Ty Stott has no resume, nor ever bothers to look at openings for high school baseball coaches.
When you have the job you’ve always wanted, Stott reasons, why look for anything else?
The winning doesn’t hurt, either.
Get PolkSports delivered to your inbox
Sign up for our free newsletter →
Polk County’s veteran coach earned the 250th win of his career in last week’s 10-7 win at Mountain Heritage. Including Monday’s victory over Avery, Stott now owns a 251-198 career record, all of those games coming as the Wolverines’ head coach.
“It means a lot, especially considering the competition we play,” Stott said. “In twenty years, 250 wins doesn’t sound like a lot, but I don’t know anyone who has played a schedule as tough as ours for a school our size.
“Our first two years, we were in a 2A/3A conference and we were a 1A school, basically. We spent four years in the best 1A conference in North Carolina (with the likes of Cherryville, Bessemer City and Hendersonville). With the tough schedules we’ve had, I’m very proud of 250 wins.”
Replacing current Polk County athletic director Jeff Wilson after the 1995 season, Stott led Polk County to a 7-16 record his first year, and those seven wins, along with the five conference championships the program has earned, are among Stott’s most treasured memories to date.
“Those seven wins we got that first year are the seven most important of my career,” he said. “We had such a young, inexperienced team that year. I remember every one of those seven wins. It was such a good feeling.”
Pressed to select a game or two, though, Stott pointed to a pair of wins that brought conference titles to Polk County:
May 1, 2000: Polk County goes to Rosman and takes a 7-1 win, earning the program its first conference title. Eric Mack threw a three-hitter and Tony Branch had two key hits in the win.
“That was the first conference championship in school history,” Stott said. “Winning conference championships, that’s just a feeling that is hard to describe. It’s just the best feeling in the world.”
May 7, 2012: Roberto Taft tosses a five-hitter and drives in a run as the Wolverines defeat Mountain Heritage 2-1. Jordan Brown doubles home Wes Brady in the fourth inning for the winning run.
“We played one game, winner take all and the loser in second place,” Stott said. “That one stands out.”
Also memorable have been the assistant coaches who have served with Stott in his 20 seasons.
“Josh McEntire has been with me forever. Jamie Davis was with me for a few years early in my career,” Stott said. “Billy Alm coached for seven years and Josh Money has been here 12 or 13 years. I enjoy being with the coaches as much as anything.”
One thing hasn’t changed in two decades and 251 wins – Stott’s love for coaching at his alma mater.
“There is nowhere I would rather be nothing I would rather be doing,” Stott said. “I don’t have a resume, I’m not looking for anything. I am right where I want to be. I’ve never wanted to coach anywhere else.
“I have never been without baseball since I was four years old. Since then there’s never been a year where I didn’t have baseball. I love coaching and enjoy everything about it.”
THE PATH TO 250
1996: 7-16
1997: 8-15
1998: 10-12
1999: 13-9
2000: 19-7
2001: 14-7
2002: 8-14
2003: 9-12
2004: 12-12
2005: 12-13
2006: 12-13
2007: 14-2
2008: 17-6
2009: 19-5
2010: 19-7
2011: 18-6
2012: 14-8
2013: 14-11
2014: 7-18
2015: 5-5 (record as of March 25)
