Head Coach Jeff Waggoner says new ballpark will attract big name schools and baseball fans of all ages.
How many balls can Jeff Waggoner juggle at the same time?
That’s not some kind of riddle, just the day-to-day to-do list for Marshall’s head baseball coach.
Coach Waggoner has been knee-deep in the architectural plans for Marshall’s brand new baseball facility. He’s been a part-time construction expert on one phone line while fundraising on another. Oh, and he’s also recruiting and running practice at the same time.
And all that came before the Herd headed south for a trip to open the season against the fourth ranked University of Florida Gators in Gainesville.
He knows best what a difference a home facility can make.
“Since I’ve been here at Marshall, I would say I’ve had four teams that could have been NCAA teams if we had a home field. No question about it,” Waggoner said. “Home teams win more games. Last year was the first year we played our conference games at Route 2 and we didn’t lose a weekend series — just by having a home field. Now think about what having a home field and a large crowd would do for our team.”
Waggoner’s team came off a 29-28 season, one of only 4 Conference USA teams to finish with a winning record. The Herd was picked 10th in this year’s preseason poll. Unfortunately, fate intervened and most of the schedule was cancelled due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
“Our strength is our depth on the mound, starting with senior starter Wade Martin and closer Michael Guerrero. Offensively, we lost a lot of great players that led the league in a lot of categories, but have really good players coming back. Geordon Blanton, Zac Inskeep, Peter Hutzal, Luke Edwards and Jaren Lovely are key returners.”
Off in the distance, that new baseball stadium that is under construction occupies his thoughts, and the teams he can bring to Huntington.
“West Virginia University will play here,” Waggoner said. “Other teams that have committed include Ohio State and Virginia Tech. These are teams that are willing to do a home and home series because of our new ballpark. I think it’s great for our players, our fans and anyone who loves baseball.”
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About the author: Keith Morehouse is sports director at WSAZ NewsChannel 3. He is a two-time Emmy winner and received the West Virginia Sportscaster of the Year award in 1999, 2007 and 2012. He graduated from Marshall University in 1983 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Broadcast Journalism.
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Photos (from top):
Marshall’s 2020 baseball team.
The strength of this year’s team starts on the mound with senior pitcher Wade Martin, a senior from Wheelersburg, Ohio.
Standout sophomore pitcher Brady Choban from Mounument, Colorado, confers with freshman catcher Ryan Leitch from Whitby, Canada.
One of the better players returning this season includes senior catcher and infielder Zach Inskeep from Coos Bay, Oregon.