Staff
David Darwin
David Darwin
David Darwin
David is the owner and operator of Darwin Sports, Inc. and the Core Athletics facility. His experience includes six years as a professional baseball player and 20 years as a youth baseball camp instructor.
The Detroit Tigers drafted him in 1996 where he progressed through the organization to play for the Triple-A Toledo Mudhens. He a
David is the owner and operator of Darwin Sports, Inc. and the Core Athletics facility. His experience includes six years as a professional baseball player and 20 years as a youth baseball camp instructor.
The Detroit Tigers drafted him in 1996 where he progressed through the organization to play for the Triple-A Toledo Mudhens. He also played in the Cleveland Indians organization for the double-A Akron Aeros and the triple-A Buffalo Bisons.
David played collegiate baseball at Duke University. As a four-year starter he was ACC All Conference in 1996, a team captain, and still holds several career and season pitching records. Earning a Bachelor of Arts degree at Duke, he completed a double major in economics and sociology and was listed on the ACC All Academic Team his senior year.
During his high school career at West Mecklenburg, David was honored as the Mecklenburg County Player of the year in 1992 and was an All-State team selection that same year. He was also named a member of the AAU All America team in 1991.
His focus is on developing programs for athletes to reach their maximum potential through incorporating proper hitting and pitching mechanics, strength training and mental conditioning.
Jake Barbee
David Darwin
David Darwin
Jake Barbee has joined the Core Athletics staff as an instructor, specializing in hitting and catching. An All-State selection his senior year at Hickory Ridge High School (Harrisburg, NC), Jake also earned three-time South Piedmont Conference and two-time All-Cabarrus County honors. He then went on to play collegiate ball at Liberty Uni
Jake Barbee has joined the Core Athletics staff as an instructor, specializing in hitting and catching. An All-State selection his senior year at Hickory Ridge High School (Harrisburg, NC), Jake also earned three-time South Piedmont Conference and two-time All-Cabarrus County honors. He then went on to play collegiate ball at Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA for the 2014-2017 seasons. He has been playing professional baseball for the past four seasons, beginning with the Westside Woolly Mammoths in the Independent United Shores League in Michigan and more recently with the Frontier League's Tri-City Valleycats in New York. Jake has coached for the Piedmont Pride in the Southern Collegiate Baseball League, as well as several youth teams in the area. Over his career, he is grateful for the opportunities to learn and play multiple positions, including catcher, outfield, first and third base. He is eager to share his knowledge and love of the sport to help younger athletes achieve their goals. He will be available for individual lessons on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
Contact us via email at info@mycoreathletics.com to schedule a lesson time with Coach Barbee!