LC SPORTS HALL OF FAME: Ardmore’s Holt could do it all

Published 10:00 am Saturday, June 1, 2019

Editor’s note: This is the sixth in a series of stories highlighting the inductees into the 2019 class of the Limestone County Sports Hall of Fame. The hall of fame banquet is 6 p.m. Saturday, June 8, at the Limestone County Event Center. The Hall of Fame’s Martha Jo Leonard Golf Tournament, sponsored by The Orthopedic Center, is 1 p.m. Thursday, June 6, at Canebrake Golf Club in Athens.

It can be rare to find the athlete who is both superior athletically and also a quality teammate. But Ardmore’s Ben Holt was that rare athlete.

Holt not only excelled on the baseball field at just about any position he played, he was also a great teammate and leader, said his former coach at Ardmore.

That’s one reason why Holt, who played for the Tigers from 1986-89, is being inducted into this year’s class of the Limestone County Sports Hall of Fame.

“The thing I’ll say about Ben Holt is he was very competitive, very smart,” former Ardmore coach Steve Hargrove said. “He was the ultimate teammate. All the things you think about a person who would be well-deserving of being voted into a sports hall of fame.

Holt was a multiple sport standout for Ardmore, but was at his best on the baseball field. Hargrove said Holt could play almost any position on the field, but was the team’s starting shortstop and No. 2 pitcher.

After graduating from Ardmore, Holt played collegiately for Martin Methodist and Tennessee Tech. Holt led Tennessee Tech in RBIs during his senior season in 1993 while also earning Academic All-American honors.

“Ben could play anything, it didn’t matter where you put him on the field,” Hargrove said. “Ben could play because he would work hard at it. He was such a pleasure to be around every day.”

Hargrove coached a lot of players throughout the years, but he said Holt was a special player he still remembers after all these years.

“He’s one of my favorite people I’ve ever been around,” Hargrove said.

Ben’s father, Ronnie, was also the assistant coach.

“It can sometimes be hard to play when your dad is the coach, but it never bothered him,” Hargrove said. “He was the ultimate leader and teammate.”

He said Holt’s teammates fed off of his competitiveness, and it led to a great group of players to coach.

“It was a great bunch to be around,” Hargrove said. “I didn’t do anything. I just got them to the game, and that was about it.”

Hargrove said it was no surprise Holt turned out to be a great player and person because of his family.

“Ben comes from such a great family,” Hargrove said. “His grandmother taught English at Ardmore for many, many years, and his dad was the principal. I just can’t say enough about that family. They are some very special people.”