MOULTRIE — Ryan Strickland believes in getting to know as much as possible as soon as possible about players who might not be ready for the varsity for several years.

To that end, the new Colquitt County baseball coach held a pair of camps this summer aimed at those who are not near prepared to play on Ike Aultman Field at Jerry Croft Stadium.

The most recent camp, for primarily sixth- through eighth-graders, was held at Packer Park and finished the day before classes began for the 2024-2025 school year.

It drew 47 players, including a handful that were going into the eighth grade.

“Now we know all the kids names, down to the sixth grade,” Strickland said on Wednesday. “That was my goal.

“Now they won’t step on the big field three years from now without us knowing their names.”

Earlier in July, a camp for second- through fifth-grade players was held at the Fundamental Factory and drew 46 youngsters with former high school coaches Tony Kirkland and Greg Tillery helping out.

“It’s been my experience that the more you can do with them at that age, it matters,” Strickland said. “My saying is, instead of four years, I get to coach those kids for seven years.”

And he was pleased with how the young players responded to the summer work, which included being introduced to some of the drills the varsity Packers use.

“The kids were absolutely phenomenal,” Strickland said. “They got after it, were having fun and were asking ‘for one more.’

“They weren’t ready to go home at the end of the day.”

And, just as important, “We had a lot of positive feedback from the parents about what we are doing.”

Strickland said he plans to get the middle school players together in October for some further seasoning.

Assisting Strickland at the recent camp were the members of his first Colquitt County coaching staff: Chance Carter, Taylor Barber, Tyler Hembree, Spenser Richardson, Kirk Woodall and Danny Blaylock.

Carter was Strickland’s pitching coach at Thomas County Central.

The others are veterans of the Packers program.

Woodall and Blaylock will handle the junior varsity and ninth-grade teams.

Strickland was named as the Packers head coach on May 20.

The position had been open since March 28 when Brandon Brock resigned. Chance Pitts was named the interim head coach and the Packers finished 14-17.

Colquitt has just one winning season since 2018.

Strickland, who was a Packers assistant coach from 2012-2015, brings an impressive resume.

In seven seasons as the Thomas County Central head coach, he produced 141-86 record that included four trips to the state’s Elite Eight, including the last three years in a row.

His teams won at least one playoff series each year.

When introduced, he said he hoped “to bring a work ethic and some pride in baseball back here. Hard work is the only way I know how to do it.”

He sounded eager to get the varsity Packers back on the field next spring after what he called a good summer that featured working on making adjustments and focusing on the mental aspects of baseball.

“We’ll have a good nucleus with a lot of experience,” Strickland said, listing returning players Adam Beverly, Hayden Hembree, Jake Walker, Bryce Roberts, Jaxon Chambers, Ethan Allegood and the DeRosso brothers, Brady and Bowen.

“I know it can be challenging for the players, but there is going to be a lot of competition. and that’s what you want.”