Fresh off three straight winning seasons under head coach Skylar Meade, Troy baseball added to its staff and promoted previous coaches to new positions.
Ryan Fineman was hired to be the team’s recruiting coordinator, while three other staff members saw promotions. Ben Wolgamot is the associate head coach, Adam Godwin is now the outfield and base-running coordinator, and Joe Bialkoski is the director of player development and operations.
The Trojans’ coaching staff has led the team to success in the past three years, including an NCAA regional appearance in 2023. Bialkoski says that’s just the beginning.
“We’re just getting better and better players,” Bialkoski said. “Each year we’ve been here, the roster has gotten ten times better on paper and I feel the same way this year.”
Fineman joins the Troy staff after stints at Old Dominion, Alabama, New Orleans and Chipola Junior College. His previous connections with Meade and Godwin helped him land the job with the Trojans.
“I can build really good relationships,” said Fineman, who started at catcher for Indiana from 2016 to 2019. “Players know that I care about them and I’m always there for them.”
Fineman, a Westlake Village, California, native, said he’s excited to be at Troy and feels right at home.
“It’s cool to be at a place with like-minded people you enjoy being around,” Fineman said. “I like small towns, and everyone is super nice.”
Fineman is an experienced recruiter who has been all over the country.
“I’ve been able to learn different places and see the landscape of recruiting in high school, junior college and now the transfer portal,” Fineman said. “You have to master all three, and I think I’ve been good at building those connections.”
After working as the director of player performance and development and then an assistant coach, Godwin said he’s grateful to serve in his new role as outfield and base-running coordinator.
“Being able to represent something bigger than myself and work alongside this talented coaching staff is an opportunity I take very seriously,” Godwin said.
Bialkoski is taking on new responsibilities after working primarily with analytics and equipment the past few seasons. Now, he’s also doing more from an operations and planning standpoint, including scheduling and booking buses and hotels.
“It’s always great to know you and your work are valued,” Bialkoski said. “I’m appreciative of the added responsibility and I know I’m going to crush it.”
Bialkoski said that in scheduling buses and hotels for the upcoming season, he’s already saved the program $11,000.
The Trojans lost a lot of starters from their lineup, including Kole Myers and Tre’mayne Cobb Jr. Wolgamot is focused on reloading heading into the fall.
“We’ve returned probably 500 at-bats from last season,” Wolgamot said. “Helping new players understand what the offensive philosophy is and how we can build a strong unit is important to continue success.
“That will be the biggest adjustment, but we went through the same thing in the fall of 2022 when we brought in the class with Myers and Cobb.”
Wolgamot says it’s nice to have a promotion, but the goals remain the same.
“It’s exciting, but nothing for me personally will change,” Wolgamot said. “The goal is still to go to Omaha, and getting to work with Skylar and these guys is more important than any title.”
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