Andrew's Blake Williams reaches 200 win mark

CUTHBERT, Ga. – Andrew College Head Baseball Coach Blake Williams reached a milestone on Wednesday night in the 6-5 win over Enterprise State Community College (AL), recording his 200th collegiate win, far and away the current leader in wins in Andrew College baseball, as well as being second among the active wins leader in the Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association (GCAA).

 

Williams started his coaching career at Andrew College as the head assistant baseball coach in the fall of 2009. Promoted to the head coach position just prior to the  2012 season, Williams has steadily rebuilt the Tiger machine, combining a refined eye for the right type of player for Andrew College to bring in, an extensive fall workout and exhibition game schedule, and an increased use of analytics, to produce players who take their mojo from "In the Cut". 

 

This has led to a stellar record of wins, individual post-season honors for his players on the field, numerous academic awards off the field, and an increase of player movement to the four-year schools of all Divisions (NCAA Div. I, NCAA Div. II, NCAA Div. III, and NAIA). 

 

Williams has sent 74 players to four-year institutions, including an astouding 13 following the 2016 season. The 2021 team will almost certainly better that mark. He had a player named an ABCA/Rawlings Gold Glove Award winner four straight years beginning in 2016 and included the 2017  Spalding® NJCAA Div. I Baseball Defensive Player of the Year.  And last academic year, 2019-20,  he had one of his pitchers win an Andy Award, the highest award given to an Andrew College student, for Leadership.

 

Speaking of 200 wins today, Williams remarked, "Well, they'll put my name on the certificate, but there are 100's of players, 1000's of parents, and dozens of coaches who did a lot of the heavy lifting to get there."  With almost half of his 200 wins coming in just the last three full seasons, plus the Covid shortened season, and the Tigers off to an 10-1-1 start in 2021, Williams and his team set their sights on a bid in the NJCAA Region 17  Div. I Baseball Playoffs in mid-May.