Cleveland State the next stop for Stafford
Cleveland State Community College has become a popular choice for baseball players from the north Georgia area over the last several years and the Cougars will be adding another top player from the area next season as Heritage senior catcher Cannon Stafford inked his letter of intent with the program this past Wednesday.
“It’s pretty exciting,” Stafford said. “I’ve worked up to this my whole life. I’m going to be rooming up there in an apartment with friends, so I can’t wait.
“I really liked that it’s a twoyear school. A lot of times, that means more opportunity for playing time, so I’m pretty excited about that. Plus, there are a lot of people (from) this area that do go there and I have a few friends there already.”
Well-liked and respected by his teammates, the 5-foot-11, 185-pounder hit .361 last season with one homerun as he helped the Generals to a runner-up finish in Region 7-AAAA and a 26-9 campaign that saw them defeat Stephenson and Hampton to advance to the Class AAAA Elite Eight.
Stafford led the team with 33 RBIs, was second in slugging percentage at .505, and tied for second
on the roster with 11 doubles.
“He’s really had to overcome a lot of adversity to get here,” Heritage head coach Eric Beagles explained. “Two weeks into his freshman year, he had to have reconstructive surgery on his foot, so two weeks is all he had. His sophomore year, we played a dozen games and the
season got stopped, so last year was really his first full season and he developed so much between his abbreviated sophomore year and his junior year.
“He just took great strides at the plate and behind the plate, so we were able to use him a lot. We had two quality catchers on
our roster, which really helped us down the road, especially in our playoff run, because we didn’t have to wear anybody out. That was huge. I think he’ll do a really good job this (season), especially in preparing our younger guys, so we’re looking forward to that.”
Stafford said that he felt he had a lot to offer the Cleveland State program.
“I think I’m pretty good at the plate, so I think I can be a good hitter for them,” he said. “I’m pretty good at receiving the ball (behind the plate) and I’ve got a pretty strong arm, so I think I can throw some people out.”
Beagles said the things that are going to make Stafford a successful player at Cleveland State are the things that have made him a successful player at Heritage.
“He works really hard everyday and he’s really, really committed to things, but he enjoys it,” Beagles added. “He’s been one that’s been working since day one and he doesn’t dodge the weight room. He’s a prime example of a player gaining a lot of strength at the plate because he’s been dedicated to getting stronger and, because of that, he’s been able to stay healthy.
“College ball will be a different animal, but he’s already had a taste of what he’s in for. When he came in here as a freshman, he was here at six in the morning catching bullpen sessions for the older guys, so he knows what kind of sacrifices he’ll have to make (for college).”
Stafford said he is leaning toward studying business and marketing with hopes of one day becoming a real estate agent.