About Us

Coach Gehrer started holding catchers camps in the winter of 1985. A youth coach called and said he wanted his catchers to catch like Coach Gehrer’s.  Coach put on a clinic for just one team of 3-4 of his catchers.  During the camp Coach Gehrer was constantly reminding the boys, “if the ball is in the dirt, Just Block It.”  Thus the name of the camp.  Thirty years later JBI is providing quality instruction for campers of all ages in both baseball and softball.  We are extremely proud of the fact that many of our campers have gone on to become great high school catchers, college catchers and even pro players.  We are very proud of the fact that eight of our former campers have gone on to catch for the Wichita State Shockers.  One of our former coaches Doug Mirabelli went on to catch for the San Francisco Giants and the Boston Redsox. It is our goal to have a camper catch for every school that we hold a clinic at.  In 2000 we helped start the Johnny Bench National Collegiate Catcher of the Year Award along with The Greater Wichita Sports Commission.  Each Year Buster Posey and the three finalists and our staff hold a catcher’s clinic in Wichita that attracts 150+ campers.  Yes, Buster Posey, Kurt Suzuki, Matt Weiters, Ysmani Grandal, Mike Zunino, Zack Collins, Matt Whatley, Joey Bart, Audley Rutschman, Matheu Nelson, Kevin Prada have all been camp instructors at the Wichita Camp.  Buster Posey is our keynote speaker and instructor each year at the June camp in Wichita.