GHSA cancellation costs Loganville seniors chance at history

They have memories to last a lifetime. Three state titles, but they weren’t done.

The Loganville Red Devil senior class came into 2020 with a chance to become the first baseball team to win 4 straight state championships in over 60 years, but the GHSA's decision to cancel spring sports officially ended the Red Devils run at history.

This year’s Loganville team was off to another good start and although it would have been tough, coach Jeff Segars thinks this group had what it takes to make a run at a four-peat.

“We go to Hoover and win the Perfect Game tournament over IMG which is a nationally ranked team. I felt like we definitely had the pieces to get number four. I hate that we’re not going to be able to go out and compete for it. There’s some other good teams, but this is a special team we had,” says Segars.

“Obviously I was pretty upset because you want to have the chance to get the fourth ring, but in this certain situation we can’t control anything that is going on,” says senior pitcher Dylan Strickland.

“I definitely wanted to make it with the team again this year and make a big run for it, but we couldn't do it because of this whole thing obviously,” says senior catcher Ian King.

“I talked with some of the coaches, yeah it’s hard,” says senior pitcher Caleb Garner.

Segars group of seniors remember every detail of their 3 previous championships.

Just last season Garner was on the mound and King was behind the plate when Loganville won game 1 and Dylan Strickland got the save when the Red Devils clinched the 5A crown in game 2 over Ola. 

It was those big moments but also the little ones that Segars will miss with this group.

“It was tough looking those guys in the eyes and seen what they’ve done to invest into each other and into the team. It’s tough, it’s not an easy thing for these guys. Being a high school student and getting your senior year pulled out from under you is a tough thing. I hurt for them. I’ve enjoyed the ride with this senior class, they’ve been a  great group and our team as a whole,” says Segars.

Baseball can teach great life lessons. And during this great time of uncertainty it is still happening even without a ball and glove.

“Right now at this point, you look back and on all the little things you thought were problems. Like going to practice for hours, like waking up at six in the morning to go to workout even when you don’t want to do it. It’s little stuff that now you’d love to go back to doing. You took it for granted while it was actually happening. Now that it’s over it’s just kind of shocking. I’ve been thinking about it, there’s not more high school. I think it will change me for the better because it does make you appreciate the little things more,” says Strickland who is headed to Georgia Tech next year.

“It will change me drastically, not even just me, but other people around me. Just make us better people,” says King.

The one piece of good news for the three seniors we talked to. Their baseball careers are not over. All three have plans to play baseball in college.