From Player to Coach: Caleb McGraths Journey Back to Baseball

For Caleb McGrath, baseball was always a game he loved, but for a time, he wasn't sure it would remain part of his future.

After his college playing career was cut short by injury, McGrath stepped away from the sport for nearly two years. The game that had shaped so much of his life was no longer part of his daily routine. 

He worked other jobs and even began to envision a future behind a desk. But as time passed, he realized something was missing.

"I really just missed being outside on the field every day," McGrath said. "I was kind of staring down the barrel of a desk job for the rest of my life, and I realized I really didn't want to do that."

That realization led him back to the sport he once loved but this time not as a player, as a coach.

Now an assistant coach at Fordham University, McGrath discovered his passion went beyond simply playing the sport. He found himself invested in the teaching component of baseball and helping players grow both on and off the field.

"I like to think I'm a natural teacher in some ways," he said. "I really care about the educational aspect and trying to develop kids into being young men of character."

McGrath's journey to the Ocean State Waves came through connections. Arriving in South Kingstown, McGrath expected to spend the summer in a smaller supporting role. Instead, he quickly found himself taking on more responsibility than anticipated, coaching third base on opening day before eventually stepping into the head coaching role.

After former head coach Jalen Borders accepted a coaching position with the University of Arizona in early July, McGrath was named the Waves' head coach midway through the season.

"I was excited for sure, but I was also a little nervous too," McGrath said. " It's a big responsibility to run and manage 40 guys on a daily basis."

Rather than making major changes, McGrath said his first priority was earning the trust of a team he had already spent part of the summer coaching.

"My biggest priority was that I wanted the guys to know that I had their back throughout everything," McGrath said. 

Although the Waves' record has not reflected the effort put forth this season according to McGrath, he believes the team's culture tells a different story.

"I honestly think this is a really special group," he said. "It's kind of a bummer that the wins and losses don't really reflect [that]."

McGrath also credited returning veteran players, Tommy Meluskey and Zach Plasschaert for keeping the Waves energized and hopeful despite the team's record.

With players representing programs from across the country, McGrath said he views the New England Collegiate Baseball League as an opportunity for athletes and coaches alike to learn from one another.

"I'm soaking in the entire experience and learning as much as I can about personalities, how guys play, what guys need to hear and what they don't need to hear," McGrath said.

Leading the Waves through a difficult season has reinforced a lesson McGrath hopes his players carry long after summer baseball ends.

"You're not going to have every resource provided to you… but how can you compete regardless of circumstance?" McGrath said. "You've just got to keep pushing, keep moving forward and keep moving forward and take the next right step."