“ It was what we were hoping for .”
Kirkland has long been considered one of Georgia ’ s top high school baseball coaches .
As an assistant at Colquitt County High , he was instrumental in helping head coach Jerry Croft lead the Packers to state championships in 1997 and 2003 .
In 2004 , he took over the South Effingham program and in his first six seasons as a head coach he led the Mustangs to a 138-52 record and four Final Four appearances .
The South Effingham community was so appreciative of the work he did there that earlier this year the baseball field was named in his honor .
Kirkland returned to Colquitt County in 2010 and coached the Packers for 10 seasons , posting a 163-136 record .
When he retired after the 2019 season , he had a career record of 301-188 and had been named to the Georgia Dugout Club ’ s Hall of Fame the year before , while he was still coaching .
He also had been involved with Team Georgia , taking teams to play in tournaments in Oklahoma for six years . He coached in the Georgia Dugout Club all-star games and in 2013 won the GDC Ethics and Professional Coaching Award .
And through all the years , he gained a reputation as a skilled hitting coach .
The extra hours , particularly on Sunday afternoons , when he would throw pitch after pitch to his players , have not been forgotten .
One of the most notable recipients of Kirkland ’ s baseball acumen is South Effingham ’ s Josh Reddick , who played in the major leagues for 12 seasons and earned a World Series ring as a member of the Houston Astros in 2017 .
Coach Greg Tillery works with Kyson Hardin in the batting cage at the Fundamental Factory . Photo by Connie Southwell
For much of his career , he wore jersey No . 22 in honor of his high school coach .
It was Kirkland who moved Reddick from shortstop to right field , a position he played well enough for the Oakland A ’ s to win a Gold Glove Award in 2012 .
Kirkland and Tillery work closely with individual athletes , not only from Colquitt County , but from Tifton , Thomasville , Camilla and Sylvester .
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