CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (CLARKSVILLENOW) – Former Austin Peay baseball players Michael Costanzo and Parker Phillips are currently giving back to the city of Clarksville since becoming instructors for the recently opened Excel Athletics.
“Oh I absolutely love it,” Costanzo said of teaching. “The first thing I did after pro ball was start lessons and I’ve enjoyed every second of it. I ended up getting in contact with James Azarigian (co-owner) and from there I began working with his kid and then he started throwing more kids my way. This past offseason, he called me and asked if I’d consider running everything out of the facility they were opening up. After thinking it over and talking to my fiancé about it, I just kind of jumped at the opportunity.”
As one of the more prolific hitters in Governor history, Phillips is well qualified for the position.
“For me it’s an awesome opportunity,” Phillips said. “When I’m helping out the kids, I just try to put myself in their shoes as if I were a kid learning from someone with more experience. I don’t try to over analyze anything or use words that they don’t understand. I try to simplify things while giving them advanced knowledge that I’ve acquired over my years where they can be ahead of the curve.”
Phillips was selected by the Minnesota Twins in the 27th round of the 2019 MLB Draft. He hit five home runs and tallied 18 RBIs for the Elizabethtown Twins in Rookie League last season.
“It was awesome,” Phillips said of his first year in the minors. “I was in Florida for a little bit and then I got called up to advanced rookie ball. I got a phone call at 9:30 and had to be on a plane at 8 o’clock. It was very surreal and you always hear about those stories and I was able to experience them…The Twins organization I would say is top notch. They’re truly there for their players and do whatever they can to make them better. A lot of the guys who I was teammates with still keep in contact. They make it to where you really do get to enjoy the game of baseball.”
The younger players that come into Excel Athletics aren’t the only ones who are taking away something from their experience.
“It might sound crazy, but I actually learn a lot from all of the kids,” Phillips said. “Honestly, it helps me now when I’m hitting. When I see them do something good or bad it helps me understand my own swing and stuff you can do with different pitches. I try to be that instructor that explains why you have to do something and what the result will be. It has made me enjoy baseball a lot more as well. There’s nothing better than seeing a kid tweak something where the next time he gets a hit, he has a big smile on his face because what I said made sense.”
The Chicago, Illinois native Costanzo made his way to Austin Peay back in 2015 after a conversation with his catcher in high school sparked his interest in the college.
“My best friend pulled me off to the side one day and asked me what I thought about Austin Peay,” Costanzo said. “We really had no idea then where it was even at, we just knew they were currently ranked 19th in the country. Our coach gave us the former pitching coach’s number and the guy pretty much offered us over the phone that night. We took a visit and within 20 days we were committed. I don’t really know what it was, but when we stepped on campus, it just felt right.”
Constanzo appeared in 16 games last season for the Tampa Bay Rays Class A affiliate the Bowling Green Hot Rods. He went 1-3 with a 3.73 ERA.
“I was drafted in June of 2018 and as soon as I got back in September I started instructing,” Costanzo said. “A lot of guys were talking about what they did for money during the offseason and every one of them said to do lessons. It’s the absolute best thing because while teaching you actually kind of learn more yourself also.”
For good reason, neither Constanzo nor Phillips has given much thought on life after their playing days, but after instructing at Excel Athletics the two haven’t yet ruled out the idea of potentially pursuing a coaching career later on down the road.
“You know I’ve had people ask me do I want to coach after I’m done, try to coach in college or try to coach professionally,” Costanzo said. “I don’t really know right now what I want to do if and when baseball ends. Being able to help these kids get to where they want to get to while I’m chasing my own dream is beyond the word of satisfaction. Right now, it’s just awesome.”
As Constanzo and Phillips await the return of professional baseball, the two are continuing to stay in shape when they’re not instructing their athletes.
“My pitching coach from Austin Peay is in town,” Costanzo said. “He’s been an unbelievable help. I also have my travel ball coach from Top Tier who went out and bought a bunch of weights and stuff like that for his place. He lets me stay there, train there and throw there which has been awesome.”
Not many professional hitters this offseason can say that they’re able to take cuts off of three Major League Baseball pitchers in batting practice. Luckily for Phillips, he can.
“After all the different phases of COVID, we’ve made it to where Clarksville Academy is now open,” Phillips said. “Every Tuesday and Friday, I’ll go up there with Ryne Harper, Alec Mills and Wes Parsons. They’re throwing on the mound competitively and I’m actually taking live at bats. I’ve probably seen each of them about 60 times now. I’ve became really close with those guys. We get out there and talk trash. It’s really fun in a sense, but at the same time we are getting our work in. There’s probably not a lot of guys around the country that are able to do what we are and we’re very thankful for Clarksville Academy and the coaches out there for allowing it to happen.”
Constanzo and Phillips each spoke highly of the rest of the Excel Athletics staff and the positive environment that is being built there.
“We don’t really have a mission statement,” Phillips said. “I think it’s all very understood that we’re here for Clarksville and the kids. I’m with Mike Costanzo and we played together for three years. It’s really no different than it was back in school. The rest of the guys are awesome including Tony (Heimpel, co-owner) and James. They make everyone feel welcome and the facility is top notch. We have a camp going on next week that truthfully sold out in one day. We’re here for anyone and all ages. We want it to be the place to be at.”
Interested athletes can find Costanzo, Phillips and the rest of the Excel Athletics staff located at 2949 Ashland City Rd. in Clarksville.