Cornersville senior pitcher Tyler Cole has signed with Columbia State Community College.

Columbia State head coach Kelly Bratton said he considers Cole a potential diamond in the rough and believes he can improve his velocity by honing his pitching mechanics.

"He has a Division I body on him. He just needs to work hard and get stronger," said Bratton. "His curveball is very good and he's got some velocity, but he has a lot more in him than he's letting go right now."

A four-year starter for the Bulldogs, Cole has been the staff ace for CHS this season and helped lead Cornersville to a second place finish in the District 11-A standings. During his senior campaign, Cole has compiled an impressive 7-3 record on the mound, while posting a team low 1.58 ERA and registering 86 strikeouts in 57 2/3 innings of work.

Although he missed half of his junior year due to illness and pitched only 27 1/3 innings for the Bulldogs, Cole finished second on the team in strikeouts with 43 and registered a minuscule 1.02 ERA to go along with a 2-2 record.

As a sophomore, Cole had a breakout year and led the Bulldogs in innings pitched (49 1/3), ERA (2.27), wins (3), and strikeouts (63).

Along with Columbia State, Cole also received interest from Maryville and Tusculum and was a standout basketball player for CHS. Tyler is an excellent student as well and is graduating from Cornersville High School with high honors.