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Two LaGrange High seniors will be getting the chance to take the diamond together one last time. Tanner Langley and Robbie Parker have both been selected to play in the 2024 Georgia Dugout Club All-Star game. 

The two share a strong bond, having both transferred into LaGrange High before their sophomore year. The two made an instant impact as both started on the 2022 LaGrange team that finished as the 4A runner-up.

“I was honored to be selected alongside Robbie, and I’m excited to go down there and represent LaGrange, but also, it’ll be the last time me and Robbie are on the same team, for right now,” Langley said, flashing a big grin. “This has me excited to go have fun and play with my friends. I have a couple of friends on the team from other schools too.

“And I know I’ve seen other seniors in the past get selected to go play and I’m excited to go and kind of continue the tradition because we always have Grangers go and play in it.”

To get one last chance to share the diamond with a brother-in-blue is a special occurrence.

“Getting to play with Tanner again does excite me and there is going to be a lot of talent out there, so it’s going to be some good competition,” Parker said.

Langley made the team as an outfielder. He was a staple in center field for the Grangers and hit .345 with 7 home runs, 29 RBIs and 20 stolen bases. He will be heading to Georgia Southern this fall to continue his baseball career.

Parker could do it all for the Grangers, starting at shortstop or on the mound. From the plate, Parker hit .310 with 20 RBIs and 15 stolen bases as a senior. After being named an All-State player as a closing pitcher in 2023, Parker made the transition to full-time starter this year and continued to excel. 

“I had started before, but I was excited to be starting again full-time because I like the ball in my hands, so with me starting there’s more innings on the mound which means more time with the ball in my hands,” Parker said.

Parker was 6-2 with an ERA of 1.50 and an opponent batting average of .170. The LaGrange High grad did not walk a single player in the regular season.

“He went through an entire regular season and didn’t walk a man. I’ve been coaching a long time and not many things are new, but I’ve never had a pitcher pitch an entire regular season as a starting pitcher and not walk a guy,” LaGrange coach Donnie Branch said.

Parker will be heading to Chipola College to join fellow Granger Cole Garner (class of ‘23), who was named to the Georgia Dugout Club All-Star games in 2023 as a senior.

Getting recognized for their individual achievements is special, but it pales in comparison to the team achievements that these two guys have experienced. The Grangers won 95 games in three years with the two in blue and white. The duo helped lead the team to back-to-back state runner-up finishes, just one game shy of a state championship in 2023.

“I got to play for state twice. And not only just the success we’ve had, but just the relationships I’ve built on my teammates with not only the guys that are here now, but the guys that have left,” Langley said. “It’s been awesome just to just grow friendships that I’ll always have in my life.”

Despite the team not having quite as much success when the two were seniors, they were the leaders in the lineup. The team looked up to them and the two helped the team make a second-round playoff appearance despite a ton of youth in the lineup.

“I had good role models with Trevor (Booton),  Trey (Cook) and Preston (Pressley) and that whole senior class that graduated last year,” Parker said. “They were all very good leaders so I really just kind of just did what I thought they would do.”

Neither player is a Granger by birth, but there is no doubt where their loyalties lie. As they go on to continue their baseball journeys there will always be those precious memories of nights at The Branch.

“I’m still stuck on the fact that I won’t be playing baseball for LaGrange anymore, and I will never put that uniform on again,” Parker said.