THE GOLDEN EAGLE WAY

ABOUT “THE GOLDEN EAGLE WAY”

The following is intended to outline all of the things that are important to this

program. It is not designed as the authority on how to run a college baseball

program; however, it is designed to outline how CHARLESTON BASEBALL goes

about its business.

In order for our program to achieve the goal of winning an NCAA Division II

National Championship, it will take the combined, focused efforts of everyone

involved. Without focus people lose track, teams fall apart, and most importantly

goals are not met.

If you are in, then know the concepts in this book inside and out. If you are not,

then you do not belong in our program. We need 100% BUY-IN from 100% of the

people associated with this program.

From the desk of Andrew Wright…

Having been afforded the opportunity to lead the University of Charleston Baseball Program is

an incredible honor. This program possesses the infrastructure to establish itself as one of the

most comprehensive NCAA Division II baseball experiences in the country.

It is my hope that each Golden Eagle baseball player will experience a meaningful and fulfilling

career while wearing the UC maroon and gold. My staff and I will work to ensure that we are

putting this program in a position to succeed and provide each member of the program the tools

to be successful in their lives as UC Alumni.

Our players are expected to play the game with passion, energy and attention to detail. By

mastering the ordinary skills of the game through diligent, detail oriented work, our program

can reach our ultimate goal of winning an NCAA Division II National Championship.

Lastly, it takes the right people to run a great organization and we, as a program, have

committed to surrounding ourselves with high character individuals that will create a selfless

unit whose ultimate goal will drive our daily actions.

Thank you in advance for your effort and support in helping the Golden Eagle Baseball

Program reach its goals.

With the deepest sincerity,

Andrew Wright

Head Baseball Coach

University of Charleston

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP:

THE ULTIMATE GOAL

“Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than

unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not;

the world is full of educated failures. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.”

-Calvin Coolidge

CORNERSTONES OF OUR PROGRAM

Graduate

Compete for Championships

Give Back to the Community

ACADEMICS

Our goal as a team is to achieve a 3.0 GPA or higher every semester. The University of

Charleston provides each student athlete with the resources necessary to be successful in the

classroom. The biggest factor in our success as a unit is the PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY

with which you go about your business.

KEYS TO SUCCESS

GO TO CLASS

PARTICIPATE

IF YOU NEED HELP, ASK

As a coaching staff, our persistence in holding our players accountable for their success in the

classroom stems from our desire for our players to “win” in every aspect of their lives. Our

success as a program will be driven by our daily choices and, at every turn, a Golden Eagle

Baseball Player will choose to make choices that feed a larger vision of success.

OFF THE FIELD

When you are associated with the University of Charleston Baseball program, you will be held

to a higher standard of conduct. Your behavior is a direct reflection of our program and any

conduct that puts our program in a negative light will not be tolerated and will be handled

accordingly.

Your actions off the field are as important as how you carry yourself on the field and will be

considered during your exit interviews in the fall and spring.

Perhaps the most important thing to remember is that your actions define who you are. Be ever

cognizant of this fact and whether you are a current player or an alumnus, you are representing

our program. Too many people have sacrificed too much to keep this program

moving…respect yourself, your teammates, and the program you represent.

“Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because

your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely

what others think you are.”

-John Wooden, Winner of 10 NCAA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

1000 HOUR PROJECT

Often times, it is easy to live within our own “bubble” and lose focus of what really matters:

adding value to the lives of others.

Starting in the fall of 2015, our program is committing to helping the surrounding communities

with 1000 hours of manpower every year. Whether it is lending a hand to local foundations,

getting involved in the local schools or helping out within the campus community, we will give

back.

For less than an hour a week over the course of the school year, our players will be able to make

an impact in our community.

At the end of the year, when you look back at what has been accomplished: achieving a 3.0

GPA or higher, competing for a championship, and making an impact in the community.

Having poured all of your efforts into making these three things a reality will leave you with a

sense of pride and accomplishment and the realization that you were a part of something special

at the University of Charleston.

GET TO GIVE PROGRAM

The “Get to Give” program is designed to help those in need in the Charleston area. Each time

a player in our program is provided with an article of clothing or piece of sporting equipment,

we will ask that the player donates an article of clothing or piece of sporting equipment locally

to those in need.

As college athletes, it is easy to feel entitled to the trappings of playing in a college athletics

program without regard for the needs of others. This program helps our players see their lot in

life from a different perspective and hopefully create a lifetime desire to add value to those

around them.

“Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.”-William James

ON THE FIELD

The ability to manage your emotions in an appropriate manner is an important part of your

involvement in our program. We must learn to control our emotions and compete with a high

level of respect for your teammates, coaches, umpires, fans, and opponents. Regardless of the

circumstances that may arise, we will not resort to bench jockeying, arguing with umpires, etc.

Energy and effort are both important parts of our outcome. I expect our teams to compete with

an unmatched level of energy and effort; however, the energy must be directed to making our

team better in all aspects. Comments about the other team, chanting, showing up the other

team, etc. will not be tolerated.

ENERGY

EFFORT

APPROACH

Before we can talk about our approach for specific facets of the game, it is important to have a

clear understanding of our overall approach. There are a few key points to speak on concerning

this matter:

Master the ordinary skills of the game

Go 100 MPH without the fear of making mistakes…trust your

training

Everything that we do is geared toward competing for

championships, patience is crucial in the process of playing for MAY

Focus on the process, not the result

We will win and lose as a TEAM, each player has a role to play

Be a ONE PITCH WARRIOR

1 PITCH

NOTES:

DEFENSIVE APPROACH

*TAKE CARE OF THE BASEBALL*

KEY POINTS TO REMEMBER

Catch the ball and throw it in the air

You catch with your hands; however, you play defense with your feet

Errors are costly at the time they are made; however, their impact is felt

throughout the remainder of the game because they add pitches to pitch counts

and they turn the opponents’ batting order over which allows their stronger

hitters to have more chances to beat you

Intelligently within the context of the game; however, trust your ability to

make tough plays

Fly Ball Communication

*ME or MINE (the two most possessive words in the English language)

CF

LF

RF

SS

2B

3B

1B

C

P

EACH OF THE BULLETS BELOW ARE BROAD CONCEPTS

THAT WE NEED TO APPLY IN ORDER TO BE SUCCESSFUL

“THE BEST AREN’T THAT MUCH BETTER THAN EVERYONE ELSE, THEY ARE JUST A

LITTLE BETTER AT A LOT OF THINGS”-Jon Gordon, Author of Training Camp

OUTFIELD PLAY

Do whatever it takes to catch the ball or keep it in front

Keep the hitter off second base

Know what you are going to do before it happens

Be in every play (you always have somewhere to be)

Know the priority system

INFIELD PLAY

Keep the ball in the infield-GET DIRTY!!!

Catch the ball and throw it in the air

Know what you are going to do before it happens

Hold pitchers accountable with lead recognition

Collect outs

CATCHING

You are a receiver, not a catcher

Focus

Keep the ball in front

Trust the pitch call and the pitcher will follow suit

LEAD (manage your emotions)

PITCHING

*EXECUTE QUALITY PITCHES CONSECUTIVELY*

APPROACH

Tempo, tempo, tempo

o Keep your defense in the game

You control the game

Compete, you are better than the hitter

Pitch aggressively in the count, make them hit YOUR pitch

o First Pitch Strikes

o Win 1-1 Counts

o Nothing hittable on 0-2

Use your defense and be a defender

Manage your emotions, your team feeds off of you

Execute lead recognition

o DON’T SACRIFICE PITCH QUALITY

If you want to repeat an outcome, repeat the process

REPEAT YOUR MECHANICS

PITCH WITH PASSION AND PURPOSE

OUR LONG TERM SUCCESS IS BASED OFF

OF OUR ABILITY TO WIN EACH PITCH

OFFENSIVE APPROACH

*LEAVE THE SITUATION BETTER THAN YOU FOUND IT*

Our offense will be successful because of a TEAM FIRST

approach to scoring runs. If each player can put the needs of the

TEAM ahead of their own desire to have good offensive numbers,

we will win games.

Key Points

Execute quality at bats consecutively

Know the situation and do what needs to be done to make the

situation better

Baserunning will win us games…focus and make good decisions

We are not a “small ball” team, We are a COMPLETE OFFENSE

Win with 2 strikes

Win with 2 out

COMPETE, COMPETE, COMPETE-Step in the box ready to hit!

“If you don’t want to have to swing at curveballs late in the

count, hit fastballs early.”

-Andrew Wright

OFFENSIVE APPROACH

4 Offensive Objectives

Change the Defense

Get on Base

Move Runners

Score Runs

APPROACH IN THE BOX

GET A PITCH!

HIT and Run

Make contact unless ball is going to hit you

Keep the ball out of the air/middle

Not designed as an offensive play, know your role

BUNTING

Product of hand eye coordination and a series of decisions

Know where you are bunting the ball based on situation

WE WILL BUNT WITH 2 STRIKES-GET IT DONE!

Being a good bunter is A CHOICE!

If the defense is giving you a single-TAKE IT!

OFFENSIVE APPROACH

BASERUNNING

Know where the ball is and run the short race

Do not rely on the base coaches

Be aggressive – we will identify as an aggressive offense

Aggressive secondary leads…don’t assume the catch

Smart, Aggressive primary leads…Divide pitcher’s attention

SITUATIONAL HITTING

Know your role

TEAM, TEAM, TEAM

Leave the situation better than you found it

GETTING ON BASE

Whatever it takes

It’s not going to hurt…for long

Know the strike zone

Take what the defense is willing to give

BUY-IN AND WE WILL WIN

MAKE IT MEAN SOMETHING

Throughout the fall, our team will be put through different situations, unrelated to baseball that

will test their will-power and competitive drive. The objective is simple: MAKE IT MEAN

SOMETHING. Accomplishment without some modicum of sacrifice leaves an unsatisfied

feeling in your gut; however, accomplishment that comes after a great deal of work and

sacrifice allows us to stay focused on finishing the task at hand.

STRENGTH TRAINING

With the direct supervision of our staff, our program will put a premium on our level of

conditioning. Our players are pushed to their limit while maintaining the purpose of improving

our strength and conditioning as it relates to the sport of baseball. Competiveness is a by-

product of our relentless daily approach.

THE GAUNTLET

The Gauntlet is designed to test the mental toughness of each player in our program. This

exercise allows our players the opportunity to push their minds and bodies to the limit of

exhaustion, while cultivating a sense of accomplishment and teamwork.

THE UC CHALLENGE

The UC CHALLENGE was started in the fall of 2015 and is designed as a test of will and the

ability to work as a team. Events within the challenge vary from year to year; however, the

objective does not. Creating a championship environment goes beyond the skills necessary to

compete at the collegiate level, it is about trust, competitiveness and teamwork.

“BECAUSE IT’S WHAT WE

DO”

The following are things that will make this program successful. They all

share a common theme…they are characteristics of a

UNIVERSITY OF CHARLESTON BASEBALL PLAYER

WE…

respect others’ time (means be early and communicate)

put all of our efforts and energy into the task at hand

treat our program like a championship program

have championship attitudes

treat our facility like the home of a NATIONAL CHAMPION

go to class

take our positions like we can’t wait to make outs

leave the field like we can’t wait to hit

play with the same intensity regardless of the score

expend our efforts and energy on things we can control

compete

eliminate the variables and focus on the bare bones of the task

are a part of something bigger than ourselves

respect the privilege of representing our institution as a member of its

baseball team

DO THE RIGHT THING!

THE FOLLOWING POINTS ARE TAKEN FROM JON GORDON’S BOOK “TRAINING CAMP”

1. The best know what they truly want. At some point in their lives, the best have a "Eureka!" moment when their vision becomes clear. Suddenly they realize what they really, truly want to achieve. They find their passion. When that happens they are ready to strive for greatness. They are ready to pay the price.

2. The best want it more. We all want to be great. The best don't just think about their desire for greatness; they act on it. They have a high capacity for work. They do the things that others won't do, and they spend more time doing it. When everyone else is sleeping, the best are practicing and thinking and improving.

3. The best are always striving to get better. They are always looking for ways to learn, apply, improve, and grow. They stay humble and hungry. They are lifelong learners. They never think they have "arrived"—because they know that once they think that, they'll start sliding back to the place from which they came.

4. The best do ordinary things better than everyone else. For all their greatness, the best aren't that much better than the others. They are simply a little better at a lot of things. Everyone thinks that success is complicated, but it's really simple. In fact, the best don't do anything different. They just do the ordinary things better.

5. The best zoom focus. Success is all about the fundamentals, and the fundamentals are little and ordinary and often boring. It's not just about practice, but focused practice. It's not just about taking action, but taking zoom-focused action. It's about practicing and perfecting the fundamentals.

6. The best are mentally stronger. Today's world is no longer a sprint or a marathon. You're not just running; you are getting hit along the way. The best are able to respond to and overcome all of this with mental and emotional toughness. They are able to tune out the distractions and stay calm, focused, and energized when it counts.

7. The best overcome their fear. Everyone has fears. The best of the best all have fear, but they overcome it. To beat your enemy, you must know your enemy. Average people shy away from their fears. They either ignore them or hide from them. However, the best seek them out and face them with the intent of conquering them.

8. The best seize the moment. When the best are in the middle of their performance, they are not thinking "What if I win?" or "What if I lose?" They are not interested in what the moment produces but are concerned only with what they produce in the moment. As a result, the best define the moment rather than letting the moment define them.

9. The best tap into a power greater than themselves. The best are conductors, not resistors. They don't generate their own power, but act as conduits for the greatest power source in the world. You can't talk about greatness without talking about a higher force. It would be like talking about breathing without mentioning the importance of air.

10. The best leave a legacy. The best live and work with a bigger purpose. They leave a legacy by making their lives about more than them. This larger purpose is what inspires them to be the best and strive for greatness over the long term. It helps them move from success to significance.

11. The best make everyone around them better. They do this through their own pursuit of excellence and in the excellence they inspire in others. One person in pursuit of excellence raises the standards of everyone around them. It's in the striving where you find greatness, not in the outcome.

CHAMPIONSHIP

PROGRAMS

DO

CHAMPIONSHIP

WORK