Caulin Cragle enters his second year with the Flying Fleet after a successful first year with the program.
The Fleet finished the year at 29-25, an improvement from the 2018 season, 26-25. The Flying Fleet ranked in the All-Conference awards with four First Team All-Conference players and two Second Team All-Conference players. Finishing 3rd in the conference in pitching, the pitching staff lowered the Conference ERA nearly half a point from 5.63 (2018) to a 5.20 (2019). The pitching staff was led by two First Team All-Conference pitchers, Alex Calvert (3.48 ERA), Zach Bowers (2.77 ERA) and NCCAA reliever of the year Zach Farmer (2.41 ERA). The Fleet were incredibly healthy on the mound in the 2019 season with zero season ending injuries. Cragle assisted with bringing in the #1 recruiting class in the country in Division II baseball (Perfect Game), signing players from SC, NC, GA, FL, TN, VA, KY, TX, MD & CA.
The 2017-2018 Royals achieved a program best 33-16 regular season record, with two NCCAA All-American, five NCCAA All-Central Region, six All-Arkansas, and twelve All-Conference players, including Conference Pitcher of the Year and Player of the Year honors. The Ecclesia pitching staff boasted a regular season 4.04 ERA (improving nearly half a point from the 2017 season), resulting in NCCAA top 5 national rankings in ERA, doubles allowed, triples allowed, stolen bases allowed, and shutouts, with a .262BAA, 3.2BB/9, 7.5K/9. Mason Alexander, the No. #1 pitcher, ERA decreased from 2.89 (2017) to 2.08 (2018), earning him National NCCAA All-American, NCCAA All-Central Region, All-Arkansas and 1st Team All-Conference honors. Madison Bates, the No. #2 pitcher, ERA decreased from 3.47 (2017) to 2.31 (2018), earning him All-Arkansas and All-Conference honors.
In 2017, Coach Cragle served as the pitching coach of the Windy Hill Whales of the Beach Collegiate Baseball League (BCBL) in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The pitching staff earned a 2017 Division Championship and finished League Runner-Up. The League Cy Young winner was selected from his pitching staff.
As a collegian, Cragle completed two seasons as an NCAA Division 1 pitcher in the highly-rated program at Dallas Baptist University, under renowned head coach Dan Heefner and pitching coach Wes Johnson (DBU, MSU, Arkansas, Minnesota Twins). After his sophomore year at Dallas Baptist University, Cragle transferred to NAIA Central Baptist College, where he was a frontline starting pitcher and lead his team to an NAIA regional and two NCCAA World Series Appearances.
Coach Cragle comes to Erskine with significant professional training, mentored by and worked with renowned pitching guru Ron Wolfworth, who he earlier trained with as a player, at The Baseball Ranch in Montgomery, Texas.
Coach Cragle holds a Bachelors of Science in Kinesiology – Exercise Science from Central Baptist College, is TPI Level I certified by Titleist Performance Institute, and a member of the National Strength and Conditioning Association.
