St Andrews Knights baseball coach Andy Fox looks to continue winning ways with Sandhills Bogeys wood bat league

Laurinburg, N.C. - St. Andrews baseball coach Andy Fox knows no off-season. The seasoned veteran coach has stepped into the head coach position for the Sandhills Bogeys of the Old North State Wood Bat League where he sees another opportunity to help collegiate players grow. 

"With playing with the wood bat in the summer, against talented college kids from all across the country, is number one going to make you better as a player from a competition standpoint," Fox said. "Two, on your own team, getting around talented guys every single day is only going to help your game. So, I think it's a win-win."

After the previous coach stepped down at the conclusion of the 2023 season, Fox received a call from one of the Bogey's team owners, Alec Allred, asking him if he would like the position. He gladly accepted, and went straight to work on recruiting, seeing his hard work yield 34 of the 37 players on the current team roster. 

He will have the privilege of coaching two current St. Andrews players and one recent graduate. "Jude Drzemiecki, who just graduated, is playing because the league rules allow the guys that just graduated in the same year to play," Fox said. "Josh Zambito is playing with us...and then Tyler Barfield, one of our pitchers here at St. Andrews is playing for us."

The Taylorsville, NC, native appreciates the extra time with his players where he hopes he will witness them elevate their skill level and take the next step towards their personal goals. 

"I think with Barfield and Zambito, they (can) get a lot of reps this summer and then when they get back with us in the fall, they're going to be even better because they played this summer," said Fox. "Jude, hopefully he has a good enough summer where we can get him in some sort of pro ball at some point. I know he's going to some tryouts with some independent teams, and then hopefully he can catch on with one of those and then start his professional career." 

Fox and his roster of collegiate players are already in motion, taking on their grueling schedule of 43 games in 58 days. They play in the Old North State Wood Bat League that is split up into four divisions, fielding teams from the mountains to the coast. In each division, there is five teams, including two expansion teams, accounting for the 22 total teams. The Bogeys schedule requires some travel, seeing them travel as far away to Jacksonville, NC, on the coast. 

One aspect of this summer's play that will deviate significantly from the play he sees while the Knights are in season is the use of the wooden bats over aluminum, which will create interesting dynamics on the diamond. 

"The (wood bat) is harder (to hit with)," Fox said. "It takes a little bit more skill. There's kind of a grace period for hitters to get used to them, so pitchers usually dominate in the beginning, and then the hitters kind of figure it out as they go...but switching back from wood to aluminum...it definitely helps guys have a more pure swing." 

While watching his players grow is undoubtedly his top priority, Fox is also prioritizing his own responsibilities towards the team's success, making no qualms about what his goal ultimate goal is for his rookie season. 

"The Bogeys are only a third year program but they won the championship their first year and then they made a deep run in the playoffs last year," Fox said. "So, there's an expectation to win. My goal is to win our division." 

To view the Sandhills Bogeys full schedule, click here: https://www.sandhillsbogeys.com