Cole signs with Columbia State

Cornersville senior baseball player Tyler Cole signs a letter of intent with Columbia State. Pictured with Tyler are his father Kevin and mother Debbie. Standing are Columbia State head coach Kelly Bratton, left, and Cornersville head coach Brent Adcox.

Columbia State head coach Kelly Bratton said he considers Cole a potential diamond in the rough and believes he can improve his velocity by honing his pitching mechanics.

"He has a Division I body on him. He just needs to work hard and get stronger," said Bratton. "His curveball is very good and he's got some velocity, but he has a lot more in him than he's letting go right now."

A four-year starter for the Bulldogs, Cole has been the staff ace for CHS this season and helped lead Cornersville to a second place finish in the District 11-A standings. During his senior campaign, Cole has compiled an impressive 7-3 record on the mound, while posting a team low 1.58 ERA and registering 86 strikeouts in 57 2/3 innings of work.

Although he missed half of his junior year due to illness and pitched only 27 1/3 innings for the Bulldogs, Cole finished second on the team in strikeouts with 43 and registered a minuscule 1.02 ERA to go along with a 2-2 record.

As a sophomore, Cole had a breakout year and led the Bulldogs in innings pitched (49 1/3), ERA (2.27), wins (3), and strikeouts (63).

Along with Columbia State, Cole also received interest from Maryville and Tusculum and was a standout basketball player for CHS. Tyler is an excellent student as well and is graduating from Cornersville High School with high honors.