Cody Eckenroth Joins Fightin Phils as Full-time Food/Beverage Coordinator
The York College of Pennsylvania Sport Management graduate turned a lifelong love of baseball and years of hard work behind the scenes into a position with the Double-A team.
For Cody Eckenroth ’24, a York College of Pennsylvania Sport Management alumnus, walking into FirstEnergy Stadium in Reading, Pennsylvania, feels like coming home. What began as a job during high school with the Reading Fightin Phils, the Double-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies, has grown into a full-time position with the team he cheered for growing up.
Eckenroth’s work connection to the Fightin Phils began in 2018, when he served as a batboy and later a clubhouse attendant, washing player uniforms and keeping the locker rooms spotless. Those early experiences awakened a realization that he wanted to have a career in professional sports.
“I always loved baseball, so once I stopped playing, what better way to stay connected than to work in baseball?” he says.
That interest led him to York College, where he pursued a bachelor’s degree in Sport Management, graduating magna cum laude.
Finding his fit at York
As he reviewed his possible college choices, Eckenroth says, York College simply felt right. Located about an hour and a half from his hometown of Leesport, it offered a strong Sport Management program and a welcoming atmosphere.
At York College, he immersed himself in opportunities to learn and lead. As Vice President of the College’s Sport Business Association, he helped organize trips to networking events with professional sports teams such as the Phillies, the Philadelphia 76ers, and the Baltimore Ravens.
In February 2024, Eckenroth traveled with other York College students to Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas to work at NFL-sponsored fan experiences, hospitality events, and the exclusive Club 67 pregame party at Allegiant Stadium. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that gave him a front-row view of the energy and professionalism of the sports industry at its highest level.
Eckenroth credits the College’s Sport Management faculty, including Associate Professors Molly Sauder, Ed.D., and Michael Mudrick, Ph.D.; and Assistant Professors Donna Grove, Ed.D., and Inje Cho, Ph.D., for making experiences such as that possible. The curriculum, he says, emphasized practical, real-world learning through projects with organizations such as the Lancaster Stormers professional baseball team, where students helped plan and execute game-day events.
“Ever since day one, the professors have been great,” Eckenroth says. “They really do care about you and like to connect you to other sport professionals in the field.”
Eckenroth also competed on the York College Club Baseball Team, which made school history by qualifying for the Division III Club World Series in 2023.
Climbing the ladder with the Fightin Phils
As he completed his degree, Eckenroth continued to spend summers with the Fightin Phils, gaining experience in every department, from operations to community relations. His commitment paid off. After serving as a community relations and group sales intern in 2025, the team offered him a full-time position as coordinator of food and beverage operations in October.
In his new role, he manages the stadium’s six concession stands, restocks supplies, coordinates deliveries, and sets up for events. Offseason work includes preparing the stadium for winter, helping to host corporate gatherings and holiday parties, and assisting in oversight of the Redner’s Event Center, a multi-use space that includes player locker rooms and a banquet facility.
Eckenroth describes the Fightin Phils front-office team as a tight-knit community where coworkers seem more like family.
“It’s great working here. It’s a pretty small staff. Everyone is really friendly with each other,” he says. “You’re here long hours over the summer. I see these people more than my family sometimes.”
‘The team I grew up with’
Working full time for the team that inspired his career choice, Eckenroth understands the perseverance it takes to succeed in the sports industry. His advice to students is to stay the course.
“If it’s something you want to do, you’ve got to keep doing it, even if it’s tough,” he says.
Though he’s open to opportunities across the spectrum of sports, Eckenroth is content where he is, growing with the organization that gave him his start.
“It’s the team I grew up with,” he says, “and now I get to be part of it every day. That’s pretty special.”
