Batter Up: Cameron Hale takes over Cedar Shoals baseball team
Cedar Shoals English teacher Josh Campbell coached the baseball team for five years. But for the 2024 season, Campbell has passed on the job of coaching the team to Cameron Hale.
“This was my fifth year at Cedar and I’ve coached for all five. I came in and they asked me to take over the baseball program the first year. So it has been my entire time here at Cedar. And it’s been great,” Campbell said.
Campbell is leaving the position of coach due to a new job opportunity. However, this change does not mean he’s leaving the baseball team entirely.
“I’ll come watch them, I’ll come to games; I just won’t be a part of the day-to-day. You know, just coming to be a spectator now. I’ll be a fan of theirs and their biggest fan is me,” Campbell said.
Many seniors, though sad about the change, wish Campbell the best.
“It hurt a little bit, but everyone felt like it was coming, and we’re glad Coach Campbell is going somewhere where he will enjoy it,” senior pitcher Ethan Oliver said.
Hale enters the baseball helm after working as a strength coach for the football team.
“This is his first full year at Cedar. He’s an excellent coach. He’s helped me coach baseball for three years, so he’s an excellent replacement,” Campbell said.
While Hale can change the team in any way he likes, he doesn’t plan to change much.
“I don’t think there’s really anything to change per se. Campbell did a great job. I’m just here to set a standard that I feel really helped us progress our season. I think the guys are doing a great job so far and really just giving their best effort,” Hale said.
Players on the team seek to continue to improve. In the 2022-23 season, Cedar Shoals only won 5 of their 29 games.
The team has already started the 2023-24 season, facing off against Rockdale County and Clarke Central. Although they lost both of those games, Hale is focused on the bigger picture.
“My goal is to really just get more inspiration about baseball around this area of town and the school particularly. I think it’s been kind of lost here in the past and I just want to spread the word and get people out to the ball field,” Hale said.
