Blake Beck has been named the new pitching coach for the Eastern Kentucky University baseball program, as announced today by EKU Head Coach Walt Jones.
Coaching Experience:
- Muscle Shoals High School: Beck most recently served as the head coach at Muscle Shoals High School in Alabama, leading the program for the 2023 and 2024 seasons. In this role, he managed all aspects of the program, including fundraising, community service, field maintenance, scheduling, and strength and conditioning.
- Tennessee Tech: From the summer of 2020 through the 2022 season, Beck was the pitching coach at Tennessee Tech. He also oversaw recruiting, managed the operations budget, coordinated with athletic academic advisors, and handled scheduling. Under his guidance, left-hander Ty Fisher earned a spot on the Ohio Valley Conference All-Freshman Team in 2021, leading the team in wins, ERA, and strikeouts. Beck also helped the Golden Eagles achieve a 30-win season in 2022.
- Jones College: Beck served as the pitching coach at Jones College in Mississippi during the 2020 season, where he was responsible for the overall management and development of the pitching staff.
- Auburn University: From 2016 to 2019, Beck was the director of player development at Auburn University. During this time, he was part of a staff that led the Tigers to three NCAA regionals, two super regionals, and a College World Series appearance. Auburn averaged 39 wins per year during his tenure. Beck worked closely with the pitching coach, assisting in day-to-day management, bullpen pitch design, advance scouting, and on-campus recruiting. The Auburn pitching staff was led by No. 1 MLB Draft pick Casey Mize in 2017 and 2018.
- Troy University: In 2016, Beck was a volunteer assistant coach at Troy University, where he served as the outfield position coach, first base coach, and was responsible for on-campus recruiting. The Trojans won 32 games that season.
- Mississippi State University: Beck began his coaching career at Mississippi State as a graduate assistant and video coordinator from 2014 to 2015. He was involved in setting up daily practices, group work, bullpens, video editing, player analysis, and advanced scouting of opponents.
Playing Career and Education:
A native of Hamilton, Alabama, Beck was a starting pitcher for two years at Shelton State Community College, where he posted a career 2.67 ERA. He then transitioned to a video coordinator role at Troy in 2012, where he was involved in the team’s 42-20 season, which included a Sun Belt Conference Championship and an NCAA Regionals appearance.
Beck holds a Bachelor of Science degree in sport and fitness management from Troy University (2014) and a Master of Science in kinesiology with a concentration in sport pedagogy from Mississippi State University (2016).
Staff Completion:
With Beck’s addition, Coach Walt Jones has completed his first full coaching staff at EKU. Beck joins Andrew Stepp as the two new assistants, while J.D. Davis will return in his assistant coaching role. Bryant Bowen, who has shifted from an assistant coach position to the director of player development, will continue to coach the catchers, work closely with the pitching coach, and now oversee hitting development.
“We couldn’t be more excited to have Coach Beck join our staff,” said Jones. “His knowledge, work ethic, and fearless desire to be great are just what our program needs. He is the perfect fit as a human and as a coach.”
Beck’s extensive experience and success in various coaching roles are expected to bring valuable insight and leadership to the EKU baseball program as they prepare for the upcoming season.
