The Atkinson County Rebels didn’t know what to expect when the 2024 baseball season began. Sure, they had an energetic new coach who knows how to get the most out of his players and a core group of players who wanted to win. At the same time, they had over a decade of lackluster success, no recent playoff appearances, and little experience from which to draw upon.
There was, however, a sense of urgency that permeated the program. It wasn’t going to be easy but the Rebels desperately wanted to change their fortunes. Honestly, it couldn’t get much worse. ATCO hadn’t made the playoffs since 2015. The Rebels had won a total of nine games and lost 44 over the last two seasons.
When first-year head coach Stan Hughes met with his players the first time, he saw that even though things had been pretty rough for the Rebels, they were tired of losing. Their refusal to accept another 20-loss season and the enthusiasm Coach Hughes brought with him to Pearson made an immediate impact. “The kids were nothing but hungry to win and get after it every day. These kids are tough and they just wanted to win,” said Coach Hughes.
And win they did. The Rebels had their best year in a long time, finishing 15-15 and making the playoffs for the first time in nine years. Atkinson County had four seniors that set the tone for the rest of the team. “These seniors have been through the tough times. They led by example and we had a talented group of underclassmen as well,” said Coach Hughes.
The Rebels faced some of the stiffest competition in Class A. Defending state champion Charlton County is a region foe. Irwin and Lanier are also tough opponents. Later this week, Charlton and Lanier will face each other for the state title — eight of ATCO’s 15 losses came against these two teams.
Five Rebels eventually made the All-Region teams: Sophomore Jack Tillman (.301 batting average, 2.00 ERA, #1 starter, shortstop when not pitching) and freshman Jovi Meeks (.366, seven doubles and two triples made First Team. Seniors MJ McKinnon (.311, first base) and Tyler Smith (catcher) joined freshman Gevin Smith (.291, 27 RBI) on the Second Team. Seniors Brandon Vining (DH, four home runs) and Qua Williams (on base machine — 38 walks, 10 HBPs, and maybe the best centerfielder in the region) made Honorable Mention.
“Our goal is to get Atkinson County baseball back to what it was in the early 2000s and in the playoff hunt each year. This was our first trip to the postseason since 2015 and these kids and this community deserved it. Atkinson County is a special place and the administration and people of the community have treated us like family since we got here. We are proud to be Rebels,” said Coach Hughes.