Two-time state champion and all-state infielder Cole Dean made an announcement on Aug. 18 that was twofold.

Dean revealed his verbal commitment to the South Alabama Jaguars after the end of his high school career which he will now finish as a Bayside Academy Admiral after three years of varsity baseball with the Bayshore Christian Eagles.

“I’m super excited to announce my commitment to South Alabama,” he wrote on social media on Friday, Aug. 18. “I want to thank God for giving me the ability to play this game. I also want to thank my friends, family, and coaches that have helped me along the way. Go Jags.”

In his post on X (Twitter), Dean not only tagged the South Alabama baseball account but also Bayside Academy’s baseball and athletics pages as well as head baseball coach Matt Limbaugh.

It will be a big get for both the Admirals and Jaguars after Dean registered a .453 batting average the last two seasons and compiled 82 hits with 80 RBIs. After he stepped up from Class 1A to 2A with Bayshore Christian from his freshman to sophomore year, Dean will now step up to Class 4A with Bayside Academy.

Still, the Eagles frequently played larger-classification schools and this past spring Dean collected three doubles and two home runs to help Bayshore Christian split a doubleheader against the Class 7A Fairhope Pirates with a 12-5 win and a 6-5 loss.

Among the opponents in larger classifications, the Eagles have played the Admirals six times over the last four seasons. Bayshore Christian holds a 4-2 lead in the all-time series against Bayside Academy in addition to a 23-19 scoring advantage.

With the Bayshore Christian Eagles, Dean was twice named to the Alabama Sports Writers Association’s first-team all-state after he was recognized as a designated hitter his freshman year and an infielder his sophomore year.

In its first two seasons on the Alabama High School Athletic Association circuit, Bayshore Christian won the Class 1A state championship, first over Donoho in 2021 when Dean was an eighth grader then over Lindsay Lane in 2022 with Dean as a freshman.

Dean was also honored locally this spring with a spot on Mobile Baseball Connection’s Elite Eight as part of the Terrific Twelve which recognized the top dozen baseball players in Mobile and Baldwin Counties.

According to unofficial stats from Joey Warner and the Mobile Baseball Connection, Dean’s sophomore season at Bayshore Christian finished with a .435 batting average and 40 hits which included 5 home runs, 8 doubles and 6 triples. His 41 RBIs complemented 32 runs scored, 17 walks and 1 stolen base. He also provided 7 wins and 3 saves to the Eagles’ pitching staff with a 3.02 ERA and 29 strikeouts.

By the time Dean arrives on the South Alabama campus in the fall of 2025, he likely won’t be the only familiar face from the Eastern Shore on the baseball squad.

The Jaguars’ 2023 roster featured a trio of athletes who played their high school baseball in Baldwin County, including junior Micah Morgan from Fairhope and previously Spring Hill College, as well as redshirt senior Zach Harlan and freshman Jackson Howard from Daphne.