Podcast: Austin Prep coach Jon Pollard on undefeated season

Austin Prep coach Jon Pollard has led his team to a record of 79-6 since 2021. (Kyle Prudhomme/NEBJ)

Austin Prep coach Jon Pollard joined The Base Path Podcast in-studio to talk about his team’s undefeated season, which has reached its final week.

Pollard has led one of New England’s top programs at any level during his run as head coach. After losing the 2020 season due to the pandemic, Pollard has led Austin Prep to the following records by season:

2021: 19-2
2022: 25-0 (MIAA D3 champions)
2023: 18-4
2024: 17-0

Pollard also helped Austin Prep make the transition from the MIAA to the NEPSAC, a prep league with arguably the top student-athletes in the Northeast.

“It’s been a tremendous transition,” Pollard said. “We’re very much still in the camp that it was the right move for our school, not just our baseball program. We appreciate the teams that we’re playing against, the programs, and the academic standards of all of our opponents. That’s exactly where we want to be.”

Watch: Podcast with Austin Prep coach Jon Pollard

Austin Prep has yet to gain acceptance into a NEPSAC league – with its one application to a Central Mass., conference getting rejected. Pollard plans to take another shot at joining a league before next season. 

“We’re always receptive to joining a conference,” Pollard said. “There are pros and cons to being in a conference. Where we are currently without being on a conference, the greatest pro is we can go get everyone that we want on our schedule, so we’re not forced to play anybody. That’s why we have such a demanding schedule. But we certainly would love to be taking part in a playoff.”

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Listen to the entire podcast with Pollard.