By KEVIN ECKLEBERRY

Daily News

For a decade, Ashley Summerlin called Callaway High home.

Summerlin was baseball head coach Dusty Hubbard’s right-hand man during most of his time at Callaway, and he also had a successful stint as the school’s softball coach.

Summerlin’s home base is the Sunshine State now, and last spring he led Port St. Joe to a state championship in Florida during his first season at the school.

Today, Summerlin will return to a place that means so much to him.

Port St. Joe will play two games at Callaway, including one against the host school at noon.

Port St. Joe will also play Northgate about 30 minutes after the Callaway game ends.

While Summerlin is no longer at Callaway, he has remained in touch with his colleagues and friends at the school.

After his team won a state title last spring, in fact, Summerlin talked to a number of folks from Callaway, including Hubbard and head football coach and athletics director Pete Wiggins.

“You kind of feel like all of those people played a part,” Summerlin said on the bus ride back from Fort Myers after his team won the Class A title. “I’ve learned so much from obviously coach Wiggins and coach Hubbard, coaching with them for so long. A lot of the things that we do, and a lot of the beliefs that I’m building this program on, come straight from there. A lot of thanks goes out to those two guys and everybody who’s been a part of helping me along the way.”

Summerlin added that “it’s nice to be able to talk to those guys, and I know they’re proud. We’re just good friends. We were together for a long time.”

Port St. Joe brings a 3-3 record into today’s games, while Callaway is 6-4 after dropping a pair of games to Bremen on Wednesday in a showdown of the state’s top-two Class AA teams according to the Georgia Dugout Preview rankings.

Callaway won the first game 3-2, but Bremen bounced back to win Wednesday’s doubleheader by scores of 7-2 and 6-5.

In the series finale, Callaway had a 5-0 lead after two innings, but Bremen came charging back to secure the come-from-behind win.

While Bremen is in control of the region race with a 5-1 record, Callaway is 1-2 in the region.

Callaway will resume its region schedule with three games against Temple next week.

Callaway will be the host team on Tuesday, and the scene shifts to Temple on Friday for a doubleheader.

SATURDAY’S GAMES

Noon – Callaway vs. Port St. Joe

2:30 p.m. – Port St.