DALTON, Ga. – There was a time when playing varsity baseball as a freshman at Dalton High School was unheard of.
For the current group of Catamounts, who are thriving under new coach Rhett Parrott, it’s a good thing those days have changed. Eight of Parrott’s players got extensive action as freshmen, including a group of six juniors who are leading this year’s 8-2 team.
It was former coach Shane Ramsey’s plan to play the best players regardless of class, and though the Cats combined to go only 21-35 in two seasons under him, the lumps earned then are paying off now.
“We know that tradition here is very important, and we’re excited after struggling some our freshman and sophomore years to get this team back where it belongs,” said junior Brock Nelson, who leads the team with a sizzling .581 batting average and 15 RBIs and is 2-0 on the mound. “We’ve got tremendous support from our fans and in the school as well. Everybody is talking about us right now, and it feels great.”
Parrott, who prepped at Northwest Whitfield and was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals as a pitcher, knew he was inheriting a team with experience. What he didn’t know was how determined they were to take the next step.