Davis Joins Riser's Staff as Director of Player Development and Scouting

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Memphis Baseball head coach Matt Riser announced the addition of J.D. Davis to the staff as the program's director of player development and scouting on Monday.

"We're thrilled to welcome J.D. to our staff," Riser said. "He's one of the brightest young coaches in the game. Growing up as a coach's son and competing at The Citadel has shaped him into an extremely detail-oriented coach. His experience and development at Eastern Kentucky have prepared him well to take on a wide range of responsibilities within our program. We've expanded this role to include a new focus area. J.D. will lead our efforts in scouting prospective student-athletes and play a key role in promoting and developing our current players."

A native of Goose Creek, S.C., Davis spent the previous four seasons at Eastern Kentucky, beginning as a graduate manager in 2021 before being promoted to a full-time assistant coach in 2023. He served as the recruiting coordinator and also focused on the infield as the infield instructor and team defense coordinator.

"I'm fired up to join the Memphis Baseball staff," Davis said. "It's an honor to be part of a program with such a strong tradition and commitment to developing student-athletes both on and off the field. My family and I are eager to connect with the Memphis community, and I can't thank Coach Riser enough for this opportunity. I'm excited to get to work alongside this coaching staff and contribute to the continued growth and success of Memphis Baseball."

During the 2025 season, Davis helped the Colonels to key conference series victories over Bellarmine and Central Arkansas, while also defeating a strong Sun Belt squad in Marshall.

In 2024, Eastern Kentucky reached its third straight Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament, being one of only four programs to qualify for the conference tournament in every year from 2022-24. That year, two Colonels earned all-conference honors, with outfielder Ron Franklin Jr. being named to the All-ASUN First Team and Tait Nunnally named to the All-Freshman Team.

The 2023 season saw more success with 29 wins, including a series win over then No. 15 Florida Gulf Coast.

2022 was a strong year for Eastern Kentucky with Davis on the staff as they set a program record for fielding percentage (97.5 percent). They also had two players gain national recognition, as Kendal Ewell was a semifinalist for the Golden Spikes Award and Will Brian was named an All-American by three organizations while also being chosen as a finalist for the NCBWA Stopper of the Year award, culminating in Brian being selected in the 10th round by the New York Yankees. Ewell and Brian, along with catcher Will King, were selected to the ASUN All-Conference Teams.

In his playing career, Davis totaled 121 games started in three seasons at The Citadel and one season at Nicholls State. He played each position across the infield and started in every opening day game of his career.

Davis earned a bachelor's degree in physical education from The Citadel in May 2020 and completed a Master of Business Administration in fall 2021 at Nicholls State.

While at The Citadel, Davis served as a squad leader responsible for leading six cadets in academics, formations and inspections. He also oversaw 60 cadets and their fitness scores while serving as an athletic officer.

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Davis Joins Riser's Staff as Director of Player Development and Scouting

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