There is a warm comfortable feeling when you enter the town of Valdosta Georgia. The sites look a little familiar, but you just can’t put your finger on where you’ve seen them. Probably in one of many movie shots that were filmed there. The people are incredibly friendly, but there’s one thing you just can’t miss: Baseball is the number one focus in this town and Lowndes High School is in the center of that attention.

Valdosta’s unique name is actually a contraction of the original name of Governor George Troup’s estate: Valle d’Aoesta in Italy. This literally translates to Valley of Augustus, the famed Emperor of Rome. Valdosta calls itself a City Without Limits, and rightly so. Rich in history, they celebrate over one hundred fifty years in success of community and strength. A stroll through the town will be a combination of the history displayed in architectural styles of Victorian, Eclectic, Modernistic and the New Technology of today. This is a place where there is a real sense of community. Valdosta was recognized as top rank in Retirement Lifestyles magazine in 2007.

The one thing you will notice throughout Valdosta is the incredible support of the local businesspeople for the Lowndes High School baseball teams. Almost every business you see is a sponsor; from large mass chains to the local Mom and Pop. Their names are always clearly visible on the baseball scoreboards. There is a great sense of pride in both the Viking baseball team and the girl’s baseball team called The Bat Girls. Every game is filled with cheering fans and the parents show their support through The Dugout Club. You can tune your radio to the Viking Voice at 106.9 FM to get up to the minute, play by play results of any game. Whether they are playing away or on their home Noel George Baseball Field, everyone is there.

There’s probably no other location in the country that has produced so many notable baseball players. Valdosta has given our national sport many MLB Draft and Professional Baseball players, the likes of: Chris Mederos, Jon Michael Redding, Zane Green, Jordan Crews, Stephen Drew, Javon Moran, Luke Taylor, Stephen Drew.

Lowndes High School is front and center on the topic of baseball, with top winning games year after year. Baseball is part of their culture and way of life; and to Lowndes High School, it’s not just a game. Look at any game, the baseball scoreboards are lit with the excitement of the fans. The most astounding part about this school is that they have just as much success on the academic side including the most recent award for Principal Wes Taylor named Georgia’s Secondary School Principal of the Year for 2011.

So if you are talking baseball, you should probably consult with the residents of Valdosta and the teams at Lowndes High School. They seem to be the experts and will proudly talk the talk with you.