Russellville’s Scofield to continue baseball career at Huntingdon College

Another Golden Tiger baseball standout will be taking the field at the college level next spring with recent Russellville High School graduate Michael Scofield deciding to further his career and his education at Huntingdon College in Montgomery.

Scofield, Russellville’s starting catcher this past season, announced his decision on June 27, and he said he’s excited about the opportunity to join the Hawks. His campus visit revealed that Huntingdon, which competes at the NCAA Division III level, was the place for him.

“The campus was small and wasn’t too big, so that was a plus for me,” Scofield said. “All the coaches that sat down and talked to me were super nice. They told me, ‘Look, we’d love to have you here. We’re not going to force you to make a decision, but it’d be nice if you came here.’

“When they were talking to me I was thinking that this is the perfect fit for me, to go to Huntingdon and continue my athletic career,” he added.

Russellville head coach Jess Smith said he’s delighted that Scofield has been able to find a college home after a long process.

“I’m super proud and happy for Michael and his family,” he said. “We grinded through a lot of this during and after the season, and they were as good as could be about it. We tried and tried with folks, but honestly I can’t take credit for anything. It was one of our assistants, Coach (Justin) Sappington, who ran into a coach from Huntingdon at an event…and he told him about Michael. That led him to be able to connect Michael with that coach and go on a visit.

“It couldn’t happen to a better dude, and, again, I’m just really happy for Michael and his family,” Smith added.

In his senior season with the Golden Tigers Scofield was the team’s every day man behind the plate playing in all 39 games. He finished the season with a .330 batting average, collecting 37 hits including two triples and a home run. He had 22 RBI and scored 33 runs. Smith said he is proud of his now former player and believes Scofield deserves his opportunity to play at the next level.

“Watching Michael’s transformation from his junior year to his senior year was really something special to be a part of,” Smith said. “As far as his future in baseball, I think he’s just now scratching the surface of his potential.

“He was very aware that not a lot of people thought he could do it, but he did and he did more than anyone anticipated he would. Going to a really good program like Huntingdon I think he’s only going to get better and better,” Smith added.

Smith felt that Scofield was underrated and didn’t get as much recognition as he deserved for his performance his senior season.

“I was kind of taken aback that he wasn’t an all-state selection. I know that’s a hard job to pick, but that guy did a really good job behind the plate for us this year,” Smith said of Scofield, who was a 2024 Franklin Free Press All-Franklin County First Team selection. 

“Catchers are like the offensive lineman of baseball. They do a lot of the dirty work and get little to no credit for it, and that’s just part of it,” he added. “I told him, ‘There are nine players on the baseball field and eight of them are looking at you, and we’re going to be who you are. I want us to be tough and consistent and play really, really hard every time we step on the field.’ He did that and he executed the vision I had for him being our catcher.”

Smith added that Scofield’s mental and physical toughness will be a big asset for him playing college baseball.

“Catcher is my position group, so he took it on the chin from me almost every day,” Smith said with a laugh. “I really challenged him. Mentally that’s one of the biggest transitions you see for guys going to play at the next level. You’ve got to be able to be coached hard and compete with people that are just as good or better than you. He’s a tough kid, not just physically but mentally, and he’s a really, really good person with a really, really good heart. He’s prepared, no doubt.”

Scofield said making the jump from high school ball to college ball, for him, will be all about hard work.

“It’s going to be 100 percent work ethic,” Scofield said. “If you don’t have a good work ethic, it’s not going to take you anywhere in life. You’ve got to put your mind to something and do it, and I think that’ll make me successful.

“I’m going to give it everything I’ve got to try and be a starter my freshman or sophomore season,” he added.

Scofield will not just be taking his work ethic to the Huntingdon baseball program, but some lessons he learned as a Golden Tiger, too. One of the most important lessons he learned at Russellville, he said, is that baseball is all about teamwork.

“It’s all about the team. You can’t do everything by yourself, and you’ve got to have multiple guys helping you to get better,” Scofield said. “When you believe in your teammates and your team, you’re going to be a much better ball club.”

Whenever Scofield’s playing career comes to a close, it still likely won’t be the last anyone will see of him on the field. In the classroom Scofield, who played football for the Golden Tigers, as well, said he intends to study education with the ultimate goal of becoming a coach. His dream job wouldn’t take him too far away.

“I’m going to major in education and then when I graduate hopefully come back to Russellville and be a baseball and football coach,” Scofield said.

Asked what drove him to want to pursue a teaching and coaching career in the future, Scofield pointed to his recent mentor.

“What interested me in it was Coach Smith, really,” Scofield said. “Just watching him do what he does in the classroom and on the field that pushed me to want to become a coach and a teacher. What he does and how he does it, it inspired me a lot.”

Hearing Scofield's words, Smith said that’s what coaching is all about—inspiring a player is the greatest tribute a coach can receive.

“It makes you a little bit emotional to hear that because it’s really easy to get lost in the wins and losses and Xs and Os of baseball, but you can’t ever lose sight of what kind of impact you’re trying to make on these young guys’ lives,” Smith said. “I think that’s the greatest honor. I’m the product myself of my high school head coach, Coach Johnson, investing in me and that’s why I got into it.

“To hear Michael say that, that’s the biggest honor and it’s really humbling. I think that’s the greatest honor you can give a coach, to feel in such a way that you want to make the same impact. It really makes me happy to hear that, and Michael is going to be a great coach one day.”