James Clemens will get new baseball coach
James Clemens interim baseball coach Todd Carter with players Jordan Anderson and Carter Richardson (Record photo/Lindsay Vaught)
MADISON- James Clemens’ Athletic Director Rocky Smith confirmed that the school is in the process of hiring a new baseball coach. Shane Medlen, who came to James Clemens from Bob Jones four years ago, has been the baseball coach since the school opened.
“Coach Medlen met with the team on May 31 and informed them that he was stepping down. He spoke with me citing family reasons, specifically to be able to be around his young sons playing ball,” Smith said in a statement. “We are thankful to Coach Medlen for all the work he has put in starting the program and elevating it to a respectable level. We have a very good school and baseball program for the next head coach to come in to. A lot of that is due to the work Coach Medlen and his staff have put in. We are in the midst of an extensive search to find the next head coach to lead our program to new heights.”
Todd Carter has been named interim coach and is leading the team through summer workouts, practices, and allowable competition dates. Courtney Taylor will assist him.
The team returns a solid nucleus of players who contributed this season. Starting pitcher Garrett Brown pitched well all season and picked up a win against Hazel Green in the playoffs. Centerfielder Jordan Anderson is all-state and was picked to play in the AHSAA All star sports week baseball game. Shortstop Jared Barnes, catcher Tyson Ward, and outfielder Immanuel Wilder are starters who return.
James Clemens made the playoffs in 2013 and 2015, winning an area title in 6A their first season.
“We will go through summer workouts and we have games scheduled and continue with what Coach Medlen laid out until the new coach is named,” Carter said. “The players understand the focus will be on James Clemens and continuing to make this program better and better. We will work on drills, strategy, weightlifting, and just improving.”
Carter was the pitching and catching coach for the last four years as assistant coach. He is a teacher at James Clemens.
“I understand him needing to spend time with his family and his young children,” Carter said of Medlen. “I know he is going to miss it and it was difficult for him to step down. He is the main reason that we have the great facilities we have in this program. He has put his footprint on this program and he went above and beyond getting this program going.”
