By KYLE LOVERN
Sports Editor
CHARLESTON, SC – Zack Hagaman and his family moved to Pawleys Island, South Carolina when he was eight years old. That move proved to be a good one for a kid who had already developed a love for baseball.
Pawleys Island is located 70 miles north of Charleston and 25 miles south of Myrtle Beach.
Hagaman became an outstanding baseball player in that area and the success garnered him a scholarship to Charleston Southern University.
His parents are John and Jennifer Hagaman formerly of Williamson. His mother taught for several years in the Mingo County school system and his father worked for Norfolk Western Railroad. John was a coach in the local Little League.
His grandparents are Jesse Hagaman of South Williamson, Ky. and the late Alice Hagaman and Lois Mounts of Valley View in Williamson (and Pawleys Island, SC) and the late Carlis Mounts.
Zack started elementary school at the Mingo Christian School in Lenore.
“At the age of eight, the beginning of the third grade, we moved to Pawleys Island, South Carolina where he went to Waccamaw Elementary School,” his mother Jennifer said. “He started playing baseball as soon as we moved.”
Zack played T-ball in the Williamson Little League before they moved south.
“The AAU/USSSA teams were starting strong in the area and John and a few other dads started the Coastal Hurricanes 11 an under squad in Pawleys Island. Zack continued on the team until he was able to play high school baseball,” she added.
“As a 7th grader he started his high school career on the Waccamaw High School JV Baseball team. That summer he played with the Georgetown Post 114 American Legion as a member of the Jr. Legion team which he played one year,” Jennifer Hagaman said.
After that he played for Post 114 Sr. Legion Team for five years.
“While playing American Legion he made two trips to the South Carolina State American Legion Tournament,” his mom said.
“Zack broke the Legion record for homeruns. He was honored by the Post 114 after playing his final year for being the first player to play six full years with the Georgetown team and for breaking the homerun record of 33,” his mother said proudly.
Zack graduated from Waccamaw High School in 2010. He was moved to the varsity team as an 8th grader playing centerfield and pitching. His career batting average was .390, with 29 homeruns and 150 RBIs. He was named MVP for three years, named to the Class AA Diamond Prospects team for two years, and the All-Region team for four years. He was an All-State selection for two years. He was also selected to play in the North- South All Star game as a senior and played in the Palmetto games which was for select South Carolina High School Seniors.
Zack graduated with a 4.1 GPA where he received a baseball and an academic scholarship to play with Charleston Southern, which is a member of the Big South Conference. Zack is studying in the field of Kinesiology, but is looking for a future in baseball.
Zack is currently a 6-foot-0, 173 pound sophomore for the Buccaneers where he plays outfield and is a left-handed relief pitcher. He bats and throws left-handed and his coaches have not been able to decide whether they want to use him as a full-time pitcher or as an outfielder where they can utilize his bat.
This summer he will be playing in the collegiate summer league.
It all started when he hit his first ball off of the batting Tee at Brother Reid Park in West Williamson. “Zack got his start in the Williamson Little League as a member of the Area T-Ball Champs in 1999 coached by Brian Haney, Darren McCormick, Timmy Diamond and Anthony Strothers,” his father said. “Zack still has lots of fond memories of that adventure to win that title. Zack has loved the game since a young boy and still has that same passion today.”
He attributes most of his success to his dad and his grandfathers. His dad has coached him all the way through his career until college.
“John was part of the Williamson Little League as a coach for many years and also on the Board of Directors. He was one of his AAU coaches and one of his high school coaches as the hitting coach for Waccamaw High School,” Jennifer said.
Baseball runs deep in his familiy roots. “He comes from a line of baseball players of the older days. His grandfather Carlis Mounts played in the Coal Field League in Mingo County as well as Carlis’ brother Warren Mounts,” Jennifer said. “Carlis’ brothers, Ivan and Emery Mounts were Williamson High standout athletes and Emery later went on to be part of the Detroit Tigers minor league system.”
“Zack’s cousin, Kevin Williamson, was also a standout for the Wolfpack in the 90’s. Zack has two nephews who are following in his baseball footsteps as well. Justin Colegrove, a sophomore at Waccamaw High School, is a pitcher /infielder for the Warriors and is looking forward to playing baseball in college. Caleb Colegrove, a 5th Grader at Waccamaw Intermediate School, is on an AAU team in Pawleys Island as well as in the local Dixie Youth Baseball Program.
Needless to say, his families from both the Tug Valley area and at Pawleys Island are very proud of him.
(Kyle Lovern is the sports editor for the Williamson Daily News. Comments or story ideas can be sent to klovern@williamsondailynews.com)
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