Tyler McClure

Tyler McClure began his athletic career playing all sports sponsored by the Fannin County Recreation Department. He eventually settled on basketball and baseball, but baseball was always his first love. His teams were often coached by his dad and he considers his brother Seth, a 2024 Hall of Fame inductee, as his top role model in his early athletic career. He also remembers being a big fan of local sports teams, especially the Fannin High girls teams coached by Johnny Farmer. The success of those teams inspired Tyler in his quest for athletic excellence. Tyler was a four-year letterman in basketball and baseball at Fannin County High School. His career at Fannin was highlighted by a memorable season during his senior campaign in 2010-2011. He was the second leading scorer for the Rebels basketball squad and was the recipient of the Best Offensive Player award. He led the team in 3-point shooting and was honored as an All-Region Honorable Mention player. He had grown into a 6’2” young man and weighed in at around 150 pounds. During his senior baseball season, Tyler split his time between pitching and holding down an outfield position. He posted a remarkable batting average of .493 with 34 hits. As a pitcher, he posted a 6-2 record with an ERA of 1.85 and 82 strikeouts. He was named to the 2011 All-Region team and was awarded the Golden Spike Award as the Rebels team MVP. His classmates elected him as the Most Athletic senior boy in the 2011 graduating class. After graduation Tyler attended Chattanooga State on a baseball scholarship. As a sophomore, he started 13 games posting a 5-3 record and holding opposing hitters to a batting average of .237. He was named to the all-conference 2nd team as a pitcher. More importantly, however, he met his wife Emily while at Chattanooga State. Emily was a world class kickboxer at that time. After his two seasons at Chattanooga State, Tyler was recruited to pitch for Georgia State University of the Sunbelt Conference. He pitched there for one season in 2014. He made 12 pitching appearances including eight starts. He had a strong appearance in his first start against Kennesaw State, striking out eight and allowing one run in 5.2 innings. He later hurled five shutout innings against Georgia Tech. A broken leg ended Tyler’s diamond career. On the mound, Tyler relied on a two-seam fast ball, changeup and slider. He was not a flame thrower with a fast ball in the low to middle 80s but possessed great control and was masterful in mixing his pitches. When asked about his biggest thrills in athletics, Tyler avoids mention of personal accomplishments. His comments about his career are always about team successes and the boys and men who were his teammates. His humility matches his considerable athletic abilities. Tyler and Emily have been married for nine years. Their daughter, Presley, will be 6 in August and son Stetson is two.