Six Oxford High School athletes took the next step in their careers on the diamond Wednesday as they inked their names to national letters of intent to the junior and community college of their choice.
Four members of the baseball team made their college choice public, including Jacob Melendez, Clark Stovall, Tyler Smith, and Parker Stinnet, as well as two softball players, Britinni Beard and Madison Crosby.
Stinnet and Stovall will both be heading to Senatobia after graduation to play for the Northwest Community College Rangers.
Smith and Melendez will be teammates at Itawamba Community College.
“All four of those guys have worked tremendously hard on their own [to turn] into the players that they have become today,” OHSl baseball coach Chris Baughman said. “I am extremely proud that they get to continue their dream and continue to play a game that they have played since age 5. When they step out on the field later on, knowing that they played for Oxford, there’s a sense of pride that goes into it. But, most of all, I am just proud of them and their families.”
These players will have key roles in the 2018 season, Baughman added.
“They will be the foundation of what we are able to do this season and what we accomplish,” he said. “They will be the leaders, as you have Tyler and Parker on the mound, and are going to carry us. These are the guys that have been in the fire before. These are the guys that we will lean on and the guys we turn to to lead the younger guys.”
Drew Bianco, son of Ole Miss head baseball coach Mike Bianco, will sign with LSU next week.
Softball players Beard and Crosby announced they would play for the Northwest Rangers in the next stage of their careers.
“They are both hard workers and leaders on and off the field. It was big for the team and the turnaround season last year,” Oxford softball coach Tabitha Beard said.
Adam Brown is the sports editor of HottyToddy.com. He can be reached at adam.brown@hottytoddy.com.
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