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Columbia Central tabs former player to succeed Pickle as baseball coach




Devin Symlar, whose Columbia Central baseball team won 90 games during his playing career, was named Wednesday as the coach at his alma mater. He succeeds Mark Pickle, who retired recently. Symlar served as an assistant under Pickle the past two years. BUFFY HOLT / MAIN STREET MAURY

As his predecessor had hoped, Devin Symlar was announced Wednesday as Columbia Central’s new baseball coach.

The 2016 graduate just completed his second season as an assistant at his alma mater, working under Mark Pickle, who retired after the Lions completed their run to the Region 6-4A semifinals to end his 26-year tenure atop the program.

Following his high school career, Symlar played collegiately at Columbia State and at Reinhardt (Ga.), before returning to his hometown.

“I knew it could be a possibility somewhere down the road,” the 25-year-old Symlar said of taking over for his former coach. “Everything all linked up together and we were able to make it work. I’m kinda glad it worked out the way it did. I needed to sit under ‘Pick’ and get some experience from him.”

After Central won 90 games over Symlar’s playing career, he was on Pickle’s staff when the Tennessee Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Famer reached the 500-win milestone in March 2022 – one of three former Lions who have coached with Pickle.

“Coaching with those guys – they kinda grew up with you. They’re kinda like my kids,” Pickle said of Symlar and previous assistants Jeff Loveless and Kyle Rowekamp. “Those guys have all gone from players to assistant coaches with me to friends, three of the best friends I’ve got in the world. So absolutely, it’s extra special to have him take over.

“I’m so happy for Devin. He’s worked hard, he’s been around good baseball all his life, he’s going to do a fantastic job. I know the players and the parents are happy. All those guys love him and they’re going to play hard for him, and he’s going to do a fabulous job.”

School administrators pointed to Symlar’s youth as a positive in appointing him to the position.

Former Columbia Central outfielder Devin Symlar (right) was named Wednesday to succeed the retired Mark Pickle atop the Lions baseball program. Symlar spent the last two seasons as an assistant under Pickle, who won more than 500 games over 29 years, the last 26 at Central. SUBMITTED PHOTO

“He’s going to be a high-energy guy,” Central athletics director Marc Higdon said. “Players love and respect him, parents think a lot of him. He’s going to be a very good fit going forward. He’s a very high-character guy; that showed through in interviews.

“We’d hoped to get someone in the building, but the more you talked to him, you realized he was going to be fantastic for our program.”

With his familiarity – as a player and as an assistant – with the program, the transition stands to be a relatively smooth one for Symlar.

“Continuing what Pick’s got (here), I think that’s what makes me a pretty good candidate,” he said. “I know what his standards are, I know how to execute it. Getting the experience I got with two other really good coaches (collegiately), I can put that together. It’s just a matter of keeping that standard and putting my own twist on things.

“Graduating (seven) years ago, everything they’re going through, I can relate to. Everything they do from a day-to-day standpoint, I did. I definitely think it benefits me, being able to relate to these guys. I think that’s what helps me build those relationships and I think it makes me feel a bit more comfortable, too.”