Georgia Southern Extra: History grows between Eagles and Western Carolina baseball team

The link between the baseball programs at Georgia Southern and Western Carolina continues to get stronger and longer.

A former WCU star player returned to the campus in Cullowhee, North Carolina, as an assistant coach and later the head coach.

That was part of the career trajectory for Rodney Hennon, a former All-Southern Conference player at WCU, then an assistant, then the head coach of the Catamounts for two seasons in 1998-99. Hennon posted records of 45-15 and 36-23-1 at his alma mater.

Eagle Nation has known Hennon better as the Georgia Southern head coach for 23 seasons (2000-present), including a 41-20 overall mark and 23-7 Sun Belt Conference record in 2022.

That success, including the program's first NCAA regional berth since 2014 and first-ever hosting of a regional, reflects well on all members of the program.

And it should be taken as a compliment when one of the veteran assistants is hired away in a promotion to another university's program.

Such is the case for GS associate head coach Alan Beck, who on June 10 was announced as the new head coach at Western Carolina.

A former WCU star player who twice returned to the Cullowhee campus as an assistant coach (2005-06 and 2009-15), Beck — like Hennon before him — is back at his alma mater as head coach.

Georgia Southern had gained a former WCU head coach in Hennon. WCU has now hired away a former GS assistant coach in head coach Beck.

It's a return to WCU for Beck and his wife Kim, who married in August 2008. Kim Cherry Beck is a 2001 graduate of WCU and former cheerleading captain and later head coach. The Becks have two sons, Easton and Eli.

"I'm honored to be the next head baseball coach at Western Carolina University," Beck said in a WCU press release. "Cullowhee is a very special place and I cherish my time as a player and an assistant coach. My family — Kim, my boys and I — can't wait to lead this program."

Beck, whose GS responsibilities included coaching the hitters and working with the outfielders, was in Statesboro from 2016-22. The Eagles had winning records each year — six 30-win seasons and one 11-5 mark in the pandemic-halted 2020 campaign.

The Eagles led the SBC this season with a .296 team batting average.

"Alan Beck is an outstanding coach and a leader, but an even better person," Hennon, who recruited Beck to WCU as a player, said in a statement released by WCU. "Coach Beck will take tremendous pride in leading the Catamount baseball program and will put together a tough, competitive, disciplined team that will represent the proud Catamount tradition both on and off the field. He will impact the lives of Catamount players beyond just the baseball field.

"Alan, Kim, Easton, and Eli are great additions back to the Western Carolina family and Cullowhee community. I am so happy for the Beck family and Western Carolina University."

Beck is filling the opening created when Bobby Moranda retired from collegiate baseball following the 2022 slate after guiding the Catamounts for 15 seasons.

"Alan Beck is a name that resonates within the history and storied tradition of Catamount baseball," WCU Director of Athletics Alex Gary said in the press release. "As a former teammate, I remember Alan's leadership. He led by example and his work ethic was unmatched. He was committed to the game and his confidence was infectious — our teams took on the attitude of our leaders.

"He brings that same approach to coaching and that's what we want for Catamount baseball. We are very excited to welcome Alan, his wife Kim, and sons Easton and Eli back home to Cullowhee and Western Carolina University."

Beck completed his bachelor's degree at WCU in sports management in 2004, and his master's in education in 2006.

FOOTBALL

Eight Eagles on Athlon's preseason team

It's only mid-June but still the right time for a preseason all-conference football team.

Eight Georgia Southern players were selected for Athlon Sports' 2022 Preseason All-Sun Belt Team.

The five Eagles on the second team were fifth-year center Logan Langemeier and redshirt senior guard Khalil Crowder on offense; redshirt junior cornerback Derrick Canteen and safety Anthony Wilson on defense; and redshirt senior punter Anthony Beck II.

True junior running back Jalen White and senior slotback Khaleb Hood, along with sixth-year defensive end Justin Ellis were named to the fourth team.

Keeping up with Cam Ransom

Former Georgia Southern rising sophomore quarterback Cam Ransom posted on his Twitter account on June 10 that he has committed to play for McNeese State, an FCS program in Lake Charles, Louisiana.

Ransom entered the transfer portal shortly after the 2022 spring practice under new head coach Clay Helton. A strong-armed left-hander, Ransom was 4-of-6 passing for 44 yards, including a long of 22 yards — as one of five quarterbacks playing in the annual Blue vs. White Spring Game on April 23 at Paulson Stadium.

In nine games last season, including two starts, the true freshman was 39 of 83 (47%) for 494 yards, three touchdowns and zero interceptions.

The 6-foot-3, 215-pounder's season totals included 38 carries for 113 net yards in Georgia Southern's run-heavy version of an option offense. He was injured in his first start in Game 2 at Florida Atlantic, and returned, only to miss the final two games of the 2021 campaign due to injury.

The portal taketh and giveth

Ransom's open spot in the quarterback room, in a sense, was filled this week by Colton FitzGerald, who announced on Twitter that he has committed to Georgia Southern.

FitzGerald was listed as 6-foot-1 and 194 pounds as a freshman last season at Boise State, where he did not play and entered the transfer portal with four years of eligibility remaining.

He's from Santa Clarita, California, and in the spring of 2021 led Saugus High School to a 5-0 mark and league championship, earning Foothill League Player of the Year honors. He threw for 1,185 yards and 13 touchdowns without an interception in the five games, according to the Los Angeles Daily News.

WOMEN'S RIFLE

Academic honors for 6 team members

Six members of the Georgia Southern rifle team have earned Collegiate Rifle Coaches Association Scholastic All-America honors as announced recently by the organization, including four repeat winners.

Earning honors for the Eagles were sophomores Erin Ballard, Bella Gamez, Anna Mayo and Amy Visconti, and juniors Lillian Herring and Ashley Judson.

For Herring and Judson, it was their third honor, while for Ballard and Gamez, it was their secondr.

To earn the honor, a student-athlete must have maintained at least a 3.2 cumulative grade-point average for the 2021-22 academic year.

For more coverage of Georgia Southern athletics, go to https://www.savannahnow.com/sports/college/georgia-southern/

Nathan Dominitz is the Sports Content Editor of the Savannah Morning News and savannahnow.com. Email him at ndominitz@savannahnow.com. Twitter: @NathanDominitz

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Georgia Southern baseball loses assistant coach to Western Carolina