Echols County. It’s a small locale nestled on Georgia’s southern border; the 421- square mile area is home to about 4,000. The county seat is the town of Statenville; as of the last census, it was home to just over 1,000 people. Everybody knows everybody, and it’s the kind of close-knit community in which you never have to look far in a time of need.
It is in this small community that we find Kameron Coggins and Logan Hill. Both picked up the game of softball at the age of 4, and it has proven to work wonders in both of their lives as have blossomed into terrific student-athletes, both sitting at the top of Echols County High School’s Class of 2016. Their hard work has also paid off on the diamond; the girls were part of a Wildcats softball team that went to the postseason for the first time in school history, finishing third in the state playoffs in their final campaign.
“Everyone here feels like family,” Logan says. “It’s a small place; there’s one red light, but it’s like one big family. I can’t think of anyone here that would hesitate to help you if it was needed.”
Lifelong friends and teammates, the two will soon go their separate ways as college begins in the fall. But time and distance will never change what these young women have done for each other and the Echols County faithful.
“The level of companionship and support here is unbelievable,” Kameron says. “Everyone, especially our senior class, is so close. I feel like everyone in the community is here for encouragement and positivity.”
Kameron Coggins
Senior pitcher and first baseman Kameron Coggins has had quite the impressive career. In her four years as a varsity member of the Echols County softball program, she has collected numerous awards. As a freshman and senior, she was named Region 2-A Pitcher of the Year and was an All-Region First Team member in her sophomore and junior seasons.
The numbers speak for themselves: Over the course of her career with the Wildcats (in which she went 48-14 on the mound), Kameron struck out an astounding 450 batters (including 234 in her final season), finished with a 1.25 ERA, and held down a .363 batting average.
While her accolades have been complemented by regular remarkable outings by the softball team, Kameron’s maturity speaks volumes about the role that losses have played in her growth as a student-athlete.
“Sports have been very instrumental in developing my character, Kameron says. “Like life, sports can be full of ups and downs. While winning can be self -fulfilling, it’s the losses that have had the biggest impact on my character. Learning to hold my head up and getting back up after a tough loss has really helped me mature and prepare me for some of the curveballs that life can throw at us.”
The multi-talented student-athlete has done a tremendous job performing at the highest level on the diamond, on the basketball court, and in the classroom (where she has maintained a perfect 4.0 grade point average). It was only a matter of time before colleges began approaching her. Eventually, Kameron made the decision to sign a Letter of Intent with Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College in Tifton, Georgia.
“I heard from a few other schools,” she says. “I had always wanted to go to ABAC, even before softball was a possibility there. But what finally won me over was (head coach) Jennifer Martinez; she’s a former collegiate pitcher herself (Martinez attended the University of Arizona). Her experience and ability to perform at the highest level will definitely help me; I would love to continue to play softball after ABAC.”
She would like to either earn a postgraduate degree in biology and become a physician’s assistant or study agricultural business. But one thing is for sure: no matter where she goes or what she does, Kameron is going to continue to make Echols County proud.
Logan Hill
Logan Hill is one of the rare types of student-athlete that you may be fortunate enough to encounter in your lifetime. She exudes a confidence that somehow manages to crack her humble exterior, her talent speaks volumes, and her academic prowess is of the highest degree.
As a four-year member of the Wildcats’ softball team, she posted quite an impressive resume: 92 runs scored, 76 runs batted in, 57 doubles, seven homeruns (including six in her senior year), and a .539 batting average. Her undeniable skill led to her being named the Region 2-A Offensive Player of the Year for her first three seasons of high school, capped off with being awarded as the overall Region Player of the Year as a senior. She has been the Echols MVP in her freshman sophomore, and junior seasons (senior awards had not been announced as of this writing), and she was named a member of the 2015-16 Georgia Dugout Club All-State Team.
However, keeping in true fashion of the concept of a student-athlete, perhaps the most admirable statistic that Logan has recorded has come on the other side of the equation. Like Kameron, she holds a 4.0 grade point average.
Providing such a high caliber of performance in both athletics and academia, it is only appropriate that collegiate scouts had Logan as a top priority on their radar. In the end, she chose to join the softball team at the University of South Carolina Upstate (a Division I school located in Spartanburg, South Carolina), and officially committed by signing her letter of intent on Tuesday, November 17.
“When I visited (USC Upstate), it just felt like home,” she says. “I also had offers from Valdosta State, Troy University, and a few others, but Upstate just felt like a big family.”
As a Spartan, she will be making a six-hour and 340-mile drive to compete in the Atlantic Sun Conference against the likes of Lipscomb (Nashville, Tennessee), Kennesaw State (Kennesaw, Georgia), and the University of North Florida (Jacksonville, Florida). Last season, USC Upstate finished with an impressive record of 44-10 (18-2 and first place in the conference) and made a trip to the NCAA tournament. The team has been voted to finish second (behind Lipscomb) this year according to the A-Sun Conference preseason polls.
The next level will bring a multitude of new experiences for Logan. But perhaps one of the biggest changes will be the alterations to her coaching staff. Since she first suited up, Logan has been taught by Rebecca and Shelby Hill. Away from the diamond, she knows them by much more special titles: Mom and Dad. Under Spartans’ head coach Chris Hawkins, it will be her first time playing for someone other than her parents.
“I’m definitely going to miss the car rides,” she says. “After games, I’m used to getting pointers and tips from my parents about my game and what I can work on, and I won’t have that anymore. But I don’t think it will be too hard to transition because Coach Hawkins is dedicated to helping his players succeed, so he is always willing to help out.”
Sidebars:
Kameron Coggins on Logan Hill: “Logan has always been a true friend to me and has always had my back on and off the field. It’s going to be different when we go our separate ways to college because we’ve always had that catcher pitcher duo and an inseparable bond, but I know she is going to do great things at Upstate. She’s an amazing friend and a beast of a catcher!”
Logan Hill on Kameron Coggins: “I’ve known Kameron practically my whole life. She my best friend; more like a sister to me. Even our parents are great friends, and they have been since before we were born. On the field, it’s almost like a ‘twin telepathy’ thing between us. We feed off each other so well, and that kind of relationship is irreplaceable.”
