M.L. Morgan received’t need to look far for recommendation in his first official head baseball coach job.
He can obtain counsel from his father down the street at one other HBCU.
Final week, Morgan was named the brand new head baseball coach at Norfolk State. He joins his father, longtime Virginia State coach Merrill Morgan, as an HBCU head baseball coach. Morgan replaces Keith Shumate, who was head coach for eight seasons.
“This chance is one I couldn’t go up,” the youthful Morgan instructed WTKR TV. “Simply the potential, being in a recruiting hotbed on this space and in addition the convention. I believe it’s a chance to compete within the convention as nicely, being the southern-most group within the convention (NEC), it’s a whole lot of alternative for development right here.”
Morgan was an assistant at his alma mater, Virginia Commonwealth, and Division III contender Randolph Macon Faculty, serving to every faculty to postseason appearances. His most up-to-date job was as Mid-Atlantic Scouting Supervisor for the Tampa Bay Rays of Main League Baseball.
Morgan will look to revive a Spartan baseball program that has struggled since its 2021 MEAC championship season. Norfolk State’s report as an affiliate member of the Northeast Convention was 4-38 general and 4-26 in convention play, inserting it final within the 11-team league.
Morgan’s plans embody a flexible method to offense and a tighter philosophy when the Spartans are out within the subject.
“I need to be actually multi-faceted on offense,” he stated. “We wish to have the ability to put the ball in play, steal, be actually aggressive on the bases, hit house runs, however placing stress on the protection is the principle piece of that. Defensively, we need to be as conservative as doable, maintain the baseball, restrict free bases, throw many strikes, and let our athletes make performs.”
