Columbia County Pair Sizzling on The Mound This Summer

It seems like the hotter it gets, the better Columbia County natives Hayden Harris and Will Childers pitch.

In fact, they have been so good recently that both are on the verge of living out their dreams of playing in the big leagues.

Harris starred on both the mound and at the plate during a stellar prep career at Grovetown. He went on to Georgia Southern and spent five seasons pitching for the Eagles. His numbers were not bad, but at 8-7 with a 5.30 era, pro scouts were not exactly beating down his door. However, Harris was not ready to give up the sport he loved. He continued to work out and attempted every avenue he could to try and catch on with a team. It was a simple letter to Alan Butts, an area scout in Georgia for the Atlanta Braves, that did the trick. He wrote:
“Hey Alan, wanted to reach out and introduce myself. I’m Hayden Harris. I’m looking for a pro opportunity. I’m up in the Draft League with the Frederick Keys. Finished up my five years at Georgia Southern. Just trying to get in contact with whoever I can. If you need data, video, contacts or references, don’t hesitate. I’m a hometown guy from Augusta and would love an opportunity to play in the Braves organization. Thank you for your time.”

Seven sentences and a thank you was all it took. Butts was intrigued, thought that he had the right makeup for the organization, and felt like Harris was worth taking a chance on. Well, that gamble has paid off. Harris has been especially sensational in 2025. Pitching for the Class AAA Gwinnett Stripers, Harris has been carving up batters and currently boasts an unbelievable 0.57 ERA. He is 5-0 on the season and has 46 strikeouts in just 31.1 innings of work over 36 appearances. Also, opponents are hitting just .140 versus the wiry lefthander.

The Braves are not the only people in baseball taking notice. Last week, Harris was selected to play in the prestigious Futures Game being held later this month. The game is usually made up of top picks and the most highly thought of prospects. So, seeing an undrafted player get the nod is impressive. The game will take place on Saturday, July 12 at Atlanta’s Truist Park. Who knows? Maybe the Braves will invite Harris to stay in Atlanta. The Braves could certainly use some help in the bullpen.

Hayden Harris is not the only local prospect enjoying the summer heat. Former Lakeside and University of Georgia standout Will Childers has simply been lights out. The 6’5” lefty was once considered a can’t-miss high round draftee. That is, until he suffered two devastating injuries during his time in Athens. However, the injuries healed, and Childers worked extremely hard to get himself back into form. The Brewers selected Childers in the 30^th Round and they have not spent a second second-guessing their decision. While pitching with Milwaukee’s Class AA affiliate in Biloxi, Mississippi, Childers got it going in June and enjoyed one of the finest months in all of minor league baseball. He finished June going 1-0 in 11 appearances with three saves. He posted an ERA of 0.84, allowing just one earned run for the month. He also limited batters to a .184 batting average and struck out 13 batters in 10.2 innings of work.

The Brewers rewarded the hard-throwing righty by promoting him to Class AAA Nashville.

Who knows, Harris and Childers may join former Greenbrier standouts Nick Sandlin and Chase Hollander in the big leagues before the season is over.