CHINA SPRING, Texas (KXXV) — China Spring pulls back the curtain on a monument to commemorate Cougar baseball's five state championships.
"We've been working on this for a while and I just wanted to see the players that from the past and of course, last year's team, be able to see that because it seems pretty special," China Spring baseball head coach Cory Beckham said.
"Anytime somebody walks in here, they'll get to see it. The fact that I know about a lot of the history of China Spring baseball since I played here was, is important, I think for our teams right now. So they know that it was important," he said.
Players from 1987 to now gathered to witness this historic moment, including father-son duos who get to see their names joined together.
"It means the world to me. Baseball was my life when I was that age and that's what I wanted for him was to play high school baseball and maybe play college baseball. He went and did that for a little bit and happiest dad ever," Brandon Garrett said.
Brandon Garrett was part of the 2000 state championship team and his son, Jase, was part of the 2023 championship team.
"That rock's kind of showing you the being able to live up to that chip on my shoulder, being able to do what he did," Jase Garrett said.
Being at the ceremony felt like a family event. The monument is a way to keep passing China Spring baseball traditions to the next generation.
"I'll tell you, I kind of have my own personal goal. I'd like to have my son up there one day too. He's coming up, he'll be in eighth grade. So, we gotta build a team and hopefully he'll be part of it," Beckham said.
"I would love for my grandchild to be on this state team. Absolutely, but I think we're gonna wait a couple of years. So, yeah, and then we'll start working on that. I mean, as soon as the baby drops we're getting a baseball bat out," Brandon Garrett said as him and Jase shared a laugh by the monument.
The monument also has blank plaques. Beckham said that it gives more motivation for future teams to live up to the standard set by past Cougar players.
