The long-awaited Wellington Sports Academy continues to make progress. On Thursday, Oct. 31, Wellington Sports Academy founder Jon Bostic announced the key people who will work as the coaches and coordinators for the academy’s baseball division. Many of the positions will be filled by experts with Major League Baseball experience.
Devon Travis will be the president of baseball operations and general manager. Travis, a graduate of Palm Beach Central High School, was originally drafted by the Detroit Tigers. He made his MLB debut in April 2015 with the Toronto Blue Jays. He played with Toronto as a second baseman from 2015 to 2018.
Jarrod Saltalamacchia will work as the manager and director of player development. Saltalamacchia, currently serving as the head baseball coach at the King’s Academy, was drafted in the first round out of high school by the Atlanta Braves. He was a catcher and graduated from Royal Palm Beach High School. He won a World Series ring with the Boston Red Sox in 2013.
Jovon Edwards, a fourth-round MLB draft pick, will be the director of recruiting and assistant general manager, while Scott Feyereisen has agreed to be the assistant director of recruiting.
Sean Burnett will be the director of pitching and assistant director of player development. Burnett was a first-round pick out of Wellington High School by the Pittsburgh Pirates. Burnett was mostly a relief pitcher in his MLB career. He played for the Pirates, the Nationals and the Angels. Burnett was a member of Wellington High School’s state championship baseball team in 1999.
Brad Peacock, who won a World Series ring with the Houston Astros in 2017, will be the pitching coordinator. He is a graduate of Palm Beach Central High School.
Robert Andino, who was selected in the second round out of high school by the Miami Marlins, will be the infield coordinator.
Luis Alicea — a first-round pick out of Florida State University, who played 13 professional baseball seasons — will serve as the infield development coach. Alicea won a World Series ring as a coach for the Boston Red Sox in 2007.
In other positions, Bryan Alveari will be the director of hitting, while Tony Gullo, the current head baseball coach at Palm Beach Central, will work as a bench coach. Breon Cox will be the manager and youth program director, and Michael Karpinski has been appointed as the travel ball director and pitching analyst. Casey Wagnon will serve as the assistant travel ball director and outfield coach, while Luther Todaro will be working as an assistant baseball coach. Finally, Logan Morrison will be the hitting coordinator. He played MLB for 11 years.
Many of these individuals will be emphasizing the importance of teaching basic skills such as fielding, base running, hitting, throwing and catching.
Travis said that truly mastering basic skills is a necessity to succeed in the sport.
“As a coach, I teach fundamentals,” Travis said. “I emphasize hard work and dedication.”
Peacock focuses on the mental side of the game. “I’m big on having confidence and being mentally strong,” he said.
Burnett, who played professional baseball for 17 seasons, believes in the importance of following a game plan to succeed in baseball. “I know how to structure a plan to succeed and stick to the process,” said Burnett, who could throw a curve ball, sinker and a change-up.
Travis, who first appeared on many people’s baseball radar screens as a member of the East Boynton Beach team that advanced to the championship game of the Little League World Series in 2003, said paying attention to little things is the key to success in baseball.
“In baseball, you must respond and pay attention to details to have success in baseball,” Travis said.
Saltalamacchia, who played pro baseball for 17 seasons, knows what it takes to survive and thrive in the game. “I focus on strength, conditioning and mastering the fundamentals,” Saltalamacchia said. “As a batter, I know how to adapt, and I understand the importance of putting the ball in play.”
As for Bostic’s “big picture” view of the academy’s baseball division, his focus will always be on what is in the best interests of the young baseball players.
“It’s about making these kids better with a focus on diet, increasing their strength and being mentally stronger,” Bostic said.
Learn more at www.instagram.com/wellingtonsportsacademy.
