By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

LUCEDALE — The patriarch of one of the most well-known athletic families in George County High School history was laid to rest here Friday afternoon.

Michael Robbins, a 1990 graduate of GCHS, died at the age of 53 earlier this week from complications during surgery in Jackson. Robbins was a retired Mississippi Highway Patrol officer and a former GCHS standout student/athlete himself.

He was also the father of three of the most successful Rebel baseball players over the past two decades, Mason, Logan and Walker.

“Besides raising three of the best baseball players in George County history, he raised three of the best young men as well,” veteran GCHS head baseball coach and current Athletics Coordinator Brandon Davis said. “There was never a discipline problem or effort issue with them and Michael never interfered with the coaching staff but always offered his support. He left his mark on this program through his boys.”

The elder Robbins was a standout athlete himself back in his days at GCHS, excelling as a versatile two-way performer on the football field as well as for the track and field team and the power lifting squad. He was named a two-time Honorable Mention member of The Mississippi Press Top 10 Athletes list in 1989 and 1990, and went on to start as a fullback at Delta State.

After his playing days were over, he and his wife Phyllis produced a lineage of prep baseball standouts that will long be remembered for their exploits at his alma mater. Phyllis was a longtime employee of the George County School System.

Walker Robbins, the baby of the group, was named the Class 6A Player of the Year in the state of Mississippi as a senior in 2016 and then signed a pro baseball contract with the St. Louis Cardinals.

Robbins was selected in the fifth round, the 166th overall pick, of the Major League Baseball Draft and decided to forgo a scholarship to Mississippi State. He spent several seasons in the minors with the Cards.

He was a two time all-state selection at George County High School, leading the Rebels to back-to-back appearances in the state championship series. As a senior, the 6-foot-3, 215 pound versatile standout excelled both on the mound and at the plate as he batted .477 with three homers and 16 RBIs and was 8-2 in 13 appearances on the mound with an astonishing 0.67 ERA. He struck out 110 batters in 72 2/3 innings and chunked a pair of no-hitters this past season including a perfect game.

That came on the heels of middle brother Logan’s stellar career at GCHS. He led the Rebels in 2014 with five home runs and 24 RBIs in addition to a .326 batting average. On the mound, the left-hander went 4-1 with a 1.17 ERA and 69 strikeouts in 48 innings.

Logan went on to pitch at Jones County Junior College and he helped lead the Bobcats to the Division II national championship in 2016. He then went on to earn All-Conference USA honors at Louisiana Tech as well.

The oldest brother Mason enjoyed a solid career at the University of Southern Mississippi before going on to play in the Chicago White Sox organization.

He was was Mississippi’s Gatorade Player of the Year and an Under Armour All-American his senior season at GCHS in 2011, but turned down pro ball at that point after being drafted by the New York Mets to play for the Golden Eagles.

During his final year in high school, Mason Robbins batted .500 with a state-best 14 home runs in 2011.

All three Robbins brothers were named first team All-State by the Mississippi Association of Coaches for their play at some point in their respective GCHS careers.

They all followed in the footsteps of their father, who was also honored with All-State status on the gridiron after his senior season at GCHS.