For Alec Satterfield, baseball has always been more than just a game. The countless hours that he has spent perfecting his craft mean more to him than just a love of sports as he looks to honor a family legacy that started long before he joined the Henderson Flash.
In his second season with the Flash, the 2024 graduate of Henderson County High School continues to develop his skills on the field while working to build excitement in the community for the Flash, a team that has enjoyed much success in the Ohio Valley League. Satterfield is proud of his family’s legacy, both in and out of the athletic realm.
“What made me want to continue playing baseball was my father being a really good baseball player and him not being able to see me grow up and play the sport I love,” Satterfield said. “I feel like that drove me to put the hours in behind closed doors and do everything that I could to try to continue to play.”
Todd Satterfield, Alec’s father, passed away from cancer in 2013 when his son was just seven years old. He was well-known in the community as a star baseball player at HCHS, who went on to play at John A. Logan College and Murray State on baseball scholarships. He also played semi-pro ball for the Evansville Outlaws. Another thing he was remembered for was his faith and the inspiration he instilled in others with the Live ON Purpose! movement.
Alec credited his father for sparking his love of baseball at an early age.
“Honestly, the first time I started to fall in love with baseball wasn’t a fun situation. My dad took me in the backyard and told me we were going to figure out my swing and we’re going to be here all day until we do it,” Satterfield said. “I kind of just fell into the grind of what can I figure out and how fast can I do it.”
Two other memories easily stood out for Satterfield as times that helped to feed his appetite for the game. The first was hitting a walk-off home run to win the 9U World Series in Owensboro. The second was when his current Flash and former HCHS teammate, Seth Galloway, was hit by a pitch to force in the winning run in extra innings to take home the regional championship in 2023. The Colonels went on to the semifinals of the state tournament that year. Several players from that team have donned the Flash uniform.
Satterfield not only excelled on the diamond, but also on the basketball court in high school. He holds both the single-season and career marks for assists at HCHS. He immediately attributed his skills on the hardwood to his mother, Alli (Price) Satterfield.
She would be best remembered as a major contributor on Union County’s 1996 girls basketball team, which won the state championship. She was named to the All-Tournament Team and would accumulate many more accolades in her career before being inducted into the Union County Hall of Fame in 2017.
“My mom has been our biggest supporter. She honestly makes everything happen for us. She allows us to put our minds to whatever we want to do and do it with our full focus,” Satterfield said.
He also noted that his mom is where he gets his competitive spirit, stating that they often still talk trash to each other playing games during family events.
Though Satterfield no longer wears the maroon and white, the family legacy does not end with him. He has a younger brother, Talen Williams, following in his footsteps, playing both baseball and basketball while attending South Middle School.
“He definitely shoots it way better than me. We are not the exact same player on the court, but he definitely has my vision passing-wise and he’s able to finish around the rim. He’s a tough one and he’s not going to back down to anybody,” Satterfield said.
Satterfield’s family influence has translated well to his athletic career. He learned a core value from his close familial relationships. As he put it, “Keep your head down and keep working. We always find ways to compete and make it work.”
Playing for the Flash in front of his hometown fans has been “an honor and a blessing” for Satterfield. Now in his second year, the biggest change for him has been his ability to lead and keep his team together and focused on winning a league title.
Satterfield has also spent the last two years playing baseball at Oakland City University. He called it “the best spot” for him to learn as a freshman from older, more experienced baseball players. Unfortunately, Oakland City suspended its operations after this past school year, so Satterfield will be taking his talents to Brescia University in Owensboro. He’s excited for this new opportunity where he already knows several of the players and coaches.
Satterfield has dreams of pursuing baseball after college should the opportunity present itself. No matter what his future holds, his biggest goal in life is to help other people, no matter how he is able to do that. Specifically, he is interested in helping local kids grow athletically. He wants to help the younger generation grow up playing the game right. If he is able to help people in whatever way he can, he will consider it a “big success” in his life.
He wants to be remembered as a “hard-nosed guy who never gave up on himself and his teammates.” He remembers watching baseball icons such as Derek Jeter and David Wright with his dad and has modeled his game after them.
For now, Satterfield is focused on continuing to develop his game and helping the Flash win another OVL championship. He’s excited to be part of a community event that he said benefits everybody from the players to the fans to young baseball players in Henderson and their parents.
“It’s awesome to be able to play in front of the kids that look up to me. We’ve been able to touch base with the younger generations and understand how they look at the game and teach them how we look at it,” Satterfield said. “It’s also great being able to talk to the community more.”
The Flash currently own a 4-5 record and will be back in action tonight when they visit the Full Count Rhythm. They will return home to Flash Field on Thursday to play the Fulton Railroaders at 6:30 p.m.
“We have a bunch of fun guys that know how to hit the baseball hard and far. They can also field it really well. It’s a great group of gentlemen for your younger kids to look up to and learn how to play the game from.”
