Known in the papers as 'Mr. Automatic' in high school, Mike Just was All-State in NJ after hitting .523 for St. Joseph Regional in Montvale, NJ, then earned All-Big South Conference and All-State honors for the State of VA at D1 Liberty University where he hit .379 with 94 hits (single season hit record for Liberty.) Mike also received the single season assist record with 175 assists in a single season at second base. According to NCAA, Mike was ranked 12th in the nation in hardest to strike out and earned a national record in fielding as a four year D1 starter only committing 10 errors in four years at second base.

Mike signed professionally with the River City Rascals in the Frontier League where he received the Team Batting Title. He was then solely traded for 5 players to the Fargo Moorehead RedHawks in the Northern League where he received Rookie of the Year honors. The Houston Astros then purchased Mike’s contract where Mike hit .350 in Spring Training. He later played for the Newark Bears and then for the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs where he earned the Atlantic League All-Star game MVP with the game winning hit off of former Mets/Yankees closer Armando Benitez. 

Mike opened Just Hits Baseball and Softball Training facility in the fall of 2009 and has trained hundreds of players to earn collegiate status and dozens to receive pro status. Most recently, this past June, Mike’s client Aaron Sabato of Rye Brook, NY was taken 1st overall pick by the Minnesota Twins and signed for 2.75 million. Mike also trains clients of all ages some of which have gone viral to one million plus views making MLB network and ESPN. Mike is also a professionally published author of "Just Baseball" (foreword written by World Series MVP Scott Brosius) which is sold at Barnes & Noble, Amazon, and Target.

As a former scout for the Atlanta Braves, Mike has ties to an MLB scouting director, agents, and many more connections in his network. He is also a sought-after motivational speaker for schools, opening day ceremonies, pro fields etc.  Mike has a process model for training specific to Just Hits that is math and physics based and it works. He truly cares about his players and their development and matures them into highly skilled and deeply principled athletes. Mike is dedicated and committed to their success on and off the field and the improvements are astronomical. 

Brian Aviles is a former professional right-handed pitcher known for his accomplishments at the high school, collegiate, and professional levels. He attended Rockland Community College before transferring to Coastal Carolina University where he continued to excel on the mound. Aviles quickly garnered attention for his command, competitiveness, and durability.

Aviles first emerged as a standout talent at Don Bosco Prep, where he helped lead the team to the 1979 New Jersey State Championship. That season he posted a dominant 12–1 record, earned All-County honors, and was named Team MVP. His performance made him a top prospect, and he was selected in the 5th round of the 1980 draft by the Texas Rangers. Instead of signing, Aviles chose the college route where he continued to shine.

At Coastal Carolina University, Aviles went an impressive 16–2 across two seasons, helping lead the Chanticleers to back-to-back NAIA World Series appearances in 1982 and 1983. His college success again drew MLB attention. He was selected a second time—this time by the Atlanta Braves in the 18th round of the 1983 MLB Draft—and launched his professional career shortly thereafter.

Aviles pitched in the Braves’ minor-league system from 1983 to 1987, spending time with the Pulaski Braves, Anderson Braves, Durham Bulls, and Greenville Braves. Over 72 professional games, he logged 396.1 innings, recorded 313 strikeouts, and posted a 4.04 ERA. His best season came in 1984, when he was the leading vote-getter and starting pitcher in the Carolina League All-Star Game, finishing the year with a 3.43 ERA, 165.1 innings, and 155 strikeouts.

Following his playing career, Aviles built an extensive résumé as a respected pitching coach and instructor. He coached at Bergen Catholic and St. Thomas Aquinas College and later guided the STAC Spartans to a regular-season title as their pitching coach in 2008. He coached on the national travel-ball circuit with the Diesel Baseball program—named 2004 “Team of the Year” out of more than 200 teams—and went on to found the K-Zone Indoor Baseball Facility in Nanuet, NY, where he has provided more than 25 years of private pitching instruction.

Baseball is a family tradition in the Aviles household. In 2010, both of his sons were drafted in the same MLB draft—a rare and remarkable achievement. His younger son, Robbie, went on to a professional pitching career and later became a pitching coach in the Baltimore Orioles organization, while his older son Mike was drafted by the Seattle Mariners after starring at St. Thomas Aquinas College.

“We warmly welcome legend Brian Aviles aboard to train the tri-state area’s top pitchers. His adaptability to every level of talent is what makes Brian a special instructor. One of Coach Paulie Ramasco’s last words to me years back was, “Try and get Aviles on your team.” Serendipitously…here we are!” -Mike Just

Coach DeLuca is a former 4 year varsity softball starter and 2 year team Captain for Lakeland Regional. As a “two-way” player in high school, she earned the title of All-Passaic County pitcher an impressive three times of the four years and All-Big North an impressive three times as well. In college, she graduated from Rowan in three years with Dean’s list and Honors. Natalie is now a middle school teacher which allows her the flexibility of pitching and hitting lessons after school. Natalie has received pitching lessons as a player for over 10+ years and has worked with various trainers to give her more depth and knowledge on the proper fundamentals of softball pitching. Natalie was also trained by Mike Just personally for best communication in regards to the Just Hits hitting style, technique, and nuances of the swing. Natalie has an electric personality and her advanced teaching skills give her an edge in the lane.

Coach Sheldon (“Shel”) comes to Just Hits with over 26 years of coaching experience. Coach Sheldon attended Northeastern University, graduated Magna Cum Laude, holds a B.S. in History, a minor in Secondary Education, and a Master’s in Educational Leadership. He has been a high school educator for 23 years and has coached baseball at a variety of levels. During this time he served as varsity coach at Saddle Brook High School for 17 years earning several league titles and a consistent run of state tournament appearances. In his tenure, Coach Sheldon emphasized the importance of developing student-athletes by reinforcing the importance of academic as well as athletic success. Serving as a hitting, fielding, and catching instructor Coach Sheldon places emphasis on developing strong baseball fundamentals and mechanics within his instruction, while also incorporating a positive mental approach to the game. Coach Sheldon has a calm and humble disposition which allows for players to gain confidence and not feel intimidated.

By coaching his son, Coach Sheldon has recently transitioned from coaching high school baseball to player development through his local Little League. He has helped develop an offseason training program integrating weekly clinics that emphasize proper throwing and fielding mechanics, base running skills, hitting, and position specific drills. Another component of his work has been developing clinics for youth coaches to foster proper player development throughout the season.

Coach Sheldon’s son is a client of Mike Just and Coach Sheldon was also trained by Mike Just personally for best delivery in regards to the Just Hits hitting style, technique, and nuances of the swing. Coach Sheldon is a huge asset to the Just Hits staff and we’re very excited to have him aboard.

Coach Mattson has 50 years of combined playing, instructional & coaching baseball & softball experience for players of all ages and skill levels. Ken grew up playing ball in the Bronx through high school before moving to Sam Houston, TX where he excelled as a varsity player. He was offered a private workout and tryout with both the NY Yankees and NY Mets in the Spring of 1980's and finished his career in the Met Leagues throughout the 80s when he turned his career into coaching. Coach Mattson organized the NJ Juggernauts, the Park Ridge Gators and other programs.
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Ken was recently named the NY Yankees 2018 Youth Summer Camp Staff and Pitching Instructor and also holds Upmire certifications with ASA and Bergen County.       

Jesse Fikslin was the kid who “played up” from the start. As a 9 year old competing against 11 year olds, it well equipped him for the next levels. Jesse quickly rose to join a densely talented club team and then had to scratch and claw his way into the line-up. Jesse worked hard to overcome adversity and became one of the rare two-way players in both high school and college!

Jesse attended Wayne Hills High School (where he became teammates with Eli Sayad) and stood out athletically as well as academically. Jesse’s high school successes turned some heads at collegiate levels. He had interest shown from different divisions but wanting to two-way at the next level, felt that Albright College would be the best fit for him. He received playing time all four years as both a hitter and a pitcher and excelled academically on the Dean’s List & Honor Society.

After graduating, Jesse became a Behavior Therapist for young children with disabilities as well as Guitar Instructor, club coach, and other career choices. His knack for teaching shines through his career decisions.

Ray Rama was a 3 year Varsity Starting Center Fielder and Captain at New Milford High School. The switch hitting outfielder had earned his way to multiple All League recognitions and a League Championship during this time. He concluded his high school career with a First Team All League selection after hitting .400 as a senior. During this time, Rama was elite defensively, committing only one error in 68 games throughout his 3 year varsity career. Rama also served as the teams closer posting a 1.32 ERA with 25 Ks in 21.2 innings out of the bullpen. He then went on to continue his career as an outfielder at Ramapo College, playing in the toughest Division 3 baseball conference in the country, The New Jersey Athletic Conference. However, The Covid Pandemic and recurring injuries had other plans for Ray’s career. 

After his playing career came to an unexpected conclusion, Rama began his coaching career at his alma mater, becoming the Assistant Varsity Baseball Coach at New Milford High School in 2023. In his second year on staff in 2024, he played part in turning the program around as the Knights recorded their first double digit win season since 2019 in 2024. The Knights also had their most league wins since 2019. These regular season achievements led to postseason achievements as well, as the Knights were able to host a home state game for the first time since 2018. This led to the team winning a home state game for the first time since 2013. 

Ray was able to latch on with Mike Just during a high school winter training program at Just Hits in 2018, immediately buying in and forming a connection. Mike trained Ray from that day forward. They had worked together for 5 years from 2018 until the conclusion of Rama’s playing career in 2022. Mike provided the necessary instruction and tools needed for Rama to make a massive leap offensively through the Just Hits philosophy, notching two All League seasons. Ray Rama went from a raw and undersized outfielder without proper direction, to a college baseball recruit under Mike’s tenure. 

Ray Rama is a recent graduate of Ramapo College with a B.A. in History and Secondary Education in hopes of being a Teacher and a Coach as a full time career. He still plays baseball during the summers in the Met League for the Bergen Mets with current and former college/professional players.