After a change of heart late in his recruitment, Coffee County CHS baseball player Hayden Skipper publicly celebrated his signing with Lipscomb University on Friday. The senior pitcher/center fielder celebrated his commitment to the Bisons’ baseball team in a ceremony at the CHS library on Friday. Skipper signed his National Letter of Intent and returned the paperwork on Wednesday, which was the first day of NCAA’s Early Signing Period.
Hayden was named to the 2019 District 8AAA All-District team and was selected as the Red Raiders’ Most Valuable Player. Skipper is being recruited as a dual player meaning they expect him to pitch and play in the outfield. “I love the coaching staff and the campus vibe” said Skipper. He went on to say that “the facilities are as nice as you can find and the city of Nashville is a fun place.”
Coffee County CHS head coach David Martin was effusive in his praise for Skipper. “(Hayden) has the ability to go in right away and win his teammates over because he has the ability to develop relationships with his teammates after they see how genuine he is. First thing is first, you have to have the ability to play at that level which he clearly does. But his parents have done an amazing job instilling work ethic and character that he is able to bring to their program. He is everything you want your program to represent and you want him to be the face of your program. His will to compete brings an energy to his teammates that elevates everyone’s game. He is truly a coach on the field but holds himself accountable as he does his teammates. He is one of those players that has set a standard in our program and his legacy will be remembered for many years because of the way he carried himself every day. No matter what this kid does, success will follow him and the people around him.”
Lipscomb University is a private, Christian liberal arts university in Nashville. The Bisons are a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association(NCAA) Division 1 and competes in the Atlantic Sun Conference. Lipscomb is coached by Jeff Forehand who is in his 14th year as head coach for the Bisons.
