A message from Head Coach, Ed Lynch

Meet the coaches

Eric Buckland — Elkton, MD — Maryland Legends Baseball

Eric Buckland - MARYLAND LEGENDS PITCHING COACH

Eric is local to northern Delaware, attending school at Caravel Academy and playing Division 1 baseball at University of Delaware. He was drafted by the Phillies organization as a pitcher. After his professional career, he returned to the tri-state area to give back to the youth of the area. He started his own baseball training business, called Hardball Factory. Eric now operates Hardball Factory from our indoor facility and is a pitching coach for the Legends organization as well as training professional pitchers in their off-season. 

Shelly (Mendez) Farris — Elkton, MD — Maryland Legends Baseball

Shelly (MENDEZ) Farris - LADY DUKES PITCHING COACH

Shelly is from northern Delaware, she attended St. Marks High School and played JUCO softball for Delaware Technical Institute. She led her team to 2 undefeated seasons, while having pitched 2 perfect games and appearing in the National tournament in Hutchinson, Kansas. She gained nationwide exposure, earned regional MVP honors and quickly became a recognized student athlete. She was offered many scholarships to continue her collegiate career but instead declined in order to pursue her future (now current) career as a nuclear medicine technologist. Shelly had a passion for softball, like the rest of us, and as her 2 daughters started playing she, of course, started coaching. She is a certified Tincher Pitching Instructor, which she learned of from her daughter's pitching coach as they were growing up. Both her daughters are now pitching at Division 1 West Point University. 

Coach — Elkton, MD — Maryland Legends Baseball

Kristi May Wyatt  - executive director and recruiting coach

Kristi has been a part of the Maryland Legends and Lady Dukes organization since 2015, when her son joined the team at 10 years old. She is from just outside of Cecil County, in Chester County, PA. She graduated from Avon Grove High School and played softball at Division 2 Kutztown University. Kristi manages everything off the field for the Legends and Dukes organization. Her passion is in mentorship, leadership and community. As the recruiting coach, she brings many great qualities, like her own experiences, experiences of her son's recruiting process, teammates recruiting process, what she has learned from Ed, and many other mentors, over the years, and an extensive sales and leadership background. 

kimmy lynch  - Vice president and 18U Lady dukes Head Coach

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Lu ferreira- 15U and 18U Legends Head Coach

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Kam Raison  - 16U Legends Scout Head coach

- Former Division I pitcher at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore

- Former Division I coach at Delaware State University

- Former 5-year head coach at Mount Pleasant High School

- Helped 8 Mount Pleasant players move on to college baseball as head coach

- Helped develop many more college-level players through travel baseball and private instruction

- Experience coaching pitchers, catchers, hitters, and position players

- Strong background in player development, recruiting guidance, and college-level evaluation

- Focuses on building players through discipline, confidence, accountability, leadership, and competitive maturity

- Brings a true college-coach perspective to the 16U level

tim hoskins  - 16U Legends Scout Pitching and Assistant coach

- 3x High School First Team All County P/3B

- 24 year High School batting average leader at Perryville High School 

- 2004 Pre Season All-American by Baseball Factory

- P/3B at Davis & Elkins University, Division II

- P/3B at Eastern University, Division III

- 3 Year MD Legends Head-coach

- Strong Background in pitching, hitting and infield

- US Army Veteran

- Strong integration of lessons in faith through baseball

- Maximize player opportunities to fulfill their baseball goals and dreams based on personal life lessons and opportunities

- Places a high priority in strong personal/professional relationships with players 


Jim Leitgeb - 16U Legends Red Head Coach

- 3x All Cecil County SS

- MD All State SS

- Selected for Brooks Robinson Game (top players in MD)

- 4 year starter at Penn State University

- 4x Academic All Big Ten

- 3x Coach of the Year during my 5 year tenure as Elkton High Baseball Coach

- Multiple players moved on to play in college from DI-DIII


andrea johnson - 14U Lady dukes Black Assistant Coach

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Tyler Nolan - 14u Legends Head coach

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tyler Ore  - 12U Legends Head Coach

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Shahir Gates - 11U Legends Head Coach

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A message from late founder, Coach Ed Lynch

I request that all parents of Maryland Legends and Lady Dukes players take time and read "THE MATHENY MANIFESTO." The manifesto was initially written in 2009, and I wish I had written it. Most of the points made in this article are systems and methodologies that have guided our program for years. Sometimes, it isn't easy to hear your son or daughter's name, as we bellow comments. Understand that this program has a thirty-year track record of success.

 

 Read the entire manifesto to maximize your experience with the Maryland Legends and Lady Dukes. As a family, you will spend many hours with your child attending practice, games, and the many events surrounding baseball and softball.  Please read the entire message and reflect on the many powerful statements within. Understand that the program is geared toward your son or daughter and not you (the parent).

 

 We am very blessed to have the second-generation players return to our program. We are blessed to have many families with multiple children on our teams, even some with four children. We are confident about our methods and systems that guide us, and the Matheny Manifesto explains many of them.

 

 Thank you, and please take the time to really reflect on the message.

 

Thank you,

Ed Lynch

MATHENY MANIFESTO