HEAD COACH MARK ELKINS
Mark.Elkins@cobbk12.org COACH ELKINS BLOG Coach Elkins was a three year varsity baseball letterman at Carbondale Community High School in Carbondale, Illinois. During his senior season, he was named All-Southern Illinois, All-South Seven Conference, and played in the East-West All-Star Game in 1984. After graduation, he attended Tennessee Tech University where he was a four year letterman at shortstop. In the spring of 1988, his senior season, the Golden Eagles set school records for double plays and fielding percentage. In 1989, he earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Health and Physical Education. In 1991, he added a Master of Arts Degree in Administration and Supervision while serving as an assistant coach. In 1998, Coach Elkins was honored by his alma mater, being named shortstop on the Golden Eagles 25 Year Anniversary Team. Coach Elkins completed his Educational Specialist Degree in Educational Leadership from Lincoln Memorial University in 2001. The Harrison Baseball Program has been very successful in 24 Varsity seasons. The Hoyas have been able to capture four Georgia Dugout Tournament championships and five region championships. Eighteen teams have advanced to the state playoffs. Six have advanced to the state quarterfinals, including the 1998 and 2010 State Championship teams. In 24 seasons, 102 players have had the opportunity to play college baseball and 17 different players have been drafted into professional baseball. Coach Elkins is in his 25th year at Harrison serving as an assistant his first six years with this being his 19th year as Head Coach for the Hoyas. His teams, in 18 seasons, have won 356 games and won two Region Championships: Region 5AAAAA in 2008 and Region 5AAAAAA in 2015. The Hoyas have competed in 14 State Playoffs; including two straight appearances in the State Quarter Finals in 2002 and 2003. The Hoyas finished the 2010 season as the State Champions in AAAAA and ranked 15th in the Nation by USA Today and 21st by Baseball America. The Hoyas have finished ranked in the State’s Top Ten five times. In 2002 the Hoyas finished the season ranked 6th, in 2003 ranked 5th, and in 2007 and in 2008 the Hoyas finished ranked 9th. In 2010 the Hoyas finished ranked 1st in AAAAA. During the past 18 seasons, 80 Hoyas have gone on to play college baseball and nine former players have been drafted into professional baseball. An active member of The Georgia Dugout Club, Coach Elkins was named "Assistant Coach of the Year" by the club in 1997. He was named an assistant in 1999 to coach the Atlanta-West All Star Team which won the gold medal in the Georgia Dugout Club’s All Star Game. Coach Elkins later was named the Head Coach for for the Northwest Team in 2012. In 2010 Coach Elkins was named “Cobb County Baseball Coach of the Year” by the Marietta Daily Journal and was named “AAAAA Baseball Coach of the Year” by the Georgia Dugout Club and by the Atlanta Braves 400 Club. In 2002 and in 2014, Don Shaw Field was named the High School Field of the Year by the Georgia Dugout Club. In 2011, Coach Elkins and the rest of the 1998 State Championship Team were inducted into the Harrison High School Athletics Hall of Fame. In 2015, Coach Elkins was named the Region 5AAAAAA “Coach of the Year” and was Named “Harvey Cochran Coach of the Year” by the Marietta Umpires Association. In January of 2017, Coach Elkins was inducted into the Georgia Dugout Club’s “Hall of Fame” along with the Hoyas’ first Head Coach, Mike Power. Coach Elkins has been involved in International Baseball at various levels with USA Baseball. In 2003, Coach Elkins served on the task force as Bullpen Manager during the Tournament of Stars at Joe Becker Stadium in Joplin, Missouri. In 2006, Coach Elkins served as Head Coach for USA Baseball’s at large team during the Tournament of Stars. Coach Elkins has also traveled internationally serving on Team USA’s 18U National Team Coaching Staff. During the summer of 2007, Coach Elkins served as an assistant coach for the 18U National Team which competed in and captured the Bronze Medal in the COPABE Pan Am AAA Junior Championship in Ixtapa / Zihuatanejo, Mexico. In 2008, Coach Elkins served as Head Coach for Team USA’s 18U National Team which competed in the International Baseball Federation’s XXIII AAA World Junior Championships in Edmonton, Alberta. The Junior Team compiled a 13-1 record for the summer and captured the Silver Medal during the event. Coach Elkins' work with the 2008 team combined with the effort of the staff and players, resulted in Coach Elkins being named the “Developmental Baseball Coach of the Year” by the United States Olympic Committee. Mark and his wife Richelle have been married for 24 years and reside in Acworth. They have one 20 year old son, Tyler, a Former Hoya and a Sophomore Pitcher at Chattahoochee Valley Community College in Phenix City, Alabama. |
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