CHANGING THE CULTURE OF PCHS BASEBALL

STORY BY JOSH BOUTWELL

The Pike County Bulldogs jump into 2023 with Troy native De’Andre Pitts at the helm as a first-time head coach.

Pitts was an All-State infielder at Charles Henderson High School before playing collegiately at Motlow State Community College and Tennessee-Wesleyan University. At Motlow, Pitts earned 12 home runs and 49 RBIs with a .313 batting average in 54 games. In 2020, Pitts earned three homers, nine RBIs and a .351 batting average at Tennessee-Wesleyan before an injury derailed his playing career.

Pitts comes into 2023 as one of the youngest varsity baseball coaches in the state and coming fresh off the diamond as a player, himself. Pitts said that after being injured he was able to start coaching in the Coastal Plain League before applying for the job at Pike County. His first year at Pike County has already been a bit difficult as he came into the job late and the majority of the PCHS baseball team also plays football and basketball, limiting their chances to workout together in the offseason.

“I got in kind of late but most of the guys were in football and then most of them play basketball, too,” he reiterated. “We didn’t get to have too many workouts but when we did, they came in and worked hard and are starting to get better. The guys are buying in and right now the main thing is changing the culture and getting them baseball minded and getting that repetition on the field.”

Changing the culture of the team is something that has become important to Pitts. While Pike County hasn’t had a ton of success in recent years, success is not a foreign notion to the PCHS Baseball program.

“I’ve been talking to some alumni and I think people forget that Pike County High School sort of ran baseball in the early 2000s,” he said. “Hearing what it used to be, I’m passionate about getting back to that and I believe it can get there, and I think I’m the guy to get us there. We have a lot of talent here and we have to continue to mold guys and sharpen their skills.”

Returning from last season’s team is No. 1 pitcher Omari Barrow. Pitts will be leaning on he and other veterans to lead the team this season as he wants to see more consistency in his Bulldogs.

“We’re swinging the ball really well, we need to limit the walks and we have to dominate the routine plays,” Pitts said. “Omarri Barrow, Chris Singleton and Michael Gabel are guys that are going to have to lead for us.”

While Pitts wants to return the PCHS Baseball team to success, he has bigger goals off the field.

“My goal for this year is to continue to lead these students and players on and off the field,” he said. “I want these guys to be better athletes and better people. I want to give them the opportunity to learn the game and play and take it to the next level and just show them how to win.

“Since I came in here we’ve had 4-5 guys that have gotten saved and have a relationship with God now. That’s been huge for us and that’s important to me, leading these students and giving them the chance to seek God and their hunger for that has been rewarding.”