SBLive Mississippi 2022 baseball preview: 25 juniors to watch this season
The 2022 high school baseball season is upon us, and Mississippi has reloaded again talent-wise. Here’s a look at 25 Mississippi high school juniors to keep an eye on this year.
MORE: 30 SENIORS TO WATCH IN 2022
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25 JUNIORS TO WATCH IN 2022
(The list is in alphabetical order)
Gavin Brassfield, 1B/OF, Desoto Central
There’s not much not to like about DeSoto Central’s smooth-fielding lefty. He pitched 25.1 innings last season and finished with an ERA of 3.87 with 35 strikeouts and 18 walks. He did his real damage at the plate, batting .338 in his first season with the varsity squad and driving in 22 RBIs with two doubles and two dingers.
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Hudson Brown, 1B, Northpoint Christian
If you’re looking for size and power, 6-foot-5, 220-pound Hudson Brown is your guy. The University of Kentucky commit bats left handed and has a reputation as a plus-plus defender.
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Brett Busbea, 3B, West Lauderdale
West Lauderdale’s power-hitting third baseman has not committed anywhere yet, but there’s not a whole lot to dislike about his approach at the plate. He batted .388 over 135 plate appearances as a sophomore for the 4A Champion Knights, racking up 35 RBIs with nine doubles and three home runs.
(Brett Busbea feature photo by Keith Warren)
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Hudson Calhoun, IF/P, Tupelo
Calhoun, an Ole Miss commit and Tupelo native, moved back home from all-boys private school McCallie in Chattanooga during the off-season. He doesn’t have a ton of pitching experience, but he has hit north of 90 on the gun and batted .282 over 47 plate appearances last year with 10 RBIs, four doubles and a home run last season in Tennessee.
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Kincade Clark, 3B, Brandon
Clark hit extremely well in limited action as a sophomore for Brandon last year, batting .327 over 59 plate appearances with nine RBIs. We’re excited to see what the uncommitted 2023 prospect can do with with more at bats as a junior.
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Cal Culpepper, P/SS, Clarkdale
The Southern Miss commit is a rock-solid defender and was good on the mound last year, striking out 33 and walking just 15 in 26.1 innings of work with a 2.92 ERA. He’s even better in the batter’s box — he hit .353 over 40 plate appearances with a home run and five RBIs.
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Jackson Evers, P/1B, Madison-Ridgeland Academy
MRA’s rising star only pitched 39 innings last year, but has caught the eye of many a college scout in the summer camp circuit. He finished last year with a 1.79 ERA, striking out 38 hitters and issuing 19 walks. The Ole Miss commit also batted for a .321 average over 61 plate appearances with four doubles and nine RBIs.
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Seth Farni, OF, St. Stanislaus
The Ole Miss commit will make his MHSAA debut this season after transferring to Stanislaus from USM Wright in Mobile, Ala. in the off-season. Farni is a power-hitting left hander who should have an immediate impact for the Rocks.
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Jud Files, P, Mooreville
There weren’t many players as productive as Files was for Mooreville last year. He hit .443 over 102 plate appearances with 31 RBIs, nine doubles and seven homers. His college of choice — Mississippi State — likes him for his right arm, which he rode to a 0.79 ERA in 53.1 innings of work on the mound last year. He struck out 91 batters and issued just 26 walks.
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Bray Hubbard, OF, Ocean Springs
Before he earned his scholarship offer from Southern Miss football, the reigning 6A Mr. Football held an offer from the USM baseball program, and with good reason. The Golden Eagle commit batted .268 over 102 plate appearances last season, driving in 18 runs and belting two doubles, two triples and four homers.
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Kaden Irving, 3B, Gautier
The Gators struggled to a 5-18 record last year, but watching Irving hit was worth the price of admission. The Ole Miss commit and football star hit .462 over 92 plate appearances as a sophomore, driving in 21 runs with eight doubles and eight homers.
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Jacob Keys, C, Brandon
Keys was instrumental for Brandon last season, batting .357 over 122 plate appearances with 26 RBIs, six doubles, two triples and three home runs. He remains committed to Mississippi State.
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Peyton Lacy, P, Pass Christian
The Southern Miss commit hit .262 with 12 RBIs, six doubles and a home run last year, but the Golden Eagle staff really like him as a pitcher. The right-hander gave up nine runs in 19 innings of travel ball with the SBG Sox Showcase Coast Prime over the summer, striking out 26 batters and walking 14.
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Hudson Mattox, 3B, Grenada
Kirk Academy’s big right-handed bat is back for his junior season after batting .412, driving in 35 RBIs and slugging 10 doubles and seven homers in 124 plate appearances last year. He remains committed to Ole Miss.
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Duncan Mathews, C, Jackson Prep
He played in a backup role for most of last season, but there’s a reason Mathews has drawn all kinds of interest from college scouts. He batted .286 over 32 plate appearances for Prep last year with seven RBIs.
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Riley Myers, OF, Leake Academy
Leake Academy’s splendid outfielder turned heads as a sophomore last season despite the Gators’ 9-16 finish. The Mississippi State commit batted .397 over 77 plate appearances with 23 RBIs, three doubles, three triples and a team-high six home runs.
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Keilon Parnell, OF, Pascagoula
Pascagoula’s star quarterback doubles as one of the best outfielders in the state. The Mississippi State commit batted .414 over 136 plate appearances as a sophomore last year, driving in 32 runs and racking up 14 doubles, five triples and two homers.
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Ethan Pulliam, SS, Starkville
Pulliam played a big role in Starkville’s run to the 6A North State Finals last year, batting .321 over 110 plate appearances with 19 RBIs, five doubles and three home runs. The Mississippi State commit also went 2-6 on the mound with a 3.36 ERA over 58.1 innings of work with 80 strikeouts and 33 walks.
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Cooper Pratt, SS, Magnolia Heights
Pratt played an integral role for the Chiefs, who went 30-3 overall and 8-0 in the MAIS 1-4A North Region. Perfect Game rates the Ole Miss commit as the No. 2 overall player in the state and 72nd nationally for the class of 2023.
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Rives Reynolds, OF, Jackson Prep
We’re excited to see what Reynolds can do in his first year as a full-time starter. The Mississippi State commit batted .220 over 67 plate appearances last season with 16 RBIs, two doubles and one home run.
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Walker Sanders, OF, Marshall Academy
We couldn’t dig up numbers on Sanders last year, but the 6-foot-1 fleet-footed BYU commit is definitely one of the best outfielders in the state. He made the All-MAIS first-team last season as a sophomore and should be primed for a big junior season in 2022.
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Campbell Smithwick, C, Oxford
The 2023 Ole Miss commit couldn’t wait to get to Oxford, so he transferred from Conway, S.C. during the off-season. Smithwick played for his father at Conway, and has been committed to Ole Miss since his freshman year. Perfect Game rates him as the No. 50 overall prospect nationally in the class of 2023 and the No. 1 player in Mississippi.
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Trey Winn, SS, Ridgeland
Ridgeland fans ought to be more than familiar with Winn by now — he’s been playing varsity ball since seventh grade. He put up his best year yet last season, batting .333 over 121 plate appearances with 17 RBIs, five doubles and four triples. He also went 5-3 on the mound, accruing a 3.38 ERA in 56 innings of work.
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James Woody, P/IF, Ridgeland
Woody did a little bit of everything for Ridgeland as a sophomore, and he did it all well. He batted .420 over 110 plate appearances with 20 RBIs, six doubles and four triples. He also swiped 14 bases.
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Brennon Wright, IF, Starkville
Wright, a Meridian Community College commit, batted .327 over 110 plate appearances with 19 RBIs, five doubles and three homers as a sophomore last season.