Potential Sports Academy Staff are on hand to assist you in your Baseball and Softball Training needs.  Potential Staff are well trained with some ranging from professional level experience to college level experience.

 

Meet Our Staff

 

Randy Phillips- Potential Baseball/Softball General Manager/Coordinator of Instruction

Phillips is now available for individual or group workouts.  Now that Phillips has retired from the Boston Red Sox he will be at the  Potential Baseball/Softball Developmental Center Full Time.  Players, Coaches, and Parents can take advantage of this opportunity to help develop their own skills to the best of their ability.  Prior to his retirement from the Boston Red Sox as minor league Hitting Instructor, Randy was a coach in the Atlanta Braves organization, The Toronto Blue Jays organization, and Hitting Coordinator for the Major League Baseball Australian Academy.  

Phillips has worked in his coaching career with too many managers, instructors, coaches, and players to list.  It is a list that from A-Y (Hall of Famers Luke Appling to Carl Yastrzemski with Eddie Mathews in the Middle.)

Your player will be instructed in every aspect: Mental, Physical, & Visual Approaches.  Having worked with (And Being One of His Best Friends) Randy has learned a great deal from the top mental approach instructor in Baseball Karl Kuehl. 

Having decided to retire, Phillips had several inquiries to coach again.  This is your chance to have your own Professional Hitting Instructor.  Having been a Hitter, being a student (continuing until death) of Hitting, being a teacher of Hitting, Papa Phil can guarantee that everything you'll hear and see is evidenced every night on ESPN's Baseball Tonight.  

A personal Message from Phillips, Randy, Papa Phil, or Phil your choice: "My Words Are My Players" 

Instructors

*Denotes active or inactive instructors.  Active instructors are currently giving lessons.  Inactive instructors are not currently giving lessons due to returning to their respective college or professional teams to fulfill their 2008 spring seasons. 

  Bobby Youngblood- Hitting/Pitching Instructor (By Appointment Only). (Active)

Potential Sports Academy- Hitting/Pitching Instructor
        Coach Bobby Youngblood is one of the most recognized baseball people in the Southeast.  He was once dubbed the "Sports fix-it guy" by a leading sports reporter due to his reputation for teaching fundamentals and producing winning teams.  The Easley, SC native spent ten years in the high school ranks guiding teams to a combined 145-63 record for a .700 winning percentage.  During this tenure Bobby was involved with eight Conference Championships and playoff participants each year.  Youngblood coached collegiately at Anderson University (baseball) and USC-Spartanburg (mens basketball) becoming one of few coaches to work with two sports at that level.  Coach Youngblood also led Greer's American Legion baseball team to a three year 62-22 record with two League Championships to go along with the .738 winning percentage.  Bobby owned and operated the Sports Academy, South Carolina's first indoor training facility of its magnitude.  Travel teams were formed from this program with 98.9% of all participants having participated in college and/or professional baseball.  The academy was later sold to three staff members and is now the Strike Zone in Greenville, SC.  The veteran coach has four World Series rings with the S.C District I Big League World Champions in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007.  USSSA Baseball named Bobby Youngblood Upstate Director in 2007.  This is the culminations of seven years work as a tournament director.  During this time 160 Baseball tournaments with participants from all over the United States and Canada have been held, and 1,200 teams have participated in 2007.  Bobby is a great instructor and thrives on helping players reach their maximum ability.  Truly one of the great baseball people in the area.

 

    Annie Shipman- Softball Pitching Instructor (Active)
        Annie played her collegiate career at Campbell University and led the nation in saves her senior year with 10.  She also ranks first on Campbell's all-time saves leader.  Annie served as an assistant coach at Gardner Webb for the past three seasons.  Currently she is an assistant at Furman University.

 

    Barry Mabry- Baseball Pitching Instructor (Active)
        Barry played high school ball for Boiling Springs High School where he was an all-region and all-county pitcher his junior and senior year.  After committing to Lander University Mabry was signed by the Atlanta Braves.  He played six years of professional baseball which included four in the Braves organization and two in the Northern League with the Sioux City Explorers.  While playing in the Braves organization Mabry ranked in the top 25 prospects after his second year.  Barry also has extensive coaching experience including the Spartanburg Stingers and Boiling Springs high school.  Barry is a very experienced pitching instructor, as he has worked with individual students for the past seven years. 

 

                                  Jennifer Whited- Softball Pitching/Hitting/Fielding Instructor (Active)
          Jennifer Whited formerly played for the University of South Carolina Upstate and played high-school ball for Boiling Springs and Dorman.  She will be graduating in December of 2007 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Interdisciplinary Studies, centered around corporate fitness, recreation programming, and communication. Throughout high-school ball, Jennifer was a two-time All State recipient, two-time All-Area, the North/South Allstar MVP, and Herald Journal Player of the year.  While playing in college she received awards for Freshman of the year for the South Atlantic Conference, Female Freshman Athlete of the year for Wingate University, and Second Team All-Conference.  Jennifer was also ranked eighth in the nation in saves in 2006, was awarded All-Region status, and ended with 341 strikeouts in 350 innings pitched.

 

    Jeremy McCauley- Hitting/Infield Instructor (Active)

        Jeremy is a graduate of Wren High School where he lettered four years in baseball and basketball for the Hurricanes.  While at Wren Jeremy was an outstanding shortstop making all-region twice.  He continued his career collegiately at Anderson University where he was a three year starter at shortstop.  His junior year at Anderson Jeremy was plagued with arm injuries.  Jeremy came back his senior year and left as a career .300 hitter with a fielding percentage of over .900 While at Anderson, Jeremy was the assistant coach with Belton American Legion in Anderson for four years.  Also, Jeremy was the assistant at Anderson for one year.  There he was responsible for working with hitters and infielders.  Jeremy has also worked many camps and clinics in the Upstate ranging from Anderson University as well as Clemson University.  Jeremy studied under Brian Mershon, formerly in the Cincinatti Reds organization.  Also, for the past two years Jeremy has been mentored by Randy Phillips, former professional hitting coach in the Red Sox organization.  Jeremy has tried to implement both styles of hitting into his training and everyday hitting philosophy.   Jeremy is available to work with hitters and infielders of all ages and skill levels.
 

    Kevin Pucetas- Pitching Instructor (Inactive)
        Kevin is a graduate of Broome High School where he was named All-Region in 2001 and 2002 and led the Centurions to a 3A region title in 2001. He futher continued his playing career for Limestone College.  As a four year letterman, he had one of the best careers in Limestone history.  Kevin also played in prestigious summer leagues such as the Southern Collegiate Baseball League and the Coastal Plains League and was named to the all-star team in both leagues.  He was named to the 1^st team all Carolinas-Virginia Athletic Conference team twice, as well as being named five-time CVAC pitcher of the week.  Pucetas led his team to many postseason games appearing in the CVAC tournament final three of the four years he played, as well as winning the CVAC conference championship in 2005.  Collegiate Baseball tabbed him as being a top draft prospect in Division II Baseball.  Pucetas was drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the 17^th round of the 2006 amateur player draft.  He made his professional debut in the Class A Northwest League for the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes going an impressive 8-1 with a 1.90 ERA in fifteen starts and led the Giants affiliate to the best record in the history of the league and to the Northwest League Championship.  Kevin furthered his professional career this year playing for the Single A Giants affiliate Augusta Greenjackets.  While playing for the Greenjackets, Kevin had an impressive season while playing in the Single A All-Star game.  Kevin is available to work with players of all ages and skill levels.

 

    Chris “Eddie” Edwards- Baseball/Softball-Hitting/Catching/Fielding Instructor (Active)
             Edwards was a 4-year letterman at Wade Hampton High School for Randy Phillips.  Edwards was a three-year starter at three different positions.  Edwards earned most valuable defensive player as a junior and senior, all-region as a 2^nd baseman his junior year, and all-state as a catcher his senior year.  Edwards was chosen to participate in the North-South All-star game after his senior year.  Edwards then signed to play for Joe Miller at Anderson College.  As a 4-year starter, Edwards got starts at 3^rd base, Catcher, and Shortstop.  As a sophomore, Edwards was named to the NAIA 1^st team All-Sectional team as a Catcher.  As a junior, Edwards was named Team MVP.  Edwards finished his career at Anderson as the career leader in at-bats and games played and was second in hits, doubles, and RBIs.  Edwards’ college career ended with him batting over .410 with runners in scoring position each of his four years as a member of the Trojan baseball program.  In the summer of 2000, Edwards was a member of a Hornell Dodgers team that won the Northeastern Collegiate League championship and set a franchise record for wins.  Following his playing career, Edwards spent 3 years as an Assistant Coach at his alma mater, two of those years as the Recruiting Coordinator.  In 2003, Anderson College was ranked in the top-30 national poll for the first time as a NCAA Division II member.  In the summers of 2002 and 2003, Edwards was the head coach of the Belton American Legion Post 51 baseball team in which he coached numerous players that went on to play at the collegiate level.  In 2005, Edwards served as the Assistant Softball Coach at Furman University.  That year, the Paladins finished 3^rd in the Southern Conference Tournament.  Edwards now returns to the coaching and instructing after a brief time away in which he earned his a Masters of Business Administration from Clemson University in August of 2007 and will earn his Juris Doctor from the University of South Carolina School of Law in May of 2008. 

 

   Taylor Harbin- Hitting/Fielding Instructor (Inactive)

              Taylor was born and raised in Travelers Rest, South Carolina.  He attended Travelers Rest High School where he was awarded a varsity letter all four years, and set the South Carolina home run record with 52 career home runs, that was formerly held by big leaguer Preston Wilson.  Taylor was All-State and All-Conference four years in a row, and was awarded the Player of the Year Award his senior year.  Harbin continued his career with the Clemson Tigers where he started all three years and earned awards such as Freshman All-American, Second Team All-American, First Team All-ACC, Second Team All-Atlantic Region, and All-ACC Academic Team.  Taylor then decided to leave Clemson after his junior year to pursue his dream of becoming a professional baseball player.  He was drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks and played in Missoula, Montana (Rookie) and South Bend, Indiana (Low A) his first year.  While finishing his first full season with the Diamondbacks, Taylor was invited to the instructional league in Tucson, Arizona, where the organizations top prospects for the year report for more one on one instruction with the Diamondback staff.    Taylor will give instructional lessons in the off-season until the end of February, where he then reports to Spring Training for the Arizona Diamondbacks.  Taylor is available to work with players of all ages and skill levels.  He is available to give instruction every Tuesday and Thursday.

                           

               
    Matt Betsill- Hitting/Fielding Instructor                      
                   Matt Betsill has spent the past three seasons in the Minnesota Twins organization. After winning a gold medal in the Jr. Olympics at 16, Betsill continued on to Furman, where he started all three years he attended. His Jr. year he led the Paladins to a SOCON Tournament championship, and to the Regional Tournament, setting the school record for doubles along the way. After that season Betsill was drafted in the 10^th round by the Twins, where he spent three years. Although he played    primarily as a 3^rd baseman during this time, he also has experience as a middle infielder, first baseman and catcher. A switch-hitter, Betsill has a solid understanding of hitting mechanics and a solid approach to helping young hitters achieve their potential.

  

    Brett Youngblood- Operations/Administration
        Brett grew up in Greer, SC playing high school Baseball and Basketball at Travelers Rest High School for Coach Ric Smith.  There he lettered three seasons in both Baseball and Basketball and was named all-region to both the Varsity Basketball and Baseball Teams twice.  He was also named Team MVP in Baseball his Senior Year. In his senior season in Baseball Brett pitched in the two of the three State Championship Games against A.C. Flora.  He also played in the South Carolina North/South All-Star Game his Senior Year and also made All-state for The High School Sports Report.  Brett had a very successful senior season finishing 12-2 with a 1.90 ERA. And also Batted .425 from the plate.  Brett played his collegiate career at Anderson University where he was a weekend conference starter for three of the four years.  In his freshman year he led the team in appearances with 21 and had a low era.  Brett had a successful collegiate career.   

 

 

 

 

 

Hours of Operation

 Spring Hours

Monday-Thursday 3p.m.-9p.m.

Friday 3p.m.-8p.m.

Saturday 10a.m.-6p.m.

Sunday 1p.m.-6p.m.