Hall of Fame
Opting to enroll at YHC rather than turning pro, Blackmon posted a 7-1 record in 14 appearances as a freshman, striking out 49 batters in 44 innings. He helped the Mountain Lions to a GJCAA State Championship in 2005, receiving tournament MVP honors. Following his 2005 season, the Boston Red Sox selected him in the 20th round of the Major League draft and he was also invited to spend the summer in the prestigious Cape Cod Baseball League.
After a successful summer in the Cape, he again turned down a professional contract and chose to return to YHC. He excelled as a sophomore, recording eight wins with 89 total strikeouts. The 2006 season also launched his career as a hitter and he was named to the GJCAA All-Conference team. He also excelled academically and was
named to the Dean’s List before graduating in 2006 and furthering his education at Georgia Tech.
In 2008, his impressive performance at Georgia Tech led to him being named to the All-ACC second team, ESPN the Magazine Academic All-American second team, and NCAA Athens Regional All-Tournament Team.
The following summer, the Colorado Rockies selected him in the second round of the Major League draft. He has been named National League Player of the Week twice and was selected to the National League All-Star Team.
