsity Coach: Jeff Turnbull
Email: jeff_turnbull@plsd.us
Jeff Turnbull- returns for his 21st year as a Varsity Assistant here at Pick North.
Coach Turnbull played for 2 years @ St. Petersburg College in Florida and graduated from The Ohio State University.
Jeff has been teaching at Pickerington Ridgeview JH for 24 years and coaching Boys' cross-country for the past 23 years. He also coaches the BJE Baseball Club during the summer.
His family includes his wife, Brittany, and 4 kids Kennedy(24), Regan(22), Grant(20), and Jackson(17).
Coaching highlights include the 2009 State runner-up team and the 2016 State Championship Team
Assistant Varsity Coach - Dan Salinas
Email: dan_Salinas@plsd.us
Dan Salinas returns as a Varsity Assistant Baseball Coach at Pickerington North High School.
He brings experience at every level of high school baseball, including varsity, JV, and junior high. In addition, he has 16 years as a varsity assistant wrestling coach, four years as a head junior high wrestling coach, and five years as a freshman football coach at Pickerington North.
Salinas has also been heavily involved in youth and travel baseball in the Pickerington area, coaching with the Columbus Cobras, Ohio Elite, and Bo Jackson organizations.
He is in his 23rd year of teaching in Pickerington Local Schools, serving as a Physical Education and Health teacher at PHSN. He also serves as the Athletic Supervisor for Pickerington North.
Dan lives in Pickerington with his wife, Julia, and has sons, Kalob (27) and Drew (24).
Assistant High School Coach - Drew Salinas
Drew Salinas- enters his 2nd year as a Junior Varsity Assistant here at Pick North.
Coach Salinas played for 2 years @ Tiffin University and enters his senior year @ The Ohio State University.
At Pickerington North, Drew was a two-time All-District, two-time All-OCC, Offensive Player of the Year, four-year varsity starter, captain, and his team won the 2016 Division I State Championship. Drew played travel baseball for the Columbus Cobras, Ohio Elite, Bo Jackson Elite, and Team Ohio Pro Select organizations.
Assistant High School Coach - Alec Mendoza
Coach Alec Mendoza played four years at Notre Dame College and two years at the University of Charleston (WV) as a two-way player. While at Notre Dame College, Alec earned Second Team All-Conference honors as a third baseman, finished second in the nation in complete games during his senior year, and was named Comeback Player of the Year. He completed his Bachelor’s degree in Software Development during this time. At the University of Charleston, Alec made the President’s List and earned his Master’s degree in Data Analytics. He concluded his collegiate career with a .314 batting average over 427 plate appearances, totaling 122 hits. On the mound, he recorded 93.1 innings pitched with 52 strikeouts. Before college, Alec was a two-year varsity starter at Pickerington North High School
Head JV Coach - Mat Smith
Mat Smith returns to the Panther Baseball coaching staff as our Head JV coach.
Mat graduated from Bishop Ready in 1998, where he played baseball and was a 3-year letter winner, helping Ready to their second Regional Final appearance in school history in 1997.
After high school, Mat attended DeVry University, graduating with an Electronics Engineering degree. He has been employed in the Cyber Security field for over 20 years, specializing in red team operations.
Mat has been involved in youth sports in Pickerington since 2014, where most recently he has coached travel baseball with the Turn2 and Legends organizations.
Residing in Pickerington, his family includes his wife Danielle, and three kids, Nick (18), Jack (15), and Olivia (11).
JV Assistant Coach - Cam Voinovich
Email: Cameron_voinovich@plsd.us
Cameron Voinovich - First-Year Junior Varsity Baseball Coach, Pickerington North High School
Physical Education Teacher, Diley Middle School
A recent graduate of The Ohio State University, Cameron is excited to begin his first season as the Junior Varsity Baseball Coach at Pickerington North. With a deep passion for the game and a commitment to developing young athletes, this will be his fifth year coaching baseball. In addition to coaching, Cameron teaches Physical Education at Diley Middle School in Pickerington. Dedicated to fostering growth and excellence, he is eager to help his players develop their skills, teamwork, and love for the game.
Head JV-B Coach - Tyler Griffin
Email: tygriffin45@gmail.com
Tyler Griffin enters his first season as the 7th Grade Baseball Coach for the Pickerington Panthers. With 5 years of coaching experience, he brings a diverse background in sports, having previously served as an assistant coach for the Ashland University Football Team and worked in the football recruiting office at The Ohio State University.
A former athlete, Coach Griffin played football as a linebacker and punter at Ashland University and earned Honorable Mention in baseball in the Buckeye Division. He has also coached youth teams including the 13U Patriots.
Coach Griffin has been influenced by some of Ohio’s top coaches, including Chad Young, Jason Vest, Matt Lafleur and Lee Owens. His coaching philosophy emphasizes hard work, attention to detail, and individualized player development. He believes that “all kids are different and require different approaches.”
Outside of coaching, Tyler works as a Senior Specialist for Audio Video at Abbott Nutrition and is an active member of Grace Fellowship church. His goal for the upcoming season is to win the division and develop strong young men ready to face life’s challenges.
Assistant JV-B Coach - Patrick Griffin
8th Grade Head Coach - John Carley
Email: john_carley@plsd.us
John Carley enters his first year as the 8th Grade Baseball Coach for the Pickerington Panthers. A four-year lettered starter at the high school level, Coach Carley brings a strong background in athletics along with a commitment to developing young student-athletes through fundamentals, effort, and preparation.
After his retirement from the military, Coach Carly transitioned into education and is currently a Physical Education teacher within the Pickerington Local School District.
Coach Carley has over six years of coaching experience at the travel and recreational level and has worked with athletes across multiple age groups. He also served as the Pickerington Panthers 8th grade football Defensive Coordinator, further contributing to the development of student-athletes in a competitive team environment.
Coach Carley takes great pride in working with athletes, focusing on skill development, discipline, accountability, and strong character, both on and off the field. He believes in creating a positive, competitive culture where effort, coachability, and teamwork are the standard.
John resides in Pickerington with his wife, Jennifer, and his three children, Terrell (31), Jenascia (21), and Johnny (14).
7th Grade Head Coach: Jay Bartos
Jay Bartos returns for his 11th year back in the Pickerington North Program.
Coach Bartos went to Bishop Hartley and was a 3-year letterman and helped Hartley to the state semifinals in 1991 as an ambidextrous pitcher and infielder.
Coach Bartos played college baseball at The University of Akron in the early to mid-90s and captained the only team in school history to go to the college regionals. He was an Honorable Mention all-MAC left fielder as a sophomore and a 2nd team all-MAC third baseman as a senior.
He then helped coach the Zips the following two years as a volunteer assistant with a focus on hitting and fielding in 1997 and 1998, Mount Union University in 1999 as the Outfield and hitting Coach. He then coached 7th grade, 8th grade, and freshman at PHS from 2000-2003, and then a year of JVA at PHSN in 2004. He also coached in the summer for Post 283, starting the program up again in 2000.
Coach Bartos then coached 11 years at Canal Winchester as an assistant and head coach, helping the Indians to State playoff appearances in 08 and 09.
This is the start of his 11th year in his second tour of duty for Pickerington North.
Coach Bartos started teaching in the district in 1999 and has been teaching for 27 years. Coach and his wife Danielle have two kids (Anna-18 and Evan-15) and live in Canal Winchester.
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