By Kevin Price
Photo Courtesy of Michael Brinson
Brunswick High’s Ryan Thomas has been a steady player on the baseball diamond for the Pirates this season. And the senior’s solid play for the Pirates has made him the choice for the Coastal Pines Technical College Boys Student-Athlete of the Month from 912 Sports.
“He has been consistent. There have only been a few games he hasn’t gotten a hit,” said Brunswick head coach Greg Roberts. “He actually gives us another leadoff-type guy hitting in our fifth slot because he can run. “Going into the season, no one would probably say Ryan Thomas would be leading Brunswick in batting average and hits and runs scored, but I can’t say enough about his production and what it’s meant to our success as a team.”
With Brunswick closing out its regular-season schedule before heading to the Class AAAAAA state tournament next week, Thomas is batting a team-best.376 for the Pirates as he is 32-for-85 at the plate in 28 games.
The 32 hits are tied for the team lead, and Thomas has also scored a team-best 23 runs for the Pirates.
The senior center fielder for the Pirates has hit safely in all but six games this season. He had a hit in every game in Brunswick’s last two Region 2-6A series against Effingham and Glynn Academy.
In Brunswick’s opening league series, he went 3-for-4 in one game and finished the three-game set going 6-for-9. Also worth noting is his 4-for-10 showing at the plate against Evans and his 6-for-12 performance in the Pirates’ three-game sweep of Grovetown.
The BHS head coach also lauded the outfield play by Thomas and noted that he leads by example.
“He’s a heckuva a competitor and holds himself to a high standard,” Roberts said. “He wants to be successful and he works diligently. Since he’s been here, he’s done everything we’ve asked of him.
“If we’re doing something, you don’t have to worry about Ryan Thomas being there, being in the right place, doing the right drill.”
Thomas has also competed for the Pirates in cross country while attending Brunswick.
Brunswick is 19-9 overall with one game left on its regular schedule. The Pirates are set to face Pierce County in a non-region game on Thursday.
Brunswick finished region play with a 14-4 record after taking two of three games last week over Glynn Academy to win the city championship for the first time since 2019.
The Pirates will finish first or second in the region, depending on what happens Friday when Evans and Glynn face off in their final two region games in Brunswick. If the Red Terrors win both games, Brunswick would win the region title and be the top seed from the league for the state tournament. If Evans, which is currently 13-3 in league play, wins one of the final two games, the Knights would win the region and the Pirates would be the region’s second seed.
Either way, Brunswick is set to host a first-round state playoff series for the first time since the 2006 season.
Coastal Pines Technical College
Boys Student-Athletes of Month in 2024
January - Arthur Reed, Coffee, wrestling
February - Anthony Lowe, , Brunswick , wrestling
March - Evan Joiner, Ware County, baseball
April, Ryan Thomas, Brunswick, baseball
By Kevin Price
Katlyn Sullivan will be someone to keep an
eye on here in Southeast Georgia she competes in her sport of Rifery.
The Statesboro Junior won the state riflery
championship in March, and her performance
in this competition has earned Sullivan the
Coastal Pines Technical College Student-
Athlete of th Month from 912 Sports as well.
The competition tests marksmanship skills
from prone, standing, and kneeling positions,
demanding both physical control and focus
said Eric Heffner, head coach at Statesboro.
Sullivan also has been shining in competitions
on the national level as well while competiting
away from the high-school arena.
A three-time Junior Olympics qualifier for USA
Shooting, she has competed in the National
Rifle Junior Olympic Championships the past
three years.
This past year, in the three-stage
competition for the 2024 Olympics to be held
in Paris, France, she ranked 24th out of 79.
Shooters ranged in age from high
school competitors and college shooters to
adult marksmen. The field also included some past Olympians
Also this past summer, Sullivan competed in
the Civilian Marksmanship Program at Camp
Perry for a week's worth of national-level
competitions. She won first place in the
National 3-Position Air Rifle Junior Olympic
Championships and second place in the
Civilian Marksmanship Program's National
Championship for her Under 17 age group.
For all age categories competing in these
competitions, she ranked 13th and 15th,
respectively, out of 260 competitors.
Sullivan also took part in the Smallbore
Nationals and Air Rifle Nationals, where she
posted a personal-best in smallbore 50
meters.
Last September, she also competed in the Ole
Miss Rifle Open and tied for sixth overall out
of 24 shooters. Sullivan recorded personal-
bests in both air rifle and smallbore while
competing in the event that was designed to
give college teams a chance to scout
prospective recruits.
Coastal Pines Technical College
Girls Student-Athletes of the Month in 2024
January - Trenity Hamilton, Charlton Co., basketball
February - Marigona Lau, Glynn Academy, wrestling
March - Ellie Luppino, Glynn Academy, tennis
April - Katlyn Sullivan, Statesboro, riflery
Contact Shawn Smoak (912) 288-7323 sls0866@gmail.com
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