TROY, Ala. (TROJANVISION) — Troy baseball welcomed new coach Zeke Pinkham to the staff.

Pinkham steps in as the new recruiting coordinator for the Boys of Troy.

Pinkham started his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Louisville before transitioning to an assistant coach for four seasons at Georgia Tech, then two years at Kent State, also as an assistant coach. When Troy presented itself to Pinkham, he knew this was an opportunity he could not pass up.

“When Skylar [Meade] reached out about the potential of being the recruiting coordinator here and replacing Coach Fineman, I knew it was a great opportunity I couldn’t pass up,” said Zeke Pinkham. “I was telling my wife the other day that I don’t feel like I’ve worked yet; I feel like I’ve been having so much fun and it’s been great being around these guys.”

Before his coaching career began, Pinkham played catcher at Louisville, Skylar Meade’s alma mater. While their paths did not cross, this Cardinal connection helped Pinkham find his way into coaching.

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“I definitely kept up with him when my playing career was coming to an end,” Pinkham said. “I knew I wanted to get into coaching, and I looked at guys that were in coaching from the program at Louisville, and he was one of those guys. I kept up with him when I got done playing, even though I didn’t really know him, but being able to work with him has been awesome.”

When he wore the catcher’s gear for Louisville, the three seasons he started, Pinkham helped lead them to two College World Series appearances. His senior season saw him batting .324 in 33 starts.

Joining the Trojans fresh off their run to Omaha, Pinkham wants to help continue the success Troy achieved, but he says the work starts now.

“Getting to Omaha doesn’t happen by mistake,” Pinkham said. “There is luck that needs to come with it, but the foundation is laid in August and September. If you think you can get to Omaha by turning on the jets when you get to January, it doesn’t really happen like that.”

As the new recruiting coordinator, Pinkham is responsible for bringing in the best players for the Trojans. His pitch is simple to players: come here if you want to win.

“If you want to come to Troy, we want players coming here that want to win a national championship,” Pinkham said. “Coach Meade said when he got here that he would take the program to Omaha, and he did. We truly believe that we can win a national championship here, and if that’s something you want to be a part of, this place is for you.”

Pinkham hopes to help lead Troy to the promised land, but the work to get there starts now. The Boys of Troy will start their fall ball season October 24th against the Florida Gators, a team Troy defeated in the Gainesville Regional.