TUSCALOOSA &8212; Demopolis native Todd Agee just won a baseball state championship ring, but he didn&8217;t win it with the Tigers. No, Agee, who graduated from Demopolis High School in 1991, is 16 years removed from his days playing in a Demopolis blue and white uniform.

Agee won his ring coaching a school about an hour up the road from the town he grew up in, at Hillcrest High School in Tuscaloosa.

After a year stint in Mobile Agee moved closer to home, to the University of West Alabama, were he finally gave up playing the game after a sports injury. Though he gave up playing, Agee&8217;s passion for the game didn&8217;t diminish so he took up coaching.

After finishing up school Agee returned to his alma mater in Demopolis and coached the middle school baseball team for a season before heading north. He landed at Hillcrest High School where he has remained ever since.

This year Agee led the school to its second state championship in the sport since it opened in 1981, coming 23 years after the first in 1984. Of course prior to relocating to Tuscaloosa, Agee said he had a taste of Hillcrest baseball while he was on the diamond for Demopolis.

Since taking over as head coach at the school Agee said his team has gone to the playoffs every year. He said his first year had a good bit of seniors on the team and the group made it to the second round before falling to Mount Brook.

The group of sophomores stayed with it though, going to the third round last year. Agee said the group was determined to make it back this year and win after getting a taste.

And win it did, giving the Demopolis native with a love for the game a state championship ring to sport and a team he won&8217;t forget.