Newspaper Page Text
Monroe
8U All-
Stars are
Sub-State
champs
The Monroe County 8U All-Stars were victorious in the USSSA Sub-State All-Star Tournament in Locust Grove on June 10. Pictured from
left to right on the top row: Coach Kadarious Puckett, Coach Fred Shannon, Coach Earl “Pop Hitt, Coach TK Chambliss and Coach
Trevor Barnett. Pictured from left to right on the middle row: Noah “Freddie Turnbow, Quent Fat Boi Shannon, Kevin Chunkey Fisher,
Jackson “J-Man Redus, Clayton “Clay-Co Stephens, Braylen "BP” Perry and Jayden “JJ Duggan. Pictured from left to right on the front
row: Samuel Slammy Mitchell, Chaz “Big Stank Stokes, Aiden Shorty” Vaughn, Hudson "Hud Hitt, Carter CJ” Jones and Carson “BG
Barnett. (Photo/Jennifer Harris)
By Richard Dumas
forsyth@mymcr.net
The Monroe County 8U All-Stars cap
tured the USSSA Sub State Champion
ship in Locust Grove on Sunday, June 10.
The 8U squad, managed by Tevin
Chambliss, won three out of four games
in the Sub State All-Star Tournament,
outlasting Newton County Green 16-15
on June 9 before beating Butts County
14-6 later in the day. The 8U All-Stars
then fell 18-10 to Pike County the fol
lowing day before rebound to top Pike
County 18-10 in a rematch later in the
day.
Meanwhile, the Monroe County 10U
All-Stars finished as the runner-up at
the USSSA Sub State Championship in
Locust Grove on June 9-10.
The 10U squad, managed by Lin Mitch
ell, lost its opening game to Newton
County Green 17-14 on June 9. The 10U
All-Stars then rebounded with three
consecutive wins, defeating Ola North-
cutt 9-8 on June 9 and then taking two
straight on June 10 against East Macon
13- 12 and Newton County Green 14-0,
respectively. In the championship contest
against Newton County Green later the
same day, the 10U team was defeated
14- 5.
Also, the Monroe County 12U All-Stars
finished in the second place at the USSSA
Sub State Championship in Locust Grove
on June 8-10.
The 12U squad, managed by Wes McA-
teer, defeated Locust Grove 11-1 on June
8 before backing that victory up with a
9-2 win over Bloomfield on June 9. How
ever, the 12U All-Stars lost each of their
final two games, falling 16-6 and 11-10,
respectively, to Bloomfield en route to a
runner-up result.
v 8 i '
A tm
Brn -M'
r *
©
m a fr
| ' i | Wrifh
k
ilJk
vr j
* k i i
Longtime rec head
Edge requests
move into county
assessor s office
By Richard Dumas
forsyth@mymcr.net
The Monroe County Recreation Department
could be down its top two employees after
Monroe County Commissioners revealed on
Tuesday, June 19 that recreation director Keith
Edge has requested to be transferred to the
county assessors office.
Edge has been the
county’s recreation direc
tor since December 2012.
Commissioners did not
allow Edge to transfer at
Tuesdays meeting, saying
they needed to meet with
him to discuss the time-
frame of the switch and
how they can keep the
rec department manned
until a replacement can be Keith Edge
found. However, com
missioners did approve to begin advertising for
Edge’s replacement on Tuesday.
In an e-mail dated June 13 sent by chief ap
praiser Robert Gerhardt to human resources
director Janet Abbott, Gerhardt told Abbott that
Edge could continue working at the recreation
department in the afternoons through July
before transitioning full time into the assessor’s
office on Aug. 1.
Edge did not reply to a Reporter request for
comment.
Also, commissioners accepted on Tuesday,
June 19 the resignation of sports director Kim
Pierson effective June 29. Pierson, who was
present at Tuesday’s meeting, has worked at the
recreation department for four years.
In a resignation e-mail to Abbott dated June
18, Pierson wrote: “Thank you for the oppor
tunities for professional and personal develop
ment that you have provided during the last four
years. I have enjoyed working for the Rec. Dept,
and appreciate the support provided to me dur
ing my time here.”
Commissioners also approved to advertise for
Pierson’s replacement.
Monroe County's Cox signs with
Royals, takes aim at big leagues
Monroe County resident Austin Cox was drafted in the fifth round of this months MLB
Amateur Draft by the Kansas City Royals. Cox was the ace of Mercers staff in 2018.
(Photo/Carlos Morales)
By Richard Dumas
forsyth@mymcr.net
South Monroe County resident
Austin Cox signed a contract with the
Kansas City Royals organization and
has left for Arizona to begin his profes
sional baseball career.
The 6’3”, 215-pound left-hander Cox
is the son of Stephen and Cassandra
Cox of Hwy. 42 South. Cox attended
high school at FPD before moving on
to college at Mercer, where he an
chored the Bears’ rotation as a junior
in 2018.
Stephen Cox said after being drafted
with the 152nd overall pick in the
fifth round on June 5, his son came to
a quick contractual agreement with
the Royals and headed out for in
structional work in Arizona on June 7
before heading to Burlington, N.C. for
rookie ball. According to royalsfarm-
report.com. the slot signing value for
being the 152nd pick was $337,000,
but Stephen Cox said his son received
“fourth round money” to sign. Prior to
the draft, Cox was ranked the No. 212
prospect overall by Baseball America.
Cox was the fifth-highest draft selec
tion in Mercer program history and
was one of four Bears’ players selected
in the 2018 draft, which tied a pro
gram record. Cox was also the second
college player from the state of Georgia
to be drafted in 2018 behind only
Georgia Tech catcher Joey Bart, the
No. 2 overall pick in the draft.
Mercer head coach Craig Gibson
said of Cox: “We’re thrilled to see
Austin [Cox] get the chance to play at
the next level with a great organiza
tion in the Kansas City Royals,” said
head coach Craig Gibson. “He’s a great
worker who will lead by example; his
future is very bright.”
Cox was one of five players nationally
with 17 or more starts this spring as he
became the ninth player in program
history to toss 100-plus strikeouts in
a single season (124). The left-hander
ranked ninth nationally in strikeouts
per nine innings (12.73) and led Mercer
in innings pitched (87.2) while going
7-4 with a 4.52 earned run average.
Stephen Cox said Mercer was one of
the only schools who offered his son a
college scholarship and said working
with Gibson and Bears’ pitching coach
Brent Shade was great for Austin’s devel
opment. Stephen Cox noted that his son
grew up a huge Georgia Bulldogs fan,
but a former UGA pitching coach told
See COX • Page 2B