Why Train at Next Level?

  • Conveniently located
  • Offers equipment and facilities for every level of athlete
  • Personal and group training to meet your needs
  • Each academy is led by an expert in their field
facebook logo   twitter logo
baseball header

Dave Collins

Next Level Academy is excited to have baseball icon, Dave Collins leading our baseball academy. Most of his career was spent as an outfielder with several Major League Baseball organizations from 1975 to 1990. During his 15 years in the Majors, he spent time with nine different organizations. In 1991, he hung up his player hat and began his coaching career with the St. Louis Cardinals, and eventually spent time with the Cincinnati Reds, Colorado Rockies and Florida Marlins.

Player History

Collins was a first-round draft pick by the California Angels. He was dubbed "fastest white man in baseball" because he could run the 100-yard dash in 9.6 seconds and had a very high number of stolen bases.

His major league debut was on June 7, 1975. He was put into left field and was batting leadoff against the Milwaukee Brewers. He didn’t get a hit in the first game, but he did achieve his first major league hit on day two against, Brewers pitcher Tom Murphy.

After two seasons with the Angels, he was selected by the Seattle Mariners as a 14th round draft pick. The Mariners traded Collins to the Cincinnati Reds in 1977, where he spent four seasons.

In 1982, he was signed by the New York Yankees as a free agent, and was then traded to the Toronto Blue Jays in 1983. Trades became prevalent for Collins, in 1984, to the Oakland Athletics and during the 1985 season, he was traded to the Detroit Tigers.

Picked up by the Montreal Expos as a free agent after the 1985 season, he was then cut during spring training and signed by the Cincinnati Reds again. In 1989, the Reds released him and the St. Louis Cardinals picked him up for his last hurrah.

He finished with a career batting average of .272 in his 16 year career, with 1,335 hits.

Coaching Career

Next Level Academy | 419 Licking Pike Wilder, KY 41071 | 859-291-3000 | info@nextlevelnky.com