Ryan Smith
A Fort Mill local, Ryan's love affair with baseball ignited during his days at Fort Mill High School. His journey continued at Charleston Southern University, where he not only dominated on the mound but also pursued a double major in Economics and Finance.
Post-graduation, Ryan ventured into the finance and healthcare sectors, leaving an indelible mark on both industries. With an innate entrepreneurial spirit, he played pivotal roles in the success of two healthcare startups, both of which saw IPO status on the New York Stock Exchange. Currently, Ryan drives the Southeast market for his third startup venture while also stewarding The Hit Mill and his brainchild, Mill Town Baseball Academy.
Under Ryan's guidance, Mill Town has blossomed, nurturing 17 teams in just 2.5 years and positively impacting nearly 200 young men in the community. Rooted in his own diamond experiences, from Little League to facing off against formidable opponents like Mark Teixeira at Georgia Tech, Ryan instills resilience, mental fortitude, and camaraderie in the boys, guiding them through challenges on and off the field.
Ryan, alongside his wife Tiffanie and their three children, resides in Fort Mill. His vision for The Hit Mill transcends its role as a mere training ground; he envisions it as a catalyst for elevating York County into a baseball powerhouse, rivaling esteemed locales like Cobb County (East Cobb). His ultimate aspiration? To forge a baseball Mecca where players flock to compete, and opponents tremble at the thought of facing local teams.
Ben Boykin
Ben Boykin grew up in Fort Mill, graduating from Nation Ford High School. After his time at Nation Ford, Ben went on to play junior college baseball at Spartanburg Methodist College. While at SMC, Ben competed in the JUCO World Series. After his time at SMC, Ben went on to continue his baseball and academic career at Division 1 College of Charleston. In 2010 at College of Charleston, Ben was named Comeback Player of The Year. While at at CofC, Ben was a member of the CAA Championship team and he played in the Super Regional at Texas Tech.
During his playing career, Ben played for several noteworthy coaches, including Monte Lee and Matt Williams. Following his playing career, Ben went on to coach at SMC. Ben went on to coach at College of Charleston as an undergrad assistant and was later served as the Director of Baseball Operations.
Now at The Hit Mill, Ben is serving as the Director of Operations and also gives instructional lessons for both hitters and catchers.
Ryan Morris
Ryan Morris grew up in Charlotte, graduating from South Meck High School. During that time he received a number of accolades, including Conference Player of the Year, Charlotte Observer Player of the Year, and Powerade Player of the Year. He signed a letter of intent to play at Clemson University before being drafted by the Cleveland Indians in the 4th round of the 2006 Major League Draft. Ryan would go on to sign out of high school and play for the Tribe for 6 seasons before his pitching career came to an end due to a shoulder surgery. This led Ryan to begin his journey in coaching.
Prior to being at the Hit Mill, Ryan has coached players anywhere from youth to the big leagues. He has coached several youth travel teams including his own teams such as the Carolina Fleet of Charleston, and Performance Baseball of Charlotte leading both programs to National Championship Tournaments. Ryan also has acted as the pitching coach for teams such as the Dirtbags 16u National Team as well as Covenant Day High School.
Ryan is a certified strength coach as well as a certified biomechanics specialist. Thanks to his experience as a former professional athlete along with his vast knowledge of the body, Ryan has an incredible track record of helping hundreds of athletes reach their full potential and go on to play at the next level. He also has helped a number of athletes overcome injury which is one reason why he is heavily referred to clients from trusted and well known Physical Therapists.
Chris Jackson
Chris Jackson grew up in Fort Mill, graduating from Fort Mill High School. At Fort Mill, Chris was a 4 sport athlete, playing football, baseball, basketball, and freestyle wrestling. As a football player at Fort Mill, Chris was named All-Region. After his time at Fort Mill, Chris went on to play football at North Carolina Wesleyan College where he started at wide receiver as a true freshman. Chris later went on to play wide receiver at Charleston Southern University. Chris went on to play professional football in the Arena Football League, the CFL, and the NFL.
Following his football career, Chris has gone on to be a member of a NASCAR Pit Crew where he has been a part of 20+ race wins and a championship. Chris has coached varsity football and served as the track and strength coach of a top tier NASCAR Cup organization. Chris has had multiple players make it to the division 1 and professional levels in their sports, as well as voted the Personal Trainer of The Year in York County.
Chris holds multiple certifications, including CSCS and USA Powerlifting. At The Hit Mill, Chris serves as our Strength and Conditioning instructor where he coaches athletes through group training and individual instruction. Chris brings his athletic and educational experience to The Hit Mill to pushes athletes to be at their best athletically.
Kyle Harris
Kyle Harris has more than 25 years of coaching experience, having worked with athletes at every level from youth to professional. Prior to his time with the Hit Mill, Kyle has been responsible for creating programming and coaching hitters, pitchers, and catchers (baseball & softball players), as well as running all strength and conditioning programming.
Kyle played four years of college baseball earning his undergrad degree in Health & Physical Education. He also holds Masters Degrees in Leadership & Administration as well as Exercise Science & Performance Enhancement. His published thesis, entitled “Integrated & Comprehensive Programming for Injury Prevention & Increased Throwing Velocity for Collegiate Baseball Players” was put up for review and accepted.
Kyle has been sought out at the highest levels of our game in both hitting and pitching development and he has had success improving performance for hundreds of baseball and softball players.
Personally, Kyle is a former drug-free professional bodybuilder and Ohio State powerlifting record holder.
Francis Grullon
Born in the Dominican Republic, Francis signed with the Kansas City Royals organization in 2017 at the age of 16 years old. Francis played the middle infield in the Royals organization, playing both shortstop and second base, from 2017 through 2022 and posted a .277 batting average during his best season. After his time with the Royals, Francis also played professional baseball in Montreal, Canada.
A few highlights of Francis Grullon’s career would include playing in the Classic Mundial tournament, Series Del Caribe, and being invited to Big League Spring Training during his time with the Royals.
Following his time with the Royals and professional baseball, Francis has brought his skills, knowledge of the game, and experience to The Hit Mill where he is an infield instructor.