GRAHAM SIKES (’02)
HITTING COACH/RECRUITING COORDINATOR, MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY BASEBALL TEAM
When Graham Sikes graduated from Liberty University in 2002, he had no clear idea what his career path would be, though he knew he had received a first-class education both in the classroom and on the baseball field. He was the catcher on a Flames baseball team that turned out many pro prospects, but his playing career ended with a shoulder injury. After graduation, he eventually sought out a coaching job because of his love for the game. The essential knowledge he gleaned from his mentors at Liberty, such as former Head Coach Dave Pastors, also a catcher in his playing days, was invaluable. “Coach Pastors was way ahead of his time when it came to the science of baseball,” Sikes said. “He taught me how to think ahead of
the game, how to process the game, and how to call the game.” For the past decade, he has used those tools as a college baseball assistant, stopping in Kansas, Louisiana, Georgia, and Virginia before reaching his first major college baseball job at the University of Notre Dame. From there he landed a position at Michigan State University, what he calls a “destination job,” where for three years he has served as hitting coach and recruiting coordinator. In his first year with MSU, the team won the Big 10 Championship. Last year it qualified for the NCAA tournament. Michigan State Head Baseball Coach Jake Boss said Sikes’ job competence and his propensity for loyalty and honesty made him a perfect candidate for the job.
“Graham’s character has a lot to do with me hiring him,” Boss said. “I got to know Graham in the last few years on the recruiting trail. What I was looking for in an assistant coach was (someone who would) back me as a head coach through thick and thin. Obviously, Graham is a high-character guy who is going to do things the right way.” Boss said integrity is a critical attribute for a recruiting coordinator for a high-level collegiate athletics team. “I know that Graham would follow the rules,” he said. “He is very ethically and morally upright.” Boss said he envisions Sikes as a Division I head baseball coach one day. “He is an intense competitor,” Boss said. “Our players kind of feed off that.”
LIBERTY JOURNAL
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