The Cartersville High School football team will participate in the annual Corky Kell 7-on-7 Invitational this Friday in Roswell and will face some of the top competition in the state. The Canes are assigned to Pod F which is one of seven, five-team pools in the 35-team tournament. Pod F will play its pool games at Roswell Area Parks Field #2 beginning Friday at 9:15 a.m. Pod F includes Norcross, Kell, Monroe Area, and Buford as round-robin opponents for Cartersville. The four pool games will determine seeding for a single-elimination bracket that begins Friday afternoon. The championship game will be at 4 p.m. Other teams in the tournament include Roswell, Peachtree Ridge, Tucker, Milton, Carrollton, Blessed Trinity, West Forsyth, Brookwood, Alpharetta, Lanier, North Gwinnett, Gainesville, Walton, Creekside, Grayson, Centennial, Marietta, North Forsyth, Woodward Academy, Collins Hill, Colquitt County, Mays, Cherokee, Lee County, Johns Creek, Archer, Central Gwinnett, McEachern, South Forsyth, and Mill Creek.

The Cass High School basketball program is hosting one of the largest high school basketball team camps in North Georgia this Friday and Saturday at the Colonels’ facilities in White. Twenty-eight boys teams (14 varsity / 14 junior varsity) will compete in camp-style games on three courts inside the Cass High School facility. The Cass High School main gym converts to two full sized courts with the bleachers retracted and the school has an adjacent auxillary gym with another full sized floor. “We have a solid field of teams coming in,” said former Cass head coach David Brock (photo) who coordinated the event and is now the head boys coach at Dalton High School. “We have a quality group of the teams playing this weekend including state playoff teams. There should be some really good competition.” State playoff qualifying teams from last season are highlighted by Class AAAA quarterfinalist LaFayette and include Cass (AAAAA), Calhoun (AAA), Sonoraville (AAA), Coosa (AA), Heritage Christian (A), and Darlington (A). Other teams at the camp include Dalton, Model, Cornerstone, Excel Christian, Woodland, North Paulding, and Gordon Central. There will be two full days of competition. Games will begin at 8 a.m. Friday and Saturday and continue until 8 p.m. Friday and 5 p.m. on Saturday. Spectators are welcome to attend and there is no admission fee. The camp also doubles as one of the 24 Georgia High School Association’s instruction camps for basketball game officials. Referees during the camp games will represent all parts of the state. The men and women in stripes will be working on their skills and receiving feedback from clinicians while the players and teams work on their games. The officials portion of the camp is hosted by Cherokee Basketball Offiials Association headquartered in Cartersville and led by Dock Sisk (photo) of the Georgia Mountain Officials Association. Approximately 60 officials will participate in the camp from all parts of Georgia with at least ten different officiating associations represented. According to the Cherokee Basketball Officials Association’s Charles Wilson, the attraction of the Cass camp for Georgia high school officials is multi-faceted. “First and foremost, the officials come for the additional training,” said Wilson. “The experts with the NCAA and NFHS are constantly tweaking the mechanics we use as basketball officials. There is a lot of research that goes into officiating, so by participating in camps our officials learn the latest techniques, positioning, preferred methods, and teamwork.” The officiating camp also benefits from some of the most respected NCAA officials in the nation. “Doc Sisk runs the officials portion of the camp for GHSA. He and his wife Nan are among the most highly respected officials in the country,” Wilson continued. "They have officiated at every level of basketball including more than 25 years with the SEC and ACC. Toss in several other D-I conferences, the NCAA Tournament, and the WNBA and you see how valuable they are with training our high school officials." “Both Dock and Nan have been Atlanta Tip-Off Club Naismith National Officials of the Year, so they not only bring their expertise but they also bring in several other NCAA Division I officials and some of the top GHSA officials in the state to help train the officials at this camp. It is a great opportunity for our officials,” said Wilson. Clarissa Bagwell, another leader with the Cherokee Basketball Officials Association noted the requirements for Georgia’s high school officials. “GHSA basketball officials are now required to participate in an off-season camp each year to officiate varsity games and the post-season. This on-the-court camp and instruction helps officials progress to work higher-level games or the post-season,” said Bagwell. “The expertise in training our officials receive at this camp is outstanding,” she added. “The officials get their GHSA credit for participating, but they also have an opportunity to learn from some of the best officials out there at the D-I level. Dock is also the post-season assignor for our part of the state with GHSA,” Bagwell concluded.

All Weather Heating and Air, a softball team comprised of players all from Bartow County, won the Georgia Recreation and Park Association Men’s Open Equalizer championship this weekend in Lawrenceville to complete a 15-0 season. The team was representing the Cartersville Parks and Recreation Department at the state tournament. All Weather defeated Yamaha of Coweta County, Fury Unleashed from Barrow County, Cornerstone Bible Church of Henry County, and Hitmen365 of Gwinnett County, before defeating Crown Cuts in the championship game, 20-2. The roster for All Weather includes Donny Adams, Billy Cline, Taylor Cline, Keith Garrett, Harrison Hatfield, Bradley Johnson, D.J. Johnson, Johnathan Johnson, Brandon Price, Rodney Rowland, David Strabala, Jake Sisson, Danny Weaver, Tim Kirkpatrick, Michael Henderson, Justin Mackey, Camden McGill, Nick Roberts and Tony Walker. The All Weather team is already preparing to return to competitive play in July in the Cartersville Parks and Recreation Department Summer League at Dellinger Park.

LakePoint Sporting Community in Emerson and its affiliates have filed for bankruptcy in Northern District of Georgia court based in Rome. Eight entities tied to LakePoint filed for Chapter 11 in federal court with documents listing assets of less than $500,000 but liabilities of more than $50 million. The case, assigned to Judge Barbara Ellis-Monroe, lists 67 pages of creditors with founders and/or organizers listed among them including retiring state Representative Earl Ehrhart of Mableton and Judy Sparks of Smartegies public relations. The filing comes after recent reports of management takeovers and an infusion of $10 million slotted for “go forward” efforts at the complex just off I-75. The 13,000-acre property has become best known as the center for Perfect Game USA national baseball tournaments since opening in 2014. Several restaurants and hotels have opened adjacent to the complex as well. There are also multipurpose fields for soccer, lacrosse, football, and other sports plus an indoor pavillion that has only generated a fraction of the revenue orginally projected. Former Braves manager Bobby Cox and Kansas City manager Ned Yost helped get the project started just a few years ago. The organizers have had major deals fall through, however, including those with Bass Pro Shops and Greg Norman Golf. The complex received $37 million in bonds in 2015 from the Bartow County Development Authority to build the new indoor sports complex, but Ehrhart said Monday that the complex is solely responsible for repaying the bonds, not Bartow County. The new plan for LakePoint is designed to strengthen the organization’s financial position and improve its ability to attract millions of dollars in new investments. MEDIA RELEASE by LakePoint Sporting Community — Monday, June 11; 6 p.m. EMERSON, GA. (June 11, 2018) – LakePoint Sporting Community is recapitalizing in a move to achieve its vision for becoming the premier travel sports vacation destination. The LakePoint Land entity is filing a pre-arranged Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Georgia. The filing is expected to allow LakePoint to quickly emerge with a clean balance sheet and strong financial outlook. “The recapitalization will strengthen the company’s financial picture so LakePoint can grow and flourish. It creates financial certainty and stability for the project and puts LakePoint on a clear growth trajectory,” said Dan Berman with GlassRatner, who is leading the restructuring on behalf of LP Investments I, an affiliate of Rimrock Capital, a fund with $4 billion of assets under management. Rimrock is the lender and main capital source for LakePoint and has been so for the past five years. LakePoint is heralded as a premier family vacation sports destination with state-of-the-art indoor and outdoor facilities for athletic tournaments and scouting events. LakePoint hosts more than 40 sports, including baseball, softball, basketball, gymnastics and sand volleyball. LakePoint’s indoor complex, the Champions Center, was both the newest and busiest facility in the past year. The complex hosted 578 event days occurring from June 2016 to May 2017, making LakePoint a year-round destination. During the brief bankruptcy process people should see few changes in the normal course operations, said Bob Zurcher, Manager and CFO. LakePoint will continue to operate as before, existing management will remain, employees and vendors will continue to get paid in full and on time, and tournaments, events and games will go on. LakePoint expects to grow 10 percent this year. “What we hope people do notice is LakePoint’s continued commitment to service and quality guest experiences along with Rimrock’s commitment to LakePoint’s continued success.” Zurcher added. Certain facilities and venues, including the indoor sports pavilion, the entertainment venues, and the surrounding hotels and restaurants, are not included in the Chapter 11 filing as they are not owned by LakePoint. LakePoint Land has acted as a master developer and sold parcels to third parties for development. Rimrock and LakePoint plan to continue the legacy of master developing the 1,300-acre project. Rimrock already has purchased additional acreage around campus and a new master plan is in the works. Rimrock has hired real estate firm Jones Lang LaSalle and other professionals to help with the planning and analysis. “We’re extremely positive about LakePoint’s future,” he added. “LakePoint is an important asset to us at Rimrock. We’ve already invested millions of dollars in both LakePoint and surrounding land, and we plan to invest millions of dollars more. We believe in and support the original vision of LakePoint and we believe the project’s best years are yet to come.” Why bankruptcy? In November 2016, LakePoint Land deeded land to Rimrock as part of a loan workout. In the prearranged filing, Rimrock will contribute the land it now owns back to LakePoint Land. Rimrock’s debt will be converted to equity, making Rimrock the largest shareholder in the project. This will allow LakePoint to emerge from bankruptcy debt free and with the certainty of being clear of any claims. As part of the plan, existing shareholders will share in LakePoint’s future success. While LakePoint’s development of athletic facilities started fast, growth of supporting businesses – from hotels to restaurants to entertainment venues – didn’t go fast enough to create a thriving eco-system. “We hope to change that,” Berman said. Progress Progress on future projects already has started: Giant bulldozers, scrapers and trucks are working around the clock on a road-bridge expansion. This significant project will extend LakePoint Parkway from Allatoona Road to Red Top Mountain Road and will serve as a catalyst for more development. More than 1 million people visit LakePoint annually, which creates an economic impact of nearly $100 million from room nights at hotels, restaurant visits, shopping and other entertainment. “We’re only fifty minutes from the world’s busiest airport, and right off of I-75, so it’s easy to get here from just about anywhere,” Berman said. “And our attention to detail at the indoor and outdoor facilities can’t be matched. The reorganization will allow us to leverage these strengths to grow into the most sought-after sports venue of our kind.”

It has been a remarkable week at the professional and collegiate level for four former Cartersville Purple Hurricanes baseball players. Sam Howard made his MLB debut, recent high school grad Anthony Seigler signed with the New York Yankees, Connor Justus and the Mobile BayBears continue to challenge for a divisional title in the home-stretch of the Southern League's first half, and Elliott Anderson and the Auburn Tigers are down to a winner-take-all game in the NCAA Super Regionals. HOWARD DEBUTS WITH ROCKIES Sam Howard made his major league debut Sunday afternoon for the Colorado Rockies. The Cartersville native worked a scoreless top of the ninth inning allowing only one hit in an 8-3 home loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks. Howard got John Ryan Murphy to fly out to right field on the first pitch of the inning. He then retired Ketel Marte on a groundout to shortstop. Chris Owings doubled into right field on a 1-2 pitch and — after a mound visit — Howard retired Jarrod Dyson on a ground out to second base to end the frame. Former Cartersville High School southpaw Sam Howard was called up from Triple-A Albuquerque on Saturday to join the major league Colorado Rockies. Howard’s call up from the Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes came as left-handed relief pitcher Harrison Musgrave was placed on the bereavement list. Sunday was Howard’s first appearance on the Rockies’ active roster. His last work with the Isotopes was June 2 against Fresno where he allowed three runs on four hits over five innings of work. In nine starts this season with the Isotopes, Howard is 3-4 with a 4.68 ERA across nine starts. The 25-year-old, fifth-year pro who played at Georgia Southern University, has 33 strikeouts this season. He was a third round draft choice by the Rockies in the 2014 MLB draft. Howard has a career minor league record of 29-33 with a 3.68 ERA in 513 innings. He has 97 starts in the minors since 2014 and will wear jersey number 61 for the Rockies. After learning of the call up to the big leagues Howard told the Denver Post, “I haven’t found my groove yet (in Triple-A) in terms of cashing in quality starts week after week, but it’s been a good learning experience because I faced some adversity early and I had to work on a couple things in my delivery.” Howard was injured in April in a home plate sliding incident as a baserunner. As a result, he spent some time on the Isotopes’ disabled list. He has a low-90s fastball with a slider, curve, and a change-up in his repertoire. “My slider’s been my strength, although I haven’t been throwing it as well to start this year,” Howard told Denver Post reporter Kyle Newman. “But I’ve been throwing my changeup well, fastball well, and I’m throwing a curveball now. I’ve actually been throwing (the curve) pretty well, and hitters have been taking it for a strike.” Rockies manager Bud Black expects Musgraves back with the team by Wednesday, so getting Howard in Sunday’s game may have been opportunistic in a short window of time. Musgraves has a 2.65 ERA in 15 innings this season with Colorado. The Rockies (32-33, 4th NL West) travel to Philadelphia to start a three-game set with the Phillies on Tuesday. CONNOR JUSTUS — Mobile BayBears (3rd yr. pro; L.A. Angels organization; Double-A Southern League; Georgia Tech; Cartersville HS)… In six games this week, Justus was only 4-for-24 and saw his season batting average dip to .193. In the final three games of a series at the Chattanooga Lookouts, he was 1-for-12 with three walks, three runs scored, and two RBI. At home for three games with the Jackson Generals Friday through Sunday, Justus was 3-for-12 including a two-RBI triple in the first inning of Sunday’s game. He also walked and scored a run Saturday against the North Division leading Generals. Defensively, Justus has logged 445 in 52 games at second base and shortstop where his fielding percentage is .953. The BayBears (34-28) are in second place, 3.5 games behind Southern League South Division leading Biloxi, with only seven games remaining in the first half of the season. They have home games Monday and Tuesday with Jackson and conclude the first half with a five-game series at Pensacola Wednesday through Sunday. COLLEGE BASEBALL ELLIOTT ANDERSON — Auburn University (Soph., LHP, Cartersville HS) … has not made an appearance in the first two games of the Tigers’ NCAA Super Regional series at top-ranked Florida. The Gators won the first game Saturday 8-2, but Auburn (43-22) forced a Monday night (8pm, ESPN) rubber game with a 3-2 win on Sunday. Anderson (5-0) has a 3.64 ERA in 29.2 innings this season. All 24 of his appearances have been in relief. He has compiled 32 strikeouts with 15 walks. Opponents have a .229 batting average against him. Anderson worked the eighth inning June 2 in the Tigers’ 12-1 win over Army at the NCAA Tournament’s Raleigh Regional. Anderson struck out two of the four batters he faced and allowed one hit.

Former Cartersville High School southpaw Sam Howard was called up from Triple-A Albuquerque on Saturday to join the major league Colorado Rockies. The move came as left-handed relief pitcher Harrison Musgrave was placed on the bereavement list. This will be Howard’s first appearance on the Rockies’ active roster. His last work with the Isotopes was June 2 against Fresno where he allowed three runs on four hits over five innings of work. In nine starts this season with the Isotopes, Howard is 3-4 with a 4.68 ERA across nine starts. The 25-year-old, fifth-year pro who played at Georgia Southern University, has 33 strikeouts this season. He was a third round draft choice by the Rockies in the 2014 MLB draft. Howard has a career minor league record of 29-33 with a 3.68 ERA in 513 innings. He has 97 starts in the minors since 2014 and will wear jersey number 61 for the Rockies. After learning of the call up to the big leagues Howard told the Denver Post, ““I haven’t found my groove yet (in Triple-A) in terms of cashing in quality starts week after week, but it’s been a good learning experience because I faced some adversity early and I had to work on a couple things in my delivery.” Howard was injured in April in a home plate sliding incident as a baserunner. As a result, he spent some time on the Isotopes’ disabled list. He has a low-90s fastball with a slider, curve, and a change-up in his repertoire. “My slider’s been my strength, although I haven’t been throwing it as well to start this year,” Howard told Denver Post reporter Kyle Newman. “But I’ve been throwing my changeup well, fastball well, and I’m throwing a curveball now. I’ve actually been throwing (the curve) pretty well, and hitters have been taking it for a strike.” Rockies manager Bud Black expects Musgraves back with the team by Wednesday, so time to work in Howard may be limited during this call-up. Musgraves has a 2.65 ERA in 15 innings this season with Colorado. The Rockies close out a home series with the Arizona Diamondbacks Sunday afternoon and travel to Philadelphia to start a three-game set with the Phillies on Tuesday.

Anthony Seigler received another accolade this week recognizing an impressive senior season and four-year career for the Cartersville High School baseball team. Friday he was named the 2018 all-classification Player of the Year in baseball by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The switch-hitting senior catcher batted .421 with 10 doubles, three triples, 13 home runs, 16 stolen bases and a .587 on-base percentage for the Class AAAA runner-up Purple Hurricanes. He also threw out 12 of 21 runners attempting to steal a base. Seigler is also an ambidextrous pitcher who compiled a 3-1 record with five saves and a 1.09 ERA his senior season. Seigler has committed to play baseball for the University of Florida but was picked in the first round of this week’s MLB Draft by the New York Yankees at No. 23 overall, the first Georgia high school player selected. He is expected to forego the college route and sign with the Yankees to begin his professional career this summer.

Six different Bartow County high school baseball players were selected by the Georgia Dugout Club as All-State players for the 2018 season. Kyler Pelfrey of Adairsville was a first team selection in Class AAA, while Mason Barnett, Jake Gooch, and Anthony Seigler of Cartersville were all chosen first team in Class AAAA. Gage Morris of Cartersville was named second team all-state in Class AAAA and Garrett Mishoe of Adairsville received Honorable Mention in Class AAA.

Former Cartersville High School quarterback and current Clemson Tigers freshman, Trevor Lawrence, was honored Thursday night by the Atlanta Sports Council as the 2018 High School Athlete of the Year. The 2018 Atlanta Sports Awards took place at The Fairmont in northwest Atlanta. Lawrence was recognized along with several other award winners including Lifetime Achievement Award recipient John Schuerholz. The National Baseball Hall of Fame inductee and former Atlanta Braves general manager joins some of Atlanta’s best in receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award, including most recently Arthur Blank (2017), John Smoltz (2016), Tom Glavine (2015), Tommy Nobis (2014), Chipper Jones (2013), Dominque Wilkins (2012) and Bobby Cox (2011). The award for Lawrence adds to an already long list of accolades including: - USA Today National Offensive Player of the Year - U.S. Army National Player of the Year - Georgia Gatorade Player of the Year 2016 and 2017 - four-year starter at QB for Cartersville - 52-2 record as a starter in high school - led program to a 41-game winning streak - four high school region titles, two state titles, and three state playoff Final Fours - passed for 13,908 yards and 161 touchdowns - broke state records for passing yards and TD passes previously held by Deshaun Watson - 41 TD passes and only one interception in 2017 - .700 completion percentage and 19.6 yards per completion as a senior compiling 3,396 yards on 177 of 256 passes - competed in the Elite 11 finals / named Elite 11 QB / participated in The Opening, 2017 - first-team All-State in Class AAAA his last three years of high school 2018 Atlanta Sports Council Awards Moment of the Year College Football Playoff National Championship Team of the Year Atlanta United FC Community Spirit Award Ben Garland - Atlanta Falcons Coach of the Year Gerardo Martino - Atlanta United Pro Athlete of the Year Miguel Almiron - Atlanta United College Athlete of the Year Roquan Smith - University of Georgia High School Athlete of the Year Trevor Lawrence - Cartersville High School Created in 2006 by the Atlanta Sports Council, the Atlanta Sports Awards has become a way to rally the Atlanta sports community to recognize athletic excellence on a yearly basis. The Atlanta Sports Awards honors those who distinguish themselves from among the five million people living in Atlanta. That includes all professional sports teams, universities, junior colleges and more than 250 public and private high schools in Atlanta.

Devin Warner starred for four seasons with the Cartersville High Purple Hurricanes and was a key ingredient with his travel program, the East Cobb Yankees. Wednesday, the 6-2, 205-pound switch hitting shortstop was drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 30th round of the 2018 MLB draft where most scouting services have him projected as an eventual third baseman. Warner, who admittedly struggled through portions of his senior year at the plate, returned to form in the Canes’ Class 4A state playoff run. He hit .321 with three doubles and a pair of home runs during that stretch to help lead Cartersville to the state championship series. His defense and hustle never suffered throughout the year and his baseball IQ was constantly evident as well. The Diamondbacks’ selectee has decided to go the collegiate route, however, and will stick with his commitment to play for Auburn University for at least the next three seasons. Players enrolling at a four-year college must complete three years to regain draft eligibility, unless they reach age 21 before starting their third year of attendance. The Euharlee resident joins an exclusive group of recent Cartersville High players selected in the MLB draft, including classmate Anthony Seigler who went in Monday’s first round (23rd overall) to the New York Yankees. Former Hurricane Donavan Tate was selected third overall in 2009 by San Diego. Russ Mitchell (15th rd., 2003, L.A. Dodgers), Stephen Collum (40th rd., 2011, Washington Nationals), Will Startup (5th rd., 2005, Atlanta Braves), Josh Morris (12th rd., 2006, Atlanta Braves), Ronnie Brown (42nd rd., 2000, Seattle Mariners), Jason Tidwell (14th rd., 1992, Florida Marlins), and current minor leaguers Connor Justus (5th rd., 2016, L.A. Angels) and Sam Howard (3rd rd., 2014, Colorado Rockies) are previously drafted Hurricanes. Howard was also previously drafted out of high school, but went to Georgia Southern prior to his 3rd round selection. Warner told The Daily Tribune News he was comfortable with his decision to move on to Auburn for now. “It’s a pretty cool feeling, not everybody gets picked in the draft,” said Warner. “I wasn’t selected as high as I wanted, but it will motivate me in college to try to get picked higher next time.” “I’m really happy for Devin,” said Cartersville High head coach Kyle Tucker. “It was great to see him selected. It’s another great memory added on to an already memorable season. Having two seniors drafted is a great way to cap off the year.”

The Cartersville Little League Sandlot (9U) team battled back through the loser’s bracket of the 2018 Northwest Georgia Sectional Tournament at Rudy York Field, but lost in the championship round to Smyrna Little League Sandlot, 19-7. Cartersville lost its tournament opener to Smyrna Blue, but rallied for wins over Bartow County and Smyrna Red to face Smyrna Blue in the championship round needing two wins. CARTERSVILLE ROSTER: Clint Hosea, Westin Barfield, Dallen Fuqua, Zach Hall, Cole Henson, Dixon Lindsey, Blake Lutjens, Payton Paul, Cash Priest, Noah Cagle, Ben Cagle, and Garrett Hewlett. Manager: David Henson. Assistant coaches: Brian Barfield, Jay Paul, Dewayne Fuqua, and Chris Hall. Smyrna Blue won the tournament title without dropping a game in the double-elimination format and will advance to the three-team Georgia Little League State Sandlot Tournament June 16-17 at the Southeast Regional Complex in Warner Robins. Wednesday night, Smyrna Blue took control early and led 10-0 after just two innings. Cartersville scored four times in the bottom of the third inning to narrow the lead to 12-4, but seven more runs crossed the plate for Smyrna in the top of the fourth to essentially put the game away. Cartersville added three more runs in the fourth for a 19-7 final score. Smyrna Blue out hit Cartersville 15 to four and the locals committed eight errors for 11 unearned runs in their loss. Seven of Smyrna’s hits went for extra bases. Westin Barfield had two hits for Cartersville in their finale’. Payton Paul contributed a double with two RBI and Clint Hosea added a hit and one RBI. Barfield (1.2 IP, 10R, 2ER, 8H, 0BB, 2K), Paul (1 IP, 2R, 1ER, 1H, 3BB), and Dallen Fuqua (0.0 IP, 7R, 5ER, 5H, 1BB) all pitched for Cartersville. The Cartersville Sandlot team concludes its Georgia Little League tournament schedule with the District 1 title and a Northwest Georgia Sectional runner-up finish. Bartow County Little League and Cartersville Little League game results are provided to BartowSportsZone.com by the two leagues and are sponsored on Bartow Sports Zone by Play It Again Sports at 410 Cherokee Place in Cartersville.

Coach Dash O’Neill may have some roster spots to fill in coming days following this week’s 2018 MLB draft. The Chargers' baseball program had one established player and one signee drafted by MLB organizations. Both players will be deciding in coming days whether they will continue with the Cartersville-based junior college or will sign with their respective professional organizations. Noah Bryant — a right-hand relief pitcher for the Chargers out of Bainbridge High School — was selected in the 17th round by the Kansas City Royals while L.J. Fisher, a signee out of North Gwinnett High School, was drafted in the 37th round by the Pittsburgh Pirates. Bryant spent just one semester of his freshman year at Georgia Highlands. He transferred to the Chargers from the University of North Georgia, a four-year NCAA D-II program in Dahlonega. Bryant, who starred as a catcher in high school, has made the transition to pitcher while at GHC at is still new to the position. He appeared in a dozen games (1-2, 2 saves, one start) and had 22 strikeouts in 18.1 innings with a 5.40 ERA. The pro attraction is his fastball, clocked at 97 miles per hour with the ability to sit at the 93-94 mph level. Fisher is a speedy outfielder that hit .344 in his senior season at North Gwinnett with three home runs and 34 RBI.