On Wednesday, April 13, the Harrison Baseball community honored Mark Elkins with a surprise ceremony before the game with Marietta. After 24 years as the head coach of the Harrison program, Mr. Elkins is retiring. To celebrate his dedication and success as the Hoya coach, the school renamed the baseball facility: The Mark Elkins Baseball Complex at Don Saw Field.

Coach Elkins total tenure with Harrison is 30 years; he served six years as an assistant under founding coach Mike Power before becoming the second head coach in program history in 1999. He spent his entire teaching career at Harrison and is loved by both his players and his Physical Education students.

Joining him on the field to celebrate the announcement were Coach Elkins' family, as well as the current team and coaches and former players and their families. Harrison's Board Member Brad Wheeler and all former school principals also joined in. Finally, Coach Elkins' former college coach at Tennessee Tech, David Mays, also made a guest appearance at the special event.

During his 30 years at Harrison, Coach Elkins has been a part of five Georgia Dugout Club Championships, six region championships, 22 State Playoff teams, six quarterfinal teams, and two State Championships.

As head coach, his teams made 18 state playoff appearances, and won three region championships. His 2010 team won the state title and was nationally ranked: #15 in the USA Today National Poll and #21 in Baseball America. He has won over 450 games, has sent 107 players to play college baseball, and nine have been drafted by Major League Baseball.

A few more highlights of Coach Elkins’ career at Harrison High School:

• He served on the Georgia Dugout Club All-Star teams from 2012 – 2017.  

• He is a member of two Harrison High School Sports Hall of Fame teams, and in 2017 he was inducted into the Georgia Dugout Club Hall of Fame.

• Other awards: 1997 Assistant Coach of the Year, 2010 Marietta Daily Journal Baseball Coach of the Year, 2010 Georgia Dugout Club Coach of the Year, 2010 Atlanta Braves 400 Club Head Coach of the Year, 2015 Region Coach of the Year, 2017 Marietta Umpires Association named him the “Harvey Cochran Coach of the Year.”

• Coach Elkins has also served multiple roles in international competition with Team USA on the 18U National Team. Other highlights: 2003 Bullpen Manager, 2006 as Assistant Coach, 2008 as Head Coach won the silver medal in the World Junior Championships and was named “Developmental Baseball Coach of the Year” by the United States Olympic Committee.

Despite all these accolades, Coach Elkins would no doubt tell you that what matters most to him are the relationships he has established with players over the years. His driving passion was ultimately not the diamond, but seeing the young men he coached become loving fathers, successful businessmen, and involved community leaders. 

Congratulations to Coach Elkins on 30 years of dedication to Harrison baseball!

Front row in photo: Dexter Mills (former Harrison principal), Ashlynn Campbell (current Harrison principal), Anna Elkins (Coach Elkins’ niece), Earline Elkins (Coach Elkins’ mother), Richelle Elkins (Coach Elkins’ wife), Harrison’s head baseball coach Mark Elkins, Tyler Elkins (Coach Elkins’ son), Amelia Elkins (Coach Elkins’ sister-in-law),

Back Row: Former Tennessee Tech Baseball Coach David Mays, Dan Elkins (Coach Elkins’ brother), Joseph Elkins (Coach Elkins’ nephew), Donnie Griggers (former Harrison principal), Jill Kalina (former Harrison principal).