Staffed and Coached by Qualified Non-Parent Professionals

The New England Ruffnecks strive to find qualified baseball people to work with nearly 90 players in our system. Our coaches are all non-parents, many with professional baseball and/or advanced collegiate backgrounds.  Most importantly, at this period in their own careers, they are educators and advisors committed to the development of amateur baseball players. They provide mentorship and role models for aspiring student-athletes.  Our Advisory associates, Strength and Conditioning colleagues, and Medical Staff are comprised of major league scouts, former MLB trainers, condtioning coaches, college coaches, and an experienced orthopedic referral system for our players.  The Ruffnecks program is committed to expanding the network of resources for our constituents.  In the past several years several of our coaches have moved on to jobs with Major League organizations: In December 2009, Devitt Moore (Ruffnecks – 2009) was appointed an area scout for the Seattle Mariners.  Duncan Webb (2005-2006) has been a minor league instructor and coordinator of the Latin American immersion program for the Boston Red Sox since 2006.  John Birtwell, a Harvard graduate, and a former pitcher in the Detroit Tigers and Oakland Athletics organizations has been hired in 2010 as the NY-Penn League Single A pitching coach for the Florida Marlins.

Steven W. August: Director

Steve August founded and directs the New England Ruffnecks. Steve was with the Boston Red Sox from 1990 to 1998. He served as Traveling Secretary from 1990 to 1995 and became the Assistant General Manager and Director of Baseball Operations in 1996 where he worked on player contracts and managed all of the major league operations of the Sox. Following his tenure with Boston, Steve served as an associate scout for the Arizona Diamondbacks from 1999 to 2000. In 2000 and 2001 Steve co-directed the Baseball Representation Division of Wolfe Associates, which was one of the top baseball and hockey agent businesses in the country.  He also directed the former Hit Dog program in 2001 and 2002.  In 2003 former Red Sox slugger Mo Vaughn closed the Hit Dog Training Center which affected the future of the Hit Dog teams.  Steve immediately ensured the continuity of competitive travel baseball teams by founding the New England Baseball Club and the Ruffnecks as a 501-c-3.  The program enters its eighth year as the Ruffnecks.

Ted Novio: 2010 Head Coach 14U – Associate Director

Ted Novio joined the Ruffnecks after coaching at several levels for the past 16 years. Ted was a varsity pitcher at the University of Maine – Orono and coached at University of Maine for 5 years following his graduation. Ted has also coached in the Cape Cod League with the Cotuit Kettleers and is in the Cranberry League Hall of Fame for his years with the Braintree White Sox. For two summers, Ted worked for Major League Baseball International coaching various ages in Great Britain. Ted also served as the Director and coached in the former Frozen Ropes AAU program in Franklin, MA. In 2008 Ted coached the highly successful 14U Ruffnecks team that set several Ruffnecks records. He coached the 16U team in 2009, and returns to the 14s in 2010.  Coach Novio is respected for his skills as a teacher of the game.  He spends his winters providing personal instruction at the Ruffnecks Facility.  Ted is the consummate player’s coach, with a great focus on development of team play.  He also serves as Associate Director of the Ruffnecks program.

Brian Nelson: Head Coach 13U

Brian Nelson is in his fifth year with the Ruffnecks and his third as “Skipper” of the 13U team. He is a former pitcher and sometimes infielder at Stonehill College where he was a teammate of Coach Mitchell. Coach Nellie brings tremendous enthusiasm and energy to the program. He has also served as an assistant coach at Wentworth College. Coach Nelson graduated from LaSalle High School in Providence, RI where he was an all-state schoolboy player.

Rob Kane: Coach 15U Ruffnecks

Rob Kane begins his second year with the Ruffnecks program and his first as the head coach of the 15U team. Coach Kane is currently a teacher at Newton North High School and serves as the head varsity baseball coach at nearby Wellesley High School, where he has revitalized the program.  In 2009 his Wellesley squad won the Bay State Conference for the first time in over a decade.  Coach Kane is quickly becoming one of the most respected high school coaches in Massachusetts.

Kirk Fredericks: Coach 16U Ruffnecks

Kirk Fredericks served in the program for four years as both an assistant and as the head coach of the 18U program in 2008. He assumes the head coaching duties of the 16U Ruffnecks in 2010.  Coach Fredericks is a graduate of Springfield College where he was the captain and led the team to the Division II College World Series. He has been the Head varsity coach at Lincoln-Sudbury for the past 9 yrs. During that time he has captured 7 consecutive league titles and won two state championships (2005, 2007).  He is a member of the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association Tournament Committee, and is currently president of the Massachusetts Baseball Coaches Association

Dan Brookes: Manager 18U Ruffnecks

Dan Brookes joins the Ruffnecks program in 2010 as the skipper of the 18U College Prospect team.  Dan is a Springfield College graduate who has scouted for both the Boston Red Sox (as an associate to Ray Fagnant) and with the LA Angels of Anaheim.  Dan has also coached in the NECBL – The New England Collegiate Baseball League, one of the top college summer wood bat leagues in the country.  Dan and his wife reside in Wilbraham, Massachusetts.

Andrew Collins: Catching Instructor – Assistant Coach 14U Ruffnecks

Andrew Collins is a graduate of Babson College where he was the starting catcher. Coach Collins served as an assistant to Ted Novio with the 14U Ruffnecks in 2008 and skippered the 14s in 2009.  He returns in 2010 as the lead catching instructor for the entire program and an assistant on the 14U squad.  Former Red Sox star Rich Gedman calls Andrew Collins “one of the most organized and hard working young coaches I have ever met.  The program is very lucky to have Coach Collins.”  An enthusiastic instructor and a devotee of catching skills and development, Coach Collins brings great energy to his role with the Ruffnecks.

Matt Mitchell: Coach 13U

Matt Mitchell is a 2005 graduate of Stonehill College where he was a three-year starting pitcher. He also attended UMass-Amherst where he was also a member of the baseball team. Stonehill Coach Pat Boen calls Matt “one of the finest young men I have coached. He will make a terrific coach himself.” Matt led the 12U Ruffnecks in 2006 with considerable success. A graduate of Boston Latin High School, Coach Mitchell currently works in the Department of Youth Services for the Southeast region of Massachusetts, and is enrolled in law school. He returns for his fifth year with the program

Matt Blake: Pitching Coach

Matt Blake joins the Ruffnecks as a pitching coach. He is a Holy Cross graduate who has extensive knowledge in pitching instruction an training. He has served as an assistant to Coach Kirk Fredericks in the Lincoln-Sudbury High School program.

New England Baseball Club Medical Staff

BJ Baker: Strength and Conditioning

B.J. Baker was a staff Athletic Trainer and the Conditioning Coordinator for the Boston Red Sox from 1994 – 2002. He developed, presented, and integrated the in-season and off-season programs for all Minor and Major League players in the Red Sox system. During Spring Training and the regular season, B.J. traveled with the Sox and was instrumental in the day-to-day preparation and execution of the various maintenance programs. He currently supervises elite athlete training at Train Boston in Wellesley. He also served as a trainer at Harvard University and Cornell University.

BJ has been a featured speaker for high schools and colleges as well as state and national professional conferences. Topics have included:

* Strength and Conditioning and Baseball;
* Training the Throwing Shoulder;
* Sports Nutrition;
* Myths Associated with Resistance Training and Baseball.

BJ earned a Bachelor of Science (BS) in Physical Education/Athletic Training (Magna Cum Laude) at Cortland State University, and a Master’s of Science (MS) in Physical Education and Exercise Science (with a concentration in Sports Medicine) at Ithaca College. He also holds certifications as a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) from the National Strength and Conditioning Association, and as a Certified Athletic Trainer (ATC) from the National Athletic Trainer’s Association.

Dr. William Morgan: Orthopedic Surgeon

The New England Baseball Club is fortunate to have Dr. William Morgan take a personal interest in our program. Dr. Morgan served as the Boston Red Sox team physician and orthopedist from the 1990s until 2004. He continues to be the orthopedist of choice among many of the Red Sox and other players throughout Major League Baseball. In 2005 Dr. Morgan opened the Bone and Joint Center at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in Brighton, MA. He currently practices in Worcester and is the head of orthopedics at St. Vincent’s Hospital. Dr. Morgan is one of the primary referral orthopedists for Ruffnecks athletes. His area of specialty is in the hand, wrist, arm and shoulders.

Dr. Andrew W. Chapman: Orthopedic Surgeon

We welcome Andrew W. Chapman, MD as the newest member of the New England Ruffnecks team. Dr. Chapman is originally from the Boston area and received his undergraduate degree from Kenyon College and a Masters Degree from Harvard University. He then went on to receive his Medical Degree from the Boston University School of Medicine and completed both his surgical internship in General Surgery and an Orthopedic Surgery residency at the UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester. He also served at the University of Utah Hospitals and Clinics in Salt Lake City where he was one of the team physicians for the University of Utah. He was then lured back east to work with Dr. William Morgan and the Boston Red Sox as one of the team physicians.

Dr. Chapman is currently team physician for the Worcester Tornadoes professional baseball team of the Can Am League. Additionally, he serves as team physician for Newton North, Brookline, Arlington, and Arlington Catholic high schools. Dr. Chapman is a member of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgery, the Arthroscopy Association of North America, the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine, the Massachusetts Orthopaedic Association, and the New England Orthopaedic Society. Dr. Chapman’s special interests include sports injuries and arthroscopic surgery of both the shoulder and knee.

New England Baseball Club Advisory Staff

Matt Noone: Head Coach, Babson College

Matt Noone is the Head Baseball Coach at Babson College in Wellesley, MA. He is a graduate of Princeton University where he was captain of the baseball team. He is also a graduate of St. Sebastian’s School. Coach Noone has also served as the manager of the Bourne Braves in the Cape Cod League. For the past two seasons he has assisted the Boston Red Sox during the summer as a batting practice pitcher. Matt advises the New England Ruffnecks program in matters of college counseling and recruiting, as well as in matters of overall program development.

Ray Fagnant: Scout, Boston Red Sox

Ray Fagnant is the Boston Red Sox Northeast Regional Scouting Supervisor, responsible for New England, New York, New Jersey and eastern Canada. He has served in the scouting department for the Sox since 1993. He holds a B.A. from Assumption College and an MBA from the University of Connecticut. Ray played professionally in the Pittsburgh Pirates and Boston Red Sox organizations as a catcher from 1987 to 1992. In 1999 he served as the American League bullpen catcher at the All-Star Game in Fenway Park. An active scout who spends as much time counseling college bound players as he does signing them to professional contracts, Ray is currently the Head Coach of the Boston Red Sox East Coast Professional Showcase Prospect Team, which competes in Wilmington, NC during the summer. Among the numerous professional players Mr. Fagnant has scouted and signed are Lou Merloni, Brian Rose, Carl Pavano, Manny Delcarmen, Craig Hansen, and Pittsburgh RHP Marty McLeary. Ray was also the recipient of the “George Digby Award” as Boston Red Scout of the Year in 2002 and 2006, the only two-time winner of the award in the Sox organization.

Matt Hyde: Scout, New York Yankees (Former College Coach)

Matt Hyde is the Area Scout for the New York Yankees. His territory is New England, New York and Pennsylvania. Matt is a graduate of Phillips Academy and the University of Michigan, where he earned 4 varsity letters. He went on to coach at Michigan from 1997 – 2000 and joined the Harvard University coaching staff from 2001 – 2005. Coach Hyde has also worked in the Cape Cod League and conducts outstanding clinics in the Boston area. Matt assists the Ruffnecks program particularly with our older players by helping to maintain the best contacts in showcases and elite tournaments where college recruitment and professional scouts focus their attention.

New England Baseball Club 2009 Parents Advisory Board

The program also has a Parent Advisory Board of volunteer parents and an Executive Board comprised of the Director, alumni parents, and several current supporters. Their mission is to help with the overall direction, communications, and fundraising efforts of the program, and to provide counsel and feedback as necessary. Their roles are invaluable to the growth of the program.