Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

On Monday, Ariton senior baseball player Caden Collier made his college destination official as he signed with Phenix City’s Chattahoochee Valley Community College.

Collier chose to sign with Chattahoochee Valley over offers from other schools like LBW and Huntingdon.

“I love the coaches and the facilities,” Collier told The Messenger. “They have a great program and it felt like home to me.”

Collier was a big part of Ariton’s first ever state championship last season as he earned First-Team All-State honors after boasting a .368 batting average with a .528 slugging percentage and 4.74 on-base-percentage. He earned 36 singles, 13 doubles, two triples and two home runs with 38 RBI and 55 runs. The infielder also boasted an .899 fielding percentage with 52 put outs and 72 assists. He also earned second-team All-State honors in 2022.

For his career, Collier holds a .409 batting average with 25 doubles, six triples, five homers, 87 RBI and 127 runs. On the defensive end, he holds an .866 fielding percentage with 130 put outs and 170 assists.

Collier has already set goals for his college career but isn’t looking past his senior season just yet.

“I want to go play at Chat and then if I can, get drafted or transfer to a Division I school,” he continued. “Those are my goals for college but I want to win another state championship first. It was awesome (to be a part of Ariton’s first state championship) and it’s something you’ll never forget, so we want to repeat and go back-to-back.”