Our dedicated coaching staff has over 100 years of baseball experience between them and are passionate about giving every athlete the greatest opportunity to succeed.
Brian Mcbee
General Manager/Coach/
Director of Player Development/Director of Facility Operations
Hometown: Parchment, MI
Baseball Experience: Parchment High School Varsity Baseball 1998-2000, Saratoga Men's Baseball League 2013-Present.
Coaching Experience: 20 years of coaching experience 1999-Present (Little League, Junior Varsity, Varsity, Travel Baseball), Saratoga Lightning 2015-Present.
Education: Associate's Degree in Liberal Arts from Kalamazoo Valley Community College 2003, Studied Exercise Science at Western Michigan University.
Achievements: Varsity team ranked 3rd overall in Michigan 2007. Last Man Standing Champions 13/14 AAA Division 2018. Last Man Standing Champions 15/16 Best in Class Division 2018. Super 8 Runner Up 15u Division 2018. Saratoga Men's Baseball League Champions 2019.
Certifications: Functional Movement Screen, Fundamental Capacity Screen.
Coaching Goals: "My goal as a coach is to provide our athletes elite training so they can attain their personal goals and to teach lessons that go beyond the baseball diamond."
Ben Cook
Coach/Business Development & Marketing/Director of Player Analytics/Catcher and Outfield Specialist
Hometown: Saratoga Springs, NY
Baseball Experience: Saratoga American Little League 1996-2003, Adirondack Thoroughbreds Travel Baseball 2004-2005, Saratoga Babe Ruth Travel Baseball 2005-2006, Saratoga Modified/Freshman/JV/Varsity Baseball 2005-2009, Saratoga Stampede 2008-2010, SUNY University at Buffalo Baseball 2009-2010, Saratoga Men's Baseball League 2019.
Coaching Experience: Saratoga Little League 2017, Saratoga Lightning 2018-Present.
Education: Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration with concentration in Global Supply Chain Management from SUNY Plattsburgh.
Achievements: Saratoga American Little League District Champions 2003. American Legion 19u Regional Champions and placed 3rd in State 2009. Saratoga Little League Champions and Adirondack Cup Champions 2017 as a coach. Saratoga Men's Baseball League Champions 2019.
Coaching Goals: "Growing up playing sports in Saratoga I know the impact that coaches can have on an athlete and the life lessons they can create for an individual. I think it's important for athletes to learn about sacrifice, commitment, and overcoming adversity through sports while enjoying and respecting the game they love at the same time. My intention is to give every player the guidance they need to reach their full potential both on and off the field."
Jeff Babcock
Coach/Business Development & Marketing/Infield Specialist
Hometown: Saratoga Springs, NY
Baseball Experience: Saratoga Little League 2002-2008, Saraoga Springs Babe Ruth Travel Ball 2008-2011, MCLA Club Baseball 2016-2018.
Coaching Experience: Saratoga Little League 2012-2018, Saratoga Diamond Dawgs 2014-2016, Saratoga Lightning 2016-Present.
Education: Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration with concentrations in Marketing and Management from MCLA.
Achievements: Coached the Saratoga Little League All Stars to two district titles 2017-2018. Has coached 4 Little League teams to league championships including an Adirondack Cup Championship 2017. Placed 3rd at the Perfect Game Northeast World Series with Saratoga Lightning 15u 2019.
Coaching Goals: "My goal here with the Saratoga Lightning is to be the best coach I can be on and off the field. While giving the boys life lessons along the way, I hope to have a positive impact on each and every player. I hope to make them better individuals than who they were at the beginning of each day."
Payton Mitchell
Coach/Strength & Conditioning Coordinator/Infield Specialist
Hometown: Burnt Hills, NY
Baseball Experience: Ballston Spa Little League 2001-2007, Clifton Park Travel Baseball 2008-2010, Adirondack Hawks Travel Baseball 2011-2013.
Coaching Experience: Clifton Park Recreational Baseball 2016, Saratoga Modified Baseball 2018-2019, Saratoga Lightning 2019-Present.
Education: Bachelor's Degree in Physical Education from SUNY Brockport.
Achievements: Completed student teaching for Saratoga Springs CSD for both Caroline Street Elementary and the Saratoga Springs High School in the fall of 2017.
Coaching Goals: "As a coach, I believe it is important to help guide athletes to not only become better on the baseball field, but to become better individuals including help build self-confidence and teaching them how to create plans to achieve personal goals they have set for themselves. I also believe a positive team atmosphere is crucial for a team’s success. My goal for these athletes is to help build a confident, positive brotherhood that allows each and every one of them to succeed."
Joey Moore
Coach/Pitcher Development Coordinator
Hometown: Saratoga Springs, NY
Baseball Experience: Saratoga American Little League 1997-2004, Saratoga Modified/Freshman/JV/Varsity Baseball 2006-2010, SUNY University at Albany Baseball 2010-2015, Professional Baseball in Perth, Austrailia with the Morley Eagles 2015-2016, Albany Twilight League with the Albany Senators 2013-Present .
Coaching Experience: Australian 17u Travel Baseball 2016, Saratoga Lightning 2019-Present.
Education: Bachelor's Degree in Sociology with concentrations in Business Administration and Communications from SUNY University at Albany.
Achievements: Australian 17u Grand Final appearance as a coach 2016. Team MVP Honors with Morley Eagles in Perth, Australia Professional Baseball 2016. Placed 3rd at the Perfect Game Northeast World Series with Saratoga Lightning 15u 2019.
Coaching Goals: "My coaching goals are to find the hidden potential in any and all that are hungry to get better, and develop them into the best player and teammate they can be. I genuinely believe that if you want it bad enough then the sky is the limit and it is my hope to be the missing link for any of my athletes hitting their full potential."