BOONE, N.C. – App State Baseball has tabbed
Heath Blackmon as the program's pitching coach, head coach
Kermit Smith announced Friday.
A rising star in college baseball, Blackmon recently concluded a four-year stint as the Director of Player Development for East Carolina, where he helped guide the Pirates to four NCAA tournament appearances (including hosting a Super Regional in 2022), three regular season American Athletic Conference titles and two conference tournament championships.
"We are so excited to have Heath, Brittany, Haddon, and Cullen join the App State family," Smith said. "This was a very thorough process that kept leading us back to one name: Heath Blackmon. His character, pitching acumen and work ethic stood out. He is a great fit for our program and will help elevate us to achieve great things in the Sun Belt and nationally."
In his role at ECU, Blackmon worked in a variety of capacities, assisting in pitching development, recruiting and game planning. Nine pitchers he coached have been selected in the MLB draft over the past three seasons, including 2024 AAC Pitcher of the Year and All-American Trey Yesavage, who was selected in the first round of the 2024 draft by the Toronto Blue Jays. He also helped oversee the development of Carter Spivey, the 2022 AAC Pitcher of the Year.
"My family and I are extremely excited to join the baseball staff at App State," Blackmon said. "I am thankful for the trust and belief of
Kermit Smith to join the App State baseball family. App State is such a special place with an extremely passionate fanbase, and I look forward to being a part of it. I firmly believe that App State can compete for championships, and I look forward to doing everything I can to be a part of that."
Blackmon comes to Boone with diverse experience on the diamond. Prior to coaching at ECU, he served as the head coach at Hickory Grove Christian School in Charlotte, where he led the program to a pair of conference titles and a 3A state championship in 2021, amassing a 46-14-1 record across three seasons. He concurrently worked as head coach at the Showcase Baseball Academy in Charlotte, leading the 2022 National Scout Team.
As a player, the Albemarle, N.C., native helped South Stanly High School capture a pair of 1A state titles in 2009 and 2012. He served as the everyday catcher as a junior and senior in addition to pitching in the 2012 title-clinching game.
Blackmon went on to play collegiately for Brevard College during the 2013 season before earning his bachelor's degree in interdisciplinary studies from Liberty University in 2018. He and his wife, Brittany, have two sons, Haddon and Cullen.
What they're saying…
"Heath is a rising star in the college coaching sphere. He is also one of the best people I have ever met. Not only is he a tremendous worker, but he is also super knowledgeable regarding pitching development. His ability to immediately connect with his players will help them become the best versions of themselves. I have no doubt Heath will help App State Baseball reach new heights."
-Cliff Godwin, East Carolina head coach
"Heath has earned this opportunity with the care, passion and consistent work ethic he's shown over his career to this point. Mountaineer pitchers will be impacted greatly, not just on the field, but in totality due to his heart to serve combined with his ability to develop players. His experiences to this point will add to the culture and you will see pitchers compete relentlessly and be on the attack from pitch one. This is a great day for App State Baseball!"
-Ricky Meinhold, Toronto Blue Jays pitching coordinator
"Heath has been an integral part of our success on the mound in his time at East Carolina. I have been fortunate to have him as my right-hand man, and he has brought value to every avenue of our program here at ECU. He is as knowledgeable about pitching development as anyone that I have been around in my career, and he invests in our players at the highest level. Heath is a tremendous human being, and I feel fortunate to have learned from him and I am thankful to call him a friend. App State hired a superstar who will work tirelessly to ensure the program's future is bright."
-Austin Knight, East Carolina pitching coach
