Heritage pitcher Cole Wilcox makes it official by signing with 'dream school'

Ringgold baseball coach Brent Tucker directs players during a state playoff game against Appling County this past May. Tucker's program has had 31 players go on to college in his 10 years leading the Tigers, including three who signed Wednesday.
Ringgold baseball coach Brent Tucker directs players during a state playoff game against Appling County this past May. Tucker's program has had 31 players go on to college in his 10 years leading the Tigers, including three who signed Wednesday.

RINGGOLD, Ga. - For many of the country's top high school baseball seniors, signing day is merely a formality, a way to get leverage when it comes to negotiating a professional baseball contract the next summer.

Heritage pitcher Cole Wilcox might never spend a day at the University of Georgia, but Wednesday's signing at the high school was not a case of going through the motions, the 6-foot-5 right-hander said.

"We won't know until next June what the draft guys are thinking, so I will just block all that out and play ball, do what I've always done," Wilcox said. "Today was special, to look out there and see all the people who have supported me and to be able to sign papers to attend my dream school."

photo Heritage baseball player Cole Wilcox poses for a photo for Best of Preps at the Chattanooga Times Free Press in Chattanooga, Tenn., on Mon., May 22, 2017.

Wilcox has been committed to Georgia since his freshman year, when thoughts of someday being a major leaguer were just dreams. He will have to make a choice next June after spending this past summer attending big-time showcase events and becoming part of the USA Baseball 18-under national team that won the World Cup in Canada.

"I just learned I belong and that I can compete with anybody," Wilcox said. "Going to the events and seeing how I stack up has given me a lot of confidence that I will carry into the high school season."

His draft stock has risen dramatically as a result of the exposure. Baseball America ranks him the No. 13 high school prospect, and its first mock draft has him being picked by the Chicago Cubs at No. 24 overall.

State softball champs sign

Five members of GHSA softball state championship teams have signed or will sign this week.

Class A public champ Gordon Lee will send a pair of its senior stars to the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga - speedy infielder Faith Alexander and power-hitting outfielder Gracey Kruse - and pitcher/outfielder Canaan Burnett will head to Stetson.

Class AAA champ Calhoun, after having six of its players sign scholarship papers a year ago, will add two more to the collegiate ranks after catcher Adella Carver (North Georgia) and outfielder Tori Roper (Piedmont) signed. Carver, in her only season as a starter, led the team with 12 home runs and 50 RBIs.

Ringgold's busy week

Ringgold High School was the site of a slew of signings Wednesday, including three more members of coach Brent Tucker's baseball team.

Nathan Camp, a shortstop, will attend Louisiana-Lafayette, outfielder Ty Jones is headed to Lipscomb and catcher Gavin Hollis to Lee. The three push the Tigers' total of players headed to college to 31 in Tucker's 10 years with the program.

"It's been a whole lot of fun to have so many good players come through and see them grow up and go off to college," Tucker said after Wednesday's signing ceremony. "Nathan, Ty and Gavin are each four-year lettermen who made different all-region and all-state teams, and they won region three consecutive years. They're all going to really good schools."

The Ringgold softball team will add two members to the collegiate ranks after infielder Kaylee Womack, a four-year starter, and Bailey Farrow made their plans official. Womack will attend and play for North Georgia, while Farrow will stay closer to home at Chattanooga State.

Golfer Miranda Rich is expected to sign with UTC today at 4 p.m.

Carpenter to Chatt State

While Farrow's commitment to Chatt State already has been reported, Ooltewah's Mabry Carpenter also will be playing for the Lady Tigers and coach Blythe Golden. Carpenter played mostly third base for the Lady Owls and batted .325 with four home runs, 12 doubles and 35 RBIs as a junior.

"I think she has a lot of talent. She probably will play a corner for us," Golden said. "And she swings a pretty big stick. We're happy to have her."

Said Carpenter: "I really like the coaches there, and I like that it's close to home. And the facilities are beautiful - they're so nice."

Flowers to Lincoln Memorial

While most of the athletes fulfilling their pledges during the November signing period have been committed to their programs for several weeks, or multiple years in some cases, that is not always the situation.

Cleveland volleyball player Emma Flowers is one such case.

Flowers, who at the Times Free Press Best of Preps banquet in June was presented the Neely-Merrill award for excellence in volleyball in the Chattanooga area, helped the Lady Raiders to several firsts in program history as a junior, including a Class AAA state tournament berth. She also helped them repeat many of those feats this past season.

There were some NCAA Division I schools looking at Flowers, but ultimately she decided to sign with Division II's Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate, Tenn. She visited the campus late in Cleveland's regular season and said "you just know when it's the right place. There's a feeling you get."

"I had quite a few different choices," added Flowers, who played for her mother, Trish, at Cleveland. "A lot of it just came down to how much money was being offered. I know it was late in the game before I decided, but my mom and dad told me to just be patient and things would work out. And I was patient. I'd say it was worth it to wait."

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