Emmanuel University (GA) Men's Baseball

Kilgore, a 2004 graduate of Emmanuel College, returns to Franklin Springs to lead the Lions Baseball Program. Coach Kilgore comes to Franklin Springs from Gainesville, Ga. where he attended and played baseball at Johnson High School. After graduating from Johnson, he accepted a baseball scholarship to play for the Lions. During his both GACC All-Conference and NCCAA All-Region honors batting .394 with 14 HR's and 20 Stolen Bases. Kilgore is entering his seventh season in the coaching ranks and began his career at Emmanuel College where he was an assistant for two seasons. His first opportunity as a Head Coach came with the Athens Pirates in the Great South League where he coached for two seasons. After a one year stop at West Hall High School, Kilgore accepted a position as the Head Assistant at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College in Tifton, GA. Then in 2012, he was named the Head Baseball Coach at ABAC and led the Stallions to a 21-27 overall record and a 14-18 conference mark, an eight game improvement from the previous season. Kilgore earned his B.S. in Business Administration from Emmanuel in 2004 before moving on and finishing his Masters of Education in HPE from North Georgia College and State University. Coach Kilgore and his wife Meredith (Milford) Kilgore, formerly of Carnesville, will reside in Carnesville with their new born son Boston William.

Harrison Stevens enters his second season as a member of the Lions Baseball coaching staff. Stevens works primarily with infielders, and also helps develop hitters and outfielders. Before joining the staff at Emmanuel, he spent 2019-2022 as the head baseball coach at Battle Mountain High School in Colorado. During his time at Battle Mountain, he helped turn around a program that had never had a winning season. In 2023, Stevens helped guide the Lions to their best record in Emmanuels NCAA Division II era. The Lions also qualified for the conference tournament, posting their highest Conference Carolinas winning percentage to date. Emmanuel infielders posted a .948 fielding percentage in Stevens first year working with the group. Thomas Collins was named First Team All Conference at third base, and junior first baseman Brody Campbell fielded a career high .993.  Season Highlights at Battle Mountain High School: 2022: Stevens led Battle Mountain Baseball to their first postseason appearance in school history. The Huskies finished the regular season with a 13-10 record, setting the highest mark for wins in a single season. 2022 produced many other program best finishes, including highest state RPI ranking, lowest team ERA, home runs (11), doubles, (41), and runs scored (165). On April 2, 2022, Battle Mountain completed their first ever season sweep of in-county opponent Eagle Valley. Battle Mountain baseball had five Western Slope All-Conference selections in 2022, including Second Team All State selection Elijah Morales. 2020/2021: After the 2020 season being canceled due to COVID, Battle Mountain Baseball had a breakout year in 2021. The Huskies finished second in the Western Slope Conference with a 7-5 league record. With an overall record of 10-6 in a shortened season, Battle Mountain baseball set the record for the best winning percentage in school history. The Huskies finished the season second in the conference in batting average, and stole 44 bases in 16 games played. The Huskies placed seven players on the Western Slope All-Conference team (including Conference Player of the Year, Elijah Morales).  Stevens grew up in Eagle, Colorado, and graduated from Eagle Valley High School in 2015. At Eagle Valley, Stevens was named Western Slope First Team All-Conference his Junior and Senior seasons, and played for coach Jesse Meryhew. He continued his playing career at Colby Community College in Colby, Kansas. In 2016, Stevens helped Colby CC capture their first Jayhawk West Conference title in school history under head coach Ryan Carter. After graduating from Colby, Stevens moved on to Evangel University in Springfield, Missouri where he played for coach Russell Brand. During his senior year at Evangel, he posted a .326 batting average, recording 47 hits and 28 RBI in 41 games, and finished with a .472 slugging percentage. Stevens also spent time with the Gate City Grays in Pocatello, Idaho as well as the Ozark Generals in Ozark, Missouri during his collegiate and post-collegiate career. Stevens received his Associate of Science degree in Business Administration and Accounting as well as an Associate of Art degree in General Studies from Colby Community College. At Evangel University he graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Sport Management with a minor in Coaching. Stevens is currently pursuing his Master of Education in Positive Coaching and Athletic Leadership from the University of Missouri. Stevens returned to Evangel University in the fall of 2019 as a Graduate Assistant Coach. He became the head coach at Battle Mountain High School in September of 2019. Stevens and his wife, Megan (Asmussen) Stevens reside in Athens, Georgia. His parents, Mike and Angie, live in Eagle, Colorado with his brother Ben. Coach Stevens purpose statement: To develop athletes into people that are committed to pursuing excellence, as leaders who love one another.