Baseball Staff

Meet your Hayner Academy/ Sports Barn Baseball Staff

  • Norm Hayner (Co-Owner)

    Specializes in hitting, pitching, Catching

    • Norm currently coaches the Barnstormers 15u Travel Baseball Team.
    • Varsity Baseball Coach at Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake H.S. 1995 - 2000.  Led Spartans to 1998 Section II Class A title, Region IV title and runner up finish at NY State final four.
    • Former Pitching Coach at UMass/Amherst, Siena College, Skidmore College and Schenectady C.C.
    • Division I catcher and graduate of Siena College ('85).
    • Earned M.S. in Sport Management at UMass/Amherst ('92)
    •  Former Player/Manager of Apex Printing in Albany Twilight League, achieving 3 consecutive league championships, 3 NYS AABC Stan Musial Division Titles, 1 AABC North Atlantic Regional Championship and 2 runner ups and a 3rd place finish at the 1989 Stan Musial World Series in Battle Creek, Michigan.
    •  Member of the Shenendehowa Athletic Hall of Fame and Albany Twilight League Hall of Fame


  • Ken Hayner (Co-Owner)

    Hitting, Pitching, and Fielding


    • Since 2014, Ken has been the Director of the Hayner Academy Barnstormers Travel Baseball Program.
    • Head Baseball Coach at Hartwick College 1988 - 1998.  Was named Empire Athletic Association Coach of the Year in 1992 and 1993.  Received Louisville Slugger Coaching Award in 1994.  Led '94 team to NCAA New York Regional Tournament.  '92, '94 and '96 teams captured ECAC Upstate New York Championship.
    • Served as Assistant Coach at Siena College '84, '85, '87 and UMass/Amherst. '86.
    • In 1982 played professionally as a shortstop for the Utica Blue Sox of the New York-Penn League and received NY-Penn League's Achievement Award for development.
    • Former Division I player and graduate of Siena College '82. 
    • Received M.S. in Sport Management from UMass/Amherst in '87.
    • Member of the New York State Baseball Hall of Fame, Siena College Sports HOF, Shenendehowa Athletic HOF and Albany Twilight League HOF.



  • Dennis Healy

    Specializes in Pitching

    • Dennis was the Pitching Coach and Recruiting Coordinator for Wake Forest University from 2010 – 2014.
    • Wake Forest’s Recruiting Class of 2013 was nationally ranked and the Demon Deacons earned bid’s to the ACC Tournament in 2011, 2012 and 2014      
    • From 2005 – 2009 Dennis was the Head Baseball Coach at Marist College.  Dennis led the 2009 team to the MAC Conference Championship and NCAA Division I Regionals.    
    • Dennis has also served as assistant coach at George Washington University, University of New Orleans and Cleveland State University.       
    • Dennis is a 1996 graduate of George Washington University where he was a standout pitcher and captain of the team.  In his senior year Dennis finished with a 7-3 record and his 2.25 ERA was 12th best in the country in NCAA Division I.     
    • Dennis earned his master’s degree in Sport Management from Cleveland State University in 1999.      
    • Dennis joined the Hayner Academy Staff in 2014.


  • Kyle wilkins

    specializes in hitting, fielding and pitching

    • Kyle served as the Head Coach at The College of St. Rose  from 2014 - 2016.  Kyle was an assistant coach at St. Rose from 2012 - 2014.
    • Served as hitting coach for the Amsterdam Mohawks in the Perfect Game League in 2010 and 2011 helping them win the PG League Championship in 2010.
    • From 2004 - 2007, Kyle served as an assistant coach at Ithaca College helping the Bombers appear in four straight NCAA Regional Tournaments.
    • Kyle was a four year starting infielder at Ithaca College.  He was also team captain and was honored as 2003 Empire 8 Conference Player of the Year.
    • Kyle holds a bachelor's degree in athletic communications from Ithaca and a master's in coaching and athletic administration from Concordia University at Irvine (CA).

  • Jonathan Kaiser

    Specializes in Pitching and Hitting

    • Jonathan is the current pitching coach at Skidmore College
    • Jonathan is currently the pitching coach for the Barnstormers 15u team after serving as pitching coach with the 18u team in 2022.
    • Jonathan pitched for Skidmore from 2017-2020
    • Played a 5th year at Division I George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia
    • '21 tied for most appearances with 14
    • '21 earned the save vs. Richmond for George Mason's first win of the year.
    • '21 Picked up the win with 4 innings of relief vs Davidson.
    • Led Skidmore in '20 with a 2.95 ERA
    • '21 Assistant Coach with Bradley Baseball Academy 16u travel team
    • Jonathan joined the Hayner Academy Staff in September '21

  • Justin Yurchak

    Specializes in baseball hitting, fielding and pitching


    • Justin is entering his 5th season as a professional baseball player in the Los Angeles Dodgers organization.
    • In 2021, Justin hit .356 in 62 games for the High A Great Lakes Loons which earned Justin a mid-season promotion to the AA Tulsa Drillers.  In 30 games for Tulsa Justin hit .383 for a combined 2021 average of .365!
    • In over 1100 minor league at bats Justin has posted  a .321 career average!
    • in 2019, Justin hit .321 with 13 home runs and 46 RBI between the Dodgers' Rookie Advanced level team in Odgen, Utah and its Class A team, Great Lakes, in Michigan. After leading the Pioneer League in both on-base percentage (.496) and OPS (1.194), Yurchak earned his promotion to Great Lakes in mid-July and finished with five home runs and 42 hits in 38 games.
    • Justin was drafted in the 12th round of the 2017 MLB draft by the Chicago White Sox.
    • Justin played his freshman year of college at Wake Forest and was named to the ACC All Freshmen team.
    • Justin transferred to Binghamton University and was named first team all -conference at  Binghamton before being drafted by the White Sox.
    • Justin graduated from Shenendehowa in 2014 and was named to the First Team All New York State Team as a shortstop his senior year.


  • Josh Hayner

    specializes in Hitting and fielding

    • Josh Hayner is a 2019 graduate of Messiah College.  
    • At Messiah, Josh was named MAC  - All Conference First Team second baseman his junior year after posting a .393 average and Honorable Mention his senior year after posting a .348 average.  
    • A 2015 graduate of Shenendehowa, Josh was named Suburban Council Second Team All-Star as a junior and Second Team Shortstop as a senior.
    • 2015 Josh was named Shenendehowa Offensive Player of the Year after posting a .452 average.  Josh finished his 2 year varsity career with a .436 career average.
    • Josh joined the Hayner Academy Staff in September '19. 

  • Anthony Ruzzo

    Specializes in Hitting, Fielding and Pitching

    • Anthony is entering his second year at Union College where he is majoring in mechanical engineering.
    • Anthony plays shortstop, second base and third base for the Dutchmen.
    • Anthony was a 4 year varsity baseball player at Schalmont HS and 2 year captain.
    • In his junior year, Anthony was named First Team Colonial Council shortstop and was selected to the 518 Futures Game.
    • Anthony played four years for our Barnstormers Travel Program.  In 2021 he hit .350 with 4 triples out of the #3 spot in the order


  • Tanner dunkel

    Specializes in hitting, fielding and pitching

    • Tanner is currently employed as a teacher in the Schuylerville school system.
    • Tanner is a 2020 graduate of Wells College majoring in education.
    • Tanner was a 4 year starter at shortstop and third base and co-captain his senior year.
    • Tanner was a Wells College Express Award Winner and finished with 100 career hits even though his senior year was cut short by the COVID shutdown.
    • Tanner is currently the Head Coach for the 13u Hayner Academy Barnstormers travel team.
    • Tanner is the Head JV Baseball Coach at Spa Catholic.
    • Tanner is a 2016 graduate of Schuylerville HS.  While there he lettered in 3 varsity sports (football, basketball and baseball)