Interested in Georgia High School Records for Softball, Baseball, Volleyball, or Swimming?
Did you know you could find some state records on Georgia Prep Country’s website? I played baseball at Statesboro High from 1981-1984. I still remember one of the Dad’s (Dr. George Lynch) saying we were going to see a pitcher that had supreme command of 4 pitches, Drew Tanner of Coffee County. He was right. Tanner was spot on the whole game. He holds the record for 519 strikeouts in a career which is a Georgia state record. And, a skinny little sophomore named John, managed to get to hit the ball that day…right back to Drew who threw me out at first base.
Oh yeah, and I watched Riccardo Ingram (actually, one of my teammates with a better memory said this was K.G. White…who went on to Georgia Tech, just like Riccardo) blast a pitch over my head in left field into the road behind the fence. I didn’t even need to move. Andre “Pulpwood” Smith was on that team too. “Pulpwood” went on to the University of Georgia to play football for a little while in a brief college career. Have fun checking out the site.
Posted on June 26, 2009, in Football, Fun and tagged Baseball, Coffee County, Drew Tanner, Georgia High Schools, High School Records, Pulpwood Smith, Riccardo Ingram, Softball, Statesboro High, Swimming, Volleyball. Bookmark the permalink. 6 Comments.
Vagabond's Rose 
Yes, that guy Tanner could bring it, and he was the most complete and best pitcher I ever saw in high school. I played at McIntosh Academy, but never played against Tanner, but I did play against Riccardo Ingram in rec ball in Jesup in 1983. I pitched well against their Douglas team, but Ingram hit a home run off me that may never come down. It is a shame we lost him way too soon. Willis Crockett was also on that rec team with Ingram. They both played baseball and football at Ga. Tech. Willis played for Dallas in the NFL. I enjoy telling my son about those days.
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Yes, it was a fun time, Virgil. Our team upset Coffee in the 1984 playoffs that the AJC even took notice since their coach was such a big deal. Then, when we met Wayne County for the Region Championship, their Coach, (Homer Keys??), had Carl Rose (softball stud and minor leaguer…has a bat named after him) throw back-to-back games….14 innings….and he was still humming at the end.
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I attended baseball camp with Carl Rose at Ga. Southern in the summer of 1983. We became friends quickly. Jack Wilcher, hs teammate of Rose, was also there. Rose hit 2 Homers while we were there, although I kept him in the yard. That Wayne Co team lost out to Columbus, with MLB hall of fame Frank Thomas. I was told Marquis Grissom was also on that Columbus team.
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I became good friends with Carl Rose at Ga Southern baseball camp in the summer of 1983. He hit 2 homers that week out of Clements Field (not sure that is the correct name). I was able to keep him in the yard, however. I refused to give him a fastball. Wayne Co 3rd baseman Jack Wilcher was also there. He was an outstanding player also. Rose crushed a lot of baseballs, and even more softballs. He & Speck Echols from Jesup played several years in the USSSSA Softball World Series in Daytona Beach. Rose hit many homers out of J. Robinson Ballpark there.
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Yes, Virgil, thanks for chiming in. I had friends that went to the camp at Southern but for some reason I never did…although we played the Australian teams that made the trip for the genius of Coach Jack Stallings. Wilcher had some good games against us and I did witness Wayne County’s Wayne Moxley blast one about 400 feet into the Jesup night too.
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Marquis Grissom was not on any Columbus baseball team. The next best player Columbus had (after Frank Thomas) was Bubba Holland, and Bubba was probably better than Frank at that point. Frank was a sophomore when Columbus beat Wayne County. And yes, Homer Key was an idiot.
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