By Gary Corsair
Sports Writer
Two catalysts of Hayesville’s baseball success have committed to playing after high school at schools trying to turn around losing programs.
Second baseman Mike Mauney, the 2024 Smoky Mountain Conference Player of the Year, will take his talents to Berea College, a liberal arts institution in Berea, Ky. First baseman/outfielder Kyle Shaheen heads to Greenville, S.C. to play for Bob Jones University.
Hayesville Coach Joe Jack Sellers says both Jackets earned the opportunity to play at the next level.
“I have known these two kids since they were 5 or 6,” Sellers said last week. “They are part of my cage rats; that’s what I call ‘em. The last few years I couldn’t run them out of the cages. They were hitting, throwing, catching, whatever they could do to try to get better. I love these two kids. I love their families. They’re part of my life and I wish them well.”
All that hard work in the cage and on the diamond paid off in a large way.
Mauney has a .437 career batting average and .529 on base percentage, stole 80 bases in 86 attempts and made just three fielding errors.
Shaheen’s .431 batting average this season was second on the team and he was successful in 12-of-13 stolen base attempts.
Both Yellow Jackets should see plenty of playing time. Berea finished 9-29 last year. Bob Jones’ 11-29 record was only a tad better.
“The program is not at its highest right now, but we’re hoping to change that with my incoming, 2025 class. I’m excited,” stated Mauney, who will pursue an engineering degree.
Shaheen is also optimistic. “My second year at Bob Jones they plan on going to NCAA D2, then I could earn athletic scholarship if I play good enough. So I’m hoping to get the cost down to nearly zero if I’m good enough,” said Shaheen, who will focus on a degree in business administration.
Neither Mauney or Shaheen entertain thoughts of playing professionally.