Drew Buckhault will take his baseball talents to the Cougars of Cleveland State Community College next year. Buckhault signed a scholarship to play baseball and attend college at the Cleveland, Tennessee institution.

Buckhault has been an impact player on the diamond ever since his playing days began. In the Dixie Youth ranks at 7 years old, this writer remembers Drew and his teammates dominating the competition in the field, from the mound and at the plate. At the next level playing travel ball with the Covington Rattlers and the Newton County Tigers, Buckhault excelled and established himself as “one of the kids to watch” as he neared the start of his high school career.

Entering high school as a freshman at Eastside High School, Drew once again set himself apart from his peers by making the varsity squad. The Eagles made it to the second round of the State playoffs that year and the young Buckhault was tagged as the starting pitcher in the pivotal first game in round two, against a very strong Thomson HS team. As a sophomore, Buckhault established himself as a force to be reckoned with behind the plate. He garnered a lot of attention as a catcher flashing his arm strength throwing out runners attempting to steal second base. Ever changing and evolving as a player, in Buckhault’s junior year he found himself using that arm strength to throw out base runners from right field. Drew also swung a hot bat as a junior, leading the team in average at .481 along with a trio of homeruns.

Buckhault’s major accomplishments in his senior season at Eastside came from the pitcher’s mound. Drew became the staff “Ace” starting 11 games and posting a team leading 1.49 ERA. With a fastball that consistently clocked in the upper-80’s, Buckhault struck out 59 batters in his 61 innings of work. Drew’s offensive highlight of the year came against Stephens County where he belted two homeruns in the game.

As a four-year letterman at Eastside, Buckhault played in 93 games, posted a career batting average of .330 and registered an on-base-percentage of .458. He hit 7 homeruns in his high school career and from the mound Drew pitched in 32 games with an ERA of 2.33, striking out 112 batters. Buckhault participated in state playoff games in three of his four years in high school.

Outside of high school, Buckhault played in the American Legion Baseball League with Rockdale Post #77 in 2013 and currently plays with Covington Post #32. Throughout Drew’s baseball career he has been loyally supported by his father Keith Buckhault, mother Loquita Buckhault, brother Keith and his grandmother Pat.