Carroll Academy head of school Johnny Daves has announced that Chris Ball has been hired as the head baseball coach for the upcoming season.
Ball, who started work officially Monday at the school, began working on the field last week along with several parents. He comes to Carroll from Washington School in Greenville, where he had been serving as an assistant baseball coach for 1 1/2 years. Before that, he was on staff at Heritage Academy in Columbus for 12 years, serving as the head baseball coach his last three years.
Ball, 44, started his coaching career at New Hope High School and, after leaving New Hope, spent one season at East Mississippi Community College.
“We are excited to have Coach Ball and his championship pedigree join our staff,” said Daves. “He just sort of fell in our lap after Coach (Derrik) Boland announced he was leaving. Coach Ball wanted to be a head coach again. We had a relatively limited search. He was interested, and we were excited to have him join us at Carroll.
“I feel like we have a high-energy group of coaches who are working together, cheer for each other and support each other. I’m excited about the future at Carroll Academy.”
Boland announced a few weeks ago he was stepping down at Carroll to go into the private business sector in Winona. Boland never coached the baseball team as he was hired in May 2024. He was the assistant girls softball coach and was promoted to head coach in the middle of the season after Rusty Miller was released.
Austin Woodall served as head baseball coach from 2023-2024 at Carroll. The Rebels went 6-15 overall in 2024, and Woodall was 27-25 in two seasons.
“This time of year, a baseball coach always feels like they are behind, and we are going to be a little bit, but we are going to start fast,” said Ball. “The kids are going to be learning a new system. I will need to gain their trust, and I will need to trust them. I don’t know the kids, and I don’t know what any of them did last year, so there will be open competition once we get started.
“We want a winning program. I don’t believe in good losses and bad wins. I want to go undefeated. We are going to compete and do a lot of scrimmages. Practices are going to be a lot different.”
Carroll opens its 2025 season Feb. 4 at Desoto School.
Milton hired at Pillow Academy
Former Carroll football coach Bo Milton has accepted a teaching and coaching position at Pillow Academy in Greenwood.
Milton, who was relieved of his coaching duties following the 2024 season, spent 10 years as the head coach of the Rebels, compiling a record of 60-53.
Milton will be an assistant coach on first-year coach TJ Davis’ staff at Pillow. He is expected to handle the offensive and defensive lines as well as be the run-game coordinator.
