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ATL LIGHTNING BASEBALL

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Dan Giordano – Program Director/ 13U Head Coach

Coach Giordano has been at the head of the ATL program from its inception in 2019 and has quickly established ATL baseball as a first class organization for developing youth baseball players. ATL has grown from four teams to 15 teams in just a few seasons, and boasts over 240 players, and 60+ coaches in the program. Under his leadership ATL not only has built strong travel teams ages 13U-18U, but has led year around youth clinics for over 250 players and has successful run a well regarded youth summer camp with over 200 attendees each year.

Giordano is also the head coach for the top 13U team and has consistently fielded teams that compete at the highest level. These teams have established themselves as one of the best teams in the region and have garnered national recognition. in 2023, the Giordano led squad went 51-12-2 and was nationally recognized by Perfect Game as the 60th ranked team in the nation and 15th ranked team in the southeast region.

He spent 16 seasons leading the Stormy Petrel baseball program as the head baseball coach and Associate Athletic Director. He has the most career wins during the NCAA period in program history at Oglethorpe. In 2018, the Petrels finished third in the tough Southern Athletic Association and also landed the #1 recruiting class in the nation according to Perfect Game baseball. In 2015, the Petrels set an NCAA-era record with 26 wins and a .630 winning percentage. Giordano was named SAA Coach of the Year for the efforts in leading the Petrels. In early 2016, the Petrels received the Phil Niekro Scholarship Award from the Braves 400 Fan Club, which is given to an outstanding college program in Georgia. Giordano has also won the Georgia Dugout club NCAA D3 Coach of the Year in 2009.

Over his career, Giordano has coached 45 all-conference members, eight ABCA All-South region members and five D3baseball.com All-South region members and one ABCA All-American. He has coached several players to go on to play professional baseball, including the first OU player to get drafted in the modern era in Daniel Sarisky (2009 40th round, Houston Astros). Under the direction of Giordano, the Oglethorpe program has set single season school records in wins, home runs, slugging percentage, on base percentage, stolen bases, fielding percentage, double plays and strikeouts. They led the conference in home runs for five consecutive seasons and in 2017 led the nation in home runs per game.

Giordano graduated from Oglethorpe University in 2002 with a degree in Business Administration and also holds an MBA from Saint Leo University. During his playing career for the Petrels he was a four year starter and is currently 3rd in school history in innings pitched. In 2002, he was named First Team ALL-SCAC and was Oglethorpe’s Pitcher of the Year. He is no stranger to the NYO community having volunteered with Christopher League for over 10 years. Giordano has been running summer baseball camps for 10+ years in the Atlanta community for ages 5-15 and his camps have been ranked by the AJC as a top baseball camp in the Atlanta area.

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Josh Kornblum – ATL Operations Manager/Instructor/ 13U Head Coach

Josh has coached youth baseball for more than a decade starting as a volunteer at NYO. When ITP Baseball was created, Josh made the transition to travel baseball as an assistant coach and then as a head coach. His passion lies in developing young players to become better players and better people. He has coached in many different capacities and leagues across Atlanta. Josh has coached in the NYO Pony league, for the Dunwoody Warriors, ITP/ATL, and also offers private instruction. Josh managed the day to day operations for ITP Baseball while serving as head coach of one of the 13U teams during the 2018/2019 season. He remains a head coach at the 13U level for ATL Baseball and will remain in his role managing the day-to-day operations of the program.

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Michael Shepherd – Recruiting Coordinator/ Roving Coach

Michael Shepherd will serve as the program recruiting coordinator and assist ATL families through the college recruitment process. He will serve as a liaison between college coaches and ATL families.

Shepherd served for four seasons at Oglethorpe University serving as the assistant baseball coach and recruiting coordinator for the Stormy Petrels. Shepherd worked primarily with hitters, infielders, base runners and also coached third base. He assisted with academic support, player development and fundraising. Shepherd was a part of the highest school finish in the conference in school history. In 2018, he helped bring in the #1 recruiting class in the country via Perfect Game rankings. Oglethorpe has lead the conference in base stealing percentage in all 3 seasons under Shepherd’s guidance.

Shepherd graduated from Ohio Valley University in 2013 with a degree in elementary education. He was a 3-year starter on the baseball team where he had a career average of .338. He finished in the top 10 in on-base percentage in the conference his final two seasons and earned all-conference honors in his senior season. He proceeded to graduate from Ohio Valley in 2015 with his master’s in instruction and curriculum.

Shepherd has also coached in the summers with the Galion Graders, Liberal Bee Jays, and the Covington Lumberjacks. He resides in Brookhaven with his dog, Mac.

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Jimmy 'Chico' Lizarraga - Director of Player of Development / 14U Head Coach

Chico Lizarraga enters his third season with the ATL Lightning. In 2023, Lizarraga led his 14u team to a Perfect Game National Rank of 79 and a Perfect Game Southeast Rank of 19th. Since joining the ATL program in 2021, Lizarraga has developed hitting and pitching systems for over 240 ATL athletes. He also has worked closely with area youth parks, including the Northside Youth Organization and Buckhead Baseball where camps and clinics specializing in youth baseball development have grown to 500+ youth athletes.

Before joining the ATL Baseball Program, Lizarraga spent ten years coaching baseball at various playing levels. He worked for the leader in player development, Driveline Baseball, as a hitting trainer, helping 30+ professional, college, and high school hitters. He spent time at Ave Maria University, Centralia College, and Mount Mercy University. He coached in the prestigious summer collegiate wood bat Coastal Plains League, serving as the third base coach for the Macon Bacon. On top of this, he spent five seasons serving as an assistant coach at the top-ranked Cedar Rapids Kennedy High School (IA) and two seasons as a head coach at Independence High School (IA). Throughout this period, Cedar Rapids Kennedy appeared in the state tournament twice and had seven all-state players. Lizarraga has helped develop 18 college baseball commits throughout his high school coaching career.

Lizarraga was a four-year starting catcher for Mount Mercy University (NAIA), where he earned Honorable Mention all-Midwest Collegiate Conference in 2015 and Second-team all-A.I.I. in 2016. Lizarraga holds records for most caught stealing (63) and most games started (140). Lizarraga received his Master’s Degree from Mount Mercy University in Strategic Leadership in 2018 and his Bachelor’s in Business Administration in 2016.

Lizarraga also carries certifications in both Driveline hitting and pitching, On Base University, and is a Jay Shetty Certified Life and Success Coach.

Brandon Fish - Director of Hitting / 13U Assistant Coach

Brandon Fish is in his 3rd season with ATL and serves as the program Director of Hitting. Fish oversees and programs the fall and winter ATL hitting sessions, as well as coordinating ATL's youth hitting clinics with local area parks, including Northside Youth Organization and Buckhead Baseball. Fish also assists program director Dan Giordano with the top 13 year old ATL Lightning team, which recently finished the 2023 season with a 51-12-2 record and a 60th in the nation ranking according to Perfect Game. Coach Fish also offers private hitting and outfield instruction in a 1 on 1 or group training format.

Outside of his coaching with ATL, Fish was the middle school head coach at Sutton Middle School in 2018 and 2019, the Galloway Middle School Head Coach in 2022, and is currently in his second year as the Varsity Head Coach at the Galloway School.

Fish played collegiate baseball at Oglethorpe University where he was 2x starter and 2x All-Conference Recipient as the right fielder for the Stormy Petrels. Fish was a part of the winningest team in school history in 2015, and contributed 7 home runs when the Petrels led the nation in home runs in 2017. He graduated from Oglethorpe with a degree in Business.

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