Dig In Baseball

We sat down with current Dig In Baseball/Hood College starting pitcher AND Assistant Coach for Dig In 14U and 16U, Jake Franke, to talk about his unique perspective on coaching for Dig In, winning a championship and beating Coach Ballance in bowling.

From a player and a coach’s perspective, what do you think separates Dig In from other programs out there?
-I think that the level of coaching and the intensity of the practices are a lot higher (at Dig In) than other organizations. Also the amount of connections that Dig In has with college programs is unmatched in the baltimore metro area.

What is the biggest difference from playing vs. coaching?
-As a coach, I have learned to view the games in a broader perspective and see the big picture of things. As a coach it is a lot easier to see how one play does or does not affect the game. Likewise it is easier to see how momentum can very easily change a game.

Favorite memory from playing for Dig In?
-Beating Coach Ballance in bowling!
But for real...
- It would either have to be pitching a night game at NC State or going down to Georgia for the Perfect Game Nationals and merging with a Georgia team to play.

How has it been to now coach with Coach Bruce and Coach Ballance after being their former player?
-It's a really cool experience, you get to see some of the coaching and leadership techniques that were used on you and your able to see how see how they work from a third person point of view.

Hardest part of coaching?
-Trying to relate the feeling of doing something wrong versus right in someone’s mechanics. You can tell someone what they are doing wrong but they have to feel the difference between that and the correction and sometimes that can be hard to explain. Also, every person is different in the way they learn and how they deal with criticism. So every player you have to coach slightly different.

Best part of coaching?
- Seeing a kid or team reach their goals and succeed.

What about the future for playing and coaching are you looking forward to?
-I would like to help do my part to bring my school a conference championship as well as help our young program grow and set some records. As a coach I would like to help some kids overcome adversity and make it to the college level like I did.