Jeff Petty, president and CEO of Canes Baseball, has served as the head coach of the top Canes Baseball team for the past 18 years. When Canes formed the 17U National Team in 2009, Petty assumed the role of head coach and has served in the position since.
As head coach, Petty and the program have attended USA Baseball events for the past four years, but 2023 is only their second time participating in the National Team Championships at the National Training Complex in Cary, N.C. Last year, Canes earned a third place finish and bronze medal at the 2022 edition.
What the team lacks in experience at the event, they certainly make up for with USA Baseball alumni. Eight members of Canes National 17U Team have also played for USA Baseball on national teams and more than half, fifteen members, of the team have participated in USA Baseball development programs, including the Athlete Development Program and National Training Development Program.
At the conclusion of day two, Canes are 2-0-1 in the tournament with a walk-off 1-0 win over Knights Knation and an 8-0 dominant performance against Team Elite on the second day of competition.
The team will compete in quarterfinals Thursday, June 15, at the National Training Complex at 8 a.m. Their opponent is to be announced.
Following Canes’ second game of the day, Petty spoke to USA Baseball about his experience with Canes Baseball and the team’s performance on day two of the 17U National Team Championships in North Carolina:
Q: What was your journey to becoming president and CEO of Canes Baseball and head coach of the 17U National Team?
A: “I started as a high school P.E. teacher and coach in 2005, and started Canes then. There was just one travel team in 2005. From day one, we recruited players from multiple states and as we've grown, we've recruited the whole nation with a lot of help and a lot of great people. I've been there from the very beginning and been able to see it grow from the start to what it is now.”
Q: What do you think of the team’s performance today?
A: “We played really well today. The first game, we faced an elite arm and they kept us off balance so we gutted that one out. We've had great outings from our pitching staff across the board today, and then in the second game we started to really find our stride offensively. We've been facing really good pitching, and it's taken us a while to adjust because our hitters haven't had at-bat’s since the high school season.”
Q: How does last year’s third-place finish motivate the team going into the quarterfinals tomorrow?
A: “We definitely want to win the gold medal. That's what we're here for. We're not here to win a bronze or a silver, we're here to win a gold. It was disappointing last year not winning gold or even playing for gold, so we're motivated to get in there and play.”
Q: With players from across the country who don’t play together for most of the year, how does your team come together to create strong chemistry which translates to success on the field?
A: “We preach ‘team’. We focus on team goals over personal goals. If we focus on the team, personal goals will follow. We try to buy into what's best for the team every single day. We've been preaching that and I think we have a complete buy-in from everybody here.”
Q: Why do you think Canes has had so much success getting players onto national teams?
A: “We put a strong emphasis on coaching. We have seven or eight coaches on staff. I think that draws in good players who want to play with other good players and want to be coached. We have a really high standard of what we do. A standard of excellence that great players want to be a part of.”
Q: How do you think having half of your team with experience either on a USA Baseball National Team or developmental program dictates the mindset of the team when returning to the National Training Complex to play?
A: “It certainly doesn't hurt. They've got big experience and a lot of them have that USA Baseball background, which gives them a sense of preparation and also a sense of comfort. It's a win-win across the board.”
