The Daily Gamecock

Skylar Meade looks forward to working with pitchers

The South Carolina baseball team has welcomed a new face to its coaching staff.

Former Michigan State pitching coach Skylar Meade was hired as the Gamecocks' new pitching coach to fill in for the absence of Jerry Meyers, who took an indefinite medical leave of absence on Nov. 3.

Meade made the decision to take the job at South Carolina very quickly after he talked to head coach Mark Kingston. According to Meade, the decision was “pretty easy" for his family.

South Carolina baseball is not foreign to Meade, who started coaching at the collegiate level at the time South Carolina won back-to-back national championships under former head coach and current athletics director Ray Tanner.

“This spring being able to coach down here and see the atmosphere live and in person was outstanding,” Meade said. “I felt like I had a real good impression and that was one of the things that I think made it a little more easier with our team at Michigan State, them having played here so those guys fully understood when this opportunity arose.”

Meade only looked forward when the South Carolina opportunity came into place for him, despite the challenge of coming into the program in the mid-preseason. Meade said he was able to see the South Carolina team on Monday to get a feel for the upcoming preseason.

“It was exciting just to watch them play catch and do a little bit of work,” Meade said.

Meade is looking forward to seeing the South Carolina baseball coaching system progress each day as the young Gamecocks grow and get stronger. Although Meade doesn't believe he has been able able to fully see what the Gamecocks are capable of during offseason practice, he's confident in his knowledge of how each player's body moves.

The first three weeks of preseason for Meade are very vital. Meade said he places large emphasis on keeping communication constant during the winter holiday break to prepare for the start of the season on Jan. 16.

“It is going to be over the top amount of communication,” Meade said. “But I think that's the only way that you can get ready for February and then be ready for March once SEC time rolls around.”

To connect with his players, Meade has talked to them about their pitching styles, and has discussed their improvement goals for the season. Several pitchers wanted to make strides with their grips.

“It’s a blast to be out there. All of the guys, not just the pitchers, that I have met, carry themselves very, very well,” Meade said. “They are a humble group from what I can tell, in phone conversations, ... just texting different guys throughout the day.”

Whether a pitcher is big and strong or small and fast, Meade said his goal is to help develop the player as much as possible. He is not concerned with a pitcher's ability to call the right pitch and look smart, but rather his ability to throw the best pitch and stay committed.

“I never would say that there’s a certain type of arm that I have to have as a pitching coach,” Meade said. “I think my job is to adapt to a system that the ability they have and then adjust the system accordingly.”

Meade said he seeks to establish deep pitching depth for South Carolina’s program. There is not a handbook for his new position as South Carolina's pitching coach, but his goal is to be prepared as possible for whatever may come. With training and recruiting, the journey has only begun for the Gamecocks' new pitching coach.


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