Segrest celebrating the 10U World Series championship in 2015

Segrest takes over Edgewood program

By Michael Butler

Mark Segrest knows about championships. He has won titles as a player and coach.

Segrest was on two Tallassee state championship baseball teams (1989, '90). He has been an assistant on the THS baseball staff. He has coached youth baseball teams. And, he has been pretty good at softball.

Segrest was in the dugout for Tallassee's World Series titles at 8U and 10U. He has coached championship level travel teams for several years now.

Edgewood Academy has taken notice of Segrest's impressive resume. The high school softball program named him head coach last week.

"This has been in the works for a little while," he said. "I met with Edgewood several times. I planned to take it over next year. Last week, I met with the headmaster and decided to take it over for the remainder of the year."

Segrest said he would have preferred to have an off-season to prepare and set expectations but that Edgewood was in a "tough spot."

The team had just one practice with Segrest at the helm before taking on juggernaut Macon East the very next day.

"I should've started the next week. It would've been a lot smarter," he said. "They're the five-time defending state champions and are absolutely loaded, but we've got to start somewhere."

Macon East won the game 7-3. The Edgewood junior varsity team did win 6-1.

"I was really pleased with the effort. The girls have good attitudes. We've got some talent."

Segrest's daughter Anna-Catherine is a sixth grader who plays travel ball for her dad. She will join the program next year.

"I started coaching girls several years ago. If you show the girls you care about them, they'll put it on the line for you. I've been so pleased. It's so critical at a young age to teach the girls fundamentals."

Segrest said the future looks bright not just at Edgwood, but Tallassee too with Pat Love's success at the youth level. Love is now coaching the high school program at THS.

"Pat has got some good young talent. Every single girl that I've had here should have a good experience going forward in high school softball."

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