Back with Black: new head coach for the varsity baseball team
Over Christmas break this year, previous head baseball coach Cameron Hale decided to leave Cedar Shoals to pursue another job offer. Former Georgia Southern outfielder and previous Cedar Shoals basketball coach Joshua Black stepped up to the plate and took the job.
At Georgia Southern, Black made 24 appearances with a .279 batting average. He later transferred to Gordon State College where he started in all 47 games and ended his season in 2014 with a team high .353 batting average.
“I’ve been playing baseball ever since I was four years old and all the way up through college. I have a lot of experience, I played at Georgia Southern coming out of high school, (and we were) conference champions there, so I got a ring for that as a freshman,” Black said.
Junior first baseman Zamari Allen believes that there has already been a noticeable difference in the small things on the field.
“I appreciate that this season everybody on the team gets one-on-one time with the coaches which is helpful and different from previous years,” Allen said.
Infielder Zachary Pomeroy, junior, has also noticed changes in demeanor and attitudes on the team.
“People are starting to work harder, become more determined, and want to play the sport with a different kind of tenacity,” Pomeroy said.
Not only are the players the ones that see the change, but the coaching staff has too. Assistant coach Bradley Chatham, who has worked with Black before, has noticed that the players are responding to his coaching style positively.
“He’s a perfectionist, he likes things done the right way. He’s implemented some really good things on the field with the kids and I feel like they really respect him and what he’s doing over here,” Chatham said.
Black has lofty goals for the baseball team this season including to make Cedar more known for its baseball talent rather than other sports or clubs.
“I want to get more kids developed, to get more kids to come out to play baseball from hearing the work that we do out there, the fun and the expectations that we have and trying to build. I want to make Cedar Shoals more known for baseball,” Black said.
In the future, Black hopes to lead the baseball team to regionals, rewriting baseball history at Cedar.
“My long term goal for the baseball team is being able to compete in the region and being able to compete to win a state championship. I want to be the coach that has the most wins in the Shoals baseball history,” Black said.
