ROGERS -- The Rogers Heritage baseball coaching position didn't stay vacant long.
The school board approved the hiring of Mitch Cameron to replace Keith Kilgore at Tuesday's meeting.
Heritage's season came to an end last Thursday in an 8-5 loss to Bentonville in the Class 7A state quarterfinals.
Mark Holderbaum, Rogers Public Schools Athletic Director, moved quickly to find Kilgore's successor after he was hired as an assistant principal at Heritage at the April board meeting. He identified several good candidates in a short time.
"We had some good folks we met with, but we really came out with who we think will be the best fit for the position moving forward," Holderbaum said. "Coach Kilgore came in and did exactly what I hoped he would do. He put Heritage on the map as a solid baseball program. He and his coaching staff and the kids have set that bar at a high level.
"We think Mitch demonstrated a great energy level and enthusiasm moving forward to take over the reins of the War Eagle baseball program. He is a high-energy guy with lots of drive. We're excited to have a coach of his calibre on board."
Cameron guided Class 4A Prairie Grove to the state tournament each of the last six years, including four trips to the semifinals and one state finals appearance. The 32-year-old acknowledged coaching at a larger school was a goal, but he thought Heritage was the right fit for him.
"There are tons of great coaches in all classifications, but coaching in 7A was a goal of mine," Cameron said. "I was happy at Prairie Grove. We have a great tradition there. I knew in order to move it had to be a perfect fit and I felt like Rogers Heritage was a perfect fit.
"I knew that coach Kilgore has done an unbelievable job there establishing that program. I felt like the kids there buy in, work hard and do things right. It just felt right. I don't know how else to explain it."
Kilgore guided the War Eagles to state tournament appearances in six out of seven seasons, including a state finals berth in 2012.
Sports on 05/20/2015