MLB draft prospect carves legacy at his small South Georgia GIAA program
When Citizens Christian Academy took the field this season, MLB scouts lined up behind the home plate fence, readying their radar guns and notepads, as they were about to feast their eyes on one of the brightest young stars in Georgia toeing the rubber.
Standing atop the mound was pitcher Blake Bryant, who remains calm despite distractions and pressure to perform.
“Being in control of the game is one of the greatest feelings,” Bryant said. “If you go out there and you strike out the side, and your defense is basically just standing there like flowers, don’t have to do nothing, then you know you’ve done your job, you’re out there.”
Bryant showed his baseball prowess young, having started playing at 8 years old. As the years went on, so did Bryant’s on-the-field dominance, especially on the mound.
By eighth grade, the 6-foot-5 right-hander was already throwing 90 mph, making double-digit appearances on varsity and impressing in the travel ball circuit.
So much so that his prospect coach and former Clemson All-American Shane Monahan set him up to visit his alma mater for a camp, where it took just one bullpen session in front of Clemson pitching coach Jimmy Belanger to receive an offer that led to commitment a few days later.
Still committed to the Tigers, Bryant kept things rolling at CCA, where he quickly rose to be one of the Patriots’ top arms. By his sophomore season, the Douglas native was tossing a mid-to-upper-90s fastball that got his head coach, Jeremy Coram, realizing that Bryant could be special at the next level.
MLB scouts started showing up at his travel ball games, and although surprised at first, Bryant realized getting drafted and playing professional baseball might become a reality.
After leading CCA to a Georgia Independent Athletic Association state title his junior year — the program’s first since 2010 — Bryant entered 2026 with as much draft hype as any amateur pitcher in the state.
Before the season, Coram said scouts flocked to the school, trying to find any chance to watch Bryant in action.
“I had to send out basically his whole projected starting schedule for our games and pitch counts from in January ... I have to send out a weekly email every Sunday, just confirming his starts,” Coram said. “It didn’t matter if we were playing at home or in the middle of nowhere; there were guys there to see him every single day.”
Few high school pitchers will put together a season quite like Bryant’s senior campaign. One that showcased a 10-0 record in 12 starts, with a 0.22 ERA, a 141-to-13 strikeout-to-walk ratio in just 64 innings pitched and was named GIAA Class A Pitcher of the Year and GIAA Region 6 Player of the Year.
Coram said he “had never seen” such a dominant season by one pitcher, who, if it had not been for a couple of run rules during his starts, might have had added even more strikeouts to his ledger.
As Citizens Christian once again rolled right through the 2026 season, finishing 30-2 and back in the state championship series, Bryant trotted out to the mound for the final time on May 28 in Game 1 against David Emanuel Academy.
Bryant capped his high school career with a 109-pitch complete-game shutout, allowing just two hits, three walks and striking out 12 batters.
Bryant sat 92-96 mph with his fastball for the majority of the game, until the final inning. He struck out the side with his final pitch touching a career-high 97 on the gun.
While there were conversations before the seventh inning about making a pitching change, Bryant shut down the idea.
“I told my catcher and I told my coaches, I said, ‘This is the last inning; this is my last ever high school outing. Let’s dig deep right here.’ I said, ‘Y’all watch this, and I’m about to run it up right here,’” Bryant said. " I was just super proud of myself."
Across his varsity career, Bryant finished with 28-10 record, a 1.67 ERA and a 421-to-95 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
Along the way, there were conversations about leaving and playing at a larger public school such as Coffee County High School, where the competition would have been an upgrade. But Bryant said the lasting relationships between friends, family, and coaches were too much to leave.
“I don’t think he will truly ever realize the legacy that he’s leaving behind,” Coram said.
With high school now in the books, the focus for Bryant shifts toward the 2026 MLB Draft. He’s currently slotted as the 65th-ranked prospect according to MLB.com and is Baseball America‘s No. 2-overall Georgia prospect, along with earning first-team High School All-America honors.
When the MLB draft begins Saturday, Bryant will likely hear his name called early on since he is currently projected as a late first to third-round pick.
The decision to turn pro and forgo his commitment to Clemson will boil down to the dollar amount offered. If everything lines up, then he will make the choice best for him and his family, he said.
“I’m a dog on the mound too,” Bryant said. “I’m here to compete. I’m here to win — win for my guys, win for my coach and win for my family.”