Demorest, GA – With spring rapidly approaching at Piedmont College, Head Baseball Coach Jim Peeples has made an addition to his coaching staff bringing former player CARL ALLEN on as a Graduate Assistant Coach with the start of this spring semester. A Piedmont graduate himself who spent his collegiate playing days in the friendly confines of Loudermilk Field, Allen will make a smooth transition to the coaching ranks as he has already been in the dugout to coach several youth baseball teams around the area.
Spending his time with the Green and Gold on the mound, Allen enjoyed a four-year stint with the Piedmont Lions helping his team to a 105-68 overall record, two wins shy of the all-time best for a four-year class. The 2014 graduating class trailed just the 107 wins put up by the 2011 class that posted bookend seasons of 30-plus wins as only two classes have surpassed the century-win mark in the NCAA era.
Allen’s 2014 graduating class were freshmen on the 2011 team that won a Great South Athletic Conference Tournament Championship in dramatic walkoff fashion. With the title in hand, PC would go on to a NCAA National Tournament appearance that season, the program’s second such trip in four seasons.
As one of the winningest classes overall, Allen watched his Lions post a 58-27 mark in the friendly confines of Loudermilk Field including an outstanding 15-4 mark at home in his senior season.
Saving his best for last, Allen helped his team to a 25-14 overall record including a 17-10 mark in USA South play making a pair of scoreless appearances on the mound in a pair of wins in 2014. Allen pitched two innings in a Friday night win under the lights at Loudermilk in the Lions’ final series of the year to spark a three-game weekend sweep of Maryville College.
The senior allowed just one hit tossing the final two innings of that series-opening victory over the rival Scots. His final pitch of the night completed his only strikeout of the appearance as he caught the final batter of the top of the 9th looking at strike three walking off the mound a winner in his last appearance for the Green and Gold.
Allen picked up a flare for storybook endings during his high school days as, prior to enrolling at Piedmont, Allen was a mainstay with the Commerce High School baseball program less than 30 miles away from Loudermilk Field. Allen closed the regular season portion of his high school baseball career with the Tigers by belting a pair of home runs in a dominant 19-4 victory over visiting Social Circle.
Playing third base for the Tigers in his final game at Gordon Field, Allen hit two opposite-side homers, the second of which was a grand slam in the 15-run win, his final regular season contest before jumping to the collegiate ranks. As the leadoff hitter that Tuesday night in April of 2010, Allen went 3-for-4 with seven RBIs to put the finishing touches on his time with the Georgia-based high school baseball program.
Allen was named to the 2008 All-Region 2nd Team as a DH before being named a 1st Team selection as a pitcher in 2009 and 2010. In 2010, the Peach State native was named a Georgia Dugout Club All-Star and also a Preseason All-State 2nd Team selection as well. Prepping under Coach Steve Cotrell at Commerce, Allen also enjoyed a solid travel ball career playing for Team Elite under Coach Brad Borous.
Starting his coaching career before wrapping up his collegiate playing career, Allen was the Head Coach of a 12 & under travel baseball team in 2013 working with Tiger Baseball just prior to his final campaign at Piedmont. Allen stayed with the same squad in 2014 taking the Commerce-based team to a pair of tourneys during the summer after completing his time at PC.
playing days with local prep spot Commerce
as he receives advice from Coach Steve Cotrell.
The Piedmont pitcher also worked back-to-backCoach Carl Allen from his high school playing days with local prep spot Commerce as he receives advice from Coach Steve Cotrell.
Coach Carl Allen from his high school
playing days with local prep spot Commerce
as he receives advice from Coach Steve Cotrell.
Tiger Baseball camps in 2011 and 2012 firmly establishing himself as a member of the baseball community in the area surrounding his college home. Working with Next Level Baseball & Softball Academy in Habersham, Allen honed his coaching skills by serving as a baseball instructor with the Northeast Georgia organization.
Coupled with his heavy involvement in the travel baseball scene, Allen also volunteered as a coach with the Commerce High School summer team for three straight years (2011, 2012, 2013).
A graduate of Piedmont with a degree in Early Childhood Education, the pitcher took home Dean’s List honors in each of his final four semesters at PC and was also a two-time USA South Academic All-Conference honoree.
Allen will pursue his graduate degree from the School of Education at PC while serving as a graduate assistant with the Lions’ baseball program assisting Head Coach Jim Peeples in every facet of the program.
