GREENVILLE, N.C. (WNCT) — East Carolina pitching coach Austin Knight has made a big difference since taking on that position in July 2021.
Knight, who served as the team’s volunteer assistant coach for two seasons before becoming pitching coach, has helped Carter Spivey, Trey Yesavage and several others improve and take on bigger roles for the Pirates.
“He’s a really good coach,” senior pitcher Carter Spivey told WNCT sports anchor Brian Bailey on an episode of Inside Pirate Athletics on Monday. “He’s hands-on when he needs to be, but he’s also hands-off when he needs to be. He allows us to kind of handle our own business on a day-to-day basis.
“Obviously when we need to be coached he coaches us hard. But other than that it’s kind of do what you need to do to be the best you can be and if he needs to be there to help us he will.”
Spivey described what usually happens when Knight comes out for a mound visit.
“The first words he usually says to me is, ‘Hey, you’re good, but we’re gonna throw this pitch right here, we’re gonna get a double play,’ or whatever, and get off the field. make a pitch right here.”
Watch the video above to hear more from Spivey, head coach Cliff Godwin and other members of the ECU baseball team.
