Western Carolina University Baseball

A three-time All-Southern Conference selection and the 2003 SoCon Baseball Player of the Year, veteran assistant coach Alan Beck returned to Catamount Country as the baseball program's 11th head coach announced on June 10, 2022. Beck returns to Cullowhee after spending the last seven seasons at Georgia Southern University coaching alongside fellow WCU alum Rodney Hennon, who had recruited Beck to play at WCU. As the associate head coach, Beck was primarily responsible for the Eagles' hitting in Statesboro and was a part of the 41-win 2022 Eagle squad that hosted an NCAA Regional – a first for Georgia Southern. Beck ended his four-year playing career as one of the most outstanding hitters in both Western Carolina and Southern Conference history, ranking in the top-10 in multiple statistical categories including third in career runs (216) and tied for third in career RBI (222). In 2003, Beck won SoCon Player of the Year honors, leading the SoCon in home runs (18), RBIs (71), runs scored (67), and walks (45). The Baltimore Orioles selected Beck in the 16th round (464th overall pick) of the 2003 MLB draft. Prior to Georgia Southern, Beck helped guide Western Carolina through an era of dominance in the Southern Conference which included regular-season championships in 2013 and 2014. Beck completed his undergraduate degree from Western Carolina University in 2004, receiving his B.S. in Sport Management, and later attained his Master's degree, earning an M.A. in Education in 2006.

Pitching maestro that helped orchestrate Wingate University's 2021 NCAA Division II baseball national championship, Dusty White  joined the Western Carolina baseball

Jeff Korte joined the Catamount baseball coaching staff as an assistant coach in July 2022. He works with the catchers, infielders, and the overall offense, while heading WCU's recruiting efforts. Before coming to Cullowhee, Korte spent two seasons with Sun Belt Conference members including the University of South Alabama as a graduate assistant in 2021 and as a volunteer assistant coach at Georgia Southern in 2022. He was part of the 2022 Georgia Southern staff that guided the Eagles to a 41-win season and hosted an NCAA regional, a first for GSU. At South Alabama, Korte focused on catcher development during the Jaguars' run through the NCAA Gainesville Regional. The 2021 Jaguars won both the regular-season and tournament championship in the Sun Belt Conference. Korte began his collegiate coaching career as an assistant coach at Florida Tech and has three summers of Cape Cod Baseball League coaching experience. Originally from Melbourne, Florida, Korte played collegiately at Eastern Florida State College and the University of Illinois. He batted .343 in junior college before transferring to Illinois, where he started 78 of 86 games behind the plate. As a Fighting Illini catcher, he posted a .248 average with six home runs and 49 RBIs over two seasons, maintaining a .993 fielding percentage and throwing out 21 baserunners attempting to steal. He was part of the 2019 Illinois squad that earned a #2 seed in the NCAA Oxford Regional.

Completing his playing career with three seasons on the Catamount baseball roster, Seth Graves moved into the Director of Player Development during the summer of 2022. Graves batted .290 during his three years in Cullowhee, collecting 94 base hits including 34 for extra bases with 26 doubles, a triple, and seven home runs – five coming during his senior season. He scored 94 runs with a .407 on-base percentage that included 58 career walks and 10 HBPs, while posting 68 RBI. Graves had the honor of being the 2022 Leggett No. 7 Legacy recipient, wearing the coveted No. 7 jersey during his senior campaign, the 12th player bestowed with the recognition all-time. He was a three-time Southern Conference Academic Honor Roll selection and was also named Academic All-SoCon. Originally from Edmund, Okla., Graves began his collegiate career at Northern Oklahoma College where he hit .342 as a sophomore in 2018-19 with 13 doubles, three triples, and nine home runs while driving in 34 RBI. He earned NJCAA All-Tournament team accolades after helping lead Northern Oklahoma to the NJCAA Division II National Championship, hitting 11-of-25 (.440) across the bracket.