When Wallace coach Ryan Ihle set out to build his 2023 baseball team, he had one priority in mind.
"We've got to upgrade our defense," Ihle said at the time. That upgrade started with the signing of short stop Corey Berry of East Paulding High School in Acworth, Georgia. Â That signing really paid off.
Before Berry's arrival, the Wallace Govs were 116th in the nation in fielding percentage. Last year, the Govs improved to third in the nation. Even more impressive, all of the other teams in the top five of fielding percentage played on artificial turf. That's the effect Berry had on the Wallace Govs.
His accomplishments and good play didn't go unnoticed. The Govs are a team known for turning out DI players. This year, Berry became the first member of this year's squad to sign a DI scholarship. Berry will be taking his talent to Kennesaw State after this spring season.
"This means a lot," Berry said. "I've always wanted to play DI baseball and they are giving me a real good opportunity to be able to achieve that dream. I get to go back home and play in front of my friends and family."
"But I wouldn't have this opportunity with the help and support of Coach Ryan. He believed in me and gave me the opportunity to play at Wallace. He has made a big difference in my baseball career."
Although known for his defense, Berry's offense has also seen a tremendous improvement. Most of 2023, he hit ninth in the batting order. This spring he is expected to bat lead-off. He not only credits Ihle, but also a couple of last year's teammates.
"The weight room was a big difference, but I also got a chance to play with two of the best teammates ever, that being Carlos (Vasquez) and Kade (Snell). They showed me a lot and that really helped. I took that into the summer, got in the weight room and really worked hard to achieve my dreams. "
Despite the offensive improvement, Berry still believes heavily in his defensive skills.
"I've always taken pride in my defense. My dad always emphasized that part at a young age. I always love watching defense when I watch baseball. I try to study a lot so I can go out there and make the best plays I can for my team because I know defense can win ballgames and make a big difference."
Berry has set a couple of goals for himself this upcoming season. Offensively, he'd like to hit four or five home runs. He only hit one in 2023. He also wants to cut down on his strikeouts and get on base any way he can. Defensively, he said he'd like to have fewer than double-digit errors. Last year, he had 11. But to have nine or fewer errors in a nearly 60-game season would be quite an accomplishment.
"I hold myself to very high standards," he said. "I'm excited to get things started with my team this year and hope we can accomplish great things."
