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Meet the RBA West Coaching Staff
Chris Gerrity
Coach Gerrity begins his sixth year as a coach at RBA West and ninth year in the organization. His baseball ability led him to VCU on scholarship to play for the Rams. Chris played all four years, and in three separate years, made it to the NCAA Regionals. In 2001, Chris was named CAA Player of the Week during his junior season. Chris spent four years as the General Manager of the Petersburg Generals, a Summer Collegiate Plain League team. Chris served as Assistant Coach in 2003, and he led the Generals to the league's most wins and the league's best fielding percentage. To date, over 50 players have been drafted from the Generals during his tenure. Chris has become the Director of Team Development at RBA, and is excited about working with teams from 12 year olds to Showcase.
Ricky Shultz
Coach Shultz begins his third year as a Coach at RBA West. He was one of the first to take lessons from Coach Smith as a student. Ricky played at Randolph-Macon College, where he was a pitcher. Coach Shultz was the Head Coach at the Maggie Walker Governor' School for the past three years. Coach Shultz is the Head Coach for the RBA 13U Team.
Mitch Rigsby
Coach Rigsby begins his second year as a Coach at RBA West and his fourth year in the organization. Mitch played at James Madison University, where he was a four year starter in the middle infield. While at JMU, he received All-Conference honors as a junior, and is 1 of 25 players in JMU history with 200 or more hits. Mitch is the Head Coach of the 14U team.
Bob Smith
Coach Smith (The Godfather) started the Richmond Baseball Academy, Richmond's first indoor year-round facility, 14 years ago. A scout with the Minnesota Twins, Coach Smith spent the least 11 years scouting for professional baseball, and the 15 years prior to that, coaching baseball at the Division I level. Smith has been on the staffs of LSU, Tennessee, Kentucky, and VCU. Over 130 players having had the benefit of Smith's coaching have signed professional contracts. Twenty-two players have made it to the Major Leagues, with Justin Verlander as his most recent. "Development" is the key for Coach Smith. His focus has been to teach young players the proper fundamentals to prepare them for success at the next level-whether that's Little League All-Stars, middle school, or preparing high school players for college. To date, over 175 area players have gone on to play at the college level over Bob's last 14 years. Bob is now the Pitching Coach at George Washington University, and will remain a consultant for the coaching staff at RBA.
Bruce Secrest
Coach Secrest begins his third year as a Coach with RBA West. Coach Secrest is presently the Head Coach at the Steward School. His twenty plus years as a high school coach and a scout with the Atlanta Braves bring tremendous knowledge to RBA West. Bruce is the Head Coach of the 16U Team.
Ronnie Atkins
Coach Atkins begins his second year as a coach with RBA West. Ronnie coached at the University of Richmond for 22 years, where he compiles 717 wins. While at U of R, he won 5 regular season conference titles and 4 conference tournament titles. He also took the Spiders to 7 NCAA tournaments and the 2002 Super Regional. In 1007, Ronnie was inducted into the University of Richmond Athletic Hall of Fame. Ronnie is the Head Coach of the 17U team.
Andrew Slater
Andrew Slater is starting his first season as coach for RBA West. Andrew will be coaching our 18U/Showcase team. Coach Slater is coming to RBA after three seasons as an assistant coach at Western Kentucky University. Slater served as WKU’s recruiting coordinator and primary hitting instructor. In his two seasons there, Slater has helped bring in a pair of recruiting classes that have been recognized nationally by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper. That includes a handful of High School All-Americans on the 2008 roster. Prior to coming to the Hill, Slater spent four seasons as an assistant coach at Virginia Military Institution. While with the Keydets, he worked with hitters and infielders, and served as third base coach. He was also promoted to VMI recruiting coordinator in 2003. In his four years, VMI compiled 84 wins and advance to the semifinals of the Southern Conference Tournament. The Keydets also qualified for the 2005 Big South Conference Tournament after a fifth-place finish in the league.
Slater began his collegiate playing career at the University of Richmond where he played third base, and also served as place kicker on the Spider football team. He was a member of the 1997 NCAA Regional team at Richmond where he hit a game-winning home run in a victory over St. John’s. He transferred to Auburn after the 1998 campaign, playing for two more NCAA Regional teams with the Tigers in 1999 and 2000. Slater then served as a student assistant with Auburn’s 2001 NCAA Tournament squad before joining his brother, Tom, on the VMI staff prior to the ‘01 campaign. A native of Richmond, Va., Slater is a 1996 graduate of Collegiate High School, where he was inducted into the school’s Hall of Fame in 2004. He was named the 1996 Player of the Year, and was chosen to the Richmond Times Dispatch all-Metro team. Slater was also an all-Metro pick in football, and all-Prep League choice in baseball, football, basketball and soccer.
Matt Davis
Matt Davis will be in his first year as head coach for RBA West. He will be coaching the 12U team. Coach Davis is a Chesterfield native where he earned a full scholarship to play centerfield for VCU. Davis was a four year starter for the Rams. The Ram's Centerfielder was named Colonial Athletic Association Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, and Virginia's State Player of the Year. Davis was also named to the Louisville Slugger All-America team, finishing second in the country in stolen bases and ended up with a .396 batting average. Davis was a member of three NCAA Regionals at VCU. Coach Davis played in the elite Cape Cod, Coastal Carolina, and Frontier Leagues during his career. Davis was just inducted into the VCU Baseball Hall of Fame in 2008.
Davis will be helped out by his twin brother Mark Davis, who played Catcher and second base for UVA Wise.
Vic Cegles
Coach Cegles begins his first year as an Instructor at RBA West. Vic earned a scholarship after walking on at Rutgers University. He played second base at RU and was part of the 2007 Big East Championship Team who lost to the eventual National Champions, Oregon State, in the Charlottesville Regional that year. Afyer graduating in May 2007, Cegles signed an un-drafted free agent contract with the Washington Nationals, playong Rookie ballfpr the Gulf Coast Nationals this past summer. Vic resides in Richmond and holds the position of Assistant Director of Ticketing and Donor Relations at VCU.
Brian Martinez
Brian Martinez is starting his first year at the RBA west academy. He played at Southern Wesleyan University were he lead the team in every offensive and defensive category. He also played at Barry University were he was also a starter at first base and hit clean up. Brian has extensive knowledge in hitting and pitching as well as catching.
Justin Tatro
Justin Tatro will be entering his first year as a head coach for our 10U team. Justin has been involved with RBA training since he was in high school were he earned all district and all region honors as a middle infielder and pitcher at Thomas Dale. Justin earned a pitching scholarship to Virginia Commonwealth University in 2000 and helped lead VCU to one of their most notable victories against LSU in the 2001 Regional Championship series. After graduating from VCU in 2005 with a Sports Management Degree and a minor in business, Justin stepped in as the Director of the Petersburg Generals baseball academy and has been acting as head coach for the Junior Generals for the past 3 seasons. He is excited to join our RBA staff as a coach and a private instructor.
Jacqueline Wetherbee
Jacqueline Wetherbee is starting her first year with the RBA West Academy. She played first base for the University of South Carolina from 2005 to 2009. She was named Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Week, MVP of the UNC Tarheel Invitational, and All-Tournament Team of the Florida State Tournament. She helped lead the Gamecocks to winning the Regional Championship and continuing on to the Super Regionals in 2007. Jacqueline looks forward to working with all age groups on improving their hitting and fielding skills.
Donnie Phillips
Donnie has been coaching in the Richmond and surrounding area over the last 25 years at many levels. He played at VCU for four years, signed with the Detroit Tigers, coached for 3 years at VCU. He also coached American Legion over 20 years and took two different teams to the State Tournament (Post 361 & Post 137). Donnie has helped coach RBA West 14U for the last 2 years. He will be assisted by Josh Ware, former player with American Legion Post 361 and VCU and the origional RBA Devildogs.
Erskine Kelley
Erskine Kelley has unique ties to its Richmond Baseball Academy founders, where he faced Coach Bob Smith at VCU, as a graduate of the University of Richmond for Coach Ron Atkins from 1989-1992, during his years as an amateur collegiate player. In his junior year at University of Richmond, he was honored to be invited by the United States Olympic Baseball Committee to play as a member of the United States Olympic Baseball Trials (Homestead, Florida) in November 1991.
As a professional, Erskine was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates and played in their minor league system for six and half seasons and was honored to be recognized by Baseball America as high Class-A Carolina League’s top fielding defensive outfielder per chances in 1996 (1997 printed edition). He finished up his last four seasons with the Chicago Cubs, Allentown Ambassadors (Northeastern League MVP Runner-Up, top four in every major offensive category), and finally with the Atlantic Leagues’ Long Island Ducks (under Mgr. Bud Harrelson) and Aberdeen Arsenal (under Billy Ripken).
Over the past six years, Erskine has been committed to the fitness profession, providing clinically obese and special-needs clients with personal fitness instruction including weight training and body sculpting, and individual fitness evaluations in the surrounding Richmond area. He looks forward to returning to his roots of baseball instruction by working with the aspiring young women and men of the Richmond Baseball Academy to assist them with their on the field playing skills.
Todd Holt
Coach Holt is entering his first year as a travel coach with RBA West. Todd played at Manchester High School where he was an All-state outfielder junior and senior year. Got drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in 1997 out of high school but chose to go to Louisburg Junior College in Louisburg North Carolina for two years. Got drafted again by the Chicago White Sox in the 24th round out of Louisburg in 1999. He played with the White Sox organization for 2 years in rookie ball for the Bristol White Sox. He also played Independent baseball with the Gateway Grizzlies in St. Louis. After baseball he went back to school and got his degree in Sports Administration from Shenandoah University in Winchester, VA. Todd is currently coaching Varsity Baseball and Football at Cosby High School.
Bobby Goode
Coach Goode has twenty years of coaching experience in the Richmond area, ranging from high school to college levels. Hailing from Huntington Beach, California, Coach Goode played collegiate baseball at Indiania State University. He spent eight years coaching American Legion Post 244 and led the team to a District Championship in 1997. In addition, Coach Goode has fourteen years experience coaching baseball camps at the University of Richmond. He will be joining RBA West as the 15U Travel Team coach.
Robert Berry
Coach Berry begins his third year with RBA West. He spent three years as the hitting and catching coach at Maggie Walker Governors' School. Coach Berry worked as an assistant and then head coach of Warhill High School last season.
Craig Cole
(Click HERE For More Info About the Strength and Conditioning Program)
Owner of G.O.A.L High Performance Sports Specific Training
Certifications
Certified S.C.S (Sports Conditioning Specialist)
Certified Strength Trainer
Certified Sports Nutritionist
Certified Pro CPR
G.O.A.L
Started G.O.A.L 3 years ago with the focus being on enhancing an athletes ability and talents. We work with developing all areas of an athlete. Physical and Mental, building confidence is key. I have worked with a wide variety of athletes from 8 years of age to college and beyond to pro athletes.
The Steward School Strength and Conditioning Coach
Responsible for the strength and conditioning of all teams. I have worked closely with the Steward Baseball team, specifically with the starting line up. My philosophy for baseball specific training is simple hand and eye coordination, strength, power, speed, body awareness and core, core, core.
RBA
RBA has elected G.O.A.L to provide strength and conditioning, as well as speed training to compliment the skill set which RBA provides. We have provided group training for RBA for the last several months. The feedback has been tremendous in regards to the positive results these athletes are receiving. With RBA and G.O.A.L working together we are able to provide our athletes with a customized program that will guarantee success!
My Philosophy
It’s a small thing to a Giant. I believe speed is key to every sport as well as confidence. Some have a natural athletic ability, others may have to work harder but most definitely have the potential to surpass those with the natural talents given their sacrifice, dedication and desire. I believe a trainers job is to promote the mental wellness of an athlete by building confidence and making that athlete believe that they are the Giant. “I am the Giant, The game is the small thing. I dominate the game, the game doesn’t dominate me”.
Chris Shaver
Coach Chris Shaver is joining RBA after finishing his 6th professional baseball season. He played four years at the College of William and Mary. While in college he played in the Cape Cod Summer League and in his senior season was named CAA Pitcher of the Week before being drafted in the 4th round by the Chicago Cubs. Chris is the 3rd highest draft pick in William and Mary history. Shaver was selected to the Midwest League (single A) and Southern League (double A) all star games and reached the triple A level. While this is his first year at RBA, Chris has been doing private lessons for 4 years.
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Richmond Baseball Academy West