Get to know Skidmore College baseball coach
Ron Plourde.
1. This season is your 23rd at the helm of Skidmore Baseball. What changes have you seen at the College or in your sport over that time?
As you can imagine, I have seen many changes at the College in 23 years. There has been a great deal of construction, upgrades in academics and pedagogy, and many positive athletics changes. In baseball, the most significant transformation has been in the equipment, specifically the bats and balls. The NCAA made the bats dramatically less explosive for safety reasons. This rule change has altered the play from an offensive high scoring affair to more of a pitcher and overall defensive game.
2. How did you end up coming to Skidmore?
I was a grad assistant at Frostburg State University., then returned to my alma mater St. Joseph's College to be an assistant baseball coach. While there, I became the women's soccer head coach, but my dream and passion was still to be a head baseball coach at the college level. I came to Skidmore College when I saw they were looking for a baseball coach/exercise science Instructor. Not to sell myself short, but I'm guessing there was not a massive pool of applicants who fit this bill. I thank the AD at the time, Tim Brown, who gave me the opportunity; it has been a tremendous experience working at Skidmore College.
3. When I contact many Skidmore alumni, they all say they value the relationship they've developed with you, even post-graduation. Do you attribute that to your coaching style, and if so, how would you describe it?
The key is to show that you care about your players, first as people, and then let them know you support their endeavors. The most important job as a coach is to get the most out of our players in all aspects of their student-athlete experience. I think they generally appreciate this over time.
4. Who is Skidmore's biggest rivalry in baseball, and how did it develop?
It has varied over the years, but the local Colleges like RPI, Union, and Vassar tend to have a little extra meaning for our guys. I think it has developed due to proximity, but also we recruit many of the same players. A couple of the wins were quite memorable: in my first year, we defeated RPI in the Liberty League Tournament in 2007. It was special as we had just been swept by them the previous weekend and came into the tournament as the #4 seed. We went on to win the Liberty League Championship. Defeating Vassar in an epic extra-inning game in 2018 allowed us to complete a four-game sweep was also quite memorable.
5. What advice would you give a high school recruit or current player who wants to play baseball at the collegiate level?
I would tell players to reach for the stars and be realistic about your abilities. They have to do their homework in researching schools. The College you choose needs to work for you academically, athletically, and socially.
6. Your team is comprised of many sophomores and juniors; what is your expectation for your team in the next four years?
Our expectation every year is to compete for a chance to get into the Liberty League Tournament. We have won the tournament as the 1, 2, 3, and 4 seed, so we aim to get into the tournament. We learned that anything could happen. I feel we have a strong foundation and the experience to compete consistently.
7. How does the Skidmore Baseball team connect with Skidmore and the Saratoga Communitty
We are active in the Saratoga community. For the last 10 years, our team has helped with Thanksgiving baskets at the Economic Opportunities Council of Saratoga. The council provides meals to families in need. We host baseball clinics and provide our annual Kids Night Out program for the community. Finally, we participate in adopting a child program at Christmas time, and have helped out with the Special Olympics as well.
8. You have one of the longest seasons of any sport; how can the students balance their success in the classroom with such a demanding schedule?
If you ask our players, they will tell you that they tend to do a better job with their academics during the season as they are forced to be more organized and manage their time better. We also encourage our players to take advantage of the days we have off during the season to get as much work done as possible, especially with a four-game weekend schedule of games.
9. If you follow MLB, you always hear of players developing, whether to hit a curveball or a pitcher able to throw a new pitch. With that in mind, how do you recruit talent when much of their capabilities or ceilings are unknown?
I think we do an excellent job of recruiting players who are a good fit for our program, not just in terms of ability. They have to bring the right attitude and have the same general goals for our program. We are looking for players who want to be a part of something bigger than themselves. The expectation is they will grow, get stronger, and smarter!
10. Tell us more about what your team needs to help the program be successful?
In terms of our future needs to be successful, we have to continue to play the best schedule we can, which includes taking trips to Florida and local weekend trips to NYC and the Mid-Atlantic states in the early spring when we are unable to play on our field. Also, continuing to improve Castle Diamond will only enhance our program. Thank you for allowing me to share my thoughts.
