BALDWIN SPORTS MILESTONES

Tigers head coach Anthony Cox gets varsity victory No.400

Fastpitch skipper reaches significant benchmark early in 18th season at BCHS

Tony Whitehead, Gulf Coast Media Sports
Posted 3/6/19

Baldwin County High head softball coach Anthony Cox earned his 400th career win on Friday, March 1 in a 5-4 Tiger victory over Ft. Payne in the Auburn High School Softball …

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BALDWIN SPORTS MILESTONES

Tigers head coach Anthony Cox gets varsity victory No.400

Fastpitch skipper reaches significant benchmark early in 18th season at BCHS

Posted

AUBURN, Ala. — Baldwin County High head softball coach Anthony Cox earned his 400th career win on Friday, March 1 in a 5-4 Tiger victory over Ft. Payne in the Auburn High School Softball Invitational.

Kahalley Brooks was the winning pitcher and Ava Worthy got the save for BCHS in the coaching-milestone victory.

“The 400th win was a great achievement for me and the BCHS softball program,” Cox said. “I am very humbled to have the opportunity to coach at my alma mater, Baldwin County High School.

“I would like to thank the numerous talented softball players that I have had the pleasure of coaching, the assistant coaches that I have worked with, the administration at Baldwin County High School, the dedicated parents and the great community support.

"Special thanks to my wife, JoAnne and my daughters, Bria (who played for me) and Bailey (presently playing for me). Last but not least, I want to thank God for without Him none of this is possible.”

Brooks pitched five innings, allowed eight hits, four runs, no walks, and two strikeouts for the big win over Ft. Payne. Worthy pitched two innings, allowed no hits, no runs, no walks and four strikeouts for the save.

Worthy came into the game in the sixth inning with the score 5-4 and no outs with a runner on third base. In a dramatic seventh-inning effort, she struck out three Wildcat batters in a row to close. Bailey Cox had two doubles and three RBIs to help her dad reach the 400 club plateau. Layla Hadley added two big RBIs and Worthy had two hits and two runs scored.

On Saturday, March 2, the Tigers then defeated Hatton 9-3 to bump coach Cox’s total-win count to No. 401. Leighanna Turk was the winning pitcher over Hatton. She pitched four innings, allowed six hits, three runs, three walks and one strikeout.

Worthy got the final three outs. She allowed no hits, no runs, no walks, and had two strikeouts. Kahalley Brooks, Laura Weatherford and Ava Worthy each had two hits.

BCHS came up short 8-4 to Central Phenix City in the tourney. Worthy pitched two innings, allowed four hits, four runs, three walks and one strikeout. Brooks pitched four innings, allowed five hits, four runs, two strikeouts and no walks.

Cox started his career coaching baseball at Tennessee State University, his alma mater, as a graduate assistant for two years. He was later the assistant baseball coach under the late Jerry Wright for one season at Baldwin County High School in 1999.

In the summer of 1999, coach Cox was hired by former principal Bob Salter as the head softball coach at BCHS and his first career win was a five-inning, 10-0 shutout over Murphy with Sarae Lambert in the circle for the Tigers to start the Cox era in the spring of 2000.

“We made the playoffs 10 out of 12 years,” he said. “We finished in the top eight in the state three times, top 16

in the state seven times and over 20 players received scholarships."

In 2012, he took two years off from coaching and was rehired by principal Craig Smith in January 2014.

"We've won over 100 games over the last five years, 11 players have received scholarships and this year’s team is working hard to get back to the playoffs.”

The Tigers are set to play in the Daphne Jubilee Shootout tournament this weekend at Al Trione Park on Whispering Pines Road. They take on Dothan at 4 p.m., then face Foley's Lions at 6 p.m.

Play continues Saturday, weather permitting against MGM at noon and Helena at 4 p.m.

Clarification: The March 8, 2019 Baldwin Times referred to the first win of the 2000 season incorrectly as a 10-inning shutout. It was a five-inning, 10-0 shutout.