Cooper Phillips continued a great run by West Limestone baseball, of players signing to the next level of competition.

Following Colin Patterson signing to UAB, Phillips signed his intent to play baseball for Calhoun Community College.

According to head coach of the Wildcats, Ryan Griffin, playing for the Warhawks of Calhoun has the advantage of staying close to home while also developing as a baseball player.

Furthemore, it will allow Phillips to develop even more as a great hitter, as Griffin says he has one of the best swings on the team.

Griffin also knew he would be good from a young age.

“Cooper has worked on baseball since he was 4. I had seen him play in tee-ball, so we knew Cooper was a special kid from an early age. He has pretty much worked on baseball 24/7 his entire life,” Griffin said. “He is an outstanding kid, a good leader for the team and I am really pumped he gets to stay close to home and fulfill his dreams. That was something he wanted to do from an early age, so we are real proud of him.”

Phillips is known for being dynamic for the Wildcats, as good behind the plate at catcher as he is at the plate hitting.

“He has always been a phenomenal hitter, someone with a lot of power and a beautiful swing,” Griffin said. “When he was in 8th grade, we put him in the outfield really so we could have his bat in the lineup. (Since then), he really started working on his catching skills. We started him at catcher in 9th grade. He really worked on his arm and his catching skills. Sophomore year, he caught for us basically every game.”

However, he is not limited to one position. He is multi-faceted for the Wildcats, as he has played outfield, middle infield, the corners of the infield, taken the mound, as well as the catcher position.

According to Griffin, despite his versatility, he is expecting Phillips to be developed more as a catcher, with also the possibility of third base.

“His big thing is his bat. He can just flat out hit. I am sure that is a big reason Calhoun wanted him. That is a big deal for any baseball team, able to swing the bat and put him behind the plate as a good catcher; able to stop passed balls. He has a good arm. He doesn’t get to throw a lot of guys out because they don’t run on him, which is a compliment to him behind the plate.

Griffin is also proud of the run of success to see his players sign to the next level, especially guys such as Patterson and Phillips who have shown potential for quite some time.

West Limestone is led by a senior-heavy group this year and hopes to make a postseason run, with a mix of talent, leadership and what Griffin says is a close-knit team.

Updates will be provided on West Limestone baseball, as well as baseball throughout all of Athens-Limestone County, including future scholarship signings.