Coaching Staff
To book a lesson with an IYG Baseball coach please click the “book a lesson now” button.
To book a lesson with Mark Meleski, Scott Sizemore or Mark Fleisher please contact them directly.
Joe Frostick | Original Founder of Improve Your Game
RIP Joe 1955-2022
Coach Joe Frostick was the original founder of Improve Your Game LLC. Coach Joe was a former University of Richmond baseball coach with over 20 years experience working with players of all ages. His passion for the game was evident in both his coaching and his belief in positive development for the overall player. He will be missed forever at IYG. He left us way too soon on October 10th, 2022.
Tyler LeClair | Owner of IYG Baseball and Softball| 13U Black and 15U Showcase Head Coach
804-495-7574 – tylerleclair@iygbaseball.com
Coach Tyler LeClair comes to us from northern New York. He played his high school baseball for the Ogdensburg Blue Devils. He played at the State University of New York College at Brockport as a catcher. He earned his degree in teaching Physical Education with a minor in coaching. In 2009 he started and was the head coach of a Junior Varsity baseball program at a high school that did not have baseball as a spring sport. That program now has J.V. and Varsity level teams. He was the catching coach at Freeman High School from 2010-2015. Coach LeClair has been at IYG since the summer of 2010. He took over as owner of IYG Baseball in August of 2021 and IYG Softball in November of 2022.
Lessons- Catching, Hitting
Nick Evans| Director of Player Development | 12U Black and 18U Showcase Head Coach
804-944-1479 - nickevans@iygbaseball.com
Coach Nick graduated from Lee Davis high school in 2018 where he played baseball for 4 years. He then went on to play at Bryant and Stratton in eastern Virginia. Nick played with our Spiders organization for 7 years and was the definition of hard work and dedication to the sport of baseball.
Lessons- Hitting, Fielding, Fitness
Anthony Zona |Director of Pitching Performance and Development
(804)-385-9532 - anthonyzona@iygbaseball.com
Anthony Zona joins us from The University of Charleston, where he spent the last 4 seasons as the pitching coach. During his time with the program, Charleston Baseball has made 4 consecutive NCAA tournaments, and 3 conference championships, while totaling nearly 200 program victories. Anthony is a Richmond Native who attended Hanover High School. Anthony has his Master’s in Strategic Leadership from The University of Charleston.
Lessons- Pitching, Hitting
Craig Purcell | 10U Head Coach
Craig Purcell played high school baseball in Vineland, New Jersey where he became the varsity starting catcher as a sophomore. Craig umpired youth and high school leagues during college. Craig has coached both recreational and travel teams in the Chesterfield area during the past 10 years. After some time off while his son played on IYG showcase teams, Craig has returned after, in his words, “seeing the professionalism and dedication of the IYG program”. Coach Purcell prides himself on developing strong fundamentals and mental approaches in young players.
Sydney Vanlow |10U Assistant Coach
Coach Syd was raised in Brooklyn NY, he started playing the game of baseball at age 6. Travel baseball at 12, winning numerous championships, and had continued until a senior in High School in 2000. In 2005 he started coaching baseball at Thomas Jefferson High School in Richmond VA. From there he had moved on to coaching Division II Women’s softball at his alma mater Virginia Union University.
“You lose, you smile, and you come back the next day. You win, you smile, you come back the next day.” -Ken Griffey, Jr.-
Davis Hewett | 11U Head Coach
Coach Hewett played Varsity baseball at nearby Benedictine High School before continuing his playing career at La Salle University and Radford University. He returned to the diamond for the Benedictine Cadets in 2017- this time as a coach- helping the program to a top-ten national ranking and eventual back-to-back State Championships. By the end of 2019, the local American Legion had awarded him a Certificate of Appreciation for his role in revitalizing their league and the St. Louis Cardinals had asked for his contact. In 2021, he started Cap City Baseball – a sandlot solution to the musical chairs of travel baseball. He joins IYG in 2023 as a team coach and lesson instructor excited to be a part of the organization’s resurgence.
Nick Cook | 12U Assistant Coach
Coach Nick is a native of Richmond (Freeman High/VCU) and his values are in line with the IYG culture. He believes in the positive development of players both on and off the field. He grew up playing baseball and has an extensive knowledge of the game. Nick has 13 years of youth coaching experience and is very passionate about teaching the fundamentals necessary to be successful while also emphasizing the joy and excitement that makes the game of baseball so great.
Kevin Napier| 12U Assistant Coach
804-896-4574 - kevinnapier@iygbaseball.com
Coach Napier graduated from Colonial Heights High School in 2014, where he played centerfield. He holds an undergraduate degree from Longwood University in Kinesiology and a master's degree from Longwood in Educational Leadership. He taught health and physical education in Henrico County for three years before heading back to his alma mater, Longwood University, to serve as a Leadership Gift Officer in the Office of Institutional Advancement. In addition to teaching and fundraising, he spent six years serving in the Virginia Army National Guard. Coach Napier has experience coaching athletes at the highschool level with experience coaching boy's volleyball at Godwin High School and varsity baseball at Hermitage High School.
Jacob Smither | 13U Gray Head Coach
(804)-499-0686 - jacobsmither@iygbaseball.com
Coach Jacob is a former IYG Spider who grew up in Mechanicsville, Virginia where he graduated from Atlee high school. He then attended Randolph-Macon college where he graduated with a Bachelors of Arts degree in communication studies and special education. He pitched all four years while attending R-MC. Jacob is a teacher at Mechanicsville High School. He is looking forward to working with the student athletes in the facility.
Lessons- Pitching, Arm Care, Hitting, Fielding
Adam George | 13U Black Assistant Coach
adamgeorge@iygbaseball.com
Coach Adam started coaching with IYG in the Spring of 2024. He graduated from Caroline High School in 2016. Coach Adam then went on to play at Averett University as an Outfielder and Pitcher from 2017-2019. He graduated from Averett in 2020 and earned his degree in Accounting and then went on to complete his Master of Accountancy.
Chris Phillips | 15U Showcase Assistant Coach
Coach Phillips grew up in Colonial Heights Virginia where he graduated Colonial Heights High School. He was a catcher all four years while attending. Chris has been playing baseball since he was 5 years old . He is looking forward to working with young athletes to train them for the next level.
Eliezer Zambrano |Instructor
(602)-570-9144 EZ1609@hotmail.com
Catcher Eliezer Zambrano played in the San Francisco Giants Organization for 12 seasons, reaching AAA in his last season (2017). Known as “The Original Squirrel” Zambrano is the only Richmond Flying Squirrels player to appear in a game in the first eight seasons of the club’s existence. Zambrano was a bullpen catcher for the Flying Squirrels in 2018-2019. The Giants promoted him to development coach for the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes in 2020 before the season was cancelled due to COVID-19. Zambrano was fundamentals coach for the San Jose Giants in 2021 and Eugene Emeralds 2022-present.
Justin Richard | Owner of BSF Elite Performance
(858)-837-1209 -justinrichard@iygbaseball.com
https://bsfeliteperformance.com/
Coach Justin Richard is an active duty United States Marine, who has served the last 18 years in a wide array of climes and places. He comes to us from Southeast Texas, where he learned and started playing the game of baseball at age four. In 2013, Coach Richard earned a master’s degree in Exercise Science and became a Certified Personal Trainer through NASM. With a passion that continues to grow, Coach Richard has been teaching, coaching, training, and mentoring young athletes of all ages for over 10 years.
Lessons- Hitting, Fielding, Catching, Fitness