bob-sabin_2_05-19-2025_164921: 0:15

Hello, CATA Mountain Nation and welcome to tracking the Cats. Earlier this afternoon, Steve White and I recorded a session with baseball Head coach Alan Beck, which you'll see momentarily. In the meantime, important news has been breaking from campus in Colory, the WCU Board of Trustees this afternoon. Voted to approve the appointment of our next athletic director, Kyle Pifer. Since 2020, Kyle has served as Deputy Athletics Director and Chief Operating Officer for Catamount Athletics. But prior to that, Kyle had served with Alex Garry as an assistant AD at Oregon State University. He's had other stints, with University of Washington and Gonzaga University, so he's pretty well versed and ready to take on this role. He'll be formally announced. Tomorrow, Tuesday, May 20th on campus, and it'll be live streamed. So go to catamount sports.com and get the link to view that live or watch a recording if you're just seeing this later in the day on Tuesday or later in the week. So now we'll go to our main show with Coach Beck

bob-sabin_1_05-19-2025_110351: 1:23

Welcome to Tracking the Cats. I'm your host, Bob Saban and my other host over here, Steve White. we've got a returning guest with us today. As always, we're sponsored by Stanbury Insurance with offices in Silva, Waynesville. And, good for all your insurance needs and we thank them for their sponsorship. We do have today our three year head coach for baseball, Alan Beck. All time. Great. Three, all Southern Conference Honors 2003 Baseball Player of the year. And just a record breaker in, in a number of ways, especially with hitting we're. Getting close to the Southern conference tournament this week, and that's exciting.'cause I'm not, I'm not sure whether we're peaking at the right time or just showing up to our full potential, but I think that's something that Coach can answer for us. But Steve, tell us a little bit about what's going on in at athletics this week.

squadcaster-c828_1_05-19-2025_110350: 2:24

Well today the new ad is supposed to be revealed, and then tomorrow they're gonna have the official announcement, press conference, whatever you call it, at 10 o'clock in the Ramsey Center hospitality room. And I think this will be my 10th that I've been through here at Western Carolina. I think eight. Chancellors and 10 ad. So that's, that's a lot of people. Congratulations to Coach Jesse Norman and the WCU Track and field teams, both the men's and women's team finishing second in the Southern Conference. Tournament down at in Birmingham at Sanford University. and of course this past weekend, our regular season ended at UNC Greensboro. Saw the Catamounts win two of three. Great starting pitching there from Davis ride in dusty Res. And of course our hitting picked up again on Sunday back to where it is. It's. think as good as there is in the conference. And I got a, a little interesting thing here. We were talking about Ask Coach Beck if he had ever hit for the cycle Jack spike of all people who was really a catcher. He was a first baseman catcher, but for a guy, a catcher. Who was his primary physician to hit for Cycle is unbelievable, you know, single, double, triple home run and that triples usually the hardest part. And I went back and did a little research since baseball started in 1876. There's only been in Major League baseball, 319 cycles. 300 player

bob-sabin_1_05-19-2025_110351: 3:56

Wow.

squadcaster-c828_1_05-19-2025_110350: 3:56

did. And he said the odds of hitting for a cycle is 0.00056. So that's like say you have an earthquake in Callie about. Many times about what we had, one last week ago, Saturday. The Southern conference tournament starting Wednesday in Greenville. The cat mounts will be opening the tournament at three o'clock against VMI. Team that we got, us two outta three times. Coach might wanna elaborate on that later on. And we must win to advance to the double elimination phase of the tournament. And if we do, we would play Thursday at three o'clock against Mercer. And like I say, some interesting numbers, coach. I know if you looked at this or not. This is really weird to me. The longest winning streak in the Southern Conference for any team going into the tournament is one game. The longest losing streak for a Southern Conference team right now going in the tournament is one game. Everybody is one in one in their last two games in the

bob-sabin_1_05-19-2025_110351: 5:03

Wow.

squadcaster-c828_1_05-19-2025_110350: 5:04

which is a little bit weird,

bob-sabin_1_05-19-2025_110351: 5:07

Yeah. Given the power and the the, the strength of some of these teams like Sanford and

squadcaster-c828_1_05-19-2025_110350: 5:12

yeah.

bob-sabin_1_05-19-2025_110351: 5:13

ETSU, but.

squadcaster-c828_1_05-19-2025_110350: 5:15

That, that is strange. Yeah. Just the longest winning streak is a one game winning streak, and the longest one's a losing streak in, in the conference. So that tells you

squadcaster-68d6_1_05-19-2025_110350: 5:22

didn't know.

squadcaster-c828_1_05-19-2025_110350: 5:23

Yeah, that's, that's makes it wide open. I think. Well, here again, but we'll talk about that.

bob-sabin_1_05-19-2025_110351: 5:29

Yeah. So the last few weeks we've definitely seen some increase in hitting and better pitching. Do you feel like, coach, as I mentioned early on, is this kind of a peaking thing? Is this a play into their potential that you expected all along? What are you thinking going into this tournament, sir?

squadcaster-68d6_1_05-19-2025_110350: 5:48

I mean, I think we're one of the hottest teams in the conference. I mean, we've won four consecutive series. It didn't start out the way we any of us wanted to at two and seven after three weekends. But eight and four. In your last four conference games or weekends? You know, I feel like that there's not another team in the league that's done it, so we're as.

squadcaster-c828_1_05-19-2025_110350: 6:08

Yeah.

bob-sabin_1_05-19-2025_110351: 6:09

Yep. We're, we're pretty pleased with how it's been going, but Steve.

squadcaster-68d6_1_05-19-2025_110350: 6:13

is when you wanna be playing your best. I

bob-sabin_1_05-19-2025_110351: 6:15

Absolutely.

squadcaster-68d6_1_05-19-2025_110350: 6:16

we're definitely

squadcaster-c828_1_05-19-2025_110350: 6:17

Yeah.

squadcaster-68d6_1_05-19-2025_110350: 6:17

the pitching from, you know, when we played VMI initially, you know, our, our weekend rotations much different. They didn't really get to see Dusty because Dusty got hit in the foot. And I think he is the best in the league. So I'm looking forward to watching what he does against them.

squadcaster-c828_1_05-19-2025_110350: 6:34

coach. Talking about pitching you know, a lot of strategies, a lot of thoughts about this, especially when you're, well, maybe not when you're playing in an elimination game the first game, but what is your strategy with your pitching staff playing in an elimination round game? Do you gamble with someone other than a proven starter, say with David Wright or vis what do you do in this situation? I've seen it go one way or the other. What is your strategy?

squadcaster-68d6_1_05-19-2025_110350: 7:02

Our strategy is to throw Dusty, so that's our strategy. I wouldn't, I mean, we're gonna do whatever it takes to win the game, and obviously if something goes sideways, everybody's available that first game, and then you just have to figure it out. But I feel like he's the best in the league. He's been pitching as good as anybody late. I wouldn't want to have anybody else out on the mo.

bob-sabin_1_05-19-2025_110351: 7:24

So if you start him Wednesday when he would, when would you have him available back? If, let's say he goes six, seven innings would you be able to have him back by Saturday or

squadcaster-68d6_1_05-19-2025_110350: 7:35

I, I'd say, I'd say probably Sunday.

bob-sabin_1_05-19-2025_110351: 7:38

okay.

squadcaster-68d6_1_05-19-2025_110350: 7:38

mean, realistically, you know, I mean he's we, we decided after the Georgia Tech Saturday game, you know, they won the a CC and we knew they were pretty good at the time, but we, we should have beat'em Saturday.

bob-sabin_1_05-19-2025_110351: 7:49

Yeah.

squadcaster-68d6_1_05-19-2025_110350: 7:50

the mound and you know, just with how it was going on and everything, we just, you know, then talking with the other coaching staff and if we were to have to play to get in or if we were already in the tournament, there's nobody else that any of our team would want other than Dusty to get the ball in game one.

bob-sabin_1_05-19-2025_110351: 8:09

Yeah, I, I texted Steve yesterday saying. If we could have only grabbed a couple of the runs that we had yesterday and thrown'em back at Saturday, it would've been really nice. But

squadcaster-68d6_1_05-19-2025_110350: 8:20

no doubt. No Saturday or the second game, I keep getting messed up because it was

bob-sabin_1_05-19-2025_110351: 8:24

the Thur, yeah, Friday. Sorry. The Friday game.

squadcaster-68d6_1_05-19-2025_110350: 8:27

you know, both pitchers threw well. It was a, it was a good day to pitch and it was a zone that obviously was a little bit bigger. We pride ourselves in strike zone discipline and taking our walks and a walk is as good as a. It was about near impossible to get a walk on that second game. The umpire was, was equal and fair on both sides, but he was wide. And that kind of, that's why it was such a low scoring game. I mean, both teams can play, both teams can hit neither pitcher that threw was really that good. I mean, they, they were, they were definitely good. I don't wanna take. You know when, when every ball in the strike zone's called a strike and, and 24 of'em outside of the strike zone are called strikes? It's it's fine. As long as it's fair for both sides. I'm good with it. We should adjusted quicker offensively. But yeah, it was, it was a wide zone. It was a good day to be a pitcher.

squadcaster-c828_1_05-19-2025_110350: 9:20

As they say, there's two things you can't control in the baseball. Number one is weather. Number two is the umpire.

squadcaster-68d6_1_05-19-2025_110350: 9:27

Yeah.

squadcaster-c828_1_05-19-2025_110350: 9:29

So there you go, coach. Looking, looking at the field in this tournament, I know you just said we think we're as as hot as anyone. Is there anybody in there right now you would not want to play? You know. on before maybe the championship game or something like that that you, you'd like to avoid in the tournament. And I know you can't avoid them if you're gonna make it all the way to the championship game, but is there someone that maybe has our number or you'd just rather like to stay away from'em?

squadcaster-68d6_1_05-19-2025_110350: 9:59

The team that I would not like to play, I'd probably have to say the cat amounts, so.

squadcaster-c828_1_05-19-2025_110350: 10:03

Okay.

bob-sabin_1_05-19-2025_110351: 10:04

Nice. Nice.

squadcaster-68d6_1_05-19-2025_110350: 10:06

No, I, I just, it's such, you know, like you said with the, with the win streak, blue streak, it being at one on both sides. I mean, it's, it could potentially be the best the league's ever been as it's right now, this morning on our SoCon call, it's the sixth best league in the country. Better than the Sunbelt, better than the American. It's a great baseball league. So I, I, you know, it's just a lot of people outside of the league don't understand that. But any team can beat anybody on any day. It's gonna be all about, you know, good defense, good pitching, timely hitting this week. It's about playing the next pitch, not getting too far ahead or letting momentum, or something that happens or a call dictate, you know, how you feel. It's just playing that next pitch and doing the best you can to get off the field when you're on defense.

bob-sabin_1_05-19-2025_110351: 10:54

So speaking of strength of the conference, let's say we win, or God forbid East Tennessee was to win, and one of us takes out Sanford in, in the championship game. Do you think there's any shot at all that the NCA would throw a second birth at us this year?

squadcaster-68d6_1_05-19-2025_110350: 11:14

I'd say probably not

bob-sabin_1_05-19-2025_110351: 11:15

Yeah.

squadcaster-68d6_1_05-19-2025_110350: 11:16

just with everybody's a RPI, I mean, it's all in pretty good shape, but ETSU is probably the only school that could legitimately have an argument about being in contention right now. And I think they are, they're probably outside looking in. Last I checked, they were high forties, you know, we went into this thing in, in 2014, it's 39th in the country. And, you know, we went two and done, lost a three, two good ball game against a good Furman team and lost to a big leaguer in Sam Howard at Georgia Southern. I think nine, seven. And we're done. Our season was over and we finished like 52, 53. But really nowadays, you gotta be like high thirties. You gotta feel like you're. If you're in real good shape, you're 32, 33. I mean, if they would've swept the Citadel or at least won that series and they still could potentially get in'em, I definitely think that they were the best team in our league this year throughout the duration of the league. So would like to think that we could have two teams and,'cause we used to get three teams

squadcaster-c828_1_05-19-2025_110350: 12:19

Right.

squadcaster-68d6_1_05-19-2025_110350: 12:20

in 2009, 2010, 2012. years ago, but the league wasn't even the sixth best league in the country then it was like the seventh best league or the eighth

squadcaster-c828_1_05-19-2025_110350: 12:30

Yeah.

squadcaster-68d6_1_05-19-2025_110350: 12:31

I mean, to take the jump that it has this year with just being as senior heavy as it was last year, even for us, we lost a ton of guys, you know, shows you what kind of coaches are in this league and what kind of programs, you know, that are, they're in this league.

squadcaster-c828_1_05-19-2025_110350: 12:44

Yeah. And you go back, look at how the league, like how many rank teams, even though the rankings really don't, not supposed to have anything to do with it. The national, polls and so forth. But the, what? The Southeastern Conference, the A CC, how many, they've expanded those leagues from eight. 10 teams now to what? 16? I don't even know how many teams CC anymore. But that, that has a lot to do with when it comes to picking the field. Yeah. So that, that's right. coach one another thing here is just. Looking at your roster right now and who is scheduled to return next year? The, the future really, really to me, looks bright for Catamount baseball. Now, I know things can happen during the off season. There's always, things going on that we can't control. But golly, I, you know, was up there at senior day last week and looking at who we're losing and who we supposedly got coming back. You've got to be excited about next year's team.

squadcaster-68d6_1_05-19-2025_110350: 13:47

Oh yeah, no, I just, this year's team is is peaking at the right time and playing its best baseball late and, you know, looking to next year. You know, after the tournament, but as far as, you know, we lose Jack Spike, who obviously is, you know, the MR. Cycle,

squadcaster-c828_1_05-19-2025_110350: 14:04

Yeah,

squadcaster-68d6_1_05-19-2025_110350: 14:04

So I didn't even know it was going on. He came to third, all fired it up and I was just happy for him. He hit a triple, maybe it was because that was a cycle. I'm like, damn, that's unbelievable.

squadcaster-c828_1_05-19-2025_110350: 14:12

yeah,

squadcaster-68d6_1_05-19-2025_110350: 14:13

like.

squadcaster-c828_1_05-19-2025_110350: 14:13

yeah.

squadcaster-68d6_1_05-19-2025_110350: 14:14

I've only seen a handful of those. I mean, Bradley Strong, Aaron Attaway did it in 2014 in the same game,

squadcaster-c828_1_05-19-2025_110350: 14:19

Right.

squadcaster-68d6_1_05-19-2025_110350: 14:19

special. Didn't see Bowman's, but remembered Bowman's. I had one person in seven years at Georgia Southern that did it. So it's not easy to do, but he was, you should have seen him getting around first to third as fast as he's ever moved in his life. So.

squadcaster-c828_1_05-19-2025_110350: 14:34

Yeah, I, I saw Craig, yeah, I saw Craig Brooks back in, I think, 85 in 1985 when Coach Legget was here and everything that he was a Colory boy and actually had, that's the first cycle I had ever remembered at Western and so forth. But there's been a few since then, but I, I just can't believe you didn't have one

squadcaster-68d6_1_05-19-2025_110350: 14:54

Never

squadcaster-c828_1_05-19-2025_110350: 14:55

of all people.

squadcaster-68d6_1_05-19-2025_110350: 14:56

I was definitely faster than Spike, so I don't know, maybe I, I pulled up at second base and was happy with my double a little bit. Never put myself in that position. But I'm, I'm definitely excited about the future. I. You know, Trent and Mason both have told me that they wanna come back and exercise that fifth year that the NCAA granted them having been on junior college you know, young players, you know, we're playing three freshmen every day. Trey, Noah, Wyatt, and those guys have done a great job and they'll only improve the more reps that they get. I mean, Braden Corn has been a really nice addition this year and. Plays with an energy at the top of our lineup. And, and you know, Elijah has had a really nice sophomore year, so, you know, when you look at it and freeze being a junior and you know, there's some stuff that could happen with the draft and we'll feel really good about keeping those guys, I mean, they love it here and their cat amounts. Know, and then you add a couple guys here and there. Obviously Dusty will be gone this, this year. Well to where he should be a good pick in next in this year's draft. So love to have him somebody out and support.

bob-sabin_1_05-19-2025_110351: 16:05

So it, it appears that the, the draft is actually a bigger issue for baseball than the portal. You, you don't have to deal with the portal as much as the other sports or help.

squadcaster-68d6_1_05-19-2025_110350: 16:15

mean some, it's just different. I mean, where are you gonna go up from here? You're in the sixth best league in the country. You're at a top 100 program. We just finished back to back winning seasons for the first time in 11 years. I mean, I think just people like being around at the tradition, the people that have played here before us. It's like, you might be able to move up, but we're at the highest level. We're at the division one level. We're competing in the six best conference in the country. No other sport here plays. At, at that level. So I, that's, I think that's the reason we don't have as many people going in. only so much, so many spots you can go up when you're, know, around the hundredth best in the, in the country, you know? So we're not there right now, and I think we're like one 20 something. RPI Wise is what I look at, but, and I'm sure it'll happen and you know, but it, it gives too, you know, so I mean, you know, dusty was a product out of it, you know, having been a little later developer and and kind of during that Covid process and went to Mars Hill and thankfully his girlfriend chose Western, not hated if she chose that something. So, but, I think being a part of our program and being an alumni from here is special just'cause of the people that have come before us. So I try to push that on our guys and just make'em understand how, how important it's to be a piece of the program.

squadcaster-c828_1_05-19-2025_110350: 17:36

Yeah,

bob-sabin_1_05-19-2025_110351: 17:36

Well you guys go ahead.

squadcaster-c828_1_05-19-2025_110350: 17:38

right.

bob-sabin_1_05-19-2025_110351: 17:38

Yes.

squadcaster-c828_1_05-19-2025_110350: 17:39

Dusty and everything. Coach Beck, went, went back through and looked up, and I remember a lot of these guys back when I was in school an undergraduate about a hundred years ago. But have counted up from McDowell County. We've had 21 baseball players who have actually been letter winners from at Western Carolina or Catamounts from McDowell County. Now that, that's, that's an unusual number.

squadcaster-68d6_1_05-19-2025_110350: 18:03

I, I know at least four right-handers that have played pro

squadcaster-c828_1_05-19-2025_110350: 18:07

Yeah.

squadcaster-68d6_1_05-19-2025_110350: 18:07

I mean, Donnie Sus,

squadcaster-c828_1_05-19-2025_110350: 18:08

Yeah.

squadcaster-68d6_1_05-19-2025_110350: 18:08

Greg Holland, Zach Franklin, and Dusty will, I'm sure there might be another one though. There's no telling.

squadcaster-c828_1_05-19-2025_110350: 18:15

Yeah, there, there's just a tremendous number. You know, Roger Miller and Ken Morgan and Leonard Goforth and Gary Grindstaff. I can just go on and on about Ron Young.

squadcaster-68d6_1_05-19-2025_110350: 18:24

didn't know that's

squadcaster-c828_1_05-19-2025_110350: 18:25

Yeah,

squadcaster-68d6_1_05-19-2025_110350: 18:25

was.

squadcaster-c828_1_05-19-2025_110350: 18:26

yeah, yeah. They're, they're all from from McDowell County and most of

bob-sabin_1_05-19-2025_110351: 18:30

Nice.

squadcaster-c828_1_05-19-2025_110350: 18:31

as they say, downtown, not Marian Myrn.

bob-sabin_1_05-19-2025_110351: 18:37

Yeah, that's, that's like I live in Mareta, right? Georgia. You know, coach you guys got some good PR on our podcast last week. We were talking about baseball and how you guys are doing better, but we also talked about the crowds coming out. Tell, tell us a little bit about your sport, what you like and, and what you've seen. The folks who are actually coming out on a pretty spring day to watch your guys play.

squadcaster-68d6_1_05-19-2025_110350: 19:01

Yeah, I mean, it means everything to our guys. And I think we played in front of the biggest crowds ever in the history of the program according to marketing. And I think we had more revenue this year than we ever have, than we've ever generated before in a, in a comp years baseball season. So just very excited. I mean, it means everything to the guys. I. You know, we got passionate fans. We got a loyal fan base that follows and we travel well. The umpires noticed that this weekend they were fussing at our fans. Like, man, y'all are the mouths bunch. Say everybody wants to win. And I'm not gonna tell'em to tone back, you know, crazy. But I, it just, the support from the community is great. The support from our parents. The program and families of the program has been great. And then, you know, it's just it's, it's special to a lot of people and it, you know, by having them come out, it makes it special to our guys.

bob-sabin_1_05-19-2025_110351: 19:52

I, I wish we could go back to the liquid pouring that some of the fans used to do is y'all took victory laps with the left field lunatics, but.

squadcaster-c828_1_05-19-2025_110350: 20:03

Yeah. Yeah, that like I say there's not many of'em. I think I'm, I'm well over 2,600 Western Carolina Baseballs games I've seen since the sixties. So there's a few of'em out there that might push me a little bit. Our fans and they're, they're a loyal group, but I think I might be at the top right now.

squadcaster-68d6_1_05-19-2025_110350: 20:22

I.

bob-sabin_1_05-19-2025_110351: 20:24

Well, the Greenville baseball venue is a great place to go and I would encourage folks to, to go down there and there, there is a gathering, what is it? One o'clock max speed Shop.

squadcaster-c828_1_05-19-2025_110350: 20:37

speed. Shop one 30 at Max Speed Shop right adjacent to the stadium. Right there. You can see the stadium from Max Speed Shop is a great little place. Last year, last couple of years, we've had some great crowds in there. Great baseball supporters run into people like Jack Legett, Wayne Tolleson, who are legends in Western Carolina. People like that. Yeah.

squadcaster-68d6_1_05-19-2025_110350: 20:57

Yeah, no, please everybody come out and support us. We're gonna, we're gonna win that first one and get in the tournament, but told the guys to pack for the week

squadcaster-c828_1_05-19-2025_110350: 21:05

Nah. There you go.

bob-sabin_1_05-19-2025_110351: 21:06

Great. I wish I could be there Again, I've been to a number of times. It's a nice easy drive up from Atlanta, but I'm heading outta town with family for the week, so I will miss it this year. But if you guys get an extension and ability to play the following weekend I'll go to Tally or Chapel Hill or Clemson or wherever it is. So.

squadcaster-c828_1_05-19-2025_110350: 21:28

Coach Beck, I'll, I'll be there. Coach Beck. You can count on that.

squadcaster-68d6_1_05-19-2025_110350: 21:33

no, that's right.

bob-sabin_1_05-19-2025_110351: 21:34

Well, thanks again for being with us Coach. We appreciate it. Wish you all the best of luck. Love to see where the program's going and we'll, I'm sure we will see you again over the next few months. Maybe even if the season gets extended, we'll get a chance to talk to you again, but that kind of does. For this episode of tracking the Cats, Steve White, myself on behalf of us. Thanks again, coach Beck brought to you by Stanbury Insurance in Waynesville Silva and Highlands, and we will see y'all soon.