One of, if not the single greatest, individual athletic years in Greeneville High School history is going to wrap up this week in Murfreesboro at the Spring Fling.
Senior Carson Quillen will be looking to end his time at Greeneville by helping the Greene Devils baseball program claim their third state championship. But before the Class 3A State Tournament gets underway on Tuesday Quillen will be recognized as one of the top players in the state at the Mr. Baseball Awards. Last week Quillen was announced as one three finalists in Class 3A for the state’s player-of-the-year award.
“It means a ton to me to be honored as a Mr. Baseball finalist,” Quillen said. “I couldn’t be more grateful. I couldn’t do it without my teammates and coaches, and they have put me in this position. I just try to play every game locked in. I just want to lead these guys and help everyone on the team be better. It means a ton to me to be on that stage, and hopefully the third time is the charm.”
Tuesday’s award ceremony will be the second time this school year that Quillen will be recognized as being one of the best in his sport. In December he was also honored as a finalist for Class 4A’s Mr. Football award. That puts Quillen in rare air among Tennessee athletes, having been selected as finalist for the state’s top award in two sports.
Quillen was also a finalist Mr. Baseball in 2023. He is a three-time All-State selection in football, and will almost certainly be a three-time All-State selection in baseball
“Carson Quillen is one of the highest character kids I’ve ever been able to coach, and you can’t tell me he’s not the best football player in the state of Tennessee,” Greeneville football coach Eddie Spradlen said at the Mr. Football awards in December. “He wants to be the best and he works to be the best. He’s a true team guy, and the first thing he wants is for the team to be successful. He’s a special kid and he will be successful in whatever he chooses to do.”
Quillen has been a bat the Greene Devils can count on all season long as he turned in a silly .506 batting average against one of the toughest schedules in the state during the regular season. From his leadoff spot he had a .672 on base percentage. He had 44 hits, 18 extra-base hits, 25 RBIs, and 52 runs scored. On the mound he went 5-1 with a save. In 38 innings pitched he had 38 strikeouts and nine walks.
“Whether the opponent doesn’t want to pitch to him or he’s hitting with 105 exit velo, having that guy at the top of the lineup is huge. He’s a perfect leadoff guy,” Greeneville baseball coach Andy Collins said. “It’s awesome to see him get this recognition, because I know how hard he has worked. For me, I don’t see another guy in that state that is as good as he is.”
While the big numbers, and individual awards are nice Quillen most wants to bring home a state championship this week. That journey starts on Tuesday at Smyrna High School against South Gibson.
The Class 3A State Tournament opener could be the toughest test yet for the Greene Devils as they are likely to face Hornets’ junior righthander Cade Allen on the mound. Allen, a University of Tennessee commitment, finished the regular season with a 5-1 record, 0.81 ERA and 94 strikeouts in 55 innings. In his last outing, against Covington in the state sectionals, Allen struck out 14 in a seven-inning effort.
Allen did lose to Dyer County twice late in the season, 4-3 in the regular season and 1-0 in the district tournament. Dyer County was eliminated in the state sectionals by Munford.
Greeneville finished the regular season ranked No.1 in the state in Class 3A, while South Gibson was No.3. Tullahoma, ranked No.2, and No.4 Anderson County are on the other side of the bracket, and the Devils would not see them until the state championship game.
On the same side of the bracket as Greeneville are Chester County and Upperman. Upperman is who Greeneville beat in the 2023 state championship game. The Bees won District 7-3A and were runners up to Tullahoma in Region 4-3A. They won two of three over Red Bank in the sectionals.
Chester County won District 12-3A, Region 6-3A and swept Lawson in the sectionals.
Greeneville has the most wins of anyone in the Class 3A field with 32 and has gone through postseason play undefeated.
The Devils also have plenty of state tournament experience. Seniors Quillen, Carson Norris, Kobe Mundy, and Noah Muray, and junior Maddox Bishop all started on the 2023 state championship team. Junior Will Harmon’s arm was a big reason Greeneville returned to the state tournament in 2024, and his bat has been a big piece in this postseason. In an 11-inning sectional win over Seymour Harmon was 4-for-5 with a home run, a double and six RBIs.
The Greene Devils also believe they are bringing their deepest pitching staff to this year’s spring fling. Quillen and Harmon have been the stars of the staff, but Randen Fillers has been a strong third option who gave up one run in five relief innings in the sectionals. Norris is coming off a seven-inning complete game in the sectionals where he allowed three hits and one run. Greeneville also feels good about Sam Thompson, Jaxon Winter and Grayson Crosby on the mound.
To get to Friday’s state championship the Devils have to win their four-team double elimination bracket at Smyrna over the course of three days.
