Baseball Head Coach Rucker Taylor on Why Give, Why Now

Can you share an example of one or two ways philanthropic support has made your program stronger recently?
Through philanthropic support, year in and year out, alums, friends and families help provide us with the resources we need to play and compete. The recent installation of the Trackman System has been instrumental in our player development, scouting, recruiting and self-scouting. We had a Zoom call with alums, families and friends of the program in December that touched on the technology and its implementation. We have received a lot of positive feedback on that event – link to recording can be found here.

What are some key ways you see your program advancing in the next 1, 2, 5 years?

I loved being part of the baseball team while I was at Davidson, and athletics played a huge role in my college experience. There was always a great sense of rapport and camaraderie between the players and coaches. The program has come a long way since then — it's been incredible watching Coach Taylor lead and seeing the team break records. I'm grateful that Davidson sees the value of athletics and the influence it can have on students both during their Davidson education and after they leave. By investing in these players, I'm investing in the future of our country.
~Dr. Carl King (C.K.) Rust II '63

College athletics is undergoing an overhaul in many ways. Division I baseball continues to evolve and get better. Players throw and hit harder, and they run faster. The game has changed. The transfer portal has transformed so many teams. The portal is not something we will likely use a lot, due to the nature of Davidson. We will continue to build our teams in more traditional ways.

We aim to elevate the daily and yearly experiences for our players – operating dollars and special projects are critical to this progress. In recent years, contributions to our program have allowed us to put in chairback seating, turf the infield, renovate our batting cages and renovate our clubhouse, making the overall Davidson Baseball experience better for the program and the community.

What do you see in our scholar-athletes every day that makes an investment in them worthwhile?
Davidson is different; it is a challenging institution that sets high expectations for all students. Getting admitted to Davidson is a wonderful accomplishment. Coupled with academic demands, playing a sport at a high level and having team and individual success is an incredibly difficult thing to do. We do not cut kids or pull scholarships because of performance. We do not bring in many, if any, transfers. It's a unique model that allows for personal and athletic growth for every member of the team.

What are you most excited about when you think about the future of your program?
I received a text recently from a former player who had just accepted a job in professional baseball – he was saying thank you for what Davidson had done for him. This summer, I had a phone call from a parent saying how much the program and coaches had done for their son and how different things might be if not for that experience. Those words mean a lot. Former players becoming successful in their careers and personal lives means more and more to me each day.

It's gratifying to see alums get to play professionally – we have four playing pro ball right now, and we want that to continue. In addition, we have a handful of young alums working on the front office side of professional baseball. That is rewarding as well. We have former assistant coaches moving on to new opportunities and thriving. Witnessing individuals enjoying success and continuing to grow after they leave Davidson is a wonderful feeling and supports our continued growth as a program.

"Athletics Done Right:" What does that mean to you?

We are in a new era of collegiate athletics, and it will be fascinating to see where things stand in the coming years. Davidson Athletics is unique – with our commitment to academics and admission standards, very few at the DI level have the requirements we do. These expectations help facilitate the personal and athletic development of our scholar-athletes, create meaningful relationships and friendships and leave a lasting impact. The reality is many decisions in college athletics are around money and potential earnings. Davidson is not immune to that. The cost of everything is rising. To sustain and grow as a program, as an athletic department and as a college, we have to continue to invest in our students on campus. They are our present and our future.

You can make a gift, supporting any of our 21 Division I programs, at this link.

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