It has been another busy and productive summer for Georgia Gwinnett College Head Baseball Coach
Jeremy Sheetinger. This time he helped orchestrate a seven-run comeback as Great Britain's Under 23 age group team captured its first European Baseball Championship gold medal.
Great Britain overcame a 7-0 deficit to rally past the host Czech Republic, with Sheetinger having a front row seat in the heroics as the team's third base coach. The players were applying techniques and skills of base running and offensive principles that the GGC coach had instilled in the team's pre-tournament practices.
"It was an amazing experience being part of history for the Great Britain baseball organization, with a tremendous group of men on the field making this gold-medal dream a reality," said Sheetinger. "Helping this group of players achieve a series of firsts has been an incredible opportunity. I'm so proud to do this right alongside one of the best coaching staffs I've been around."
Sheetinger has been an assistant on the Great Britain coaching staff for several summers.
In 2023, a team representing the country's organization had two historic achievements: Advancing to the final game of the European tournament for the first while also qualifying for the World Baseball Softball Confederation's World Cup tournament for the first time.
"International baseball is unlike any experience I've had at the ballpark. Players take great pride in wearing their country's colors (uniform). They are fighting for their heritage while playing for and with their families in mind. It's an amazing environment," Sheetinger remarked. "It means so much to bring the first gold medal back to the Great Britain (baseball) organization and the folks that have poured so much into this journey."
Great Britain began the comeback in the third inning with a bases-loaded double scoring three runs, trimming the deficit to 7-3. Later in the same frame, a two-run home run brought the team within two runs.
The team took the lead for good with more drama in the bottom of the sixth inning of the seven-inning game. With the tying run at third base, an RBI double tied the game 7-7. Then, a throwing error on the relay throw allowed the batter to come all the way around the bases for the lead run in the game, encouraged by Sheetinger in the third base coaching box.
Great Britain went on to defeat Czech Republic 9-7.
"Coach Sheetinger's impact on field was huge with how he runs our offense. However, I think his biggest impact for us comes off the field. He is a true leader of men and exemplifies the core values we hold dear as an organization," said Great Britain U23 team Manager Jonathan Cramman.
Prior connections with Great Britain's WBSC organization led to Sheetinger's summer coaching opportunity.
"As with anything in life, it's all about people," he said. "My friendship with Liam Carroll (former Great Britain manager and current minor league manager within the Boston Red Sox organization) is how I got introduced to the organization in 2009. Then Drew Spencer (another former Great Britain manager and current minor league coach within the New York Yankees organization) opened the door to join his staff at the 2023 European Championships."
Sheetinger continued, "I felt this was an opportunity to help them build into a winner and accomplish some big goals. Jonathan Cramman, Conor Brooks (Great Britain bench and pitching coach) are why I came back. They both bleed for this group and my respect for who they are and how invested they are was my motivation to help them win the gold medal."
Cramman echoed those same sentiments.
"Choosing Sheetinger for this staff was an incredibly easy decision once I knew he was available. He's a truly world class baseball coach but most importantly an even better man. I can't think of many other people I wanted to go battle with," the Great Britain manager stated.
