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In just one remarkable season, Nathan Nunez helped guide Grace Christian Academy baseball to new heights—both in the record books and in the hearts of the Bainbridge community.

“It’s an honor, to be honest with you,” Nunez said after being named GIAA A Region 3 Coach of the Year. “First year as a head coach, taking on kids that I never knew until this season. So being able to get Region Coach of the Year—it’s big on me and also my résumé.”

From Leon High to Grace Christian, Nunez used his semi-pro and junior varsity baseball coaching experience to guide a growing program to a new pinnacle.

“For one, just getting the team on the same routine—practice,” he shared. “But a good moment for them was obviously the 9-0 region record, becoming region champs. Even though they were region champs two years in a row before that, going 9-0 this time… and sweeping Westwood, and Westover. That was a big accomplishment by them.”

What followed was nothing short of historic.

A memorable part of the season included welcoming Robert Toombs Christian Academy and the GIAA Class A runner-up Vidalia Heritage Academy Eagles to the GCA Sports Complex for a high-stakes postseason series.

“Getting to the playoffs and, for the first time in history, earning a bye and winning a state playoff series,” he said. “That was in the second round—and then making it to the Final Four. That was a big accomplishment by these boys and the program.”

The record was impressive, but the team’s turning point came when connection mattered more than results.

“After our second or third game, we started to see what we were capable of,” Nunez said. “The win over Westover felt like a statement after falling short the year before. We stumbled a bit at Baconton Charter, but it showed us we were close. Then, taking down Westover in the rematch confirmed it—we were a team that could hang with anybody.”

While his stay was short-lived, Nunez hopes the impression he left will endure.

“All in all, it was a great experience,” he reflected. “The support was meaningful, and the players—many of whom are headed toward promising futures—left a real impression on me. I’m excited to see where the game takes them next.”

Among those standouts were Aiden Whittaker, Keith Eidson and Noah Smith, all collegiate level baseball players and—players whose talent was obvious, but never received special treatment.

“They were big names on the team. Some of those players knew they were going somewhere and felt like I was gonna treat them differently. But at the end of the day,” Nunez said. “I treated them all the same, focus on the now. And if anything, I made sure those players going to the next level stepped up—be the captains, and leaders.” 

As Nunez prepares to begin a new chapter in Naples, Florida, he revealed the move had been on his heart for some time.

“Oh man, it’s exciting. I hate that I’m leaving after one year, and I actually knew this news before I even started the season—that I was going to make this move,” he admitted. “My family pretty much came together and asked me to move down to Naples, Florida during Christmas. It was difficult to say no to that.”

His voice carried a mixture of anticipation and reflection, emblematic of someone who poured everything into a single season and is now stepping into something deeply personal.

That decision came from the heart.

“They want to be closer with me, and I also want to be closer with them. I have 12 nieces and nephews down in that area. I’ve been in their lives—but not the way I want it to be,” he said. “I want to be there—watching them grow up, taking them out to events, doing a whole bunch of family things without traveling six or seven hours just for a weekend.”

While the coaching future is uncertain, Nunez has a few ideas.

“I do want to get into a little bit of street corn down there,” he said. “It can be big because the Hispanic community’s really strong, and the area itself has a lot of people who like to try new things. So maybe a food truck. Maybe even start a lawn care business for extra income.”

He paused before adding, “On the coaching aspect, I’m not too sure. As of now, I’m hanging it up. If I did return to coaching, I’d aim for the college level—perhaps Florida Gulf Coast University, which is about a 55-minute drive from Naples. I could see myself assisting with pitching or the middle infield.”

Though miles may soon separate him from Bainbridge, the mark Nunez made will remain stitched into the fabric of the school’s baseball family.