The Shadow
LOW MOOR, VA- This past season, the Alleghany Mountaineers baseball team had a historic year. They finished 20-3 and reached the final four in the state tournament before losing to Poquoson 5-4 in a heartbreaker.
In 2023, the now consolidated school (with Covington High) will look different in the dugout as well after coach Seth Bradley’s departure from baseball to basketball.
Ryan Kessinger, a 2009 Alleghany High School graduate, has been named the head coach of the inaugural 2023 Alleghany Cougars baseball team.
Kessinger is another limb off the family tree in the Alleghany coaching ranks. His grandfather, Gary Rice, was the AHS baseball coach for decades, and Kessinger played for him as well.
Now, with the opportunity to lead a team of young men in the exact same sport, Kessinger feels grateful, and is excited to start his own legacy.
“My grandfather is a hall of fame coach that left his imprint on many young men’s lives throughout his tenure. I hope to carry on his legacy while also contributing to the baseball program and community in my own way,” Kessinger explained.
In doing so, a lifelong dream will be a reality.
“I am honored to be chosen as the next head coach of the Alleghany Cougar baseball program. Anyone that knows me, knows this is a dream job and I couldn’t be happier,” Kessinger said.
Kessinger knows the style he would like to play, but he also understands certain playstyles only work with the right personnel, and the willingness to adapt to what players he has is the mark of a great leader.
“Coaching philosophy can always vary depending on the young men on the roster. Our goal will be to give the young men the fundamentals and baseball situational awareness to be successful day in and day out,” he stated.
Kessinger has not put the full staff together yet, as that process will take place over the next several weeks, and no matter who those coaches are, Kessinger promises the community a continued storied baseball program.
“Thank you to everyone that has supported me over my coaching journey thus far. I am honored and proud to be your Alleghany Cougars baseball coach. We are going to continue the legacy already set forth and create new legacies and memories for this community,” the new coach concluded.
