‘Full circle’ for Bald Eagle Area’s new baseball coach as team builds back up

Ryan MacNamara was on the mound when Bald Eagle Area won its first ever baseball state championship in 2007.

Now, 18 years later, he’s the head coach of the program.

“It comes full circle and I’m blessed and fortunate enough to get this opportunity,” MacNamara said.

After graduating from BEA, he played baseball collegiately but returned to his roots as assistant coach and this season stepped into the big shoes of his former coach. Jim Gardner was the head coach of the program for over 20 years before retiring with 280 wins and three state championships under his belt.

Gardner said he’s always though of MacNamara as a “perfect leader.”

“He would rush home to help us,” Gardner recalled. “When many kids might be looking to go to the beach or looking to get their summer started, what was more important to him was to come back and help us out.”

The everyday grind of baseball is what’s so special to him: Whether it’s the mechanics of pitching or hitting or the mental challenges at the plate and the mound, MacNamara loves the challenge of America’s pastime.

“Anybody can play this game if you put the right work ethic in,” MacNamara said. “You don’t have to be the prototypical 6-foot-4, 250 pound guy that smashes home runs or throws 95 [miles per hour]. This is a game that if you can put in consistent work ... you’re bound to have success.”

Before being named the head coach, MacNamara spent 12 years after college as an assistant pitching coach and was a part of BEA’s back-to-back championships in 2023 and 2024 — the first ones the program won since 2007.

In 2025, BEA currently has a losing record. But with a handful of games still on the calendar, morale isn’t low. With five seniors on the team — Brayden Dubbs, Connor Perry, Wyatt Kowalczyk, Wyatt Spackman and Wyatt Cessna — the team is younger compared to the experienced roster on those championship runs.

MacNamara knows it takes time to build back up and he looks to them to mentor the underclassman.

“We’re not a bad team,” Dubbs, the only senior on the 2023 and 2024 teams, said. “Every game that we’ve played, we’ve been in the game. It’s not like we’re losing badly, we’re just not cashing in on a lot of our opportunities.”

As a pitcher, Dubbs has always connected well with MacNamara, even before he became the head coach. He appreciates his composure and how well he’s connected with the players. If Dubbs struggles on the mound, MacNamara always calms him down.

“He just tells me, ‘When you’re struggling, just take a deep breath and relax ... do what you’ve been taught to do and just execute, one pitch doesn’t define you,’” Dubbs said.

Adjusting to being head coach and responding to adversity has been a pivotal experience for the entire team. MacNamara encouraged the young team to think about what chapter they want to write as the season winds down.

“The challenges can come with this game,” MacNamara said. “I always preach preparation builds confidence, because if you prepare really well let your confidence kind of shine when it’s time to turn the lights on and play ball.”

Regardless of the team’s record, it was never a question that MacNamara would return — he said he’s “always wanted to be here.”

Even though he’s retired, Gardner has been a resource for McNamara this season, and the coaching staff still has most of the same personnel that was a part of BEA’s first championship in 2007.

Gardner said that’s not surprising — Bald Eagle Area is a place where alumni give back after hanging up their own cleats. This season is just the start of MacNamara’s next chapter.

“That’s the message that I want to put on [the team],” MacNamara said. “Write the story that you want. Come to practice every day with the right mindset, the right intention, right purpose and consistently building good habits. ... I want you to go out there and play comfortably when we step on the field.”

This story was originally published May 3, 2025 at 6:00 AM.