WILKES-BARRE – Wilkes University Director of Athletics Scott Musa has announced the hiring of Mike Guy as the Colonels new head baseball coach. Guy becomes the 17th head coach for the program as it heads into its 79th season during the 2023-24 academic year.
"I am eager and excited to be the new head baseball coach at Wilkes University," Guy said. "On the field, Wilkes has a long tradition of winning with a vast amount of local players while still offering players from outside the area a fantastic education and four-year experience. The local connection to the players, alumni, and families really makes Wilkes one of the cornerstones in the greater Northeastern-Pennsylvania area. It is a proud university that supplies opportunities for students to succeed on the field and in the classroom. Academically, Wilkes offers 45 majors and numerous graduate programs. Its strong academic reputation alongside its proud alumni network, was a deciding factor in me applying for the position."
Guy joins Wilkes from the University of Scranton where he served as an assistant coach for 11 seasons. Starting with the 2012 season, Guy helped bring a winning culture both on and off the field to the Scranton baseball program as the winning percentage jumped from 36.7% from 2000-2011 to 51.9% for the 11 seasons he was there. He helped coach Scranton to the Landmark Conference Championship and an NCAA Regional appearance in 2021 and a program record 28 wins in 2022. The team made the conference playoffs in seven of his 10 seasons without counting the 2020 season cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic. Scranton won the regular season championship four times during his tenure as he worked with the team's hitters and catchers and also served as the first base coach.
"I am very grateful to Mike Bartoletti, Dave Martin, Randy Shemanski, and Steve Klingman at the University of Scranton," Guy stated. "They gave me an opportunity for 11 seasons at the University of Scranton and I was fortunate to work with them, the players, the families, and the Royals alumni. That experience has really given me the experience needed to run a successful program here at Wilkes University and I cannot thank them enough for all their support, guidance, and life-long friendship over the years."
Guy served the 2014 season as the associate head coach at King's College.
"We are thrilled to hire Mike as the head baseball coach at Wilkes University," Musa said. "With his local roots, teaching background, and years of assistant coaching experience at the University of Scranton in the Landmark Conference, Mike is prepared to lead the baseball program at a high level both on and off the field."
Guy is also the owner of Baseball U PA, the largest travel baseball company in the state of Pennsylvania with five different locations: Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Anthracite, Pocono, State College, and Philadelphia, with teams from the 9 through 17U age groups. The program has had the most commitments in the state of Pennsylvania for four years in a row, seeing 82 players from the class of 2023 achieve their goal of playing collegiately. Baseball U PA has over 130 MLB players that have played in the program since its inception in 2006. In addition to his ownership duties he most recently served as the head coach of the 17U team last season.
"I am looking to continue the winning tradition at Wilkes and build the program from foundations I truly believe in--team culture, accountability, work-ethic, passion, and resiliency," Guy said. "These will be our team's daily and annual norms that will be embraced daily on the field and in the classroom. I am really looking forward to getting started with our fall practices and working with our returners and incoming freshmen. Furthermore, recruiting future Wilkes baseball players that embody these qualities will be the philosophy of our future recruits. I want to build a culture and a team that grinds at bats, is mentally strong, and plays each pitch with the same focus and passion, consistently."
Guy is a 2007 graduate of Salem Community College with an associate's degree in Psychology, and a 2009 graduate of Maryland-Eastern Shore with a bachelor's in Secondary English Education. He was also a two-year letterman as a catcher for the Hawks. He appeared in 79 games, 60 as a starter, throwing out 26 would-be base stealers while hitting .255 and scoring 21 runs on the offensive side. He was a member of the MEAC All-Academic Team as a senior.
He earned his master's degree in School Counseling from the University of Scranton in 2017 as he graduated Summa Cum Laude.
Prior to joining the Scranton coaching staff, he served as an assistant coach at Abington Heights High School. Guy is a 2005 graduate of Wallenpaupack Area High School in Hawley, Pa. where he worked for the past 12 years as a high school English teacher. He spent the first four years teaching at the Hawley Alternative Center and the last eight as a freshman English teacher in Wallenpaupack Area High School. Guy also served as a volunteer coach with the wrestling program. He resides in Scranton.
"Winners in all walks of life have routines and are great at competing," Guy remarked. "I want to foster those same principles in the players at Wilkes within our culture and team environment. The will, grit, and determination of each player are the metrics I look at and not so much the height/weight/exit velo/etc. Together, we plan on creating an environment of brotherhood, acceptance, competition, and resiliency that will bode well in the win column and honor our fellow Wilkes alumni."
Guy begins his duties at Wilkes on Monday, August 14.
"I am extremely grateful for the opportunity at Wilkes and cannot wait to get the 2023-2024 season started," Guy said.