BY MAURICE PATTON Scott Beasley, a member of the Post 19 Seniors team that won the 2007 American Legion World Series, will step down as the program\u2019s head coach after spending 11 seasons in that role. Post 19 won the Tennessee state championship in each of his 11 years, including an ALWS appearance in 2014, to extend its string of consecutive state titles to 14. RIC BEU \/ MAIN STREET MAURY<\/p>\n\n\n\n Moving up the ranks is a basic structure of the military.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So it stands to reason that same concept would be reflected with American Legion baseball.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After 11 years as coach of the Columbia Post 19 Seniors team, Scott Beasley announced he\u2019ll be stepping back from day-to-day duties and will be replaced in that position by J.T. Hamilton.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A Zion Christian graduate who played three years at Freed-Hardeman after transferring from Roane State, Hamilton has previously served as coach of the Post\u2019s 15U and 17U teams, as well as assisting Beasley with the Seniors. He also played in the program with both the 17U and Senior squads.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHe\u2019s a kid that obviously loves the program and has put a lot of time into the program over the last several years,\u201d Beasley said. \u201cThat was obviously a big factor in deciding to give him the opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n J.T. Hamilton (right), who coached the Post 19 Cyclones to the American Legion 17U state championship this summer, will take over the Post 19 Seniors for the 2024 season after Scott Beasley\u2019s recent resignation. Beasley will remain involved with the Seniors, but in a lesser role. RIC BEU \/ MAIN STREET MAURY<\/p>\n\n\n\n Beasley, a member of the Post 19 2007 American Legion World Series championship team, ascended to the top coaching spot in 2013, following Mickey McKeel in the role. A year later, Post 19 advanced to the ALWS, and the team has won the Tennessee state tournament title in each of Beasley\u2019s subsequent seasons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In his final campaign, Beasley led Post 19 to a spot in this summer\u2019s American Legion Southeast Regional tournament, where the team won its opener before dropping its final two contests to finish 25-7 on the year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cScott had an unbelievable 11 years leading our program. I\u2019m so proud of him,\u201d McKeel said. \u201cI coached him. He was in the program a long time. I\u2019m super proud of how he did and what he accomplished as a coach.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n With his sons \u2013 Will, 5, and Jack, 2 \u2013 approaching the ages that they\u2019ll be more active athletically, the 34-year-old Beasley decided this was the time to take on a lower-profile position with the program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019ll kind of be in a \u2018moral support\u2019 role \u2013 scheduling, recruiting, that side,\u201d he said. \u201cMe and Mickey had been talking about it for a year or two. I knew going into the summer this was likely it as far as on-the-field stuff, but I didn\u2019t want it to be public. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThroughout the season, we talked to people about potential interest, and got more serious after the season was over, talking to people in the community that might have interest. Behind the scenes, it\u2019s been going on for about two or three months.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Longtime Post 19 Seniors coach Scott Beasley has confirmed he will step back from that role for the 2024 season, J.T. Hamilton, who coached one of the Post\u2019s two 17U teams this past summer, will take over the top spot with the Seniors next spring. RIC BEU \/ MAIN STREET MAURY<\/p>\n\n\n\n McKeel, who has served as manager of the Post 19 baseball program since coming off the field, and Post baseball chairman Donny Walters were both involved along with Beasley in the decision to promote the 23-year-old Hamilton to the top spot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cTwo things: He\u2019s an alumni of Post 19. We put heavy emphasis on that,\u201d McKeel said. \u201cAnd No. 2 was his passion. He\u2019s got a passion for the game, and that won us over.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe told J.T., before he got the job, we\u2019re not looking at him for one year \u2013 we\u2019re looking at 10 years. I did it for 12 years, Scott did it for 11. We hope J.T. does it for 11, at least.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n And while Hamilton\u2019s age was a hurdle, he brings more coaching experience to the position than his predecessor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhen I took over Post 19, I\u2019d coached (in) a lot of leagues \u2013 Little League, Babe Ruth, all the way up,\u201d McKeel said. \u201cBut Scott took the team with no coaching experience. He did such a great job, it made our decision that much easier to let J.T. have a shot at it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Youth and relative inexperience aside, the position wasn\u2019t something Hamilton was going to turn down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After coaching one of the two Post 19 17U teams this summer, J.T. Hamilton will step into the Post 19 Seniors head coaching role vacated by Scott Beasley for the 2024 season. Hamilton played for the Post, in addition to completing his high school playing career at Zion Christian and playing collegiality at Roane State and Freed-Hardeman. RIC BEU \/ MAIN STREET MAURY<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cPost 19 is something that means a whole lot to me,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s more than just baseball. I think it\u2019s a great opportunity and it\u2019s hard to pass up that opportunity. Coaching the 17U team this summer and winning the state championship, I learned a lot about myself as a coach.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n As he fills the coaching role, with Beasley becoming more of a manager and McKeel an advisor, Hamilton intends to change very little on the field.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI think it\u2019s business as usual \u2013 continuing what Scott has instilled in the program and carrying that discipline throughout my tenure,\u201d he said. \u201cScott has laid a great foundation for me to pick up and run with. I think it\u2019s laid out for me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cTalking with Scott when he offered, he\u2019s like \u2018I\u2019m going to help you with this, I\u2019m not going to drop it all on you at one time\u2019. A lot of the decisions will still go through Scott and Mickey as well, and I\u2019m very happy to have that helping hand going into it. I think that\u2019ll help with learning along the way. For them to have that trust in me to lead this program, I think I\u2019ll be OK, especially with them by my side.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Post 19 Seniors\u2019 Beasley steps down; Hamilton takes top spot in program August 25, 2023 BY MAURICE PATTONMain Street Maury Scott Beasley, a member of the Post 19 Seniors team that won the 2007 American Legion World Series, will step down as the program\u2019s head coach after spending 11 seasons in that role. 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