Coach Robinson speaks to Union County Rotary

Right: Michelle Hudler, President of the Rotary Club of Union County, Coach Rick Robinson, Head baseball coach of Young Harris College Tsali "T" Bentley.

Coach Rick Robinson, head baseball coach at Young Harris College, recently spoke to the Rotary Club of Union County. Coach Robinson enlightened the Rotary audience with an update of the Mountain Lions and recapturing the episodes that led the 2007 baseball team to its first trip to the Junior College World Series.

After starting the 2007 season with a record of 0-7, Coach Robinson turned the team around and finished the season winning 22 of his last 24 games. The ultimate step up was winning the District tournament in Tennessee which took them to Grand Junction, Colorado for the Junior College World Series.

Coach Robinson talked about Young Harris College offering a unique opportunity for players who are academically qualified to play at the Division I Level but who are not receiving the Division I interest they would like. Young Harris College baseball players have an average SAT score of 1060 with a 3.2 GPAin their academic core classes. The baseball program offers a very structured and disciplined course of play on and off the field where players also have the opportunity to discover or mature their relationship with Jesus Christ. Giving God the glory, becoming a team, and putting the team first is the basis for Coach Robinson's success.

This year's team success was rewarded by having a record 5 players taken in the 2007 MLB draft plus awarding two Academic All-Americans. Two of Coach Robinson's former players are presently in the majors, Nick Markakis with the Baltimore Orioles and Billy Buckner with the Kansas City Royals. During Coach Robinson's nine years at Young Harris, 23 players have signed professional contracts. The program has produced two National Players of the Year, five All- Americans, and Eight Academic All-Americans. Young Harris College has the distinction of winning more games (419) than any Junior College in the southeast over the last nine years.

Coach Robinson invited everyone to come out to see the Mountain Lions play fall baseball. You can visit yhc.edu/athletics/ baseball for game times and results. The coach was introduced by Tsali "T" Bentley, II, who finished his third season as the Young Harris College batboy. Michelle Hudler presented Coach Robinson with a donation to the Young Harris College Diamond Club in support of continuing the development of such great young ball players.