Kingsmen Baseball has fielded numerous rosters over the years filled with talent of all levels of college baseball. One name that will stand out from years past is former Youngstown State and Indiana infielder/outfielder Phillip Glasser, who played for the organization in 2020.
Glasser was recently named the Washington Nationals Minor League Hitter of the Year. After starting the season in AA, Phillip was called up in September to Triple-A Rochester, where he exploded out of the gates. He batted .391 for the Red Wings to wrap up the season, 5 years after playing for Coach Hudak.
The summer of 2020 brought many challenges, but Kingsmen Baseball (Piedmont Pride at the time) was blessed with a unique opportunity for its summer season. With season cancellations around the country, the Pride filled its roster with players from leagues that shuttered their blinds during the pandemic. That included Glasser.
“I was supposed to play in the Coastal Plain League, for Florence,” Glasser recalled.
But what brought Glasser to the Carolinas? Connections in the world of baseball.
“Phillip’s father George and I played ball together and he is still one of my closest friends,” said Coach Joe Hudak.
According to Phillip, his dad told Hudak that he was simply looking for a team. With so much uncertainty, Glasser and his teammates were grateful to play that summer.
“It was a privilege to keep playing when so many opportunities were taken away, and a good reminder not to assume and take opportunities for granted.” he said.
Phillip values many things in his life, perhaps none more than his faith. He said that aspect of the summer was unique, and he appreciated how much Coach Hudak expressed and emphasized his faith.
“I’m a big Christian myself, the chance to go through Bible studies, hear messages, in that year was really important for me,” he explained. “Eighteen to twenty-one years old, as college kids, it’s a critical time period in defining and growing your faith.”
“My faith means everything to me. I’m grateful to be playing baseball, but it’s not my whole identity. It all comes from God.”
While the 2020 summer season had its blessings, it certainly had its drawbacks.
Coach Hudak and the Kingsmen have been blessed to go on close to 20 trips to the Dominican Republic. Due to travel bans and safety concerns, Glasser’s group missed out.
“It sounded like a great experience, I was disappointed to miss out on [The D.R. trip],” Glasser admitted. “I think it’s sweet for kids to go down there and gain perspective on the type of life that exists in other areas of the world. Life differs, but the way they get to play the game of baseball, and enjoy it as much as they do…it’s really cool that the team gets to do that every year.”
Following his experience playing for the Pride, Glasser finished his collegiate career at Indiana University, and the Hoosier was drafted by the Washington Nationals in 2023 in the tenth round.
Now having completed the better part of three seasons in the Washington organization, Phillip has been blessed to have carried over some things he learned when he was with Piedmont.
“One of the most difficult, yet important things is the ability to communicate and express your faith to those around you, and have those conversations,” he said. “It was easy to talk about with the Kingsmen because most people shared those beliefs, but having those conversations prepared me to be able to talk about that with other people, moving through college and into pro ball.”
Lessons resonated on the field too.
“Coach Hudak does a great job of teaching the game the right way, teaching it how it’s supposed to be played,” Glasser stated. “He has a lot of baseball knowledge and experience, I tried to be the best sponge I could to acquire as much knowledge as possible, a lot of which I use to this day.”
The rewards of his hard work and dedication? An opportunity most baseball players only dream of.
He’ll be heading to Florida for spring training, in a big league uniform. Phillip looks forward to the chance to prove himself, but more importantly, to get a glimpse into the next level.
“I can’t wait for the opportunity to learn from those guys, the ones playing on the big stage,” he said.
While he’ll get a taste of what it’s like to play on the big stage, the true call to the bigs is still waiting. But Glasser is ready for his moment.
“I feel confident in my abilities, though so much is out of your control,” he explained. “I am going to take things one day at a time and not worry too much about it. I’ll be ready whenever that does happen, it’ll be a very special day.”
Coach Joe Hudak is always proud to see former players go on to do great things. He’s thrilled to see where Phillip’s career has taken him.
“I’m so proud of Phillip,” Hudak said. That is such an honor, and he is so deserving of it. He’s a young man who just keeps working. The cool thing is that as good a player as Phillip is, he’s an even better young man.”
Phillip Glasser looks back on his time with Coach Hudak and the Kingsmen fondly, and it was an important step in his spiritual growth and his growth as an athlete. And, now, just one step from the major leagues, his journey may be just beginning.
