A little after 6 p.m. on a Friday, the ping of a bat echoed at Howard School’s brand-new indoor baseball facility as the Hustlin’ Tigers warmed up for a home game.
Just eight years after coach Jon Johnson’s first Howard team played on a baseball field the Hustlin’ Tigers and others began building from scratch the year before, they have played true night games there for the first time this season. While games sometimes had to be suspended due to a lack of daylight in past seasons, last September the Hamilton County Commission approved a $697,428 expenditure for the installation of a baseball and softball field lighting system at Howard as part of a $10 million commitment to improvements at the school, which includes more than athletic facilities. The lights were installed in early March.
Meanwhile, nearly $200,000 — raised through donations — went into the construction of the indoor facility, which opened in February and has three batting cages (each 70 feet long), an area for plyo ball throwing workouts and a meeting room that will one day be used for a team locker room and weight training area.
The Hustlin’ Tigers are no longer limited by the weather and can train throughout the year, the latest boost for a program still building its foundation. Building team chemistry is another benefit, with the Hustlin’ Tigers holding an all-night lockout inside the indoor facility before the season.
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“Howard baseball has given us a lot of hope for the future generations of baseball talent to come through here,” said Zaire McCrary, a Chattanooga Prep senior who plays baseball for Howard through a co-op agreement under TSSAA rules because the Sentinels do not field a baseball team. “This baseball facility started from the ground up. Ten years ago, this was just straight grass out here. There wasn’t anything here. Now we are all the way up and extremely proud of where we call home. It feels like a major league park.”
Howard baseball team enjoys new, improved facilities
Many of Johnson’s visions for the program have come to fruition as he has remained steadfast in his desire for kids in the community to have all the chances to play the sport traditionally known as America’s national pastime.
In their first two games under the lights, the Hustlin’ Tigers began the new era in a big way by scoring 17 runs each against Berean Academy and Lookout Valley as part of a three-game winning streak to begin the season.
Devon Holten-McKinney has stood out this spring in his senior season as one of four Howard starters with a batting average above .300, and he’s also the team’s ace with 31 strikeouts in 21 2/3 innings pitched.
“We have learned a lot about the guys who came before us and helped build what we now have today,” Holten-McKinney said. “We have been extremely blessed to have the new facilities and opportunities we have here.
“The future of Howard baseball is bright. The kids have a chance to come and get better because they have a chance to work year-round. You can come in here and get a lot of reps, learn new things and work together.”
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The Hustlin’ Tigers are also working this season to honor the memory of their late teammate Daremon “Doopie” Waldon, who last December was fatally shot as the 17-year-old tried to protect his mother and younger siblings. Howard’s hats have the intials DW on the side.
“A lot of our guys have dedicated this season to Daremon,” Johnson said. “Some of his closest friends are on this team and have told me that everything they do out here is to honor him. He meant so much to all of us and loved being out on the baseball field, from being a part of Southside Youth Development to being here at Howard.”
Waldon’s teammates have taken their game to a new level, with Howard’s team batting average of .240 nearly 100 points higher than last season.
“This has been a fun season getting to enjoy our park in a new way no one ever has before,” junior Eusi Hamilton said. “Our hitting as a team has gotten way better, and everyone loves going in the new indoor cages and getting reps. The future of baseball here is extremely bright with all the resources young ball players have available.”
From clearing out rocks and trash to tilling the soil by hand and building fences, Johnson’s nearly decade-long project with the Hustlin’ Tigers aided by countless others has paid major dividends. Howard built not only a field to be proud of, but a future for many to be part of and have a chance to grow as ballplayers and people.
Just a couple of blocks away from where the Chattanooga Lookouts’ new stadium will be, the Hustlin’ Tigers have become a beacon of light for the Scenic City.
“My mission has been to create opportunities, instill hope and build an elite facility for the inner city of Chattanooga,” Johnson said. “Seeing our players have the opportunity to play under the lights at home and hit in an incredible indoor facility is something I am grateful, humbled and excited about for the future for our program and inner-city baseball in Chattanooga.
“It has always been more than about baseball to me. It’s about providing hope, instilling character and encouraging our youth to pursue greatness by working diligently every day.”
Contact Patrick MacCoon at pmaccoon@timesfreepress.com.