Whether he’s in the field, on the mound, at the plate or even behind the plate, Parker Hollimon — and his versatility — have contributed to Augusta Preparatory Day School’s success on the baseball diamond so far this season.
The Cavaliers are playing their best ball in recent years. They are 8-5 — their best start since start 2021 when they went 7-5 early on. They defeated Laney 16-1 to secure their eighth win of the season on March 26, tying the most wins in a season in school history.
Many players have stepped up for the Cavaliers, especially at the plate as they have five players with over a .300 batting average, but Hollimon’s stats are high in multiple categories.
“Wherever you put Parker at, he is going to perform at a high level,” said Augusta Prep Baseball Coach Todd Booker. “We have used him at several positions, and he has done a great job.”
Hollimon currently has a .488 batting average with 20 hits in 41 at-bats and 28 RBIs. He also has a 2-0 record pitching with a 0.43 ERA, striking out 34 batters and only giving up three hits.
“I am just trying to find good pitches to hit and make sure not to swing at anything bad and let them get ahead early in the count,” Hollimon said. “On the mound, I just try to go after them, throw strikes and get ahead early.”
Although Hollimon has had his own success, he believes his teammates and chemistry have played a major role.
“Over half the team has played travel ball together so the chemistry is really good,” he said. “We all just know how to pick each other up. We just know when we need to step up and we all back each other up and help one another. There is not much criticism, it is more motivation.”
As a freshman, Hollimon made the baseball team and started on varsity for Augusta Prep. While he had a great rookie season, his continued growth in his game has been noticeable.
“He has had a lot of work in the weight room and gotten stronger and just doing great wherever we put him,” Booker said. “He is a leader and has done a great job.”
Hollimon, who is from Harlem, started playing and enjoying baseball at a very young age according to his father. While some small children might enjoy playing with toys and sleeping with a blanket, Hollimon had his bat and ball.
“At the age of three, he picked up a ball and a bat and slept with it,” his father, Chris Hollimon, said.
Before coming to Augusta Prep, Hollimon played baseball at Thomson Middle School, Episcopal Day School and of course travel ball. As an eighth grader in 2023, Hollimon helped Episcopal Day win its first baseball championship in school history.
Not only has Hollimon had success on the field, but he is also very well recognized for his academic accomplishments. Augusta Prep welcomed Hollimon as a Malone Scholar for the 2023-2024 school year. The Malone Scholarship is awarded to new students in grades 7-10 who are in the top five percent of their class and demonstrate academic achievement, exemplary citizenship and leadership potential.
Booker says Hollimon continues to be an excellent student at Augusta Prep and is a leader for the young newcomers.
“He is an excellent student and a hard worker in the classroom and sets an example for our other kids,” said Booker. “He is a role model for all of our younger kids and our middle school program because he is able to handle the academics and athletics.”
Booker and Chris Hollimon say his leadership extends into the classroom as he does not look down on others but continues to motivate his peers to succeed.
“He is a great leader and team motivator and that shows in the classroom as well,” said his father. “We are very proud of him on his work ethic and how he treats everyone.”
Augusta Prep was able to win their first region game this season as they defeated Westminster Christian Academy 5-3 on March 21 with Hollimon as the starting pitcher.
“I feel like we played good as a team and made a lot plays and played really good defense,” Hollimon said. “We definitely earned the win.”
The Cavaliers failed to win a region game last season, but this season are currently 1-1 in the regional standings. Booker said the region win was very important and showed the hard work the players have put in.
“Parker pitched very well against Westminster Christian in that win,” Booker said. “That region win is just a testament to our whole team. The kids have bought in and worked extremely hard and are playing together right now.”
The Cavaliers will play on the road at Briarwood Academy on Tuesday, April 1 and back home on Thursday, April 3.
“We got to continue to have good pitching, play very good defense and hit the ball. We got to be able to score runs and I think if we can do that, it’ll give us a good chance being successful the rest of the year,” Booker said.
With only one senior, the team is poised to build on its success and become even stronger next season.
“I think the sky is the limit for us,” Booker said.
Christopher Rickerson, an Augusta University graduate, has covered area sports for publications including Augusta University‘s Bell Ringer and Augusta Good News. Subscribe to the Augusta Good News newsletter here.
