East Cobb sports update: Kelly Barnhill honored by Pope softball

Kelly Barnhill, Pope softball

Former Pope softball star Kelly Barnhill had a special unveiling on the left field wall before Friday’s doubleheader against Sequoyah and North Paulding.

She was home in East Cobb for only a few days this week after helping the USA softball national team win the World Championships in Japan and qualify for the 2020 Olympics.

“It’s just nice coming home and being around people who helped make me who I am,” Barnhill said, mentioning family, friends and her former Pope coaches.

Kelly Barnhill

Barnhill got to throw out the first pitch, and met with fans and signed autographs.

Barnhill, who was the 2017 national college player of the year at the University of Florida, returns to Gainesville on Saturday.

 

The Greyhounds rallied for two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to win the first game 5-3 over Sequoyah. In the nightcap, North Paulding won as Pope’s record is now 4-2 on the season.

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East Cobb Weekend Events: Jazz concert; football kickoff; coffee with a cop; ‘On Golden Pond’ closes; fishing rodeo and more

East Cobb weekend events, KSU jazz band

There’s something for everyone with East Cobb Weekend Events Friday-Sunday, including the start of football season, the closing of a popular theater production, a combo jazz concert and even a kids’ fishing rodeo.

On Friday morning, bring your questions about crime and public safety to Sterling Estates East Cobb (4220 Lower Roswell Road) and ask officers from Cobb Police Precinct 4. It’s the latest Coffee With a Cop, from 10 a.m. to noon, led by the department’s community affairs unit;

Kick off the weekend in relaxing, jazzy style Friday night at the Sewell Mill Library and Cultural Center (2051 Lower Roswell Road) for the continuation of the Sewell Mill Summer Concert Series in the amphitheater. From 7-9:30 p.m. treat yourself to the sounds of Will Scruggs and the KSU Jazz Combo (above), in this free event sponsored by the Cobb Library Foundation;

The weekend is the finale for CenterStage North’s presentation of “On Golden Pond,” which has shows at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and at 2 p.m. Sunday at The Art Place (3330 Sandy Plains Road). Tickets are $16 and must be purchased at the CSN box office, not by going to the facility;

Another Family Movie Night is on tap from 6:30-9 p.m. Friday at the Northeast Cobb YMCA (3010 Johnson Ferry Road), with “Coco” showing on the big screen. Admission is free for Y members and $5 for guests;

The high school sports season is already underway, and it shifts into full gear on Friday with the start of football season. Lassiter is home to Harrison and Sprayberry is playing home to South Forsyth, while Wheeler is at Lambert. Kell and Walton will be playing Saturday morning in the Corky Kell Classic at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in downtown Atlanta;

Also on Friday is a special sporting event at Pope High School, whose football season starts next week. Ex-Greyhound softball star Kelly Barnhill, a college standout at the University of Florida and member of the USA team that just qualified for the Olympics, will return to throw out the first pitch against Sequoyah and sign autographs. The game starts at 6 at the Pope softball complex (3001 Hembree Road), and admission is free;

More sporting fun on Saturday, for kids 3-16: The Cobb Parks Fishing Rodeo takes place from 9-12 at Hyde Farm (726 Hyde Road), with prizes in various age groups. It’s free to cast your line in the water, but you’ll need to bring your own poles and gear.

On Sunday afternoon, hear the inspiring story of a family’s service dog from Roswell author Donnie Winokur. She’s the author of “Chancer,” the Golden retriever who served as a companion to her adopted son, who’s afflicted by fetal alcohol syndrome. She’ll be discussing the story, doing a demonstration and signing books from 3-5 at Georgia Veterinary Rehabilitation & Pain Management (230 Johnson Ferry Place).

Check our full calendar listings for more things to do in East Cobb this weekend, and beyond.

Did we miss anything? Do you have a calendar item you’d like to share with the community? Send it to us, and we’ll spread the word! E-mail: calendar@eastcobbnews.com, and you can include a photo or flyer if you like.

Whatever you’re doing this weekend, make it a great one! Enjoy!

 

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Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!

 

Former Pope softball star Kelly Barnhill to appear at Greyhounds’ game Friday

Fresh off a Team USA performance that resulted in Olympic qualification, former Pope softball star Kelly Barnhill will be making a homecoming visit on Friday.

Kelly Barnhill, former Pope softball star

The University of Florida pitching standout will appear at the Greyhounds’ home game on Friday against Sequoyah.

The game starts at 6 p.m. and admission is free. Barnhill will be throwing out the first pitch, meeting fans and signing autographs.

Barnhill, who led Pope to its first Georgia state championship in 2014, was part of the U.S. team that last week repeated as world champions. That resulted in an automatic berth for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.

Olympic softball is returning after being dropped in 2008. Barnhill has been a gold medalist for Team USA in the 2016 and now 2018 world championship tournaments.

Here’s what she posted on social media after the Americans’ victory in Japan over the weekend:

She will be a senior at Florida, where she has been an All-American and in 2017 was the national college player of the year.

The Greyhounds, who were playing Cambridge at home on Tuesday, have started the season with a 1-1 record. They also play at Chattahoochee on Thursday before the Friday game honoring Barnhill.

More sports stories

 

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