For those players that are interested in being a college prospect. Coach Rice has put together a email and letter guideline for you to use. Also the team Goals have been added to the site. You can find all of this in the Handout section of the website.

Karns producing winners on and off the field 

A-14 • MAY 5, 2008 • SHOPPER-NEWS POWELL/KARNS

By Mike Brown 

As the dust settles on the 2008 varsity baseball season, Karns head baseball coach John Rice will come to the end of an era, of sorts. Rice, in his fourth year at the helm of the Beavers, will watch as several players he has coached both on and off the field for the past four years, graduate. Rice takes the job seriously, an educator and mentor first and foremost. “Coach pulled us (seniors) aside before the prom last week and let us know how important it was to make the right decisions, to use our heads,” recalled senior infielder and 2007 District 3-3A co-player of the year Coty Pate. “He knows what he’s talking about both on and off the field.” In only his fourth year, Rice has amassed an 85-47-1 record (.639). A tough first season in 2005 gave way to regular season district co-championship in 2006. The Beavers lost the district tournament but bounced back to take the regional championship, the first for the Beavers. The Beavers eventually lost to Science Hill in the state playoffs. Rice garnered Coach of the Year honors and Karns pitcher Evan Patterson was named to the All-region and All-state teams. Last season produced another All-state player and district co-player of the year in Coty Pate. Pate has been with Rice since the beginning. “Coach Rice is an all around good coach. He was a pitcher in college so he is a great pitching coach. He is a great hitting coach as well. When he talks, you better be listening.” The 2008 season has been character-building process. After opening the season with four consecutive district losses, Pate and the rest of the senior class have provided the leadership needed to battle through the tough losses and keep the younger players motivated. “We have meetings before every season where we decide that our main goal is 20 wins. We remind each other every game and we got on a roll and started winning ballgames,” added Pate. The commitment paid off as the Beavers fought through the early season losses to finish third in District 3-3A and pick up wins against some of the area’s top baseball programs, including Science Hill, Bearden, Cookeville and Centennial. “I am so proud of all the players that I’ve had. It is great to have players named All-state. I have had numerous All-district players and quite a few kids go on to play college. That is awesome to look at and know that I have somehow been a part of their lives,” added Rice. There is little time to reflect as the Beavers reload for the 2008-09 season and Rice begins the process of developing young students and players into winners, on and off the field. 

KHS Try-outs will take place July 14 thru 15 

New players will be July 14 and 15th  

5:30 at our field.

THE RETURNING PLAYER TRYOUTS HAS BEEN POSTPONED, WE WILL HAVE A MEETING WHEN SCHOOL BEGINS TO DETERMINE TRYOUT TIME.

Ty Towe has signed a committment letter to play at Milligan College.  Please see the excerpt below from the June 8th edition of the Knoxville News-Sentinel for the other five players at Karns who have signed.  Ty just recently committed to Milligan College, so he is not mentioned in the article.

"Karns' baseball team, which finished 21-12 this past season, has produced five junior college signees: infielder Coty Pate and outfielder Logan Hammontree (Walters State), pitcher Jonathan Prior (Cleveland State) and infielder Brian Fogarty and catcher Brandon Vanosdale (Roane State)."