MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WJHL) – Greeneville is, once again, back atop the TSSAA Class 3A baseball world. The Greene Devils ground out a 1-0 victory on Friday, upending the defending state champions, Upperman, to add to their trophy case.
While the run to the school’s second state baseball championship saw multiple players step up, the top performance in the championship game came from sophomore pitcher Carson Quillen. The Virginia Tech commit pitched a complete-game, three-hit shutout in perhaps the biggest game of his young high school career.
There will be plenty of good memories to reflect upon when it comes to the 2023 season – a district championship, a school-record 40 wins and the big trophy.
But, perhaps the most memorable bit of the campaign will be how the young underclassmen grew up throughout the spring to become leaders on a state championship squad.
“Just how young and inexperienced we were at the beginning of the year,” senior Parker Shipley said. “I mean, me and Caden are the only other two seniors and we still came through and won state.”
“We have multiple leaders on the field at all times – whether it’s in the infield, outfield, in the dugout, energy leaders – anything,” Quillen said. “I wouldn’t be as confident in myself if I didn’t have these guys all around me.”
“There’s a team full of sophomores, I think, of [Carson’s] peers,” head coach Andy Collins said. “I think that – that just motivates them even more.”
Collins feels a slight sense of sadness, despite the state title, as the end of the season means no more baseball until next year. But now, the Greene Devils will return a young roster with championship credentials in 2024.
