Just like during his career on the baseball diamond as a Rocket, 2007 Forrest alum Andy Burkett is ready to take the ball with the intention to face any challenge in front of him when he was recently hired as head baseball coach, taking over for his friend and mentor Bart Joyce, who resigned his post to spend more time with his family.

“My biggest supporter in my life is my wife Kendra Burkett and I want to thank her, coach Scott Delk (FHS Athletic Director), Ms. (Angie) Phifer (Forrest Principal), the entire Forrest community, and my two loving kids Sutter (4) and Scout (6 months) for giving me this opportunity,” Burkett said.

Burkett joined Joyce when he took over for Chris Parker in 2015 and the coaching duo put up some incredible numbers in the five-year period.

The Rockets posted a 113-62-1 overall record with an incredible 42-14 mark in regular season district play, including an undefeated 12-0 record in 2016.

Under Joyce’s tutelage, Forrest won three district titles, four consecutive region tournament titles from 2015-2018, and made three state tournament appearances, including the schools second runner-up finish this season.

“I want to give a special thank you to my mentor, colleague, but most of all, my good friend Bart Joyce for all his aid in helping me grow as both a coach and a person over the years,” Burkett said. “Whenever Bart and I kind of took over together five years ago I don’t think we could have ever anticipated having this much success.”

“I am really grateful to Bart as a person just because it’s one thing to be a leader of the kids, but it is another to be a leader of the coaching staff and Bart Joyce is the epitome of that, it’s been a great run, I was sad to see it end, I respect his decision, and I absolutely wish him the best in the future.”

In the 2006 state tournament runner-up campaign Burkett made two appearances on the mound at the big dance, coming on to pitch a 1-2-3 sixth inning to close out a first round win by current Texas Ranger ace Mike Minor.

In game three, Burkett tossed a five-hit complete game shutout in a 12-0 six-inning, run-rule win over Huntingdon that sent the Rockets to the Class A title game where they lost 2-0 to McKenzie.

“I had an awesome time the four years I was here and I was fortunate to be here during some of the most prosperous years the Forrest baseball team ever had,” Burkett said. “To know I was part of that 2006 team and to have been an assistant coach on these last few teams that have made it to the state tournament has been special.”

After graduating, Burkett had a couple of small college offers to play baseball and golf, but turned them down to take an academic scholarship at UT Martin where he graduated in 2011.

Burkett is in the process of obtaining his Master’s Degree in Curriculum and Instruction at Middle Tennessee State University while he continues to teach English IV and AP Literature and Composition.

Unlike the star-studded 2006 squad, the 2019 Rockets were not on anybody’s radar to make the deep state tournament run as they finished in second place to Nolensville in both the district and region tournaments, but came away with a huge win at Sycamore in the state sectional round to punch their ticket to the Spring Fling.

“It was a great accomplishment and it was a testament to our district first and foremost, knowing both us and Nolensville made it to the final four of the state tournament, especially in this era of 2A baseball,” Burkett said. “We knew we had a good deep pitching staff that was full of veterans and some very talented young guys too, so it was just a matter if we would get there on time and just like Forrest baseball always does, we peaked at the right time.”

The Rockets won their opening game versus Covington before losing a close 10-8 ballgame to Greeneville in the second round. Forrest came back with a big 13-1 win over Smith County in the loser’s bracket final, but fell 7-5 in the title tilt to Greeneville.

“I’m just really proud of these guys who had a serious work ethic and came every day to the field like it was their job and they wanted to get things accomplished,” Burkett said. “But it starts at the top and we had some great senior leaders like Grayson Whaley and Ethan Mealer and some of the other seniors on the team and we always say on bad teams nobody leads, on average teams the coaches lead, and on good teams the players lead and we always hope that funnels down to the younger players.”

The 2020 team will not be short of talent as well with returning players that include four-year starter Blaize Sweeney, Cody Sisk, Cannon Cervantes, Connor Lewis, Bryson Smith, Kain Moses, John Randall Dippold, Max Kirby, Spence Oliver, Justin Gillespie, Carter Jones, Blake Burnham, and Allen Osborne.

Burkett is retaining current assistant coach Corey Bishop and has a bright, positive outlook for the future of Forrest baseball.

“There is no place to play baseball like here at Forrest, it’s always a fun atmosphere playing in Chapel Hill and that goes back to my playing days here as well, ” Burkett said. “People expect the program at Chapel Hill to have a lot of pedigree to it, we have had success for so many years and I am glad I get the chance to carry on with that winning tradition.”