ROSEBORO – Former East Bladen baseball Coach Russell Priest was inducted posthumously into the Southern Softball Association (SSAA) Hall of Fame recently at the Peters Creek Softball Complex as part of their 2024 Hall of Fame Class.
During his lifetime Priest was a player, coach and sponsor of his teams that played many weekends at Peters Creek. In 1986 Priest’s Bladen Sports/Sholar Logging team won the North Carolina Class D State Championship at Peters Creek.
Priest was a pitcher for the Kinlaw Insurance team that won the 1978 Amateur Softball Association (ASA) Class B State Championship in Wilmington. Later in his softball career Priest was a member of the 2008 SSAA Men’s Open 3 Home Run Champions and the 2008 SSAA Double Crown-Champions.
“Russell was fortunate to play for many teams, making lifelong friends and fond memories,” said Doll Priest, Priest’s wife. “Families always attended to cheer their husbands and dads. Some of the teams he played for were: Kinlaw Insurance, Bladen Sports/Sholar Logging, Elizabethtown Salvage, Russell Sports, Bay Tree Lakes and Oak Grove.”
The Peters Creek Softball Complex is located near the Hwy. 210 and Hwy. 242 intersection in a community that loves softball so much that they built their first field in 1965. In the 1980’s-1990’s, an 8-field softball complex was built under the leadership of Simon and Beckie Smith.
In 1984 the Southern Softball Association was formed and softball tournaments were held each weekend with teams coming from New Jersey to Florida to play at Peters Creek. In 2000 the Hall of Fame was opened and over 200 recipients have since been inducted.
During the Memorial Induction, Priest was also honored for his 44 years as a teacher and coach at East Bladen High School. His coaching spanned over four decades during which time his teams accumulated over 400 wins and he was named Coach of the Year multiple times.
Doll Priest and their children attended the induction ceremony and his son read the biography of Priest’s accomplishments. Priest’s family accepted the award on his behalf. They were presented with a trophy and a medal that reads: SSAA Hall of Fame, Simon Smith Memorial Inductee, Russell Priest 2024.
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