The Chattanooga Cyclones baseball program was founded in 1993 by George Koontz. The Cyclones have fielded select teams every summer since 1993, and select Fall teams every fall since 1994. The Cyclones program was founded to assist talented, dedicated and disciplined student-athletes in developing their baseball skills to their full potential and to provide them with the exposure to college programs at which they are capable of playing as well as exposure to professional scouts.

     The program emphasizes player development; however, winning is certainly a goal of the program. This is exemplified by the 18U 2002 Summer team’s (32-8) inaugural regular season Southeastern Championship Series championship, Summer 2004 6 tournament championships and 37-9 overall record, the 2005 Summer SCS tournament championship and final 16 appearance at the 18U Perfect Game in 2005 and 2006, and the 2004 Collegiate team’s 2nd place finish in the Georgia Wooden Bat League, Georgia State Stan Musial Championship and 2nd place finish in the Stan Musial Southeaster Regional. In the Fall of 2004, the Cyclones 18U team went 28-3-1, including wins over the South Carolina Diamond Devils, Dulins Dodgers and the East Cobb Astros and 4 tournament championships, and in the Fall of 2005 the 18U team was 28-6 with four tournament championships, including the 2005 Southern Fall Wood Bat World Series. The Fall record in 2007 was 27-6-3 and the Summer record was 32-9-1 with the team winning 6 tournament championships and 6 second place finishes on the year. In 2008 the Cyclones played on extremely challenging Summer and Fall schedules. The 18U team won 6 tournament championships on the year. The Fall record for the 18U teams for the last 5 years is 132-30-8 and the Summer record is 159-52-6 for an overall record of 291-82-14 for the last 5 years.

     While winning is important, helping each player on each team maximize his potential as a player and a person is of primary importance. Player development, exposure and college placement are the true emphasis of the program.

     In the past, Cyclones teams have been coached by former Cyclones such as Michael Langston, a Florida Marlins Associate Scout, Dylan Paris, a Tampa Bay Devil Ray’s Associate Scout, Trey Hicks, assistant coach at Red Bank High School, Mike Dunfee, head coach at Lafayette High School, Kyle Jackson, previously head coach at Meigs County High School, and former pro players such as David Mead, Jamie Tricoglou and Aaron Simmons. The Cyclones have had 215 players who have played Summer and/or Fall baseball who have already played college baseball on scholarships, including players who have played in the SEC, ACC, Sunbelt Conference, Sun Atlantic Conference, OVC, Southern Conference, Peach Belt Conference, Gulf South Conference, South Atlantic Conference, TJCAA, FJCAA, SCJCAA, AJCAA and California Junior College Associates, among others. All 13 of the Fall 2004 senior Cyclones signed a baseball scholarship and 10 signed during the early signing period in the fall, while the other 3 had at least 1 offer apiece but chose to wait until spring. The Cyclones had 10 players sign D-1 scholarships in the Fall 2005 early signing period and another signed a D-1 offer in April and one signed with D-II powerhouse, Carson-Newman, one signed with Cleveland State Community College, one signed with Chattanooga State and one signed with Spartanburg Methodist Community College. In the early signing period in the fall of 2006 for 2007 graduates, three signed D-1 offers, one signed a Junior College offer and 5 others declined JUCO, NAIA and/or D-II offers electing to wait until April. In the early signing period for 2008 graduates, the Cyclones had 4 players sign D-1 scholarships, 1 signed with NAIA powerhouse Lee University, 1 signed with Berry College and 4 signed junior college scholarships. Over the last 6 years, 62 Cyclones have moved from the 18U and/or Collegiate teams on to either Professional and/or D-1 baseball. In the last 10 years, 42 players who have played for the Cyclones have been drafted and/or played professional baseball, with one being a first round pick, two being supplemental first-round picks, one a second rounder and several others going in the first eight rounds, and two who have already played in the major leagues. It is anticipated that several additional Cyclones will be drafted in the June 2010 draft.

     Over the last several years, the Cyclones have played at some of the top college and professional facilities in the Southeast, including University of Louisville, University of Georgia, Georgia Tech, Ole Miss, Auburn, Mississippi State, University of Alabama, Troy University, Clemson University, Austin Peay University, Tennessee Tech, Georgia State University, UAB, Kennesaw State, Lipscomb University, College of Charleston, Furman University, University of Memphis, Jacksonville State, Samford University, Lee University, Birmingham Southern, Charleston Southern, Citadel, Western Kentucky, University of Eastern Kentucky, Carson-Newman College, Tusculum College, Southern Polytech, Wallace State-Hanceville, Gulf Coast Community College, Jefferson State Community College, University of North Alabama, Cleveland State Community College, Shelton State Community College, Northwest Community College. They have also played at several professional facilities including Historic Engel Stadium, Birminghams’s Rickwood Field, Charleston’s Joseph Riley Park, Chattanooga’s Bell South Park (now AT&T Field), the Detroit Tigers spring training facility, and the Tampa Bay Devil Ray’s spring training facility. The 2009 Fall season will be an exciting and challenging year, as the Cyclones’ program will field 2 select teams, both playing extremely challenging schedules including several Southern Wood Bat baseball tournaments at top southeastern college facilities and a Perfect Game. In the Summer of 2010 there will be 18U, 16U, 15U, 13U and 12U teams.