Participants in the first annual Heard County Baseball Alumni Game at Alford Field on Friday, July 26.

(Franklin, GA) — Former HCHS baseball players both young and old gathered at Alford Field last Friday for the first annual ‘Alumni Baseball Game and Home Run Derby.’

The brainchild of current head baseball coach Trent Bianco, the event was designed to celebrate the former players from the program and introduce them all to some of the more recent changes and facility improvements at Heard High in recent years.

“I thought it went really well. Anytime you can get people out here that has been a part of this. What makes Heard County so special is our alumni are always so involved. I’m looking forward to doing this again next year and I thank every one of these guys that came out tonight,” said Bianco after the game.

“Our crowd was great tonight and they really seemed to enjoy it. It was awesome to see my former players from my first years here and even some of the older guys were still impressive,” Bianco said. “I mean how cool was it to see 60-year-old David Hammett (Class of 1977) lace one into the gap.”

Hammett and Tim Meacham (Class of 1992) were the oldest participants in the game while Charles Toney (Class of 1972) was the oldest former player on hand to watch.

The teams were divided by graduation year with the odd numbered years on one side and the even numbered years on the other. The even years took the game by a score of 14-6. The match-up included the participation by several current college players.

In the Home Run Derby it was Dalton Reed (Class of 2012) who just edged out Bryan Dunson (Class of 2010).

Reed blasted six homers in the finals to take the title over Dunson who had five. Current Heard Coach Cory Paul Shelnutt (Class of 2005) came in third place.

Coach Bianco plans to make the event a yearly tradition each summer.