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Dusty Blake
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Dusty Blake (born April 26, 1982) is an American professional baseball coach who is the pitching coach for the St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball (MLB).
Key Information
Career
[edit]
Blake is from Candor, North Carolina. He enrolled at Appalachian State University and played college baseball for the Appalachian State Mountaineers.[1] He earned his bachelor's degree and master's degree from Appalachian State.[2] He became a pitching coach for Catawba College from 2006 to 2007, Wofford College from 2008 to 2011, and University of South Carolina Upstate in 2012. Blake was hired as the head coach for Pfeiffer University for the 2013 season.[3] He coached at Pfeffer from 2013 to 2017, and then was the pitching coach at Duke University from 2018 to 2020.[1][2] In 2020, pitcher Bryce Jarvis became the highest-drafted player in Duke Blue Devils history.[1]
In 2021, the Cardinals hired Blake as their pitching strategist. On November 6, 2022, Blake was promoted to pitching coach for the 2023 season.[4]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c "Blake reflects on path from small town to big leagues". MLB.com.
- ^ a b "Why Dusty Blake will be more than just "the numbers guy" as Cardinals pitching coach". WKTimes LLC.
- ^ "Upstate baseball assistant coach Blake leaving". goupstate.com. Retrieved December 7, 2022.
- ^ "Franchise HOF'er Holliday returns to Cards as bench coach". MLB.com.
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Dusty Blake
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Early life and education
Early years
Dusty Blake was born on April 26, 1982, in Candor, North Carolina.[5] Raised in the small town of Candor within Montgomery County, Blake developed an early passion for baseball through community-based youth programs. His father coached his initial tee ball team, providing foundational guidance and emphasizing the enjoyment of the game in a close-knit environment where he played alongside lifelong friends. This local involvement in Montgomery County helped build his skills and love for baseball from a young age.[6] Blake attended East Montgomery High School, continuing his baseball journey through middle school, high school, and American Legion ball with the same group of peers from his hometown. These experiences in a rural North Carolina setting honed his competitive drive and teamwork before pursuing higher-level opportunities.[6] After high school, Blake earned a spot as a walk-on pitcher at Appalachian State University, marking the beginning of his collegiate athletic pursuits.[6]College career
Blake enrolled at Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina, where he pursued a degree in physical education while joining the baseball program as a walk-on pitcher.[7][8] During his time with the Appalachian State Mountaineers from 1999 to 2003, Blake appeared in 14 games as a reliever, compiling a 0-1 record with a 8.27 ERA over 16.1 innings pitched and five strikeouts.[9] His limited role included one appearance in 2001 (2.0 IP, 18.00 ERA, 1 K), eight in 2002 (10.0 IP, 4.50 ERA, 3 K, 1 loss), and five in 2003 (4.1 IP, 12.46 ERA, 1 K).[9] The Mountaineers finished in the lower half of the Southern Conference each season during Blake's tenure, with overall records of 14–38 in 1999 (10–20 SoCon, 9th place), 17-38-1 in 2000 (11-17 SoCon, 7th place), 21-32 in 2001 (12-14 SoCon, 7th place), 16-34 in 2002 (10-19 SoCon, 8th place), and 14-36 in 2003 (8-22 SoCon, 8th place).[10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19] Blake graduated with a Bachelor of Science in physical education in 2003.[20]Coaching career
College coaching positions
Blake began his coaching career in 2005 at Pfeiffer University, an NCAA Division II program, where he served as the pitching coach and outfield instructor while also contributing to recruiting efforts and developing the team's strength and conditioning program.[20] His undergraduate degree in physical education from Appalachian State University, earned in 2003, provided the foundational knowledge for these entry-level responsibilities in player development.[21] From 2006 to 2007, Blake advanced to Catawba College, another Division II institution in the South Atlantic Conference, as the pitching coach. In 2006, under his guidance, the Indians led the conference with 47 wins, a 3.44 team ERA, and 8.8 strikeouts per nine innings, culminating in an advancement to the NCAA South Region Championship.[20] The following year, the team recorded a 32-19 overall mark and 12-10 conference finish, though the pitching staff posted a 4.88 ERA and allowed 31 home runs.[22] These roles at the Division II level allowed Blake to hone his expertise in building competitive pitching units from the ground up. Blake transitioned to NCAA Division I coaching in 2008, joining Wofford College in the Southern Conference as pitching coach and recruiting coordinator, a position he held through 2011. Early in his tenure, the 2008 Terriers pitching staff surrendered 100 fewer hits and 60 fewer runs compared to the prior season, signaling initial improvements in defensive efficiency.[20] By 2009, despite an 8.49 team ERA, the staff allowed the fewest hits since 2004 while integrating seven freshman pitchers, demonstrating Blake's focus on long-term development.[20] In his final year, 2011, the team achieved a 5.12 ERA—its best in over 25 seasons—and held opponents to a .297 batting average, the lowest since 2000; standout pitcher John Cornely posted a 1.85 ERA with 49 strikeouts in 39 innings, earning a 15th-round MLB Draft selection by the Atlanta Braves.[20][23] In 2012, Blake moved to the University of South Carolina Upstate, a Division I program in the Atlantic Sun Conference, as pitching coach with additional recruiting duties. The Spartans improved dramatically to a 33-20 overall record and 16-10 conference mark, reducing walks issued while increasing strikeouts; the staff's 4.19 ERA marked a significant drop from the league-worst 7.09 of 2011.[24][23] Blake mentored left-hander Scott DeCecco, who was selected in the 21st round of the 2012 MLB Draft by the Seattle Mariners, underscoring his impact on individual pitcher progression.[25][26] This sequence of assistant roles across Division II and I levels progressively built Blake's reputation in pitching program construction, emphasizing ERA reductions, strikeout gains, and player advancement to professional ranks.Head coaching at Pfeiffer
Dusty Blake was appointed head baseball coach at Pfeiffer University in July 2012, ahead of the 2013 season, after serving as an assistant coach there during the 2004–2005 campaigns.[23][20] As an NCAA Division II program in the Conference Carolinas, Pfeiffer had struggled in recent years, and Blake's hiring aimed to revitalize the Falcons' competitiveness through his expertise in pitching development, drawn from prior roles at institutions like USC Upstate and Wofford College. During his tenure from 2013 to 2017, Blake guided the Falcons to a cumulative overall record of 120–133, with conference marks of 64–58. The team showed steady improvement in his early years, achieving back-to-back winning seasons in 2014 and 2015—the first such streak since 2006—which marked a period of program stabilization and growth.[7] Below is a summary of the annual performance:| Year | Overall Record | Conference Record (Conference Carolinas) |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 18–32 | 11–11 |
| 2014 | 26–23 | 13–7 |
| 2015 | 29–22 | 16–10 |
| 2016 | 23–31 | 12–15 |
| 2017 | 24–25 | 12–15 |