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Schools

DeKalb Baseball Coach Reaches 300 Wins

Columbia High School head baseball coach Steve Dennis first reached his 100th victory in a 1997 victory over Stephenson.

Columbia High School head baseball coach Steve Dennis celebrated a DeKalb
County coaching milestone on Thursday, April 26, as his Eagle baseball
team notched his 300th career victory via a 14-1 triumph over McNair at
Columbia, which is unincorporated Decatur.

The victory came on the final day of the 2012 season and it was over a
former Columbia player for Dennis in McNair head skipper Jonathan Dunton.

Dennis, a graduate of old Briarcliff High School, becomes the first
baseball coach in DeKalb County history to reach 300 wins at the same
school, posting the historic triumph in his 24th year at the helm of the
Eagle program.

"As I started getting closer, that has been my ultimate goal," Dennis said
of becoming the first to hit the 300 mark at the same location. "It's
special, it really is. It was a good win. My phone has been lit up. I had
to turn it off."

Freshman Trenton Nash collected two hits and junior Devonte Blow also
added two hits and plated three RBI to lead the offensive charge, while
junior Demetrius Jones tossed the full five innings to garner the pitching
triumph.

The Eagle players started looking for the Gatorade bucket immediately
following the final out but had to wait until after the traditional hand
shaking of the other team to finally drench the wary and elusive Dennis.

Dennis made a valiant effort to avoid the dousing but was full of smiles
when the drink connected on his back and ran to the ground.

The Columbia players then gathered around Dennis in the outfield grass to
listen to postgame remarks and then everybody posed for a group shot
around the proud coach.

Dennis had earlier garnered his 100th victory in a 1997 triumph over
and later knocked off Southwest DeKalb for his 200 victory
during the 2005 campaign.

"It means a lot," Dennis said. "I was 23 and in my first year here when
they called me one day and said we want you to be the head baseball coach.
I didn't know what I was getting myself into at that point, but it's been
a great ride."

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